My experience with Magnepan 1.7is mirrors this as well. They are 84dB/watt 4 ohms and the Dialogue HP with KT88s drove them better than other much higher powered amps I tried with them.
Hey guys.. question on the Evo 400 integrated vs the 400 preamp. I have 2 massive Emotiva monoblocks XPA-1 that I’m feeding to JBL L100 75th anniversary. Source is VPI Prime Signature with Kiseki Purple Heart cartridge. I just placed an order for Manley Chinook phono pre and EVO400 integrated. Question… I was planning to sell the Emos and keep the system simple with the integrated and Chinook. However I’m having second thoughts and wondering if I should keep the Emos for now and just get the PL400 Preamp. This would give me tons of SS power with the tube preamp and flexibility to swap amps in the future. Should I cancel my 400 integrated order for the 400 preamp or just stick with the simple integrated for my vinyl only setup?
Having formerly owned the same Emotiva amps, I’ll say the Prima Luna sounds better. I used mine with the big stereo preamp Emotiva used to sell. The preamp was the star of the two pieces. I will also say I that I’ve had good luck with a tube pre and solid state power. That said the PL is likely to be a poor match: it has low gain by design (10 dB) and the Emotiva has relatively low sensitivity inputs- 2.4 V for rated power out.
Good points. I’m definitely not planning to stick with the Emo amps long term but wondering if the integrated EVO400 corners me a bit for future upgrades. May just invest in the preamp and then do more research on the best fit for an amp. Unless someone firmly believes that I’ll be over the moon with the EVO400 integrated and the case for separates isn’t worth the cost
Went for the preamp and I’ll take my time finding the right replacement amp for the Emotivas. Preamp and chinook will be here Friday!
Hello everyone, I've been enjoying my Evo 300i immensely since I purchased it in March, but I'm hoping you all can help me out with a little problem I may be having. I notice that sometimes when I turn the amp on, it produces a very faint static-type noise in the left channel only. The noise is there even when I change inputs so I believe that clears my other components. It seems to clear up eventually and I can't hear it when listening to music at all. Is this a tube issue or maybe a cable issue? Any advice would be appreciated.
Sounds like one of your preamp tubes is on its way out. You can try touching and gently wiggling the two center tubes in their inputs to see if it creates a thumping or other noise (don't have the amp turned up too loud), it's likely one of those two--whichever corresponds to the left channel; I don't remember. It could also be that one of the tubes isn't securely in its input, but if it's an issue that developed recently, I'm guessing the tube has become microphonic. A failsafe way to check if it's one of those tubes is to swap them for each other and see if the noise moves to the right channel. Good opportunity to do some tube rolling. NOS tubes really unlock the power of this amp.
Thanks. I wiggled those two tubes and it didn’t produce any noise. I’ll try the swapping later. I have no experience with tube rolling so I guess that will change!
I have found this to. Just lifting them out of the socket and back in, makes the connection more solid etc.
Any concerns with the EVO 100 Integrated driving a pair of JBL L82s @88 db? I've got the L82s already, there's somewhat mixed opinions about whether the EVO 100 is up to the task- some say no problem, others say could be a problem at higher volumes with 88 db speakers. I don't normally listen at high volumes, but when I've got the house to myself I need to let these JBLs rock! Subwoofer also not out of the question.
I'm sure the Evo 100 would be fine - @40watts/channel should be plenty. However, for only $600 more, I'd get the Evo 200 because of the better (larger) transformers - will give give you more flexibility should you look for other speakers in the future.
I had one (and an Evo 400) that I ran with Forte III's, but sadly I agree about the volume and I found the overall sound uninspired? For my tastes that amp didn't deliver...
I bought the Prologue Classic right before I traded it with the EVO 200. Honestly, I should have kept the prologue and just added a motorized volume remote control because I wanted that option. That small amp can power any mid size speakers including the 70's Marantz imperial 7. The new EVO series has a slight more power. Any speaker that you can place in a 1700 sq ft or less should be more than enough driven by any Primaluna amp. ProLogue Classic Integrated Specifications Price $1,799 Power: Ultra-linear (8 Ohms, 1% THD) 35 watts x 2 (EL34) Inputs 4 Pair RCA Outputs 4 & 8 Ohm Frequency Response 10Hz-65kHz +/- 3dB THD (1W/1kHz) < 1% @ full power S/N Ratio 89 dB Input Sensitivity 285mV Power Consumption 285 watts Standard Tube Complement 2 - 12AX7 2 - 12AU7 4 - EL34 Dimensions (WxHxD) 11" x 7.5" x 15.5" Weight 37.5 lbs
Big difference being no headphone amp in the ProLogue. Are you saying you regret trading it because the EVO 200 is overkill for your needs and you could have saved a lot of money?
Indeed. But they have a sensitivity around 99 dB. My 40 watt, early 70's Sansui shines with the Forte's. So much so that I sold my Evo 400. Not to say the Prima Luna 100 wont knock your socks off. They are truly fine amps! Cheers A
Just to give you an idea in the power and my playback room size is 600 sq ft.. So for that sole purpose, Yes that's what I mean. The primaluna has a very big sound.
I swapped out my NAD M33 for an EVO 400 preamp and Rega Atheos (using direct mode to bypass it's pre amp). Also upgraded speakers to SF Olymica 1. I have things connected so I can switch between using the EVO400 and the integrated Rega pre. Sound running through the Rega alone is excellent. Running through the EVO 400 into the Rega is stunning.
Considering an EVO 400 integrated for my Sonus faber Maxima Amator. Room is 13' x 13'. Would the 400 put out too much heat for the room to handle? I used to have a pair of 100W Class A mono block. Sold them after 2 years due to intolerable heat issue.
As luck would have it I have a 13' x 13' room and the 400 has never put out too much heat for me to notice. However, it's way more power than I need for the room. If I had to do it again, I'd go for the 300.
Thanks for the reply! What speaks are you using? and are you using EL34? If I go with the 300, I'll probably upgrade to KT150 for a bit more power. Or get the 400 with stock EL34.
