PrimaLuna means something, I can't
remember specifically. To the owner of PrimaLuna electronics, if my
memory serves me, its something poetic that references some aspect of
his business philosophy. Regardless, as I spend more time with my
PrimaLuna "Classic" I can tell you precisely what it means to me;
engaging sound...period.
As the owner of www.newyorkhighendaudio.com, I have access to a lot of very good front end speakers like Totem's Wind Design, Canton's Reference 3.2 DC and Vienna Acoustic's Kiss...exceptional speakers all. The PrimaLuna Classic at $1,999.00 proves just what kind of a remarkable value it is; driving speakers effortlessly that cost ten thousand plus.
Tube amps can be picky and finicky things, but I have found my time with the "Classic" simple and quite frankly, flat out fun. Stuff sounds lively and easy to listen to. Something in the presentation drives you to want to listen to more music. I have been setting aside an hour or two every night to listen to music before I head off to bed. I haven't done that in a long time. The PrimaLuna is auto biasing and I have spent no time at all messing with tubes and I don't give the amp any more than thirty seconds before I start driving it...hard. It doesn't seem to mind. Tubes do wear out and require swapping out...trying to figure out which tube is bad can be tricky but I imagine when one goes I might replace them all.
My biggest complaint might have been that the PrimaLuna does not come with a remote control. But I understand why the PrimaLuna folks don't want to muck up the simple point to point schematics of this elegantly engineered amp by tossing in a pesky attenuator. I also understand it helps to keep the value right at the "unreal" level. Those things considered, it doesn't mean much having to chase the volume control from my couch now and then. Ironically, the amp is so dynamic that you might misjudge the sound levels from dead silent to crescendo moments. However with the PrimaLuna these moments tend to be exciting as opposed to annoying which I have experienced with other dynamic amps.
Smooth is the word that best describes the overall performance of the PrimaLuna. Often times to achieve a smooth sound a piece of equipment will clip or roll off high frequencies and perhaps bloat the midrange to make the sound come across as more full. This can sacrifice resolution and present a less articulate soundstage. I have found that some people prefer this sound and we have always referred to it as sounding "warm". A good example of this sound has always been NAD which seems to be either love it or hate it with any of my clients who audition them. Because NAD gear has a warm presentation they match well with speakers that tend to be over articulate, bright, or sharp some may say. NAD fans will often say that's "too digital sounding", when criticizing an amp or speaker that has not rolled off the higher frequencies. On the flip side of the coin, I hear comments like "that's too bloated sounding" for the clients that are missing the higher frequencies. So the process goes as we work back and forth to match clients to appropriate gear matching their taste and budget. However, none of these particulars seem to come up when I audition PrimaLuna gear for clients. They are smooth, yet articulate, with loads of resolution and surprising bass extension. They have an excellent soundstage and are dynamic sounding without too much aggression. Every audition to date seems to just dissolve into conversations about the music. That's a clear indicator that the equipment has gotten out of the way and that the music has gotten so involving that it has elicited a response. When auditioning gear that's considered success.
PrimaLuna gear is flat out some of the most elegant gear, with excellent build quality inside and out, and best sounding gear at this price range...period.
