PrimaLuna EVO 100 Tube Phonostage

A dual-mono phonostage with a massive power transformer, 5AR4 tube rectification, and with 12AX7 gain for MM, and 6922 gain for MC.

 

“More than worthy of an Exceptional Value Award for 2023.”

— JEFF DORGAY, TONE

 

Compare PrimaLuna construction to any other brand, at any price. You’ll be amazed.

It’s here at last, a standalone PrimaLuna phonostage built to the same extreme level of engineering as every other PrimaLuna, and every bit as thoughtful and intuitive. The goal with the EVO 100 phonostage was to keep controls and features as simple as possible.

The dual mono EVO 100 Phonostage supports both moving magnet and moving coil cartridges. The MM stage offers two capacitance settings, and the MC stage offers three gain, and five input impedance settings. The delicate signals in the MC stage are protected by mechanically decoupling the board.

All PrimaLuna, Inside and Out

At 27.9 lb, you know the EVO 100 Phonostage is all PrimaLuna in its use of a massive custom power transformer, with full protection. The heavy gauge steel chassis sports PrimaLuna’s deep, glassy five-coat paint, with each coat hand-rubbed and polished.

Inside, all of the high-quality parts are joined using point-to-point wiring. The parts list is familiar to any PrimaLuna fan: ceramic tube sockets, Nichicon and DuRoch capacitors, and gold-plated connectors. 

All-Tube Glory

As you’d expect from PrimaLuna, the EVO 100 Phonostage is tube rectified using two 5AR4 tubes. In a never-before-seen feature, two EL34 power tubes are used to reduce low-frequency power supply noise. Four 12AX7 form the gain stage for the MM setting. Gain for MC is from two 6922 tubes. 

This makes the EVO 100 Phonostage the perfect match for PrimaLuna gear, bringing all-tube magic into every part of the signal. Or, pair this with a revealing solid-state system and enjoy huge levels of detail without a shred of harshness.

Specifications

Output Impedance: 100 ohm

Input: 1 x Stereo RCA

Output: 1 x stereo RCA

Moving Magnet Stage
Gain: 40 dB
Input Impedance: 47 kOhm
Input Capacitance (Selectable): 47 pF, 100 pF

Moving Coil Stage
Gain (Selectable): 60, 56, 52 dB
Input Impedance (Selectable): 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000 ohm

Tube Complement: 2 x 5AR4, 2 x EL34, 4 x 12AX7, 2 x 6922

Dimensions (LWH): 15.9″ x 11″ x 7.5″ (405 x 280 x 190 mm)

Weight: 27.9 lb (12.7 kg)