I was thinking of maybe picking up a PV10 or Primaluna Prologue to pair with my vintage tube amps, Tonepub suggested I look at the PV12. (Conrad-Johnson CAV-50 to Bel Canto SETi40) I must admit, the SET is miles ahead in air and overall openess, yet I did enjoy the strengths of a l. Should I try new power tubes first for the best effect. I'm probably never going to use the pre out on the CAV50, which is why I stuck a crappy 12AU7 tube in it. My Conrad Johnson integrated amp (CAV-50) has the following tubes I 12AU7, 2 12AX7, 2 6SN7, 4 E元4. Not only that, it seems like too much of a hassell having to put a dummy load on the CAV50 just to use its preamp function, the only time I would use its preamp out is if I were using another amp for a subwoofer or bi amping as Billy suggested doing. Not much different than what I do with my Squeezebox plugged into my Dynaco tube amps and using the Squeezebox volume control. So to me that seems like listening to the CAV50 through its own speakers is equivalent to just using a MV55 poweramp with a gain pot. My CAV50 integrated uses only one 12AU7 in the preamp out, but it supposedly is not in the circuit when using the CAV50's own amplification through its own speakers. Looking at the Conrad Johnson website, there were 3 variants of the PV10.the final being the PV10AL which used two 12AU7 tubes. How accurate that assessment is, I'm not sure. C-J calls it, somewhat portentously, a "vacuum-tube control amplifier." CONRAD-JOHNSON CAV45 INTEGRATED AMP CAGE.
Now enters the long-awaited CAV50-to all intents and purposes, the PV10/MV55 combination in a single chassis and competitively priced at $2495. Mint Condition Conrad Johnson CAV 45-S2 Integrated Amplifier. Bill I think it was Stereophile that published about the CAV50 being a PV10/MV55 combo in an article here.