Upscale Audio and Primaluna

For me it's a matter of approach.  "Goodness" is a relative concept and relative goodness can be expressed in two ways - by extolling one’s virtues or denigrating the virtues of others.  Given a choice between buying from a company that employs the former tactic vs. the latter I will always choose the former.  I remember watching an Upscale Audio video comparing the PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium preamp to an Audio Research LS17SE.  Much of the video was spent in running down the 17SE (it weighs less, it looks empty by comparison to the PL, etc.)  A company’s choice of the low road in the treatment of their competition will always cause me to question the road they would choose in dealing with their customers.

I demo’d the Primaluna tube DAC and it went back after a couple of days. Compared to the Chord Qutest (which I owned at the time) and the Denafrips Pontus, it is not as good. I was disappointed with the Primaluna and a lot of Kevin Deal’s videos are just for sales. Who cares if the Primaluna gear is heavy and packed full of bits and pieces, it’s the sound that is important and it wasn’t good to me.

I had nothing but good experience dealing with Kevin @ Upscale.

As far as PL goes, I own their DiaLogue Premium (EL34) power amp and it is one of the best in the business.  Drives my Maggies very well and the sound is to die for.

Interesting.  Which Maggies?  Most sound best with considerably higher power than the EL34 Dialogue Premium produces.

"Quite simply, every dollar of profit from your purchase of a Cayin amp goes directly to a government that runs vast re-education camps, oppresses dissent in Tibet and Hong Kong and promotes the use of slave and forced labor in the country's workforce."
Unlike all those dollars you give for your iPhones, laptops, TVs...?
Never dealt with Kevin (he is probably the best sales guy in hifi based on YT i watched:), I am in EU, and think Primaluna its hard to beat for that money. For my budget (1500-2000$) I couldn't find any other tube preamp that sounded better. Of course, didn't hear everything that exists, there is a better one probably, that's why we should audition before buying! They have Stereophile Class A awards, and a bunch of other awards for some reason.