Starting the Tube Adventure
$3,995
primaluna-usa.com
By Melinda Murphy
As a child of the ’70s, my best memories revolve around records. My dad would build a fire in the fireplace, and my mom would put on a classical record (does Mantovani count?). Our family would then all snuggle together with the warm glow of the fire and the rich sound of vinyl. I have been chasing that feeling my entire life, so when I rediscovered vinyl, it was like coming home again. As a music enthusiast today, my listening expectations have changed. I long for incredible dynamics, a wide soundstage, and a three-dimensional experience, while the kid in me still craves that cozy warmth I experienced as a child. Enter the PrimaLuna EVO 200 Integrated Tube Amplifier. Could this integrated tube amp be the sweet spot for both? The PrimaLuna EVO 200 is known for its inviting sound with natural, detailed musicality. And let’s face it, this tube amp looks extremely cool.
The EVO 200 feels substantial when unboxing. Weighing in at 52.8 lbs, the EVO 200 has the look and feel of pure quality, with a gorgeous finish on its steel chassis. The front panel is a thick, anodized aluminum piece that is available in black or silver. The tube cage is easy to remove while feeling very strong. Those of you without inquisitive pets or kids might want to enjoy the EVO 200 integrated without the tube cage, making it easier to view the glowing tubes! The controls are very easy to maneuver and have a smooth feel when making adjustments. The inner workings are quality as well. There is point-to-point wiring, ALPS Blue Velvet volume control, and relays built with great precision for minimal noise, reliability, and optimal performance.
Talking about tubes, per se
PrimaLuna’s adaptive autobias is a major selling point, removing the anxiety that might come with having to bias the tubes manually. This system continuously monitors and adjusts tube operating points as the tubes wear over time. It is not in the signal path and helps optimize tubes that aren’t perfectly matched. It extends tube life while also reducing distortion due to tubes that are incorrectly biased. Depending on how long your listening sessions are, you may only have to replace the tubes every 5 to 10 years. Hey, these tube amps may last longer than my parents’ marriage. The PrimaLuna EL34 tubes currently cost about $80 each, so that’s an expense we would all want to delay. Less spending on tubes means more money for records — or, I mean, our children’s education fund, of course.
It’s also worth noting that the EVO 200 allows for experimenting with sound using different tubes. The EVO 200 integrated ships with EL34s but can handle other octal-type tubes, including 6550, KT88, KT90, KT120, and KT150. This way, you can change the tonality of the EVO 200 integrated amplifier to your personal liking.
The EVO 200 is a versatile integrated amp giving you four stereo RCA inputs, one home-theater bypass, and a tape/rec out. Speaker taps are provided for 4-ohm and 8-ohm loads, and for the sake of family, friends, or even the whole neighborhood, there is a ¼-inch headphone jack on the front. Vinyl lovers take note, there’s an optional moving-magnet PhonoLogue board that can bolt neatly to the chassis area under the amp. The phono stage was designed as part of the EVO series, so it is not an afterthought phonostage, merely tacked on to the chassis.
The real burning question is whether the EVO 200 satisfies the audiophile in me while delivering a sense of nostalgia.
Yes.
More on the music
I can almost smell the woodsy, smoky aroma from mom and dad’s old fireplace while listening to the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab One Step of Miles Davis’ Sketches of Spain. The flugelhorn on “Concierto De Aranjuez’ is buttery smooth, with a Spanish flair. The instruments are separated and beautiful throughout the midrange. The details of the tambourine, positioned perfectly between the speaker to my right and my turntable, are so clear and crisp. Excellent imaging always impresses me, and the EVO 200 Integrated delivers.
The EVO 200 Integrated always stays composed, even during the most dynamic musical passages and extended high notes. There is never a sense of harshness. It provides a presentation that is open and enjoyable, regardless of the program material.
Low frequencies are equally exciting, with the help of my lovely REL S/510 subs and MoFi Sourcepoint 10 speakers, providing a sense of richness, depth, texture, and dimensionality. Playing a Mantovani album (and I do have a few) would have brought back even more memories, but thankfully, Miles Davis does the job. The PrimaLuna EVO 200 integrated and its tube sound truly does bring this classic Miles’ album to life.
Another positive attribute of the EVO 200 is the lack of any hiss or hum. For a tube integrated amp, the specified 95dBA S/N ratio is low, allowing for a still quietness even at idle through my speakers. The details of the instruments shine through, whether it be a delicate jazz number or a rock and roll anthem like “Unchained” by Van Halen. No guitar lick, drum fill, cymbal crash, or swipe of the keyboard gets lost due to an annoying hum in the system. Hearing Eddie Van Halen and his finger tapping technique sounds more natural when there are no distractions.
There are many things to consider when it comes to this tube amp and other tube amps as well. For one, you will need to accept that tubes do need to be replaced periodically. If you are disciplined enough to set money aside for replacement tubes, you needn’t worry. The EVO 200 will indicate which tube is bad, eliminating all the testing and guesswork.
Another thing to consider about this amp is that it won’t drive power-hungry, inefficient speakers. With 44 watts per channel, proper speaker matching is essential. If you have already purchased speakers that you are going to have for a long time, research whether the EVO 200 is a good fit. My reference SourcePoint 10s have a sensitivity spec of 87dB/1-watt. This is on the inefficient side, but the MoFi speakers have a gentle impedance curve and are very easy to drive.
Nothing but amplification
Keep in mind that this is a purist integrated amplifier, requiring an external DAC if you want to stream digital files. The EVO 200 integrated amplifier requires a 60-second warm-up time to start playing and an additional 20 to 30 minutes to reach its full stride. Remembering to turn on the tube amp 20 minutes before your friends show up is annoying, but the payoff is glorious.
In full disclosure, this is my first experience with a tube integrated amplifier. The praises of tube amplification have been sung to me by other vinyl record collectors who know I love jazz and vintage rock. The message is that tubes and vinyl go together like the happily married version of Sonny and Cher. What a thrill! My first experience with this tube amp is delightful. Jazz records sound robust yet smooth. The natural warmth and richness melt away harsher notes and give the performances a more intimate feel. The EVO 200 brings back all of the memories of listening to music in my childhood home while also delivering an audiophile experience. I do not currently own any vintage audio gear, but I can imagine this amp melding seamlessly with timeless gear. Is it as accurate and precise as a solid-state amp? Maybe not, but that isn’t top of mind while in the contentment of tube amp bliss.
The PrimaLuna EVO 200 integrated amplifier is recommended explicitly for its low maintenance requirements and the relatively low cost of the EL34 tubes. The EVO 200 integrated amplifier provides a warm midrange tone with modern bandwidth and dynamic bite. It’s not a sticky-sweet warmth, but enough to evoke that cozy feeling of listening to records as a child. That sound and feeling is what made me fall in love with music to begin with. The quality of the build, the price point, that “cozy feeling”, and the dynamics I want as an adult are all there. And once again, they look so cool.
Additional comments – Jeff Dorgay
As someone who has been using PrimaLuna since day one, I concur with all of Melinda’s findings, and I’m glad she had a great introduction to the “tube sound.” We’ll definitely be following her adventure as she samples more things in the months to come. As tube lovers know, they all have their own sonic personality.
Two brief things to mention are the headphone amplifier and the phono stage. Though Melinda’s review sample had the PhonoLogue module installed, she only has an MC cartridge in her setup. At $299, this solid-state module really delivers the goods. With 40dB of gain and a 50k input impedance, it’s MM only, but a great way to add a turntable to your PrimaLuna-based system. And there are a handful of great MC step-up transformers out there in the $129 – $299 range, should you want a budget MC cartridge.
Using surface-mount technology, the PhonoLogue can be installed into your existing amp with minimal effort, though you will have to solder a few wires. Be sure you’re comfy with this or have a tech that can do it for you. I use mine with a Rega P3 and ND5 MM cart with great results. It’s dynamic, quiet, and tuneful. And, you won’t need to buy an extra power cord or a pair of interconnect cables, making it an even better bargain.
The headphone amplifier is unique in PrimaLuna amplifiers because it taps into the output of the amplifier, essentially making it a very high-quality tube headphone amplifier, not just a small amp module. Listening with the Focal Utopias and a few other premium phones makes for an immersive experience. The level of tonality and imaging provided is equal to anything you’re going to purchase in the $1,000 – $1,500 range, making it a great audio value if you decide to become a headphone listener. I know a few people who use the EVO 100 strictly as a headphone amplifier. The 200 is even better.
Finally, tube rolling. You can check out a number of audiophile sites/pages to find out who’s doing what with tube rolling on the PrimaLuna amplifiers. NOS EL34 power tubes are crazy money these days, fetching upwards of $300 each, so you may not want to head down that path. KT150 tubes are about $140 each, and in addition to delivering a few more watts (Just flip the bias switch on the side of the amplifier to “high”), they provide more extended highs than the EL34s do, with some extra bass extension and control. This might prove handy, depending on the speakers you have at your disposal. Every PrimaLuna I’ve ever used provides a snappier presentation with my vintage Acoustats, and even the Quad 63s.
The EVO 200 uses 12AU7 tubes in the preamplifier section – four to be exact. The good news is that these are much less expensive to replace than the 12AX7s used in many other preamplifiers. If you want to experiment with NOS tubes, it won’t break your bank account.
Overall, the EVO 200 integrated amplifier is a stellar value and an excellent place to start (or continue) your vacuum tube journey.
