2. amps-preamps
  3. 116490-1644

Ayon's "Scorpio" tube imtegrated amp vs PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium tube integrated??.

I have considered trying a tube integrated amp. The Prima Luna Prologue Premium has received numerous positive testimonials regarding its sound quality and is considered a bargain at $2399.  Ayon’s new "Scorpian" tube integrated  is more expensive at $4200,  supposedly offers excellent sound quality, but has not gathered many press reviews. .

 Is  anyone familiar with these products??  Are they  reliable over the long haul?? and if so, can either amp  effectively drive any speaker load, including Golden Ear Technology model 7 or the larger model 5.  Or have any problems driving Magneplanar .7 speaker, or any of the Martin Logan speakers.  Thank you  

sunnyjim
sunnyjim OP
927 posts
 

Thank you both for the responses; they were very helpful.  One correction I need to make.  The Prima Luna integrated is the Prologue Premium issued in 2011, not the Dialogue Series.  It received very good reviews, and supposedly, the amp is that John Atkinson at Stereophile unearthed to evaluate the YG Carmel 2 which is $24,000 plus.for this month's issue  


 Hard to believe that  the other amplifiers he used did not sound as good as Prima Luna.   However, that does not necessarily prove anything outstanding about the Prima Luna, and surely and embarrassingly  more about the compatibility deficiencies of this outrageously  expensive speaker. Taking into account  the pitfalls of finding the right combinations of electronics, speaker cables,  interconnects,  DAC, and dealing with the anomalies of room acoustics, should not a manufacturer design a speaker to find compatibility with most audiophile grade electronics 


This trial and error approach will always remain a mystery to me about high-end products and systems. I should have added a caveat to this thread about 70 lbs amps or integrated amp. I thought I had threw off that option, when I drop an Aragon 4004  (65lbs unboxed) on my foot about 10 years ago which put me on crutches for a while.   Again,  thanks for the advice.  

mikirob
955 posts
 
Rsunnyjim,
I own a Primaluna Dialogue One. It is superb. Never any problem, great auto bias, use just about any power tube. One of the best bang for buck amps out there. Great support from Upscale. Best, Rob
mikirob
955 posts
 
sunnyjim,
I own a Primaluna Dialogue One. It is superb. Never any problem, great auto bias, use just about any power tube. One of the best bang for buck amps out there. Great support from Upscale. Best, Rob
tablejockey
3,897 posts
 
PL Dialogue Premium HP owner here.
Essentially the Dialogue Premium, but another set of power tubes and a headphone jack.
The Ayon certainly looks sharp and probably sounds great. Based on value/performance for the money, the PL line may have an edge. Support is top notch from the distributor, and all the positive reviews are spot on regarding performance. 
Call Kevin @ Upscale Audio. Since he's the distributor, he can answer all your questions about speaker compatability.

I was so pleased with a previous Prologue 2 integrated amp, that going up the line was a no brainer!
sunnyjim OP
927 posts
 

I wish it was a "no-brainer" choice., but there is 8.% sales tax in California, and I think Upscale is not into discounting.  Calculated on the retail price of Prologue Premium amp of $2399, the tax is $192.00, and so brings the total to nearly $2600.  I am as patriotic as the next SoCal sun worshipper, but it still is a lot of money. 

Off the issue a bit, has McIntosh's  maintained its reputation for  quality sounding amp??. They used to offer a simple integrated amp, model MA-6300.of 100RMS, that sounded pretty lush when I heard it about 10 years ago at a friend's house driving a pair of  Magneplanar 1.7R's. The sound was quite addictive on even less than stellar CD recordings......... Again, thanks to those who have replied so far.     

More to discover