Rob Wilms: Quite a big name for such
a small amplifier. Could this be a premonition of the sound characteristics of
this integrated tube amplifier?
Several months ago, a new integrated tube amplifier was among my weekly delivery
of equipment, for tryout. The mission that came with it was: listen to it
carefully, find out if its good for us, compare it to the amplifiers in your
store, and then estimate the price tag that should be on it. It was a great
mission, which I embarked on enthusiastically. I have been using this amp for
quite some time now, and I have combined my first impressions, the above
mission, and my listening experiences in this little story.
The ProLogue One is the first of a new range of products, which Herman van den
Dungen and his firm Durob Audio are hoping to launch in The Netherlands under
the brand name Primaluna. The brand will certainly be sold through DÉ Hifiwinkels, "DÉ Hifistudio, and "The Hifi shop. In anticipation of my conclusion, I
can tell you that the brand PrimaLuna is going to cause a sensation and a
considerable market shift, if their future products can combine the same high
quality and favorable pricing of the product under review here.
Of course, I started out by checking this amp from all sides, which was
definitely an unqualified pleasure. The PrimaLuna Prologue One has been
lacquered in a gorgeous piano black. The back of the amp houses the transformers
in a nice black cage. In the front, eight tubes can be found (4 x EL34, 2 x 12AX7 en 2 x AU7), protected by a black, removable grid. The front panel has two
knobs (volume on the left, source on the right), with a small LED between them.
The power switch is on the left side of the amp, la Primare. The back panel is
equipped with good, solid, gold-plated speaker terminals (with a choice between
4 or 8 Ohms) and 4 cinch inputs. Of course, an AC socket is included, to allow
for the use of a high-quality AC power cord. This piece of equipment exudes
unpretentiousness, style, and audiophile quality. Based on its looks and specs,
my first impression is that its retail price should be around 2500 Euros.
On paper, the PrimaLuna ProLogue One delivers 2 x 35 Watts at 8 Ohms. Our tester
shows that this is a conservative estimate, measuring an easy 2 x 40 Watts. This
should be sufficient to drive most speakers, since 2 x 40 Watts tube capacity
often equals the double amount of transistor capacity in practice, and most of
the speakers in my store have efficiencies between 87 and 92 db. And indeed, the
actual practice is no different: this little amp makes practically all the
speakers in the shop sing. After the first listening tests, my initial estimate
still holds: around 2500 Euros.
A few examples:
The combination with Sonus Faber is very splendid. The Concertino Home, Concerto
Home, and Grand Piano Home all sound open, glowing, powerful, and dynamic,
connected to the PrimaLuna ProLogue One. I know quite a number of renowned
amplifier brands that cost a lot more and dont even come close to achieving
this! The PrimaLuna ProLogue One also adds something to ProAc speakers.
Especially the Tablette series thrives and stands out for its natural timbre and
freedom. The speakers seem to disappear. ProAcs require careful matching and
must definitely be driven by quality amplifiers that often cannot be found below
the 2000-2500 Euro line. The PrimaLuna ProLogue One is going to cost half of
that (yes, Ive found that out by now) and performs at least equally well as the
amps in the 2000- to 2500-Euro range, normally used with ProAcs!
Gradually, these fantastic listening results were making me curious about a
combination with more expensive speakers. Time for the Cremona Auditor to take
the stage, leading again to complete astonishment. Such easy, supple sound! No
shortness of breath at all, and just listen to those lows! Time to take it one
step further yet and connect the 950-Euro PrimaLuna ProLogue One to the
7000-Euro Sonus Faber Cremona speakers??? I may start to sound like a one-track
record here, but that combination sounds unexpectedly marvellous as well. Even
the lows are excellently under control, though they do sound a little fuller and
less tight than on a transistor amp like the Krell 300i/L (which is nothing to
be ashamed of, considering that the latter costs four times as much). In short:
unbelievable results and incredibly good value-for-money, considering this
giants retail price of only 950 Euros.
I cannot think of any competitor that comes even close. After all, this is a
price tag usually associated with NAD or Marantz amplifiers from the starters
segment or the lower middle class, whereas the sound quality and build of this
tube amp are definitely in the high-end range.
On top of this, the first buyers of the PrimaLuna ProLogue One benefit from a
special offer: if they send in their own written review of the PrimaLuna
ProLogue One, they receive a 1.5-meter AH! AC Direkt KB10 power cord (retail
value: 125 Euros) or a cash refund of 100 Euros, setting the actual price at a
mere 850 Euros! Find out about the exact conditions in one of our stores.