Sophia Electric EL34-ST Tubes in Primaluna Evo 200 Integrated Amplifier
Sophia Electric EL34-ST: The Anti-Nos Tube.
It’s been over a month since I installed the Sophia Electric EL34-ST tubes in my Primaluna Evo 200. After more than 60 hours of use, I can confidently say that these tubes are spectacular.
At first, I hesitated about spending this amount on newly produced tubes, especially when the price was comparable to an excellent NOS tube like a vintage Mullard or Philips.
Sue from customer service kindly advised me to wait until I had at least 100 hours on the tubes for a fair evaluation. She warned me that the initial sound might be off and encouraged me not to worry, but rather to allow the tubes to fully break in.
Trusting her advice was the right decision. Initially the tubes sounded cold and empty in the low range, but after about 60 hours, the tubes had transformed; they now produce a realistic tone with remarkable detail and air around the instruments, and a huge soundstage. The Primaluna Evo 200 has reached an extraordinary level of performance, even with the standard preamp tubes. When I added some NOS RFT tubes, the improvement was astonishing. Given the amplifier’s cost plus the tubes, we’re just over $3,000, with performance that feels at least three times higher.
I purchased the Grade A version of this tube to ensure the highest manufacturing quality. Jeff Day’s positive feedback advice was spot on. This has been one of the most significant improvements I’ve ever experienced in my setup.
In terms of both performance and value, it’s absolutely worth investing in Sophia Electric’s new production. Unlike NOS tubes, these come with a 365-day warranty, and the performance they offer is difficult to surpass.
Thank you so much!
Best Regards,
Giuseppe Veneruso from Italy
www.audiophily.com