PrimaLuna EVO 300 Tube Preamplifier - Silver

The PrimaLuna EVO 300 is a tube preamplifier designed to offer extremely quiet, transparent, and nuanced reproduction. The high level of background noise allows the music to develop in an almost completely interference-free environment, enhancing the depth of the soundstage, the naturalness of timbres, and even the most delicate details, such as the progressive decay of the strings of a violin or guitar.

A fundamental part of the design is the toroidal transformers made in-house by PrimaLuna, developed to minimize both magnetic and mechanical noise. Added to this is the AC Offset Killer technology, designed to limit vibrations and transformer hum caused by imperfections in the electrical network. This system allows the EVO 300 to maintain stable and silent operation even in the presence of a less than optimal household power supply.

To increase their reliability, the transformers are housed in metal cases and completely sealed with a special non-microphonic resin. This solution protects the windings from humidity, reduces vibrations, and helps maintain the device's performance over time. The solidity of the design is also demonstrated by its weight of 24 kg, particularly significant for a preamplifier and indicative of the quality of the materials used.

The power supply section uses two 5AR4 rectifier tubes within a dual-mono architecture. Compared to more common solid-state rectification solutions, this configuration helps make reproduction smoother and more natural, while improving the depth and precision of the stereo image.

Volume adjustment is handled by an Alps Blue Velvet motorized potentiometer, appreciated in the hi-fi sector for its precision, quiet operation, and ability to maintain the correct balance between channels. The choice of entirely analog control also allows us to avoid the use of digital circuits that could alter the original tonal character of the signal.

Particular attention has also been paid to input management. Traditional mechanical selectors are replaced with high-quality sealed relays, located near the rear connectors. This keeps the signal path short, while unused inputs are isolated to limit interference, noise, and potential leakage.

Inside, the EVO 300 uses authentic hand-wired point-to-point cabling, combined with generously sized conductors and carefully selected passive components. The absence of printed circuit boards along the main signal path allows for direct and tidy connections, with the aim of preserving the integrity and purity of musical reproduction.

The dual-mono configuration keeps the two channels' circuits separate, with independent power supplies and control sections. This setting improves stereo separation and allows for the reconstruction of a wide, stable, and well-defined soundstage, in which each instrument occupies a precise position.

SmartGain technology maintains the gain at around 10 dB, a value designed to effectively adapt to modern audio systems. The lower amplification helps to contain residual noise, avoids unnecessary stress on the tubes and offers a more progressive and easily manageable volume regulation.

Completing the equipment is the PerfectMatch circuit, developed by PrimaLuna to guarantee a stable input load of 100 kΩ to the connected sources. This feature promotes correct interaction with players, DACs and phono preamplifiers, including tube models, helping to preserve their dynamics, tonal balance and musicality.

SPECIFICATIONS

Power: Ultra linear 42 watts x 2 (EL34) (8 Ohm, 1% THD); Triode 24 watts x 2 (EL34) (8 Ohm, 1% THD)

Inputs: 5x Stereo RCA; Home Theatre ByPass

Outputs: 4 & 8 Ohm

Sub out: RCA

Tape out: Stereo RCA

Headphone out: 1/4"

Frequency response: 10Hz-65kHz +/- 1dB; 8Hz-75Hz +/- 3dB

THD: < 0.2% @ 1W; < 2% @ rated power

Signal-to-noise ratio: 86 dB

Input sensitivity: 270 mV (EL34)

Power consumption: 280 watts (EL34)

Standard tubes: 6x 12AU7; 4x EL34

Dimensions (WxHxD): 38.6 x 20.6 x 40.4 cm

Weight: 31 kg