The Absolute Sound magazine presents the gear that their editors and writers have selected as most worthy of your consideration. These are the components they themselves would buy—or recommend to friends and family.
Durob Audio brand selection has gotten this year 25 Editors’ Choice awards. We are very proud since it also rewards the quality of our brand selection and reinforces us into supporting those brands.
Within the coming days, we will introduce to you each awarded product.
The sweet and affordable ProLogue One features a 12AX7, 12AU7, and a pair of EL-34s per channel in a very simple circuit.
In classic EL-34 style, the ProLogue throws a very wide and deep soundstage, and has a wonderful midrange. Jeff Dorgay, 151
PrimaLuna ProLogue Three
The vacuum-tube-powered ProLogue 3 preamp makes an ideal companion to PrimaLuna’s ProLogue 5 tube power amp.
Like the power amp, the preamp combines tube warmth and richness with a clear, crisp, precise presentation reminiscent of the best solid-state designs. Bass, too is taut and clear. SR, 156
PrimaLuna ProLogue 5
The 36Wpc vacuum-tube- powered ProLogue 5 is more authorative than its rating would lead you to expect, and offers a warm, rich presentation, yet really does not sound “tubey” in any traditional sense, producing clean, deep, tight bass and grand soundstaging. A synergistic match with the companion ProLogue 3 preamp. SR, 156
These beautifully built, affordable, and “hassle-free” 70Wpc monoblocks will alter your preconceptions about tube gear. Indeed their transcient quickness and ability to drive difficult loads may fool into thinking you’re listening to a very good hybrid. Yet they still have that wonderful tube magic. JH, 169
An amazing value! Unique tube-based clock. At its best, with the board upgrade, the Eight closes in on even the most expensive competition. It’s blessed with plenty of boogie factor, superb clarity, sensuous mids, and lovely harmonic bloom. Its portrayal of the soundstage is wonderfully transparent.
Out of the box, upper octaves are a bit grainy and bright. Tube dampers significantly help , as do vintage preamp tubes. DO, 183
Sonically, the 35Wpc ProLogue Premium does not have the rosy colorations of traditional triode or SET tube varietals. True, there is a glimmer of romance and softness, but tonally it’s a thoroughly contemporary tube amp that walks a mostly neutral line yet still seasons the lowest level details of music with delicacy and resolution. NG, 212
PrimaLuna DiaLogue 2
The first product in PrimaLuna’s higher performance line of tube units is a real honey, surpassing the ProLogue Two across the board. Rated at only 38 watts in Ultralinear mode, its sounds much more powerful due to its outstanding transformers, but requires speakers that are at least moderately efficient. JH, 195
PrimaLuna DiaLogue Seven
The 70W (40W in triode mode) PrimaLuna DiaLogue seven monoblock employs a unique output stage -two discrete amplifier channels are paralleled at the loudspeaker terminals. This technique preserves the purity of a low-powered design while imbuing the amplifier with higher current capability. “No tube amplifier I’ve auditioned comes close to its performance for anywhere near its modest price,” said Jim Hannon. JH, 199