Danny van Laarhoven: Darned, this never
happened to me before! Buying a piece of hifi-gear on first sight, be it after
an extensive demo, taking it home, heart beating in my throat, knowing that I
usually consult my partner before making such a purchase… But, well, that’s
the way it went.
It was my first time at DÉ Hifiwinkel in Eindhoven and I had the opportunity to
look at all the stuff undisturbed and at a leisurely pace. Despite not having
made an appointment (Marcel told me that this was customary for a demo), I was
treated both with consideration and to good coffee. During our conversation, I
told Marcel that I was interested in taking the next step into amplifier
territory, and that I had a budget of 1000 Euros available for it. I also told
him frankly that I had a strong inclination towards Rotel, as I finally wanted
to move away from all the standard Japanese brands. I own a Sony amplifier now
and I used to play with a Pioneer SA-something, all to my satisfaction and with
pleasure, by the way. Still, I wanted to get to know the better sound one often
reads about in hifi-magazines and, of course, on the internet. Rotel is a name
often mentioned for making the transition from standard Japanese transistor
stuff to better equipment with a refined musical character. Partly because Rotel
is British design, refined musicality seems guaranteed. I bought my column
speakers from my father. They were made by a former Belgian speaker manufacturer
called Etude and are supposed to be in the upper-quality range.
Discussing this and other stuff with Marcel, he asked me whether I would be
interested in hearing a new integrated tube amplifier. Having no other
appointments, I had time for it, and so did Marcel, apparently, so why not? Not
that I was considering a purchase like that, but the opportunity of listening to
a tube amp does not present itself on a daily basis, at least not here in
Belgium. So, let’s do it. I was shown a jaunty, sturdy, yet charming amplifier
and was trying to find out the make on its front. Marcel started laughing and
said: "This is the amp with no name". I must have given him a
questioning look, since I really didn’t understand what he meant.
Well, the amp turned out to be largely "homemade", and no name had
been decided on yet at the time of production. By now its name is known:
PrimaLuna ProLogue One. Sounds good, though I have no clue as to its (deeper)
meaning or background.
Marcel demonstrated the PrimaLuna ProLogue One with ProAc Future .5 speakers and
the tube CD-player of their own brand AH! (yet another novelty to
me). I don’t remember the cables used, but those must have been special too
(by my standards, at least). What struck me immediately was the pleasantness of
the sound. By that, I mean that the highs were never harsh, nor were the lows
ever intrusive. Yet, I was hearing much more information than ever before (yes,
those CDs were pulled out of my car fast enough). Marcel pointed out several
other things to me: he told me to close my eyes and concentrate on the source of
the music. I then experienced something I had often read about, but had never
actually heard at home: the music was not coming directly from the speakers.
Instead, I was listening to a "wall of sound" that extended beyond
where the speakers were standing. Both to the left and the right, the sound came
from beyond the speakers, while I felt I could pinpoint people and instruments
between the speakers as well. How curious!
Compared to this, it was more of a jumble of voices at home. If this was the
transition from standard tinny stereo to the enthralling world of high-end, I
could see how this could be addictive. CD after CD it became clear to me that
this was really something special, and it made me nervous too. Do I need to
switch to tube equipment now? Doesn’t that represent a step back into the age
of high distortion, noise, hum, and perhaps even unreliability? Marcel explained
to me that high distortion need not necessarily be a problem. Apparently, there
are two kinds of distortion: "pleasant" and "unpleasant".
Tubes distort in a pleasant way, whereas transistors tend to distort in a nasty
way. OK, but what about noise and hum? Marcel asked whether I had heard any
noise or hum during the demo. I couldn’t say I had. "OK, now grab a CD
and crank the volume up as high as you think you are ever going to have
it", Marcel said. He then put the CD on mute and asked me to put my ear to
the tweeter for noise and to the woofer for hum. And, indeed, he was right.
Nothing to be heard. What about the reliability of tube gear? Won’t it be in
the shop all the time for repairs and maintenance? Marcel patiently explained
that, depending on the circuitry used, tubes last for a longer or shorter
period. In their own tube CD-player, the tubes were going to last at least three
years, and in this PrimaLuna at least two years. Moreover, the tubes used are so
reasonably priced that changing tubes should be just as standard as changing
tyres on a car, and certainly no harder than that. To prove his point, he
disconnected the amplifier, screwed off its bottom plate (boy, did that look
nice and well-designed), connected a multi-meter, and turned a pot meter,
showing the ease of the adjustment procedure. In that case, there’s not much
to be said against it...
When I asked about the delivery time, I was told "1 minute". So,
deliverable from stock. When I asked about the best possible price: "950
Euros". I must have looked dismayed or perhaps even indecisive, for Marcel
immediately told me about the opportunity to save 100 Euros by writing a
consumer review and sending it in. The next thing I remember is my VISA card
sliding through the card reader, making me the proud owner of a PrimaLuna
ProLogue One tube amplifier.
When I left, I promised Marcel I would send in a consumer review within 4 weeks,
and I asked him if it meant that I could only write down positive things. Marcel
assured me that, on the contrary, I should write down everything I
noticed, so I did!
At home, I quickly took my Sony from the shelf, and got the PrimaLuna installed,
along with the AH! cables that Marcel had lent me. Soon I could
tell that everything was functioning as it should. The kindness and pleasantness
of the sound struck me once more. At Marcel’s advice, I first set myself to
the task of reproducing that "wall of sound" at home. Well, I didn’t
even come close! However, Marcel had already warned me about this and had given
me the tip of moving the speakers step by step from their current position,
until I would reach a coherent soundstage. I succeeded, and although the
speakers were now slightly further away from the walls than before, it hadn’t
been that impossible all in all. The latter might be important for the reaction
of my partner Anouk, whom I had to pick up. So I loaded a CD, put it on mute,
and drove off to get her. Hearing her reaction made me very anxious (in more
than one way)…
She had a surprised look, when she saw our latest acquisition. "What’s
that?", she asked. And I found myself enthusiastically telling her about my
first steps into the world of high end, tubes, higher quality, yet very
affordable, etcetera. While Anouk was having a closer look at the PrimaLuna, she
asked me whether she could still play CDs or whether that had become my monopoly
now. I knew then that my purchase had been approved of.
After having played with this amp for several weeks, I / we are still very happy
with the results. It is time consuming though, since we are listening a lot
more, watching less television. And, what’s more, we’ve gotten the itch: we
would like to find out what a different CD-player, different speakers, etcetera,
would do for our set-up. I am even thinking way ahead to the time I am going to
buy a turntable, for I promised myself one. This brings me to the one drawback I
discovered on my PrimaLuna ProLogue One after all: it doesn’t have a phono
input! I think that is a shame. Also, I / Anouk would have liked a remote
control, or am I getting too greedy now?
I hope my story is good enough to be published and read. I would appreciate
that. Moreover, it would confirm my receiving the bonus of 100 Euros. Or should
I go with the upgraded power cord? Anyhow, my partner and I can recommend an
audition of this PrimaLuna ProLogue One to anyone looking for a (much) better
sound!