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PrimaLuna EVO 400 Tube Integrated Amp Black / No Phonostage / Stock EL34 Only Reviews

4.9 Rating 45 Reviews
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Phone:

909.931.9686

Email:

joel.m@upscaleaudio.com

Location:

2058 Wright Avenue,
2058 Wright Avenue
California
91750

I recently upgraded my analogue system from a Prima Luna Dialogue Two to the EVO 400. I have always found the Two to be a more than capable amp that produced great and memorable sound. Wanting a bit more "oomph" from the amp, I chose the EVO 400. WOW! Could not be more satisfied! Detail, range, soundstage, bottom-end, presence, etc. all reached a new level that I did not even know existed. It is only getting broken in and all ready I am amazed. Even my non-audiophile friends are impressed. Well executed!
3 Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
I've had alot of diffrent equipment including McIntosh luxman Carver adcom but by far this is the best integrated amp that I've ever used the sound quality ease-of-use is unbelievable for this price point
1 Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
James Ziefert
Verified Reviewer
My new amp is fantastic. It’s beautifully built and sounds amazing. It’s a major sonic upgrade to my system.
1 Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Shmuel Mandelbaum
Verified Reviewer
I cannot thank Upscale Audio enough for their thoughtfulness, kindness and professionalism from the very first call to my listening to this amazing piece of kit at home. And, yes, the Primaluna is every bit as good as advertised. I especially love having both ultralinear as well as triode modes—you fairly quickly get a sense of which types of music will sound best with which mode and, yes, it’s like having two excellent amps in box. Finally, looking forward to having a friend stop by this evening with his Audeze and Fostex headphones for my first headphone listening session—should be a blast! Thanks again to Kevin Deal and his fine sales people.
1 Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Nathan Bradley
Unverified Reviewer
All I can say is WOW, WOW, WOW! I could not be happier with my investment (or the advice from Upscale).
2 Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Brian Hudson
Verified Reviewer
So, I upgraded from a PrimaLuna EVO 300 Tube Integrated Amp that I bought from Upscale Audio last summer, great product in so many ways and even bought vintage French 12AU7s and upgraded to KT120s but I always wondered what having more power on tap. Bought the 400 and more KT120s. Wow, Just Wow. So much nuance, punch thump at lower volumes and then when you really crank it, it's sublime. This is an heirloom, lifetime amplifier that my son's will be fighting over on my deathbed. Life's too short, C'mon buy one! you will not be disappointed.
7 Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Alfred Rohling
Verified Reviewer
To begin with, I read multiple reviews about this amplifier before I decided to purchase it. The video by Kevin Deal sealed the deal (pun intended). I give it five stars with a few caveats. First, there is certainly a break-in period. When I first hooked it up it sounded good, but not great. There was too much brightness on the higher frequencies and I noticed that amp does tend to run hot. Not a surprise since there are six input tubes and eight output tubes all producing heat. It sits on the bottom shelf of my equipment rack with only about two inches clearance to the shelf above. If I put my hand on the shelf above, I could feel the heat. The main stereo system I use is on the lower level of a three story house, so it tends to remain cool. To avoid possible overheating, I purchased a small, inexpensive ($12) fan and put it behind the rack pointing at the back of the amplifier. Makes virtually no noise, so not an issue. After the amplifier warms up, if I am cranking up the sound, I turn on the fan to keep the air moving, so heat buildup is not an issue. Another criticism I read about in the reviews (a minority opinion) is that the amp is overly bright. Yes and no. Consider the music you are playing. If there are a lot of horns or simply a poor recording; yes it will be excessively bright. I would call that revealing rather than a flaw. Also, as time went on and the EVO400 started to break in, that excessive brightness was diminished considerably. Playing Boston's first album is a pleasure, but there are passages where the high notes of the lead guitar can cut metal. Try playing Robin Trower - Bridge of Sighs for a well balanced recording. Another issue was the lack of bass with tube amps. I replaced a Yamaha Natural Sound integrated amp with the PrimLuna EVO400. There is a distinct difference in the bass output. The bass output of the Yamaha is overpowering. I run twin SVS SB-4000 sub-woofers and with the Yamaha needed to turn down the low pass filter to about 50hz. With the EVO400, I am running full LFE mode without distortion. Even if I leave the sub-woofers off, the bass sound is still adequate, but I like a lot of bass. Overall, this amp kicks ass. The sound quality is clear, three-dimensional and never distorted. I would recommend it anyone looking for quality tube sound at a reasonable price
5 Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Author didn't leave any comments.
Helpful Report
Posted 4 years ago