Fido

Hotel California Live on MTV - Hell Freezes Over - Eagles - streaming on Tidal -- Sounds incredible on my system - out of this world

Im addicted to the sound of vacuum tubes too - had never even heard one until about 6 months ago and I love my Primaluna Integrated tube masterpiece.. I have not rolled tubes yet but getting the itch to drop in some GOLD LION KT77 / EL34 - but I need 8 of them - OUCH!!!!!! Dont need to change the tubes that came with my EVO400 but it sounds like it could be fun.

This is a very interesting question with no simple answer from me. I spend much more time searching for music and making playlists and buying vinyl than I do setting up my music systems. I LOVE music and hearing it on great equipment is very rewarding. Sometimes I am very into the music and my equipment just draws me into it deeper and sometimes I want to play a test track that shows me how good my setup sounds. No reason it has to be either or since music and great audio gear go together well. Like Tarheel I too sometimes like a sandwich.

Kevin Deal Told me to try both the 4 ohm and 8 ohm and use whichever sounded best to me with my Fortes so I figured he knew what he was talking about.

The day I brought my EVO400 Home I tried the 4 ohm and 8 ohm taps and the 4 ohm taps sounded much better to me and I have not gone back to try the 8 ohm taps. Trying to make sure when I like what i hear I stop trying to tweak it more and more hoping to find something that might be missing. It sounds great thru those 4 ohm taps!

Im pretty sure it has a pair of variable Mono subwoofer outputs

Kevin Deal told me there were better phono stages at better prices than the PL phono stage module so I opted for a MUSICAL FIDELITY MX-VYNL PHONOSTAGE that I plug into one of my AUX channels and it sounds fantastic.

I read many great reviews on the Topping D90 Dac - sounds like you are heading in the right direction - Good luck with your system synergy

I love my Primaluna EVO 400 Integrated Amp with my Fortes and HSU subwoofer. My system sounds incredible to me and the PL is impeccably built. Good luck with your search. Many people on this forum also love the Primaluna Amps - Watch the reviews on Upscale Audios website -

When I bought my EVO 400 Kevin Deal told me to try both the 8 ohm and 4 ohm taps when I got it home with my speakers. The 8 ohm tap was ok but the 4 ohm tap was more dynamic, crisp and soundstage wider and deeper.

Congrats benjie - its easy to love the Primaluna amps! WOW - I had no idea what I was missing until I switched to my first tube amp - The PL Evo 400 - I use the 4 ohm taps for my Forte even though it says the Fortes are 8 ohm speakers - I love my Primaluna Integrated Amp

All of those choices sound great. I had the MA252 and it sounded good but I traded it in on my Primaluna EVO 400. There is a thread here where others have left comments about the Primaluna Integrated amps and they have all been very positive. I'm sure the MA352 is very nice - beautifully made and probably more dynamic than my MA252 was. I have read awesome things about the Hegal H-390 but that seems to be much more expensive than the MA352 or Primaluna. I have never seen or heard a Line Magnetic. Good luck with your search for the amp that gives you that magic you are looking for.

Yes the Bluesound Node 2i has two built in DACs and they sound pretty good but I decided to try the Micromega DAC I already owned and it sounded pretty much the same as the built in DACs in the Node2i. I bypassed the Node2i DACs and replaced the Micromega with an R2R Denefrips Pontus DAC and to my ears it makes the entire system have even better synergy. I think that synergy in a system is critical. Building my system has been Forte Speakers and HSU Sub first. I then added the hybrid Mac MA252 Integrated before trading that for my 100% Tube Integrated.Primaluna EVO 400 amp. I then added my turntable and phono preamp before getting the Node2i and then my Denefrips Pontus and its all finally come together.

The Pontus somehow takes the "ELECTRONIC Digital SHEEN" out of the listening experience. I am not an Audiophile so I don't know how to verbalize the difference in sound but it was what I never liked about CDs and streaming before the Pontus was added to the system. There is a synergy now that did not exist before. Good luck with your Denefrips and your journey. Hope it's as fun for you as mine has been for me so far.

Thanks MemeMagno - So here is my take on the EVO 400 and Denefrips Pontus along with the Node2i. Like most things in life its been a journey. For the last several yearsI was using my Yamaha AVR to stream Spotify. At some point I decided to try to add an integrated amp to my system but the AVR i had did not have precouts so I upgraded the AVR to a Yamaha that had precouts and bought I nice hybrid Mcintosh Integrated amp. It sounded good but the Yamaha had trouble staying connected to my network so streaming was a PITA! Reading this forum had me questioning if I was missing something with my Mcintosh and headed up to Upscale to listen to the Primaluna Tube Integrateds. I was blown away - beyond words actually. So I traded the Mcintosh in for the Primaluna and it had HT BYPASS but that required me to use the built in AVR amp when I was streaming. I decided the Node2i was reasonably priced so I bought that and plugged it into aux 2 on the Integrated and started streaming and it sounded pretty good thru the Node2i and its built in Dacs. It wasn't GREAT and I wanted great so I tried a Dac I had from my old office setup, a Micromega, that had good reviews and sounded good but not really any better than the Nodes built in Dacs. I was now in so deep to my system that I decided to pair the Node with a high end Dac and my Primaluna Integrated - VOILA!!!!! Thru much research I decided to take a chance on The Denefrips and WOW!!!!! Talk about system harmony!!!! Between the Denefrips and the Primaluna streaming Tidal sounds almost as good as my vinyl collection. Very open, analog sounding, fresh, crisp, accurate - with deep bass and stunning high frequency response that never seems fatiguing.I have over 300 records in pristine condition and I love my vinyl but find myself streaming 85% of the time now. To me, it sounds that good! The Denefrips Pontus just raised the level of my system up to that next level and I am very happy with how it all came together

My listening room setup - Forte i speakers, HSU Subwoofer, Primaluna EVO 400 Integrated Amp, Bluesound Node 2i, Denefrips Pontus Dac, Dual 1229 Turntable, Mobile Fidelity Phono Amp - I can not stop listening

I was listening to "Jackson Browne Solo Acoustic volume 2" last night and he was performing "in The Shape of a Heart' and it was just like he was in my living room with me - It just enveloped me in the most beautiful musicI have ever heard. Like Retrograde - I have no idea what I was listening to before my EVO 400 but Im so happy I finally figured out what I was missing. And.. say what you want about Keven Deal being a master salesman but everything he said about the Primaluna Amps that Upscale Audio sells is true. I'm so stoked that others here are hearing the PL offerings and enjoying them as much I have the past5 months.

i often listen in Triode mode before heading to bed or sometimes early morning listening sessions but during the day and early evening I seem to prefer Ultralinear mode. Its so easy to switch between the two its awesome.

Congrats on the EVO 400 - I'm pretty sure you are going to love it. Im obviously a HUGE fan of this glorious Integrated Amplifier.

Howdy Chck - how is the Node2i and streaming coming along? I bet you already have it totally dialed in by now. Hope you are enjoying all the music choices you have now.

I owned the MA-252 for over a year and it was very good and beautiful and I truly enjoyed it. That said, it was not nearly as amazing as the Evo 400 is. The Primaluna is AMAZING!!!!!! Breathtaking sound wether in Triode or Ultralinear mode! Spectactular!

When I bought my MA-252 I was very happy with the sound it produced and loved the look and build quality. At some point I started thinking that maybe I was missing something since so many Klipsch owners love listening to music thru a tube amp. I had read about the Primaluna Integrated amps and watched Kevin Deals videos and decided it was worth a drive to Upscale Audio to see what the fuss was about. Listening to the Primaluna 400 EVO BLEW MY MIND and it was obvious I could no longer feel content listening to music thru my MA252. So I traded the Mcintosh in for the Primaluna and could never go back. With the EVO 400 it feels like Jackson Browne, Cat Stevens, Tom Petty, Lady Gaga etc... are in my living room performing live just for me. Cant put it into words - but holy crap wowzers yeehaw! I love the Primaluna Amp.

There is a play list for Jimmy Buffet and all his albums are available on Tidal

I probably should have just bought the rx 3080 instead of my rx 880 - The rx 880 often had trouble seeing the network wirelessly or wired. It does not have the ESS Sabre Dacs like your RX 2080. I like the Node 2i but the 3080 would have saved me investing in a separate streamer and high end DAC. Audio is not always about making the smart choice every time. I love my setup now but there are many ways to get to the same place in the long run - congrats your Yamaha works flawlessly.

id pay up to $1500 for a pair that clean - those scuffs could easily be repaired