REVIEW: Prima Luna Evo 100 Preamp

iPhones are made in China. Cheap is cheap regardless of where it's made.

Steve, why haven't you ever covered Dynaco amplifiers? ST-70, ST-35, SCA-35, PAS 3X? The ST-70 is the best selling tube amp of all time and you haven't covered it!

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I have that Herbie Mann LP too. Always wondered what the stage and room looked like. Would like to go separates when my wallet gets fat , but for now , Premaluna Prologue integrated , and it's no slouch , powering a pair of Linton's. Love your videos Steve, all the way in Missouri.

So would a MA252 with a 20k input impedance not be compatible?

Do I need a power amp with the EVO 100? I have 98db speakers.

And here in The Netherlands it actually is €2700, haha!

I love my prima luna evo 300 matched with Cornwall 4s and set of REL carbon specials. It's used with a Rega p8 and the more hours I get on this setup the better it sounds. I swapped the power tubed from the EL34s to the KT150s. I thought it gave more headroom, but after several months I switched back to the EL34s and they are definitely so musical. I am very happy to have this tube amp!

Hey Steve, love your channel. Do you think a digital amp would go with the Prima Luna?

Dang, the price has gone up $800 since this video was released. Ouch! Not meant as a ding on the video, nor certainly not on Steve's review.

What happened to your ROOM??
Ah nostalgia!
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HI I have a evo 100 coming soon from upscale I have new forte iv,s a rega planner 3 and a monster denon poa 2400 amp youe thoughts

Great review Sir. I always had a love & hate relationship between solid state vs tube gear… But, it may sound crazy after some time with Primaluna, switched to Pass Lab (which was truly excellent but I was missing something…) so went back to Primaluna Evo 400 preamp paired with Evo 400 monoblocks… Class A all the way at a fraction of the price.

Thank you, Steve. It's great to know you like the Evo 100 because mine arrived two days ago. Paired with the new B&W 705 Signature speakers, it's a dream come true for this old opera buff. So I should thank my dear friend Nick Shippey for recommending my new gear.

Wow, the Eve 100 now costs $2795..

Price has gone up 50% from when this was recorded.

Steve, I’m interested to hear your opinion / review of the Evo 100 matching power amp to this pre. Thanks for your work!

Made in China?? 🤔🤔

We must move past the “made in China” disclaimer regarding products made in China. I’m not bagging on Steve or implying this channel is the culprit—BUT—it isn’t very kind and serves no real purpose. It also dehumanizes the hardworking folks who create and produce the products we enjoy. We speak as if the folks in China are inferior or lack the skill or the ingenuity necessary to make suitable products. BTW, great review.

Lovely review Steve. I have a PL Dialogue premium HP integrated amp and I love it. I have developed an interest in solid state class A and I would love your take on Sugden amplifiers. I recently acquired a pre-owned A21 se signature. Gorgeous sound.

I think it’s disingenuous of Kevin to not disclose his relationship with Primaluna, especially when he tries to convince his viewers that the company isn’t padding its pockets. Please consider your review sources and know that he has a vested interest in selling as many of these as possible.

I’m not denying the quality of the product, though. I’ve seen and heard them in person.

Steve, I cannot agree more with your thoughts on the Primaluna pre amp. I recently purchased a high end system from Upscale Audio via Kat, my lady. My first serious system was put together back in 69 or 70, those years are a bit of a blurr as far as a time line goes except for that first sound system I put together consisting of; A Dual 1229 on the front end, going to a Marantz 7T pre amp along with 2 monoblock Dyna Stereo 70’s and a pair of Rectilinear speakers. I enjoyed this setup for many years then in the late 70’s I somehow got sucked in to the solid state vortex, saying goodbye to my tube setup and replacing with a decent Marantz receiver and a pair of AR3’s, along with a Thorens Deck and a Revox reel to reel. Well, to make a long story even longer, a steady job came along, managed to detox from my late 60’s period, raised two great children along with my partner and setted into yuppieville for the next 40 years. Along came retirement and a move from the Bay Area to San Diego to be closer the the kiddos. Sitting one day in this rather large home in Del Mar I gazed for weeks at my vinyl collection and finally said WTF I need a sound system to fill fill up this rather perfect bonus room. For those past 40 years I dreamed of owning another analog system, especially the Klipshorn AR 6’s. I stumbled onto Upscale audio by chance and was delighted to find that great audio gear was still to be had. Thanks to Kevin and Kat at Upscale I filled that spare room with the sweetest sound this side of heaven. Rega P8 with the Alphea cartouche from Rega, Primaluna evo 300 pre and the Evo 300 power amp feeding the pair of Khorns. I’m now waiting on the Rose 150 streamer and listening to all my great vinyl along with many newly aquired LP’s. I could not be happier with this purchase even given the fact that I had to pass on a new Rivian, since the cost of the new sound system was just about a wash. Unlike a new car this sound system is priceless and will take me to my grave.

what would be your suggestion for tube amp and preamp for a college broke noob to vinyl ?also love the channel mate great work and reviews!

Great video wonderful tubes are in a different world right on thanks Steve peace.

These are $2800 now :(

I'm thinking of hooking it up to a McIntosh c312 amp. Ant thoughts?

I would rather skip the dual power supplies (overkill for a preamp IMO) and toss the printed circuit board for proper point to point wiring.

What is the interest of having a preamp over an integrated amp e.g. EVO 400 integrated amp vs EVO 400 preamp + amp? Does it make (that much of) a difference in terms of audio quality, dynamics, floor noise, etc? Also, I’ve noticed 2 EVO amps can be linked to form a pair of ‘monoblocks’. I wonder if this would be beneficial to sound (especially if a single amp is enough to drive speakers it is connected to)

No one could be more interesting AND less boring. Steve is simply amazing, though everyone already realizes this fact, but just had to say it anyway. I'm in an audio-related business, for decades, and the last thing I want to hear is audio commentary. This being said, I never get tired of Steve, and learn many things each and every time. In fact, each time I learn of how little I know. (I try not to dwell on this realization:-)

Steve any chance getting your thoughts on the EVO100 vs. Decware SE34i.5 6 watt integrated amp?

Dear Steve, may I ask if this device is better then the Audio research you reviewed or the Freya?

Really got to get past this 'made in china' bias. SO WHAT. Everything is made in China. They can make the best products with insane quality (iPhones) or they can make cheap shitty copies of other western brands sold by scummy people on ebay. It's all relative. The point is, China CAN make products to a higher standard than the rest of the world as they have the setup and capabilities to actually do it. But because they also make everything, all the bad shit also comes from there.

What actually matters is the company who designs it and their ethics/QA control and support of the product. China just gives you a price on production based off that, and the highest quality designs are built to the highest standards in the world with insane QA/Throw aways...

Dump this bias.

Very few reviewers can make the reader or watcher feel like they have heard the gear being talked about but Steve does, awesome

I own a PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium HP Integrated Amplifier and I love it and at 60 years of age I've been around the block a few times. I'm using a brand new Technics 1200 MK2 turntable fitted with an Ortofon MM cartridge and a Cambridge pre-amp and a Pioneer CDJ CD player and the RCA outputs sound wonderful as does the turntable. "I'm an ex club DJ" Where do you start with this amplifier? It's dynamic range is so good it borders on the ridiculous. It grabs you by the throat and pulls you in. I was listening to I Robot by The Alan Parsons Project on vinyl and this amplifier makes a 40 year old record sound like a re-release. The song "Don't let it show" tests any amp/speaker combination and my Wharfdales handled it with power to spare. With PrimaLuna amplifiers, it's a real listening experience. I don't see the need to try anything else. Many solid state guys do a blind test at my house and when they see I had fooled them with a tube amp, they were stunned. I showed them the pre-amp and Evo integrated amps and mono blocks online and even though we live in Australia, they're gonna buy a PL pre-amp and a mono block power amp and considering the freight charges and taxes etc, very simply they don't care. I took them to a store that's running them and they placed their orders there. PrimaLuna have set a very very high bench mark. Their design is logical and beautiful right down to five coates of high quality paint. Only the best components are used in their manufacture. I can't wait to get my PrimaLuna pre-amp using Nichicon electrolytics and 5AR4 rectifier tubes and run it into the integrated amp. Stunning performance is expected. Cheers from OZ, Andrew Collins, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

im looking to purchase the priimaluna evo 100 to use with denon poa 2400 amp jbl l100,s and rega planar 3 with ortfon bronze cartridge any thoughts

Would this help with a Mac mini source, going into Spendor or Dynaudio speakers?

valves make sense at the input stage; i like tube pre and solid state power amp

Cosmic Dancer by T Rex is something you need to listen to.

Hi Steve! Thanks for your great videos and your pragmatic perspectives. If it's not beneath you, could you humor us by reviewing the tube offerings from Dayton Audio -- HTA50BT or HTA100BT -- and educate us on why it doesn't cut it or where it excels (other than price). Thanks!

How does this compare with the Decware ZTPRE?

Dutch company ;-)

My system is Prima Luna Dialogue Plus w/Dialogue Premium HP power amp. These amps are so musical and fast it is jaw dropping. Manley Chinook phono stage, Kiseki PH cart and VPI HRX turntable. JBL 4425 studio monitors complete the presentation. Speakers are placed so perfect HxWxD create a true sound stage that is like being there. Power tube are KT77's, remainder Gold Lion.

When the gate closed it broke my heart? Ever go to to the old Chumley's?

Where can I find your CD holder? Any know of a good simple one? Thanks!

Yeah the Village Gate I remember Roland Kirk with 5 instruments in his mouth and Monk playing there. Charles Mingus had a residency. Roy Buchanan too. le poisson rougue is the same room as the Village Gates basement venue where I saw other great acts like The Heartbreakers in the 70s too, Art D'Lugoff was the man. Just saw the Bush Tetras performing a live stream from 
le poison rouge.

I purchased a PrimaLuna EVO 300 preamp partially because this review and my hifi system has never sounded better. It's audio on another level completely and I love it.

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Heck. First I thought Prima Luna was from Italy, then from USA. And it is from Holland but really from China...what next?!

Thanks Steve, very instructive as usual. Will you get the chance to review the EVO 100 Integrated?

May I ask why all of a sudden the weight of the product is a factor?
I am considering and heard the same tag line from the primaluna website.