2. amps-preamps
  3. 131501-88991

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
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
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.

willemj
1,036 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.
jaybe
740 posts
 
@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?

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almarg
9,670 posts
 
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
 
johnss
569 posts
 
would agree with many of other posters here. I have 4 of the PLs, one pre amp and 3 amps, two dialogue premium amps and one prologue 4 (not to mention many other tube amps). None of the PLs have their stock coupling caps or load resistors so can't speak from personal experience on the stock caps, but the build quality is first rate, just as PL's advertising states. Was quite impressed with the level of build quality in these units.
 
It is interesting to note that Solen/SCR caps are the OEM caps used in the Dialogue premiums. These caps are quite reliable, so pretty remote odds that two pre amps both had defective caps.

The amps and pre amp also respond well to tube rolling.  I'd would add you have not heard the PLs until you have some copper foil coupling caps in them....they jump to another league....

best


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