Prima Luna Findings and Questions

[Ali Tait]

Sounds like they are worth a punt then. :-)

[mikeyb]

Just remember your cage, if you're using it won't fit over KT120s.

On that Facebook group people who use 120s and 150s use little spacers or slender bars to raise the cage a few mm.

[Haselsh1]

OK Mike. My biggest worry is that it may turn out to be a waste of 200 quid. Of course I'll never know if I don't spend it. I'm looking at buying the valves from Icon Audio as they have been amazing in the past.

[mikeyb]

OK Mike. My biggest worry is that it may turn out to be a waste of 200 quid. Of course I'll never know if I don't spend it. I'm looking at buying the valves from Icon Audio as they have been amazing in the past.

That's why I've never tried them, although for me I was going to 150s which are even more expensive, however I like how it's sounds with the Primaluna EL34s that I'm in no rush to change them unless I have to, I already have a set of JJs as spares

[Ali Tait]

I have tried KT77 which I like a lot.

[Hopeful]

I may be a bit late with this but here's my two penetrative.

I had a Jadis amp that came with KT 120's and eventually used it with EL 34's.

I always found the KT120's (in the Jadis) cold and analytical the EL 34's sounded fluid and musical. During the rebiasing I took all the voltages ect and dialled in the 34's.
When I looked at the graphs for the 120's I'm surprised they even worked, anode voltage and cathode current were way too low.

So although KT120's work in a lot of amps that were originally designed for EL34 / KT 88's they are run so cold they may not sound any better than EL34, KT88 ect.

[anthonyTD]

That is a very good point Philip,
Many amps that give a choice of output valve are seriously compromised on at least one version, if not all, the only way to evaluate a paticular valve in any output stage, is to give it the correct conditions, this is where i feel a lot of the negativity come's from when folk are trying, and therefore evaluating certain types, especially the KT120.

I may be a bit late with this but here's my two penetrative.

I had a Jadis amp that came with KT 120's and eventually used it with EL 34's.

I always found the KT120's (in the Jadis) cold and analytical the EL 34's sounded fluid and musical. During the rebiasing I took all the voltages ect and dialled in the 34's.
When I looked at the graphs for the 120's I'm surprised they even worked, anode voltage and cathode current were way too low.

So although KT120's work in a lot of amps that were originally designed for EL34 / KT 88's they are run so cold they may not sound any better than EL34, KT88 ect.

[Haselsh1]

Hmm... Interesting !

My power amp as with other Prima Luna power amps has a switch on the right side for EL34 operation and a.n.other KT types. So the switch is either set for EL34 or other KT types which sounds a bit vague to me. I did try it with KT88's and they sounded good but my current EL34 II's by JJ sound excellent in all but the bass. The borrowed KT88's were I think by EH and I think were also faulty as on switch off there was a consistent crackle through the speakers resulting in me putting the original EL34's back sharpish. Everything was then OK.

I am not too sure I believe that an amp designed with EL34's in mind is totally compatible with any KT type just by flicking a switch. If all there is to it is bias then maybe yes, but I doubt it is really that simple.

[Jac Hawk]

I've been reading this thread with great interest as i've just bought a new Prima Luna Evo 400 integrated, it's not arrived yet but i was told they are well suited to the KT88 and KT120

[Haselsh1]

I've been reading this thread with great interest as i've just bought a new Prima Luna Evo 400 integrated, it's not arrived yet but i was told they are well suited to the KT88 and KT120

My own finding Mike with KT88's was that the low end was far punchier and more solid than with EL34's whose bass tends towards the classic warm and fat kind of expression.