Why is there no love for Prima Luna?

plenty of love for primaluna, some folks knock it as well, like anything else - i think the measurement crowd especially like to bash the pl amps

very good amps in absolute s.q., great value for performance and features offered

are they as good as the best tube amps that cost a lot more? i don’t think so (from personal experience i still prefer audio research and more recently, linear tube audio)

the made in china thing held against it is for real - whether justified or not;  like racism and misogyny - whether people say it out loud or not, its there, alot more folks have it in their hearts than they express for fear of backlash

@millercarbon Please keep politics off the boards. 

Don’t forget to not buy any Chinese made cell phones, computers, etc. either, right?

It’s a global economy. That’s a fact and a good thing! We are all interconnected and can’t just ignore each other when things do not go as one might prefer. Different countries have different strengths (and weaknesses) to bring to the table. It’s freedom of choice to create the right collaboration that makes things right. It also gains one leverage to do more than merely complain perhaps when things happen elsewhere that shouldn’t. Not defending politics in China nor anywhere else. Taiwan is a great option as are other far eastern countries to partner with.

Of course everyone has the right to not buy anything from anyone they prefer not to. It all works out in the end.

Climate is also a global thing. You can choose to ignore it but when it becomes a problem, only global cooperation can address it. Good solutions to real problems that affect everyone benefit all involved.

I think high-end audio’s appeal is obviously based on superior sound quality, but other factors including build quality, long-term reliability (think decades, not just years), servicing and parts, and pride of ownership play a much bigger role when compared to consumer-grade equipment. Most Chinese brands simply don’t have enough history or reliability perception ... yet. Many also worry about post sales service and availability of parts 3-5 years down the road. Just like Japan, I’m sure the Chinese will address these concerns in time. But I don’t think we’re there yet in the context of high end audio.

A few weeks ago, I talked to (in person) one of the guys who works for Raven Audio. We were comparing Primulana with Raven, and one of the points he made resonated with me. The price you pay for your Primaluna includes transportation costs, advertising costs, and dealer markup. Raven, on the other hand, bypasses dealers, spends way less on advertising, and their profit margins are not significant. The differential shows up in quality. Of course, this is somewhat subjective, but when we compared the Primaluna with Raven Blackhawk sitting side by side, the Raven looked a class apart based on looks and build quality. At least during that audition, my impression was that Primaluna sounded more like an SS, but with all the tubey goodness. The Blackhawk had more midrange magic and sounded more lush (in a good way).

My thoughts:
I owned a Prima Luna integrated and thought it was pretty good.
I adopted by daughter from China when she was 9 months old.  She is now 16.  I have been in China on more than one occasion.  The people are oppressed. I have talked to many of them.  

It is a global economy and in many cases is a good thing. However, I think we as Americans (me included) have without really thinking about it lost sight of freedom and even more important but sad is the fact that we don't stand up for those who are severely persecuted around the world (e.g. China gulags-they are real. I could go on about the human right abuses. I think these are more important than the climate concern.  Behinds the scenes China is pushing the climate issue-guess why).  What should we do business with the CCP? Our leaders have/are pushing us into something that will probably turn out to be sinister.  Maybe we should as Americans reconsider where we spend our money and not trust bought and controlled politicians. Another sobering thought is the fact that I don't think we as free as we might think.  Things are changing....

Just my thoughts-don't hate me.