Ferry Kremers: PrimaLuna ProLogue One, or a fine machine at a ridiculously low price
with a unique bonus! Since recently, our product range includes a cute, small,
and heavy little beast: an integrated tube amplifier by the name of PrimaLuna
ProLogue One. I am referring to a mid-sized integrated amplifier, equipped
with 4 EL34 power tubes, 2 AU7 and 2 AX7 pre-amp tubes. On paper, this amp
delivers 2 x 35 Watts.
Its metal housing is lacquered in anthracite metallic veneer.
The front plate is made of thick anodized aluminum and has a volume
button, an input switch and a green LED. On the back side of the device are four
cinch inputs of good quality. A tape output and remote control are not
available. The loudspeaker terminals and the power cord socket are of good
quality as well. The speaker terminals offer a choice between a 4 and 8 Ohms
connection. The power switch has been placed on the left side of the device, so
as to keep it fully out of sight.
Right before my holiday, during one of my long drives into the deep South, I
received above amp from Herman van den Dungen (Durob Audio), to take back with
me to the far North. Herman asked me to listen to the amp and to write down my
findings. Admittedly, Rob and Marcel had already told me a bit about the quality
of this amp, making me curious as hell. Late at night, back in Weerdinge, the
amp came out of the box and was immediately hooked up. After having relieved my
car of its heavy audiophile burden (what a great job I have…), I played
several tracks of my most familiar CDs. The initial results certainly promised a
lot of listening pleasure for the next day!
The next day, I connected the PrimaLuna to a pair of Vienna Acoustic Schönbergs,
speakers from the Aluminium series of this wonderful Austrian manufacturer. At
an impedance of 4 Ohms and with an efficiency of 91 dBs, these speakers
shouldn’t cause any trouble with most tube amplifiers. As a CD-player, I used
the Njoe Tjoeb 4000 in its Super version, with the TjoUpsampler. The system was
fully connected by AH! cables (loudspeaker cable, interconnects, and
power cords). I gave the system four hours of warming up, before listening to
it. Bear in mind that these components had already been burnt in (including the
PrimaLuna)!
From the very first notes, it became clear to me that Rob and Marcel had not
exaggerated one bit in their –enthusiastic– stories about this amp. The
first thing that struck me was the enormous gain that this little fellow had:
with the volume control at just quarter to twelve, it already generated a
considerable volume level. Never does this amp leave the impression of
being short of breath. Everything remains tight and controlled, even at rather
high volume levels! 2 x 35 Watts? “Get out of here”, this amp definitely
delivers more than that!
But, well, in the end it’s the music that counts, isn’t it? I started out by
playing track #11 of Sinead O’Connor’s album “Universal Mother”, where
Sinead sings the first verse alone, with one new singer joining her every next
verse. The combination gives a damn beautiful reproduction, with formidable
placement, a very nice airiness around the voices, and well-proportioned voices
as well (wow, that was quite a mouthful).
Next was track #11 of the Bright Blue Gorilla album by that same name. I have
mentioned this CD before and it is still one of my favorites by this American
duo. Here, too, the combination’s ability to reproduce space and air is
striking. And then there’s Robbin Rosenkrantz’s voice…Fantastic. Seldom
have I heard the atmosphere of this recording rendered so well.
On to track #1 from the album “Solitaire” by Spencer Bohren from New
Orleans. This CD was recorded and released in Solingen, Germany, by Valve
Records, and is a must for all true blues fans out there! Here, you hear the man
and his instrument, with his love for folk and blues. The recording was made in
a tube-only setting (hence “Valve”) and this becomes clearly audible now.
The warmth of the voice and the acoustic guitar come across with eerie accuracy.
Next is track #3 from the album “Autumn Leaves” by the Singaporean artist
Jacintha. Here, too, the voice is rendered very beautifully, along with a nice free placement of the
instruments. Terry Edwards’ tenor saxophone is reproduced in a lifelike
manner, where you can almost feel the air move! The album is filled with Johnny
Mercer songs, by the way.
It isn’t until you reach track #4 of “Ebony Concerto” by clarinetist Bruce
Yeh, released on Reference Recordings, that, at certain moments, you realize
that you are toying with a somewhat smallish tube amplifier. A very dynamic and
heavy piece, with quite a large strength, it still gets a rather convincing
reading. However, let me be clear about this: the strength and suppleness of,
say, a Krell or another heavy solid state amp are missing here. On the other
hand, you must take it from me that there are plenty of amps that perform
considerably less well than the PrimaLuna ProLogue
One!
One wonders: are there any flaws at all? Actually, I can say: “No, not
really”, unless you constantly play heavy symphonic work at considerable (or:
inconsiderate) volume levels. In that case, depending on your speakers, you
might want to consider a heavier version of this amp. But then, that goes
without saying!
Finally, there is a pleasant surprise; the price of this grand little fellow: 950
Euros! That, in itself, is already a steal for this beautiful product. But,
pay attention! Things are getting even better! Durob Audio wants to inform as
many people as possible about this amp’s abilities quickly. Therefore, they
are rewarding the first PrimaLuna ProLogue One buyers who write a consumer
review with an extra bonus of 100 Euros in cash (refund) or an AH! AC
Direkt KB10 1.5 m power cord, retailing at 125 Euros. If you are
looking for a new amp, or about to look for one, I would certainly come and
listen to this one now. Whether the guys at Durob Audio had a sunstroke
or not, I couldn’t tell you, but I think the price for such a ‘Prima Bella’
device is LunaTic! Please come see it and hear it before they
realize it’s (too) cheap!