PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium Preamplifier. DESTROYS SPEAKERS!!



A few months ago, bought TWO of the above mentioned preamps. ( I have 2 stereo systems)
Within 6 weeks of the purchase, the power supply of my speakers burns out!
I purchase and replace the power supply.
Three days later, the second newly replaced power supply is burnt out!
After much investigative work and heartache, I discover that the Pre amp is the problem.
It is defective and puts out DC. which burns out speakers.
After, testing the second unit, I find that it is defective as well, EXACTLY the same problem.
I return the units to my dealer, who returns them to Prima Lune.

I received a phone call from a Mr. Kevin Deal, big cheese at PrimaLuna.
Told me that the capacitors, on BOTH units had failed and the units were putting out DC.
He even THANKED me, for being a guinea pig, and discovering the flaw in his units.

He offered me a pair of tubes, as "compensation" for my troubles!! What a joker!!

WOW, a pair of tubes for blowing my $30,000. speakers!!

The height of arrogance and total disregard for the consumer of his product.
To all audiophiles, do yourself a favour, STAY AWAY for this brand, unless you want your speakers cooked.

TOTAL lack of quality control, MADE IN CHINA junk, what more needs to be said.


Mr. Deal, WAKE UP, and STOP selling defective products!!


If, you are using PrimaLuna, and your speakers fail, check the amp or pre amp.

George


Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
thorloki
Greetings atmasphere,

Hey man, thanks for your post and analysis, well written and well thought out.
Perhaps you are right, perhaps this would not have happened in another system.
However, manufacturers of preamps/amps should know that their equipment will be mated and matched, with other equipment, in every possible combination.
If, primaLuna is not a good match for electrostatics, and problems can arise, then BUYERS SHOULD BE WARNED, prominently written, in the owners manual.

By the way, another post just mentioned that a Harbeth speaker was blown up, USING a PrimaLuna preamp!

I just don't know what to think, but it sure requires investigation/monitoring.

Thanks again for the post,  GOOD STUFF!

Willemj 9-25-2017
I have just found back a letter from another user who reported that a failed capacitor in his PrimaLuna Dialogue preamplifier destroyed a Harbeth SHL5+ speaker....

PrimaLuna talked this man into buying a PrimaLuna power amp as well. That is all I know.
If you are saying that the PrimaLuna amp and preamp were being used together when the problem occurred, I’m not sure how a medium powered tube amp whose output transformers are incapable of passing DC, or even passing frequencies of several Hz or more without attenuating them significantly, could have "destroyed" the speaker. At most I would think a tweeter might have been damaged as a result of severe clipping. Especially if the clipping were allowed to continue for a significant amount of time, for example if the system was running unattended.

In any event, it certainly sounds like a different situation than the OP’s, at least if the PL amp and preamp were being used together when the problem occurred.

Regards,
-- Al

P.S: Ralph (Atmasphere), thanks! I of course agree with everything in your post, which refines and elaborates on some of the things I was getting at in my earlier posts.

The original amplifier used with the PrimaLuna pre amp was a Pass XA-30.8. The PrimaLuna had a leaking capacitor that passed DC to the power amp, with sad results.
@shadorne
Can you qualify the "scariness"? Maybe can advise what they’re doing wrong and how they can improve their process. BTW have you ever been in a plant like this, or to China?

Willemj, thank you for the clarification.  But nevertheless that sounds like the preamp had a different problem than the OP's.  As I and Atmasphere have said, and as Kevin Deal suggested (when he mentioned that an oscillation was suspected), DC does not appear to have been responsible for the OP's problem.  And in contrast to the OP's amp, the XA30.8 has no capacitors in its signal path, and as far as I know may not provide any other means of DC protection.

Regards,
-- Al