Seems like a lot of folks are putting their Primaluna amps for sale...

Love my HP w/ KR's KT88!

I owned a new Dialogue Premium HP integrated a few years ago and shortly after I got it up and running, a horrible DC noise came through the speakers.  I took it in for repair and the technician told me it was just more Chinese “crap” as one of the internal wires came loose and was touching something it shouldn’t have.  I thought it sounded good, but it scared me enough to put it up for sale. I’m sure the quality is fine with the line, but of course I had to get the one that had an issue…..

Trying to derive meaning from the classified posting trends is a shaky proposition. Brands that sell a LOT are going to show up proportionally more frequently in the ads. It’s not necessarily an indictment of the product at hand. Just the nature of the hobby - many of us habitually churn through a lot of gear. Sometimes we sell gear we regret, and buy back.

What IS transparent is the flavor-of-the-month cycle for trendy products and brands. When a flavor gets old, the product gluts the market for a while and then kind of just disappears forever. Prima Luna as a brand has had staying power, and doesn’t qualify for that. Their new hybrid offerings represent slightly risky new ground for them and possibly *could* end up being a flavor of the month pattern - but that remains to be seen.

I think there are Chinese brands that see the money that can be made in the High Fidelity industry and want to sell under the more mainstream brands ie Cary, ARC, McIntosh, and the boutique brands which demand even higher prices. Line Magnetic, Doge, Yaqin, Mingda, Muzishare and Willsenton come to mind. The Willsenton r800i looks very impressive and they have a shop in the US for repairs.

If one buys an amp like PL at a very good price, it's easier to upgrade or off load it. If I but an ARC reference I am investing high $$$. I might take a big hit, selling it.

I have a Line Magnetic integrated tube amp that I bought from a local dealer and I really like it alot. Once the transformer failed (after about 4 years of heavy use) and LM Audio took care of it. There is a misconception that ALL CHI-FI is bad and poorly made. That is just not true....

I neglected to caution you if you might want to attempt my Primaluna repair. Make sure it isn’t plugged in!!! Don’t touch the parts within the case! Don’t get zapped! Just spray from a quarter/half inch away.