Some Basics:

Amplifier output tubes need to be biased to a desired idle current, much like adjusting the idle on your auto's carburetor. Deviations from this operating point generally result in increased distortion and can even shorten tube life. The voltage required to set the tube to this operating point is called "bias voltage.” The resulting current you measure through the tube is called "standing current" or sometimes "bias current."

With so many people having home theater systems, they are used to preamps that have a subwoofer out. In a regular stereo amp that has no surround processing, if you see something marked subwoofer out it typically means it is a preamp out. In essence nothing more than voltage signal coming from the preamp, fed to the woofer's amp that is then amplified.

Increasingly people that were into two channel have bought surround systems and find them wanting for pure music enjoyment. If you want to improve performance and get the groove back consider getting a superb integrated and using it as a power amp too. Most integrated amps will function just fine in this manner.

Many manufacturers will toss around remote controlled volume potentiometers made by names like Alps, Noble, and others as a sales tool. You get a remote control for seemingly nothing, and you go home happy. But there is no free lunch and no miracles.

When picking out an amplifier, there are a couple of things to consider other than the sound, which is, of course, a given. Equally important are the amp's reliability and the power it produces – can it drive your speakers? Seasoned tube aficionados already know that fifteen solid watts from a well-designed tube amp is quite a bit of power.

The design team at PrimaLuna faced a formidable challenge: How to match (or exceed) the sonic signature of its integrated and stereo amps, in a set of monoblock amplifiers with twice the power. This was no small feat because the stereo amps possessed a natural and highly engaging midrange, outstanding soundstage, extended and articulate bass and highs, and a musicality reminiscent of live performances. As many designers can attest, it’s quite easy to take a step backwards rather than forwards when creating a more powerful amplifier.

This is where the magic happens... the SuperTubeClock™ replaces the solid state oscillator normally found in a CD player's digital clocking device with a mini triode vacuum tube. By using a tube, we have significantly lowered the amount of jitter and noise, resulting in superior detail retreival. This in turn yields superior detail and dynamics from top to bottom, and improved overrall musicality.