Tubes Asylum: REVIEW: PrimaLuna DiaLogue Two Integrated Amplifier (Tube) by acyfmc@cogeco.ca

Model:	DiaLogue Two
Category:	Integrated Amplifier (Tube)
Suggested Retail Price:	$2,625
Description:	Adaptive Auto Bias means no user adjustments and tube are kept in their
Manufacturer URL:	PrimaLuna
Model Picture:	View

Review by acyfmc@cogeco.ca on May 09, 2008 at 08:37:29
IP Address: 198.103.223.52 Add Your Review
for the DiaLogue Two

I had never owned tube equipment before and never contemplated the possibility --- although I was always curious --- but Jim Hannon's October 2007 TAS review made me seek out the PrimaLuna Dialogue Two integrated. I gave Kevin Deal of Upscale Audio a call and made an appointment to see and hear the unit. Make sure you make an appointment, otherwise Kevin can get a bit annoyed. After all this is (I think) his residence. You don't barge into someone's house unannounced!

Kevin has an amazing amount of tube equipment neatly displayed in what seems to be a side room off his living room --- Cary, Antique Sound Lab, Pathos, Manley, PrimaLuna (of course) --- and a small loveseat in front of a nice pair of Vienna Acoustic Beethoven Concert Grands. It was like walking into tube nirvana! There is not even a hint of optimization of sound in that room, no room treatments, nothing; in other words, it is a very real world environment, a fact that I really appreciated.

Kevin knew I was coming, so he had set up the Dialogue Two and the new Prima Luna tube CD player. He was busy on the phone when I went so, without further ado I started spinning my test discs --- mostly Chesky and Stereophile audiophile cuts and some orchestral pieces. These reflected my tastes and I wanted to hear what I'd be listening to at home.

I was transfixed by what I heard. The background was velvet black and the sound seems to live outside the speakers. In fact, the big Beethovens just disappeared. Ana Caram's 'Viola fora de moda' took on a life of its own. The percussion was in 3D! Piano music sounded especially lifelike and use of the triode mode made it rounded and plush, exactly how I think it should be. Orchestral sounds were massive yet refined. The amp sounded interesting indeed.

Kevin came over after giving me enough space to listen --- Upscale Audio is not a 'quick sale' operation but an honest and honourable one --- and proceeded to talk about the build quality of the PrimaLuna brand. When I saw the difference between PrimaLuna and the scratched, tin can backs of the Antique Sound Lab equipment, it was revelatory. The Prima Luna was built like a Lexus, the Antique Sound Lab stuff like a Suzuki. No comparison. The speaker connecters seemed real high quality. Nothing cheap here. The remote was substantial indeed, solid aluminium. Adaptive autobias was also an interesting concept should you want to tweak the sound (although I am not mechanically inclined and would not want to mess about).

I was so impressed with the sound that I purchased a Dialogue Two. It does not look that big but, man, this is a heavy sucker. Nearly 70 pounds; get help from your pal otherwise you can do serious damage to your back. At home after easy set-up (everything comes installed; you simply remove the protective foam around the KT-88s) I connected it to a Cambridge Audio 840C upsampling CD player I had just bought and a pair of large, floorstanding Snell XA90ps speakers which were previously hooked up to a Creek 5350SE amp. Interconnect was a Transparent Audio basic unit; all you need is decent thickness and well-soldered terminations --- all the rest is religion.

Played much the same kind of music I had listen to at Kevin's but also spun Rachel Z Trio and some smooth jazz tunes. In the 25x40 listening space the Dialogue Two simply sang. Ignore the '37 watts ultralinear/21 watts triode' spec. The Two controlled the big Snells like Lewis Hamilton driving a McLaren. Ok, I don't deafen myself listening to tunes but I listen at real world levels and both UL and triode modes had ample power. Kevin recommended use of the 4 ohm taps and those are what I used.

The music emerged from an absolutely quiet background. Every single note was incredibly clear and defined. I heard notes that I had never heard on the Creek or which once had a veil over them. Mind you, the Prima Luna was twice the price of the Creek but I truly cannot think of sound getting any better even spending thousands more. Musicality was ensured by the hot-swappable triode mode but I loved the ultralinear mode's terrific punch and dynamics.

If you are in the market for a stereo integrated, do not hesitate to get a PrimaLuna Dialogue Two. Ok, I did not check out the Manley Stingray (which is cheaper and which Kevin averred was 'very fast') but the military-spec build quality of the Dialogue Two and its incredible sound would seal the deal for me. Do not forget the so-convenient on the fly change from triode to ultralinear that enables you to get two entirely different 'sounds' for $2700. And don't worry about the watts available --- if this amp could effortlessly drive those Vienna Acoustics big fellas and the Snell floorstanders, it can drive just about anything.

Ok, the unit is not cheap. Money does not grow on trees for sure but if you can save up for this sub-$3K amp you will get sound that equals far more expensive gear. This is true audiophile quality. And check out the Cambridge Audio 840C CD player; brilliant stuff from Blighty. Robert Harley wrote that he would use the 840C as a front-end of his $100K super system. I'd say that the combination of the Dialogue Two, the 840C, and a decent pair of speakers would give you a $30K system for less than $10K.

Folks, I can assure you that I am not being paid to write this stuff --- I already paid Upscale Audio a good bit of dough for the amp! --- but it is such a superb buy that I want readers to know about it.

Product Weakness:	None really but I would have liked to have seen balanced XLR outputs
Product Strengths:	Amazing sound, triode/ultralinear switching on the fly, long-life trouble free tubes, astonishing build quality, reasonable price

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Creek 5350SE
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): None
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Cambridge Audio 840C Upsampling CD transport
Speakers: Snell XA90ps floorstanders, 90dB sens.
Cables/Interconnects: Transparent Cable Music Link
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Chesky, Stereophile, small group jazz, big orchestral
Room Size (LxWxH): 25 ft. x 40 ft. x 9 ft.
Room Comments/Treatments: No treatments but crowded with exrecise equipment at the very back; seating position 20' from spkrs.
Time Period/Length of Audition: One month
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Panamax
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition): None

Amplifier:	Creek 5350SE
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	None
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Cambridge Audio 840C Upsampling CD transport
Speakers:	Snell XA90ps floorstanders, 90dB sens.
Cables/Interconnects:	Transparent Cable Music Link
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Chesky, Stereophile, small group jazz, big orchestral
Room Size (LxWxH):	25 ft. x 40 ft. x 9 ft.
Room Comments/Treatments:	No treatments but crowded with exrecise equipment at the very back; seating position 20' from spkrs.
Time Period/Length of Audition:	One month
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Panamax
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition):	None