PRIMALUNA EVO 100 Amplifier

The PrimaLuna Evo 100 amplifier is the heir to the Prologue One from the Dutch designer, released more than 20 years ago. You find part of the circuit that made this device famous, but with numerous improvements received over the years and versions.

The PrimaLuna Evo 100: Chassis

The PrimaLuna Evo 100 is built into a thick, fully ventilated steel chassis. It receives a magnificent finish of five layers of hand-rubbed and polished paint. The chassis rests on 4 specific damping feet that perfectly decouple the device from its support. The output transformers and the power transformer are concealed under a superb cover, while the tubes are protected behind a removable grille.

The Prima Luna Evo 100: Front panel and connections

The Evo 100 comes with a front panel in natural or black aluminium. On its left is the volume potentiometer and on the right the source selector. To this is added a headphone output in 6.35 mm stereo Jack format.

In the centre of the front panel, a green LED indicates that the device is powered on, which is done via a switch on the left of the chassis.

On the back of the device, you find four Line inputs and one Tape Out output. These connections are made via excellent-quality gold-plated chassis RCA jacks; the speaker outputs are on WBT Gold speaker terminals. It is possible to choose between 8 and 4 ohms depending on the impedance of the speakers used.

The PrimaLuna Evo 100: Technology

The internal wiring is in the "point-to-point" tradition of the highest quality. This characteristic is generally found on products costing almost double.

The components are high quality, as on all the manufacturer's products: ALPS potentiometer, ceramic tube sockets, Nichicon and DuRoch tin-foil capacitors, precision resistors, Philips Ultra Fast diodes, gold-plated input and output RCA jacks mounted on the chassis, WBT Gold speaker terminals, etc.

All PrimaLuna models are equipped with custom EI-frame toroidal transformers, manufactured to rigorous specifications by one of the most prestigious transformer designers in the United States.

The transformers are fully encapsulated for minimal hum and optimal isolation.

This amplifier features the intelligent PrimaLuna SoftStart circuit, which extends the lifespan of sensitive components and reduces the risk of tube failure due to thermal shock. Prima Luna is also renowned for its Adaptive Auto Bias™ circuit, an exclusive feature of the manufacturer. This circuit, located outside the audio signal path, monitors and gently adjusts the biasing of the tubes continuously and instantly. This of course reduces maintenance and increases performance thanks to a significant reduction in distortion.

The PrimaLuna EVO 100 also features the PTP™ (Power Transformer Protection) circuit. In the event of the transformer overheating due to environmental conditions, an overload or an internal problem, an internal thermal switch cuts the primary, allowing the device to cool down before it is damaged. Once cooled, contact is restored and, if nothing is damaged, the preamp powers back on without any issue.

The power stage is entrusted to a Push Pull of EL34 tubes that easily delivers 40 true watts per channel. The input stages are managed by two 12AX7 and two 12AU7 tubes at the "driver" stage.

The Prima Luna Evo 100 is equipped with a bias switch, allowing you to choose the optimal biasing for EL34 or KT88 tubes. Thanks to this switch and the auto-bias circuit, it is possible to replace the EL34 tubes with KT88 tubes with ease.

It should be noted that the headphone output is not designed from a dedicated amplifier circuit. It is coupled to the output of the power stage, so it receives the full signal of the tube circuit.

The Prima Luna Evo 100: Sound reproduction

From the very first bars, you are transported to the concert hall or the studio. The dynamics are excellent and across the entire bandwidth! The bass is remarkable for its control and articulation. The upper midrange is transparent and detailed and clear enough to give all the realism to the instruments, but also soft enough not to bring any aggressiveness to the reproduction. You find a top end characteristic of the (best) tube amplifications: informative, silky, nuanced...

The strong point of this amplifier, in addition to its timbre quality, is also its balance. Indeed, it is relatively flat, which gives excellent realism. The EVO 100 clearly favours swing and musical enjoyment.

The PrimaLuna Evo 100 delivers the sound typical of excellent tube amplifiers, offering a subtle combination of transparency, timbre and dynamics. So much quality at this price is very rare, if not non-existent. It should also be noted that the manufacturer makes no compromise on build quality and technology.

FAQ: Everything you need to know before buying the PrimaLuna Evo 100 amplifier

What power does it deliver and which speakers should it be used with?

The power stage is entrusted to a Push Pull of EL34 tubes that easily delivers 40 true watts per channel. On the WBT Gold speaker terminals, it is possible to choose between 8 and 4 ohms depending on the impedance of the speakers used. This integrated amplifier delivers the sound typical of excellent tube amplifiers.

Can I change the power tubes (EL34 to KT88)?

Yes. The Evo 100 is equipped with a bias switch allowing you to choose the optimal biasing for EL34 or KT88 tubes: thanks to this switch and the Adaptive Auto Bias auto-biasing circuit, it is possible to replace the EL34 tubes with KT88 tubes with ease. The SoftStart and PTP circuits also protect the components and extend their lifespan.

What are the connections, and is there a headphone output?

On the back, you find four Line inputs and one Tape Out output on excellent-quality gold-plated RCA jacks, as well as the WBT Gold speaker terminals. On the front, a headphone output in 6.35 mm stereo Jack format is present. Note that this headphone output does not come from a dedicated circuit: it is coupled to the power stage and therefore receives the full signal of the tube circuit.

What type of reproduction does this tube amplifier offer?

From the very first bars, the dynamics are excellent across the entire bandwidth, with controlled and articulate bass, a transparent and detailed upper midrange but without aggressiveness, and a silky and nuanced top end typical of the best tube amplifications. Its strong point remains its relatively flat balance, a guarantee of realism, which clearly favours swing and musical enjoyment. Such quality at this price is rare for a PrimaLuna product.