Why is there no love for Prima Luna?
Why don’t you simply contact Kevin Deal and ask him if he is paying his Chinese employees well, working conditions etc. Here's some pictures of the Line Magnetic factory https://www.monoandstereo.com/2017/08/line-magnetic-factory-tour.html |
My first time hearing a tube amp was an all McIntosh system. MC275 and tube preamp. My jaw hit the floor. I couldn’t afford that system but I did get a used Primaluna Dialogue One and I loved it. I wound up upgrading tubes and fuse and I went back to listen to the MC275 again a year or so later and I thought my system sounded just as good. After a couple years the upgrade bug hit me and I decided to get a Line Magnetic LM508. It did beat out the Dialogue One in sound quality but it also retailed for more than twice the price. However it also had a hum and buzz that I couldn’t get rid of. Then it had a problem and I had to send it for service and it was gone almost 6 months. The PL was dead quiet, never had an issue, didn’t run as hot and sounded great. I used the PL while the LM was in service and almost decided to keep it. However I sold it when the LM came back. Eventually I decided to sell the LM too as I just wasn’t super confident that it wouldn’t have an issue again. Both sounded great to me. I could easily live with the PL forever and if the LM was quiet Id feel the same too. I used them with anything from Salk Song3’s, Totem Hawks, Boenicke W5’s, Omegas, Clearwave Duet6’s, and some others. Not all of these speakers are ideal for tube amps but neither amp had issues driving them. Now I’m using a Canary M90 but I could easily go back to a PL amp one day. |
I had the PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium HP Integrated for many years and really enjoyed it. It was surely a step up from the Cary SLI80 I had been using. I listen to classical and acoustic jazz. My only problem was that the sound seemed somewhat dry and clinical to me. If you’re looking for slam, PL is the way to go, it’s definitely powerful but not as subtle as I wished. I sold it and bought a Line Magnetic 805ia which has the warmth and the more rounded tube like sound I was looking for. Although rated 1/2 the watts of the PrimaLuna, I can’t tell the difference in power, I have never gone past 12:00 on the dial, my Dali Epicon 6 speakers are rated at 88 db sensitivity. No matter what amp you get, budget for at least $2000 for tube upgrades. The stock tubes on both of these machines are pretty meh. With better tubes both these machines really shine. |
"This is actually a thread in disguise to plug Prima Luna. Get the happy owners to come out and respond. Brilliant! I knew it was gonna go sideways reading the thread title." I can only share my experience as I own them and it so happens I'm happy with them. I would think a thread like this would also be an opportunity for the unhappy PL owners to voice their issues with PL as well. I'd like to hear from them, and I'm not talking about system synergy issues. |
