Lean into a Flagship Preamplifier with Eight Tubes, Tube Rectification, Dual Toroidal Transformers, and an AC Offset Killer: PrimaLuna EVO 400 Also Features Dual-Mono Topology and SmartGain

When you first remove the PrimaLuna EVO 400 tube preamplifier from its package, one of the first things you’ll notice are the six 12AU7 and two 5AR4 tubes that take center stage atop the chassis. Once you’re done admiring those and the standout construction of this 52.8-pound unit, you’ll plug it in and start playing music. At that point, you’ll doubtlessly be taken by levels of soundstaging, imaging, dynamics, warmth, and presence that will have you hearing albums you know backwards with new ears and appreciation. Such is the fun, excitement, and insight of a component that excels in every regard.

Equipped with dual toroidal transformers and tube rectification, EVO 400 features dual-mono topology — meaning it has two of practically everything that matters since it houses two discrete preamplifiers in one chassis. SmartGain and PerfectMatch — the former involving gain set to just 10dB for exceptionally silent operation, the latter a circuit that presents an ideal 100K ohm impedance to your source components for seamless coherency — further contribute to EVO 400’s sonic advantages. Ditto the AC Offset Killer, which lowers transformer noise to a level you need to experience to believe — and you will, especially when you hear the resulting spaciousness, black backgrounds, and natural decay.

Measuring 8.1 x 15.9 x 15.2 inches (HWD), EVO 400 incorporates point-to-point wiring throughout  — with Swiss-made, silver-plated, OCC copper with a Teflon dialect in the signal path for superb speed and transparency. Japanese-made Takman resistors, renowned for their linearity and naturalism, add to an audiophile wish list that encompasses DuRoch tinfoil capacitors, ultra-quiet sealed relay inputs, and an ALPS blue velvet potentiometer. Two pairs of XLR inputs, three pairs of RCA inputs, a stereo HT bypass, one pair of XLR outputs, another pair of stereo outputs, and a tape output give you top-tier connectivity. 

Sold with a full-size remote control and a three-year manufacturer warranty, EVO 400 epitomizes the promise of high-end audio at a cost that leaves you with more money to buy records. To learn more about it or the PrimaLuna line, contact a Music Direct consultant at 312-433-0200.

“Miraculously, it manages to combine the virtues of modern tube sound with the tonal heft and timbral realism afforded by vintage tube preamps. If purity of expression and tonal realism are sonic priorities, get ready to embrace the EVO 400!”
—The Absolute Sound, Editors’ Choice Award

“You truly need to experience an EVO 400 to believe it. This is one of the world’s finest vacuum tube preamplifiers at any price.”
—Jeff Dorgay, TONEAudio

“Old-school tube aficionados would likely describe the EVO 400 as the clearest, fastest, most transparent all-tube preamp ever.”
—Herb Reichert, Stereophile

“The PrimaLuna EVO 400 pre/power gets embarrassingly close to the top tier for a fraction of the price of high-end equipment . . . it’s the impressive centerpiece of a serious hi-fi system – one with a charm that many rivals conspicuously lack.”
—David Price, Hi-Fi News