PRIMALUNA ProLogue Two

It was not easy to get an equal competitor for PrimaLuna. T.A.C. V60 (Tube Amp Company) is the result of joint venture between German designers and Chinese manufacturers and it looks gorgeous. The designers of T.A.C. know how to make tube fetishist happy: glass, aluminum, glossy black and glowing logo to underline the warmth of tubes. The concept of the T.A.C. is not far away from PrimaLuna including the automatic bias adjustment. The tubes to be found here are from Electro Harmonix and the price tag is almost 50% higher as is the output power (2x60W).

So here we are, with the comparable fighters in the Asian ring (Vincent CD-S5 as the source component, dtto cabling and Aurum Cantus Melody M-102 speakers), both with the same hours of training (T.A.C. a few less) and warm-up.

Though the sonic differences were apparent immediately they were not huge and it took some time before we were able to define them. PrimaLuna goes easily deeper, deeper than any comparable tube amplifier. Such a bass fundament is not common even with solid-state designs. The bass is penetrating, with body and weight and makes the music rock. It is slightly smeared and ill-defined, however. The T.A.C. is lighter in nature, in fact you lack the bass a tiny bit, but its lows are better defined and controlled. The mids and highs are comparable with both amplifiers, I liked voices better with T.A.C. for their definition and articulation whereas PrimaLuna excelled with the acoustic guitar and plucked strings (I missed the fingers with the T.A.C. - it paid bigger attention to the strings). The major difference between the two contenders was in transients and correlated spatial information. The T.A.C. was better in conveying transient edges including the decay (space reverberation, audience and ambient clues and spicy details like breathing of the musicians were part of it). Prima Luna had the tendency to round the sharp transient edge (the sharp attack of a string was softened) and it extended the basic tone a moment longer than the T.A.C. cutting off some of the ambience clues. As a result PrimaLuna showed less ´air´ and a tad less information, but also exhibit quiter and darker background and better bass fundament.

It was not possible to choose between the two. If I would be forced to, I would look for another amplifier that would be a combination of the two. The problem is that such an amplifier would cost more than PrimaLuna and T.A.C. alltogether. This is the high-end reality and both machines are high-end definitely. In such a case it is perhaps wiser to buy both amplifiers and use one or another depending on the mood or source material. You can also try and have a baby from them.