Straight out of the box doesn't work.

a lot has been said already that needed to be said to the op

i would just add/reiterate the following points:

- the pl amps are extremely heavy and the weight (like many powerful tube amps) is very asymmetrically distributed... so its likely the amp in box (which sounds like you bought new) was dropped on its side a few times and hammered a good bit in transit

- pl amps ship with all the tubes in place... it is their packaging design... ok but hardly ideal... new pl amps have very tight tube sockets... the tubes may have been knocked askew but they should not ’wobble’ once reseated vertically - the fact the tubes were askew tells me the trip was a very rough one

- the front panel red light is ok... it denotes ultralinear operation, not a malfunction

- op did you try to fire the amp up, once tubes were properly re-seated in their positions... did it not play music? you didn’t say... anyhow, you are getting a new one, hope that one survives the journey and it will be different when you open that box

audio research is very high quality stuff... primaluna is very good, excellent value, but you cannot compare a mazda to a mercedes - the quality is just at another level - they are both built by talented makers to particular price points but one is just much higher than the other

you will hear the ref75 against the evo 400... you can tell us what you think... if the rest of your system is good, the answer will be fairly obvious (especially with the stock pl tubes in place)

good luck

As far as it being nostalgic re: hi-fi equipment not working out of the box, it’s bad nostalgia if it’s preowned gear, and it’s inexcusable if it’s new and doesn’t work. Never had new tube or solid state gear not work out of the box in 54 yrs. 

Try the Audio Mirror mono blocks. You have Vlad’s DAC. They might surprise you!

How was it sent? UPS? Fedex? The problem may lie there...

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<,>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

It is NEVER the shipper it is ALWAYS the PACKER. If it was labeled correctly and packaged correctly "THIS" would have never happened.. You NEVER send anything with tube installed UNLESS the have a bonnet (hold down) on the valves. The packing will show if it was handled improperly. The inner box will show contact with the outer box. It CANNOT move inside the boxes. Tight is right. loose is a REPACK... Peanuts are a "Return to sender" at the DOOR.. No exceptions...

IF there are any breaches either way it was tossed to hard. The inside meeting the outside, OR the outside meeting the inside, (forklift blade).

I packed VERY expensive equipment for 45 year to ship overseas.. Never lost another to improper packing (ONE TIME WAS ENOUGH).

The package should be packed as if IT were returning to YOU, not THEM... UNDERSTAND.

I had tubes and a pre sent to me from Schitt. The tube weren’t checked in the unit they sold me.. It almost caught on fire, within the first hour. Cost them a sale... Great customer service though..

Bad packing, bad deal.. BUT let patience prevail.

Regards

In my experience as a dealer, IT HAPPENS.  Period.

The manufacturer will make it right if you speak to him/her.

Sorry for the inconvenience; maybe they will give you a perk or something to make up for their error.  Never hurts to ask, and be polite.  No one WANTS to ship a DOA product...although I don't know that specific manufacturer.

If this is the biggest problem you have in life, you are pretty lucky these days.

Cheers!