PrimaLuna Dialogue Preamp = emotionless?


After years of running a PS Audio Direcstream dac directly into ATC active floorstanders, I decided to take everyone’s advice and add a preamp into the mix. I picked up a used PrimaLuna Dialogue with highly regarded Mullard CV4003’s and Phillips 5R4GYS’s, the tubes purchased by the original owner five years ago from Upscale Audio, a terrific source. My correspondents were correct about adding a good preamp: it transforms everything in a very big way. That’s the good news -- and bad. The latter is the reason for posting.

Before the preamp, this was a modestly warm system, for which the Directstream is known. It was one in which it was not hard to find myself drawn into the music and performance. Since adding the PrimaLuna however, I find myself watching -- or listening to -- emotion but not feeling a thing. That is, beyond marveling at the other characteristics of the presentation. After that, I’m left perfectly cold - 100%. This is not at all what I expected -- or desire.

So what to do... Is there anything I should look at with the preamp? What about other preamps, preferably tube ones? The skinny these days is that tube gear developers are trying to imitate the "neutrality" of solid state, the so-called modern tube sound some call it. With the PrimaLuna, I was expecting to find a point in between the classic tube sound and the common solid state one, but what I’m hearing is more than a little distant from that.

(Other than adding the PrimaLuna and not having Ultimate beeswax fuses in the DS and PL currently for other reasons, nothing else in my system has changed: modified Oppo 203 w/ digital output only, PS Audio P15 Regenerator and AC-12 power cords, and MG Audio Design AG2 ICs,)
highstream

Showing 3 responses by dsper

highstream,

I use a Dialogue Premium (DP) preamp and have the following FWIW comments. I run McCormack amplification and Thiel CS5's.

After a while the DP seemed analytical to me and I considered selling it. This was with Phillips rectifiers and after several tube changes. I like Seimens and Mazdas the best. Regardless of the tubes, the DP seems to me to focus on the vocals in the mix. 

I also run a Conrad Johnson 17LS2, which has a warmer sound than the DP and it seems more nuanced and textured. It has more PRAT to me but not quite as much bass slam.

I also use an Axiom II with Walker mods passive preamp and it provides the most revealing sound - it seems to provide the best presence but bad recordings can be rough on the ears.

The interesting thing is how my front end impacted the preamp sound. First I replaced a Ric Schultz modifed Oppo 103 with an AudioSpace CD8 used as a transport and a Theta ProBasic III DAC. I then kept the DAC and moved to a PS Audio PerfectWave transport. This last change was a real wow moment as I heard a lot more detail and the live presence improved for all three preamps, but especially for the DP. The DP's PRAT improved as well.

I just switched to 10 gauge from 16 gauge copper multi-strand speaker and this also provided more detail and better decay, which, to me, again added more presence.

Again, FWIW.

Thanks for listening,

Dsper
Hi All,

First I replaced a Ric Schultz modifed Oppo 103
I did not want to say anything earlier but some of the other posts have emboldened me.

When I started looking at DACs and auditioning them in my system -  Hegel, Rega, Benchmark, Naim, PS Audio - they all sounded more alive. The Oppo, in comparison, was much more tame and bland.

System synergy is everything and maybe the Dialogue Premium and the Oppo just do not get along together.

Thanks for listening,

Dsper


After years of running a PS Audio Direcstream dac
Sorry, did not read the first line in your post!