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Thread: Prima Luna Findings and Questions

  1. #1
    Join Date: Dec 2008

    Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days

    Posts: 4,779
    I'm Shaun.

    Default Prima Luna Findings and Questions

    Early in 2016 I bought a secondhand Prima Luna Prologue 3 preamp with built in phono stage. I was immediately impressed by the stereo sound stage of the thing. In November 2016 I then bought a Prima Luna Dialogue Premium power amp fitted with the then standard EL34's. After a year or so I swapped over the power valves to JJ EL34 II's. This provided a much more refined sound over the stock valves.

    At that time I was using B&W CM8 S2's and thought that the sound was good but then domestic things happened and I had to swap those over to Spendor S3/5R2's. Domestic things happened again and by sheer chance I stumbled upon a dealer who immediately demo'd a pair of KEF R5's when requested. I went back the next day and bought them.

    Now during the period of CM8's and R5's I noticed that I couldn't get over a certain hardness to the upper mid and treble. I checked and noticed that I was using the 4 Ohm taps even though these speakers do dip down slightly below 4 Ohms so I assumed all was OK, I then though swapped onto the 8 Ohm taps to see if there was a difference. Oh my, what a difference. No trace of hardness or aggression in the sound anymore making me certain that in my case the 8 Ohm taps are superior.

    I now thought 'what about triode mode' ? So of course I switched it on. Playing some vocal jazz the difference is astonishing. Incredibly 'real' and natural. So much separation between instruments. The sound is noticeably drier and tighter but way more preferable to me. So on to the question. What if I swapped the EL34's to KT120's..? Does anyone have experience of these valves in direct comparison to EL34's.

    Once again I thank you in advance if you come up with advice for me.

    Cheers everyone. Happy self isolating.

    Oh yeah, CD source, Atlas Hyper interconnects with Tellurium Q Blue cables, single wired.

  2. #2
    Join Date: Mar 2008

    Location: Galashiels

    Posts: 13,669
    I'm inthescottishmafia.

    Default

    First thought is would the amp be happy running 120’s?
    “Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of fuel. Sentimental people call it inspiration, but what they really mean is fuel. I have always needed fuel. I am a serious consumer. On some nights I still believe that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio”

    Hunter S Thompson

  3. #3
    Join Date: Mar 2014

    Location: KY - Scotland

    Posts: 5,465
    I'm Mike.

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    There's a Facebook group that I'm a member of that might be able to help. Lots of people there have changed the power valves.

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/509067122811946/

    I have the Dialogue Premium HP power amp, running Primaluna EL34s and 4x JJ 12au7s with two NOS Mullard CV4122s in the middle.

    I've not tried changing the power valves but have certainly been tempted, although I always fancied KT150s but too expensive to try in case I don't like them.

  4. #4
    Join Date: Mar 2014

    Location: KY - Scotland

    Posts: 5,465
    I'm Mike.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Ali Tait View Post
    First thought is would the amp be happy running 120’s?
    Hi Ali,

    Can run anything up to KT150, fully auto biasing and can even run a complete mixture of types IF you wanted to


    Spec ...

    Output Power:
    Stereo Ultra-linear

    (8 Ohms, 1% THD)70 watts x 2 (EL34)
    73 watts x 2 (KT88)
    85 watts x 2 (KT120)
    96 watts x 2 (KT150)

    Output Power:
    Stereo Triode

    (8 Ohms, 1% THD)40 watts x 2 (EL34)
    43 watts x 2 (KT88)
    45 watts x 2 (KT120)
    48 watts x 2 (KT150)

  5. #5
    Join Date: Mar 2008

    Location: Galashiels

    Posts: 13,669
    I'm inthescottishmafia.

    Default

    Ok fine, worth a go then I’d have thought, though it’s been my experience that front end valves generally make more of a difference than power valves.
    “Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of fuel. Sentimental people call it inspiration, but what they really mean is fuel. I have always needed fuel. I am a serious consumer. On some nights I still believe that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio”

    Hunter S Thompson

  6. #6
    Join Date: Dec 2008

    Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days

    Posts: 4,779
    I'm Shaun.

    Default

    OK you guys thanks for the comments. I have tried KT88's and the difference was akin to changing the amp. Huge punchy, tight and fast bass but lost the EL34's gorgeous midrange. Maybe it is the old story, a few quid in the bank and no rainy day worthy of it.

  7. #7
    Join Date: Dec 2008

    Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days

    Posts: 4,779
    I'm Shaun.

    Default

    Oh yeah all of the small AX/AU valves are now either JJ or Tungsol.

  8. #8
    Join Date: Feb 2008

    Location: South Wales

    Posts: 9,151
    I'm NotTakingLifeTooSeriouslyTheseDays.

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    I have a customer who currently run's a primaluna with KT120's in it, and is very pleased with it, he has run it with EL34's, KT88, and KT150, but always comes back to the KT120's, i would like to add that the person in question is a concert Violinist, and has been playing from the age of 5, so should have a very good handle on how things should sound!
    Hope this helps.
    PS, don't believe the negative Bull**it out there on the KT120's, in the right amp, they can sound superb, infact; i have been running them in my own amps for around 7 years now!
    A...
    "Today scientists have substituted mathematics for experiments, and they wander off through equation after equation, and eventually build a structure which has no relation to reality"
    Nikola Tesla



    Its now a conspiracy theory to believe that the Immune system is capable of doing the job it was designed to do.
    A fish is only as healthy as the water its swimming in ! [Dr Robert Young]


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  9. #9
    Join Date: Dec 2008

    Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days

    Posts: 4,779
    I'm Shaun.

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    Thank you Anthony.

  10. #10
    Join Date: Feb 2008

    Location: South Wales

    Posts: 9,151
    I'm NotTakingLifeTooSeriouslyTheseDays.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Haselsh1 View Post
    Thank you Anthony.
    "Today scientists have substituted mathematics for experiments, and they wander off through equation after equation, and eventually build a structure which has no relation to reality"
    Nikola Tesla



    Its now a conspiracy theory to believe that the Immune system is capable of doing the job it was designed to do.
    A fish is only as healthy as the water its swimming in ! [Dr Robert Young]


    www.tubedistinctions.co.uk

    Matthew 5:10

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