PrimaLuna EVO 400 (integrated) black

Toroidal Power Transformer

Power transformers generate two types of noise: magnetic and acoustic. That’s why toroidal power transformers are used in the best audio products. Compared to standard transformers, toroids emit about 1/10 the magnetic field that pollutes the music and obscures details. Plus, the absence of an air gap generally means toroids have an 8:1 reduction in acoustic noise. Since transformers are the most expensive components in any audio product, manufacturers will even house cheaper C-core and EI-core transformers in an outboard power supply with an umbilical cord rather than switch to a costly toroid. The cost increase is significant, but PrimaLuna doesn’t cut corners. All PrimaLuna products use massive potted toroidal transformers.

Super Wide Bandwidth Output Transformers

Output transformers are the most important part of any tube amp. They determine the depth of the bass and the height of the top end. 250W of power will have no top and bottom extension if the output transformers don’t have the bandwidth. We use lower power to extend tube life and bandwidth to give you slam. Transformers are the most expensive components in an amplifier, so manufacturers save money by using “off-the-shelf” units available on the market.

Adaptive AutoBias

What most companies call Auto Bias is actually “Cathode Bias” - A commonly used, inexpensive to manufacture method often found in guitar amps, but also in $20,000 high-end audio amps. It reduces the power available from the amp and runs the tubes hard, meaning shorter life and failures via “shorts”.

PrimaLuna’s Adaptive AutoBias is true intelligent technology that uses an array of sensors to monitor the tubes and make adjustments transparently in real-time. Most importantly, it is the ONLY circuit of its kind that is truly “adaptive” by addressing “tube pinch” at higher volumes, thereby reducing distortion by over 50% and greatly extending tube life.

Point-to-Point Wiring

You spend a lot of money on interconnects. So why does the signal go straight from the RCA jacks or speaker terminals to circuit boards with copper traces so thin you can barely see them? How is that high-end?

PrimaLuna uses point-to-point wiring on all products. The entire signal path, including resistors and capacitors, is painstakingly hand-wired with heavy-gauge wire by an artisan.

The EVO 300 and EVO 400 models use Swiss-made, silver-plated, oxygen-free continuous crystal (OCC) copper with Teflon dielectric in the critical signal path for superior signal speed and clarity.

Technical Specifications

Power

• Ultra-linear: 2 × 70 W (EL34) at 8 Ω THD
• Triode: 2 × 38 W (EL34) at 8 Ω THD
• Impedance: 4 and 8 Ω

Tube Series

• 6 × 12AU7
• 8 × EL34

Measurements

• Frequency response: 7 Hz - 65 kHz ± 1 dB
• Harmonic distortion:
  • < 0.1% at 1 W
  • < 2% at nominal power
• Signal-to-noise ratio: 93 dB
• Input sensitivity: 320 mV (EL34)
• Input impedance: 100 kΩ

Connectivity

• 5 stereo RCA inputs
• 1 high-level bypass RCA input (HT Bypass)
• Outputs: 4 and 8 Ω, mono subwoofer RCA, recording output, 6.35 mm headphone

General Features

• Power consumption: 255 W (EL34)
• Full remote control
• Dimensions (W × H × D): 38.6 × 20.6 × 40.4 cm
• Weight: 38 kg

Warranty

• Device: 2 years parts and labor
• Tubes: 3 months