Prima Luna Dialogue 2 or Cayin A100?

You can't go far wrong with either pick but I think the Dialogue may be a bit faster/tighter than the Cayin. Note I own a A100T but not the Dialogue, just a Prologue 3/5 combo and a PL1. The sound of either can be greatly affected by power tube selection as well as driver tubes as well (especially the 6CG7's in the Cayin).

Trade offs with the two are that the Dialogue allows greater tube type selection (you may find you prefer something other than a KT88 (I like the 6L6GC in my PL5for example) but you have to assume the auto bias circuit works perfectly for your selection or you have to go into its guts to make/check the selection of bias for the tube you use. Most people are happy with auto bias, but until I re-adjusted mine I did not like the 6L6 tube at all. In the Cayin choice is limited to KT88's or 6550's but manual bias is a walk in the park. Takes a minute or two.

I suspect that you will find the PL product to be relatively more analytical than the Cayin but the Cayin's relaxed nature can be a blessing some times. But both brands are warm in nature with PL stuff having cleaner/crisper highs.

Hope that helps a bit. Oh, another thing, because of resale issues I'd probably go for a Dialogue first, if for no other reason that they are less expensive and hold resale value better. And, I think, they would be easier for some one not inclined to fuss much about tubes to get them dialed in.

I haven't heard PL's before, but both PL & Cayin's OEM = Spark Audio...so build quality should be similar.

PL probably has better after sales service/warranty/advice here in North America.

Having said that, like Newbee says, resale value for PL probably better than Cayin, which means you can get a slightly used Cayin for an awesome price.

Don't think you can lose with either choice.

I can't speak to the PrimaLuna, but I have owned two Cayin amps and currently run a Cayin A-70T in my main system.

I can't say enough good things about the Cayin and the customer service the importer, VAS Industries, provides. I've called VAS on a couple of occasions with questions and they have always been very helpful and friendly.

Neither the A-70T that I currently have nor the A-88T that I owned prior had any trouble at all with my Usher X-718 speakers (87db/8ohm)and both sound absolutely wonderful. They are VERY well built and have proven very reliable.

If you keep a look out here on Audiogon, an A-88, A-70, or A100 comes available every month or so. Be aware that the A-88 is the biggest pain to bias and there are two versions of the A70; one auto-biasing and one manual. The autobias A-70 has a switch on the top plate to select either KT-88/6550 or EL34 power tubes, the manual bias A-70 takes only KT-88/6550 power tubes. Mine is the manual bias version.

Thanks for the input. I just installed a Primaluna Dialogue 2 into my system. After listening to it for a few days it strikes me as bright -- so much so that I switch from ultralinear to triode to compress the top end. I am using the factory KT88 tubes. Perhaps switching to "better" KT88 will cut the harsh top end. Any suggestions?