PRIMALUNA PROLOGUE EIGHT

Pre owned. In excellent condition. Free from visible signs of wear. Comes with remote control, manual, and original packaging.

The PrimaLuna ProLogue Eight CD combines the most advanced digital technologies with the best of analog, offering upsampling up to 192 kHz and top-tier Burr-Brown DAC converters. Each channel features an ultra-low distortion DAC buffer and a Dual Mono tube stage, directly inspired by the renowned ProLogue Three preamplifier. The 12AX7 and 12AU7 tubes, paired with a 5AR4 rectifier for each channel, work in harmony with polypropylene coupling capacitors and a triple-filtered power supply with shunt regulation, designed to ensure maximum noise suppression and optimal detail retrieval. True to PrimaLuna tradition, this model introduces a groundbreaking innovation: the first CD player equipped with a dedicated SuperTubeClock, optimized to extract the highest sound quality from discs.

Aesthetically, it evokes the retro charm of Heathkit kits, with a row of glowing tubes and a sturdy transformer mounted atop a simple black chassis. However, a closer look reveals the sophistication of its materials and construction: the chassis is made of heavy steel with a five-layer automotive-grade finish, each layer hand-polished, while the tube bases are ceramic and the output connectors gold-plated. Inside, separate toroidal transformers power each channel, and custom isolation transformers separate the analog and digital sections to further reduce noise. The power supply integrates eleven distinct regulation circuits, and the dual-mono output stage operates without feedback.

On the digital side, the ProLogue Eight uses a Burr-Brown SRC4192 chip for upsampling “Red Book” data to 24-bit/192 kHz and a Burr-Brown PCM1792 DAC at 24-bit for each channel. The control buttons are small and discreet, the only elements that interrupt the solid sense of robustness of the machined aluminum front panel. Unlike early tube CD players, designed to make digital sound warmer and more enveloping, the tubes in the ProLogue Eight are not meant to “soften” the sound but to enhance accuracy and musicality. The internal clock uses a mini triode tube instead of a traditional solid-state oscillator, presumably reducing noise and jitter while highlighting detail, dynamics, and musical expressiveness.

The result is a top-tier CD player capable of combining digital precision with the richness of analog. The designers have skillfully enhanced the system’s strengths and mitigated its weaknesses, delivering a surprisingly refined and engaging listening experience.

Technical Specifications:

• Output Level: 2V ±dB
• Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz ±0.5dB
• Distortion + Noise: <-70dB
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 96dB
• Dynamic Range: 120dB
• Channel Separation: 90dB (1kHz)
• Digital Output: S/PDIF (AES3id)
• Analog Output: 1 pair RCA
• Digital Outputs: 1 RCA; 1 optical
• Tube Complement: 2 x 5AR4; 2 x 12AX7; 2 x 12AU7
• Power Consumption: 50W
• Dimensions: 395mm x 280mm x 190mm (W x D x H)
• Net Weight: 11.5 kg