Prima Luna Premium Pre

The original poster asked about a preamp, not an integrated amp.

I saw this thread and smiled. I can assure you that PrimaLuna is everything that the experts say it is. As to the fellow that said he likes to listed to it loud, I just received this from another Mac owner that has 601 amps. He didn't sell the Mac...I don't think. But has the following things to say:

Kevin the Primaluna equipment arrived in fine shape, one Dialogue Premium preamplifier, and one Dialogue Premium HP power amp. I got them set up and currently playing with interconnects, so this is what I have found out so far. The following comments are compared to using a Benchmark HGC driving a pair of Mcintosh MC 601 amplifiers using balanced interconnects. If anyone say’s tubes are not for Magnepan 1.7’s they just haven’t heard the above Primaluna set up. It takes the preamplifier and the amplifier about one hour to come on song at this time, will see if it changes as it breaks in. The Primaluna is very quite you do not hear any tube rush through the 1.7’s. or other noise at any volume. The bass is very good, in some respects better than the Mac’s which surprised me, also the treble seems more extended. But as everyone knows the music lives in the midrange and this is where the Dialogue gear really shines. The Dialogue gear will not make a poor recording sound good, but on good recordings it doesn’t get any better. The thing that has really surprised me is the increase in dynamic range over the Mac’s, some of the criticism of the Magnepans is a somewhat compressed sound compared to some dynamic speakers, if that’s a problem get some Dialogues. To sum up the sound at this time there is just more there-there. Now I’m redoing my listening room and making some new equipment racks hanging the TV on the wall all of which I hope will help the room. People this Primaluna Dialoque gear is the real deal get you some.

I also wanted to respond about preamps. You can't say there is a CJ "sound" anymore that you can say there is an ARC "sound". The CJ ET-3SE is a hybrid. Quite different than the PV-10, 11, and 12. And it uses a 6922.

ARC has made hybrids too. And hybrids are fine. But there is no "family sound".

These are the facts about preamps:

There are no "new" designs. It's a hybrid, or uses multiple tubes or followers or feedback to lower output impedance. All this crap about a companies cheaper models being like a "mini" of their more expensive model is B.S. It's just not true. They haven't "learned something new" There's nothing to learn. It's just the facts about the two or three brands you are comparing. REAL FACTS.

The best preamps will have more tubes. The best preamps will have tube rectification. And be dual-mono. And have point to point wiring. And weigh something.

The ET3-SE is a single tube on a PCB with a small power transformer and chip for a volume control. It weighs 13 lbs. for $4,000. They are not alone on this. Preamps are like soft drinks at a restaurant. The food is $8 and has ingredients. The drink is $2.75 and is water and syrup. I'm all ears if anyone can justify to me the prices I see.

Go to Google and use "images" to compare the insides of preamps. You have to do this. Think like an engineer. The $2199 PrimaLuna weighs 37.5lbs, and the $3199 weighs 53lbs. Both are built in a way that none of the brands mentioned build. If you deal in facts, not blustery emotion that "Brand A is expensive so it MUST be better!" you will see what I mean. I have re-tubed over 10,000 amps and preamps in all these years, and I have also supplied many companies with their tubes. I know who's naughty and who's nice.

Importer of the brand, not exactly impartial observer...

"Importer of the brand, not exactly impartial observer..."

Yes, but he has some points, doesn't he?