Предусилители — PrimaLuna EVO 100-3

Catalogued here as the EVO 100-3, the EVO 100 tube preamplifier is a line-level control unit in the PrimaLuna EVO range. It is a dual-mono design, which means two discrete preamplifiers share one chassis, one for each channel. PrimaLuna USA lists it at USD 3,095. It has neither an internal DAC nor a phono section, which PrimaLuna explains as a way to keep the unit flexible and protect its resale value.

Key specs that matter

Four stereo RCA inputs feed the unit, and it offers two stereo RCA outputs plus a stereo RCA tape out. Gain is 10.8 dB, input sensitivity is 580 mV and output impedance is 2,800 ohm. Frequency response reaches from 15 Hz to 80 kHz within 3 dB. Total harmonic distortion stays under 0.2 percent at 2 V, and PrimaLuna gives signal to noise as 93 dB, or 100 dB A-weighted. Power draw is 52 W. The chassis measures 279 x 191 x 404 mm (width, height, depth) and weighs 14 kg.

Engineering and use context

Six valves do the work - two 12AX7, two 12AU7 and two 5AR4 rectifiers, so the power supply is tube rectified with one rectifier per channel. Two toroidal power transformers are fitted, and PrimaLuna states that a toroid radiates roughly a tenth of the magnetic field of a standard transformer, with an 8 to 1 reduction in mechanical hum. A motorised Alps Blue Velvet potentiometer handles volume, an analogue control rather than a digital volume chip. The SuperQuiet line inputs use sealed relays mounted at the rear panel to keep noise from leaking between sources. Point-to-point wiring by hand with heavy-gauge cable forms the signal path, mounted in a fully vented steel chassis with a five-coat finish, each coat rubbed and polished by hand. The company calls its low-gain approach SmartGain and says it cuts noise and eases stress on the tubes. A SoftStart circuit is included to protect sensitive parts and lower the chance of tube failure from thermal shock, and every PrimaLuna power transformer carries the PTP Power Transformer Protection circuit.

Pairing

With two main output pairs, the EVO 100 drives two destinations at once, for example a stereo power amp plus a powered sub, while the tape out passes an unattenuated signal to a recorder. Because there is no converter on board, a streamer or CD transport needs an external DAC with analogue RCA outputs before it reaches one of the four inputs.

Alternatives

The PrimaLuna EVO 300 Tube Preamplifier is the next step up within the EVO line, built around six 12AU7 and two 5AR4 tubes with 10 dB of gain.