Everything that makes a good amp good

Nothing worth mentioning

I've owned a pair of the 7 monoblocks for about six weeks now, along with a PL 3 preamp. Short story: I seriously doubt you can find better quality tube amplifiction in this price range - though I haven't listened to everything by any means. The source driving my system is a MiniMax CDP (another killer product) and the blocks are feeding Joseph Audio Rm25 Mk2 speakers (dare I say it - another great buy for the money). The low lows are handled by a Sunfire Super Jr sub. I have Nordost Blue Heaven speaker wire and decent mid-priced interconnects. I'll preface this now by saying that I just started really listening to tube gear in the past few months. I've been an audio-head for 15+ years, but missed the resurgence in valve amplification in the last decade simply because I hadn't been in the market for new gear. (I was reasonably satisfied with my Marantz 200W monoblocks and Paradigm Reference speakers.) My point is that I can't be regarded as an expert - though I have listened extensively to some very good stuff (CJ) recently and have been reading everything I can get my hands on. Put simply, these amps deliver the sh*t. If they are giving up anything to the $4250 Manley monoblocks, I don't know what. If they are giving up anything to an $8K CJ setup, I don't think it's too much - although I haven't heard the CJ stuff with the same speakers (the Manleys, I have). As a matter of fact, that CJ setup (their $4500 preamp and 60W tube poweramp) playing a good Arcam CDP to Tannoy TD8s was and is about the best sound I've heard. Again, I haven't heard everything by a longshot, but that setup has it all as far as I'm concerned - and my own setup has 90% of the same stuff, or perhaps more, at half the price. "It" would be imaging, soundstaging, attacks and decays done right, powerful, tight bass, smooth mids and highs, and, simply, music that sounds like music, with no coloration - 'tubes done right'. They were a stunning improvement (together with the '3' premap) out of the box over my Marantz amps, and they have gotten better in the 150+ hours I have on them now. They DO sound better warmed-up, too, but I do not leave them on 24/7 for reasons of tube longevity. I have to give some, uh, "props" to Kevin Deal & Upscale Audio. He took ample time to answer my stupid questions with complete patience on the phone without knowing who I was or whether or not I was a serious customer. I think he is a guy who knows what he's doing and has chosen to market the PrimaLuna gear for good reasons. In the style of the audio rags, the last word is - "recommended".

Similar Products Used:

Marantz, Melody, Conrad-johnson, Arcam, Chord, Manley