Primare A20 MKII

[admin_exported]

So I did what everyone tells you not to do, and pulled a trigger on an amp without auditioning... A Primare A20 MKII suddenly came up on eBay - this is one of my shortlist amps that will fit on the shelf (not too deep), has a subwoofer (pre) out and has seen reviews to suggest it would be a significant upgrade to my current Arcam Alpha 5 to drive my Neutron V's. It's also far cheaper than the Nait XS which is another alternative...

First impressions are... well... a little mixed. It certainly has more guts than the Alpha5 and a much better handle on the bass. My floorboards has (low-level) wiring for a subwoofer, so I was careful to pick an amp with pre-out - however with an amp like this to drive my Neutrons I'm not sure I'd need one. It also reveals a touch more detail in the mid and upper frequencies. On the flipside, despite being rated at 70W and housing an absurdly large toroidal transformer, it feels like the music has lost a little edge compared to the old (40W) Arcam. The snare drum on Foo Fighters "All My Life" has lost some of its bite and furiosity (although I can make out the bass line instead) and "slams" and "booms" generally come across a little subdued. I'm not sure I can describe it any better. On slower music (jazz, vocal) it is superb and beats the Arcam hands down.

I switched the cabling back and forth between the Primare and the Arcam a few times and the difference is clear and consistent.

The source is a DACMagic by the way.

Still trying to decide what to make of it... Keep it? Or sell it back on eBay and go audition Nait XS and/or Rega Mira instead?

Anyone had a similar experience with this amp?

 

[John Duncan]

DACMagic...A20 Mk2...Neutron Vs.

I have a stalker.

 

[Anonymous]

It's the other way around clearly.

Anyway, more to the point... So you have the exact same setup but chosing not to comment? Cheers.

 

[Anonymous]

I've had this amp and it is one amp that DOES NOT get along with every other component out there. When it does, it's fantastic, and when it doesn't it is rubbish, to the extent that it is almost unbelievable!

I have said this in a previous thread. I loved looking at it - that shiny knob and the fantastic build quality, but I almost detested listening to it.

I got rid of mine pretty quickly and went for the Primare CD31/i30 combo which I've had all along until recently.

All is not lost - you can still flog it back on E-bay for a relatively good price.

 

[John Duncan]

storsvante:
It's the other way around clearly.

Anyway, more to the point... So you have the exact same setup but chosing not to comment? Cheers.

No, I went to bed instead. And am now late for work, so will reply when I get there

 

[John Duncan]

Right, here now. I agree that the A20 isn't the slammiest amp around that price, but that's not really what I look for (I prefer mellifluous), and it suits me to a 'T'. I'm surprised that an Alpha 5 beats it in any area though, I'm not terribly fond of that one.

If you want something that combines these qualities, though, you might want to look at adding an a30.2 power amp, converting up to an A30.1 integrated (or even i30), any of which will be cheaper than going to a Nait XS, which I expect would certainly give you everything you're looking for.

 

[Anonymous]

Relax relax, really no need to rush things, ebay will not go away. I like the A10 a lot, same generation (although a different internal design internally according to the previous Dutch representative), and less power. Same knob. What I'd do is optimize the speaker placement and orientation if needed, forget the Arcam, and listen to music, a lot. Sometimes a forward sound becomes rather tiring, and a more neutral sound may seem dull in the beginning (these are about the only reason not to focus to much on A/B comparisons I think). Then decide. Enjoy!

 

[Anonymous]

EvilWolf:
I've had this amp and it is one amp that DOES NOT get along with every other component out there. When it does, it's fantastic, and when it doesn't it is rubbish, to the extent that it is almost unbelievable!

I have said this in a previous thread. I loved looking at it - that shiny knob and the fantastic build quality, but I almost detested listening to it.

I got rid of mine pretty quickly and went for the Primare CD31/i30 combo which I've had all along until recently.

All is not lost - you can still flog it back on E-bay for a relatively good price.

EvilWolf - Apologies for asking a non-related question but what made you get the leema kit over the Primare cd30/i30 combo?

Any areas the Primare was better?

 

[Anonymous]

My brother has been after my Primares/Neat Acoustics for quite a while now, and I've been looking to upgrade, but kept putting it off everytime I look at the Primare kit....they are gorgeous.

The Primares are great, no doubt - it's just that the excitement factor was slowly diminishing for me and I wanted something better. The performance of the Leemas just take it up at least two notches, with the MA PL100, and I was sold.

Had it not been for a willing buyer, willing seller scenario, I would have probably kept the Primares happily for a while longer, and maybe upgrade it in a year or so.

I managed to get these at a good price too, as I had intended to get the Plinius combo initially, but they proved to be too expensive.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi John

Do you know how I can tell if my primare a30.2 is a Mk1 or a Mk2 version? And do you know what the differences between them are?

Cheers

Daren

 

[Anonymous]

EvilWolf:My brother has been after my Primares/Neat Acoustics for quite a while now, and I've been looking to upgrade, but kept putting it off everytime I look at the Primare kit....they are gorgeous.

The Primares are great, no doubt - it's just that the excitement factor was slowly diminishing for me and I wanted something better. The performance of the Leemas just take it up at least two notches, with the MA PL100, and I was sold.

Had it not been for a willing buyer, willing seller scenario, I would have probably kept the Primares happily for a while longer, and maybe upgrade it in a year or so.

I managed to get these at a good price too, as I had intended to get the Plinius combo initially, but they proved to be too expensive.

Hi Wolf, how significant is the sonic improvement of your Leemas over your Primares in terms of soundstage, clarity, transparency, precision, timing, authority and musical realism?