2024 Golden Ear: PrimaLuna EVO 400 Line Preamplifier

$4995

The EVO 400 represents an evolutionary upgrade from the Dialogue Premium preamp. Probably the most significant (and obvious) new feature is balanced connectivity implemented using mu-metal-shielded quadfilar line transformers. It features massive and sophisticated power supplies, high-voltage regulation, exotic passive parts, and oh yes, tube rectification via a pair of 5AR4s. Its twin virtues of Goldilocks textural liquidity and tonal conviction are welcome news for a solid-state amplifier in search of textural fat and richness of tone. The really good news is that the EVO delivers the tonal beef without sacrificing speed and detail. Transients are negotiated with admirable speed and control. There is not much to complain about at the frequency extremes. The treble range is sweet and detailed without gratuitous brightness or brashness to interfere with the reproduction of violin overtones or upper registers of soprano voice, while the bass range features excellent pitch definition and timing. Its feel for microdynamic nuances and ability to scale the macrodynamic range from soft to loud captures much of the music’s dramatic content. The EVO 400 is not only PrimaLuna’s best line preamp offering ever, but it also holds its own against ultra-high-end competition. Miraculously, it manages to combine the virtues of modern tube sound with the tonal heft and timbral realism afforded by vintage tube preamps. (Forthcoming)