Saturday Session: PrimaLuna, Quad and Rega — 1st August
"Do you actually prefer valves, or is it just the look?" It is a fair question, and one that deserves a straight answer rather than a defensive one. This Saturday, we are putting together a system that makes the case in the most direct way possible — by letting you sit down and listen to it.
PrimaLuna EVO 200 Preamplifier and Power Amplifier
The amplification this week is the PrimaLuna EVO 200 preamplifier and EVO 200 power amplifier. This is a fully valve system from input to output — worth stating plainly because it is not always the case at this price point. Some competitors at similar money use a valve stage in the preamp and solid-state output elsewhere, which is a reasonable engineering compromise but a different proposition. The EVO 200 pairing gives you the full picture: output transformers, output valves, the works. What that means in practice depends on the music, the room, and to some extent the listener — which is exactly why hearing it matters more than reading about it.
Quad 2812x ESL Electrostatic Speakers
The speakers are the Quad QII-Classic — and this week we are running the 2812x ESL electrostatics. Electrostatic transducers work on fundamentally different principles to conventional cone drivers — the diaphragm is a large, tensioned membrane driven across its entire surface rather than pushed from a fixed point at the centre. The result is extremely low moving mass, which has obvious implications for speed and resolution of fine detail. Quad have been making electrostatic speakers since the 1950s, and the 2812x represents the current expression of that long lineage. They are not for every room — they want space behind them, and they are happier further from the rear wall than a typical box speaker — but in the right conditions they do things that are genuinely difficult to replicate any other way. Pairing them with a full valve amplifier is a combination with real history behind it, and one that remains entirely logical.
Rega Planar 6 RS Turntable
The source is the Rega Planar 6 RS turntable. The RS designation marks the factory-fitted Rega Ania MC cartridge, which removes a common point of uncertainty for buyers — you are not guessing whether a separately chosen cartridge suits the arm and platter. The Planar 6 platform itself uses a hand-assembled RB330 tonearm and a precision-machined bearing, with the platter and sub-platter combination that Rega have refined over decades of making nothing but turntables. It is a serious analogue source at a price that does not require justification.
Entreq Prima Hex Cabling
Cabling throughout is Entreq — Prima Hex speaker cable and phono leads. Entreq's approach to cable design is methodical rather than exotic, and the Prima Hex has become a practical recommendation for systems in this range.
Join Us This Saturday
This is a genuinely interesting combination to hear as a complete system. If you want to join us on Saturday 1st August, or if you would like to discuss any of the components before you come in, speak to Dave, Chris and Tim — they will be on hand throughout the session and happy to talk through any of it beforehand.
Contact us at info@martinshifi.co.uk, call 01603 627010, or WhatsApp on 07554 687137. You can read more about how we work on our Why Martins Hi-Fi page. We are at 85–91 Ber Street, Norwich, NR1 3EY.
