Totally Tubular: The Tube Thread

Thanks for the offer @HiFi Guy I'll see if mine comes with any spares first, like @AnthonyI got with his.

Other than fuses, and the various stages of break-in I should expect, are there any other PrimaLuna specific kernels of advice you can think of? Or re tube power amps in general? Advice/tips welcome from everyone.

Never operate a tube amp with no speakers connected- you can damage the output transformers.

If you handle tubes with bare skin, wipe them off with a soft cloth. Skin oils can create hot spots.
 
Do PrimaLuna advise that you run the amps with the source turned off when new to break it in? Mine said to do that for 4 to 12 hours.

@Splunders No. If your experience is anything like mine, it’ll sound rough out of the box. It’s a lot better after 10 hours.

Small signal tubes will make a big difference.

I'd try:

Sovtek 12AX7LPS x 2
Gold Lion 12AU7 x 2
 
So all GOLD LION tubes is not possible? That's disappointing.

All Gold Lions are possible. I have no experience with their 12AX7s. I do have experience with the Sovtek 12AX7LPS which is a fantastic tube for very reasonable money.

Edit: The Sovtek I reference- LPS stands for Long Plate Spiral- designed for very low noise. It’s internally different from most other 12AX7 tubes with a larger plate and spiral filament. Because of the large plate, there’s less tube glow, but I’m all about sound quality.
 
All Gold Lions are possible. I have no experience with their 12AX7s. I do have experience with the Sovtek 12AX7LPS which is a fantastic tube for very reasonable money.

Edit: The Sovtek I reference- LPS stands for Long Plate Spiral- designed for very low noise. It’s internally different from most other 12AX7 tubes with a larger plate and spiral filament. Because of the large plate, there’s less tube glow, but I’m all about sound quality.

The Gold Lion 12ax7 is fine, though it feels a bit recessed in my system.
 
The PrimaLuna ProLogue 5 arrived today! I've had it on and running for about 6 hours. Immediately, the bass output stood out to me compared to my previous amp. So much more powerful and articulate. Electric bass just growls, which I love. Details I hadn't noticed before, on records I know very well and listen to as reference points, emerged. A bigger soundstage, and some inkling of the holographic imaging always associated with tube amps is revealing itself more. I know this has some break in stages to go through, but already I'm happy I impulsively pulled the trigger. Now back to listening to Kid A in the dark....

P.S. I heavily recommend Loma's self titled album, especially for late night, in the dark sessions. Overflowing with atmosphere and mood20200215_212941.jpg
 
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The PrimaLuna ProLogue 5 arrived today! I've had it on and running for about 6 hours. Immediately, the bass output stood out to me compared to my previous amp. So much more powerful and articulate. Electric bass just growls, which I love. Details I hadn't noticed before, on records I know very well and listen to as reference points, emerged. A bigger soundstage, and some inkling of the holographic imaging always associated with tube amps is revealing itself more. I know this has some break in stages to go through, but already I'm happy I impulsively pulled the trigger. Now back to listening to Kid A in the dark....

P.S. I heavily recommend Loma's self titled album, especially for late night, in the dark sessions. Overflowing with atmosphere and moodView attachment 33105

Congrats! The PLs are really great amplifiers. Other than the sound quality, I love the reliability and solid support should you have issues.
 
@HiFi Guy Currently running a Sovtek 12AX7LPS and enjoying it! Haven't done a back to back with the JJ yet; I will say it doesn't feel like a huge, palpable difference between them, as it was with the Gold Lion, but it sounds great.

The only JJ experience I have is with the 12AU7 in the Rogue Pharaoh. I wasn’t impressed.

I’ve liked the 12AX7LPS in every piece I’ve tried it in. Great sound at a fair price.
 
The only JJ experience I have is with the 12AU7 in the Rogue Pharaoh. I wasn’t impressed.

I’ve liked the 12AX7LPS in every piece I’ve tried it in. Great sound at a fair price.

I've enjoyed the JJ 12AX7 in my particular setup - it's more forward than the Gold Lion--the Fortes have plenty of soundstage, so they don't like the recessed quality of the Gold Lion--and a little more full on the low end than the Tung-Sol that came with the JoLida.

I'll do some A-B testing later on to see if I can make any more detailed observations re: Sovtek vs JJ.
 
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