Hello,
I've used Prima Luna pre & power combinations and Prima Luna pre with respectable power amps, driving Thiel and later a fine UK monitor in their gold series. Lovely, no "holes." Gear has changed for me- integrated amp with tubes in the pre stage,now driving my Quad 23L speakers. Using a Linn CD player and a Music Fidelity DAC, I am totally enjoying the music. That's what it's all about. |
@stereo5 @holmz. He will give you recommendations on tubes for the Evo. I tried and that failed, so I tried email. My communication there also seemed to fail. We can sell our dealers Primaluna tubes at a discount but all other brands are sold at retail cost.
Service/Support Team - Upscale Audio
On Mon, Aug 30, 2021 at 7:35 PM, Holmz wrote:
Hi Josh,
Let me rephrase it then. I have a Prima Luna, and I need new tubes. What can I order from Kevin as the Prima Luna dealer?
X
Sent from my iPad
On 31 Aug 2021, at 9:03 am, Josh Phelps from Upscale Audio <service@upscaleaudio.com> wrote:
Hi X
We stay away from giving really specific recommendations on tubes. We don't ever want to promise something and not deliver.
Service/Support Team - Upscale Audio
On Mon, Aug 30, 2021 at 6:51 PM, Holmz wrote:
I saw Kevin Deal’s name mentioned on a forum, and I have a Prima Luna that I acquired from a friend.
I am running this into an older set of Vandersteen 2C speakers.
What tubes would you recommend, and can we do an order with a credit card over the phone?
Thanks,
X
+1-7xx-xxx-xxxx
Sent from my iPad Maybe we were both having a bad day? |
@Hardenx The tube suggestions above are good as well. I swapped out the stock 12AU7 gain tubes for Brimar CV4003 and immediately noticed a more defined top end and slightly more soundstage depth. I recently rolled in a set of KT120 power tubes and noticed more detail from lows to highs and more power and weight in the bass. The KT150s are a step up in horsepower from the 120s. You have to remove the tube cage to use the 150s, so not the best choice if you have young kids around which is wy I haven’t tried them. Thanking you sir! @keeferdog I own a PrimaLuna power amplifier. The stock Chinese EL 34 tubes sound like crap. Very anemic. I don’t care what Deal says. Buy a quad set of Tung Sol KT 150’s. HUGE, TALKING NIGHT N DAY DIFFERENCE. You’ll hear bass you didn’t know your speakers were capable of producing. Also, you’ll have to remove the tube cage with the large and tall “Christmas looking KT 150 bulbs”. Instant horse power! You can thank me later…. also thanking you sir! |
You can get a great sounding integrated SS. It isn’t the technology, it is the actual make and model design and execution. You can make generalizations that tubes sound better, but it is not true in all cases, and this is even more apparent on lower efficiency speakers.
If you really like a speaker/amp combo, be happy and don’t worry about the technology generalizations.
I am in the minority here but I believe in KISS. No messing with tubes, heat, etc. You already went KISS with integrated vs. separates, now just give a really good SS a chance. |
I see you have, or are considering sending back the PrimaLuna. If you haven’t already, I recommend you don’t - at least not until you give the KT120 or KT150 tubes a shot. Will cost you about $200.00, but from experience I can tell you, that with demanding speakers, they will shine far and above the stock EL34s. While the EL34s can be magic with very efficient speakers, they fall short with even slightly inefficient speakers.
+1 @ hardens "I recently rolled in a set of KT120 power tubes and noticed more detail from lows to highs and more power and weight in the bass".
I am driving my quite challenging Maggie 1.7s with a Rogue Cronus Mag. II, running Tung-Sol KT-120 tubes and it has no problem driving them to any volume I care to listen to and the resolution, detail and stage is incredible.
I think you owe it to yourself and your very nice Robson speakers to give it a shot.....Jim |
