Primare Amps...

[just1more]

Hi all,

I've been looking into building a combo hifi/surround system starting from scratch..

.Been auditioning a few different speakers...So far my wife and I both like the DALI Epicon 6 & are considering the Epicon S2s as rear speakers (as well as the Epicon Center).

The shop I'm dealing with doesn't stock these amps...so I can't listen to them....but it's what they are suggesting I buy...

The integral SPA23 isn't very cheap... but compared to the SP33/a30.7 combo (almost twice the price) it's a steal...

Does anyone have any experience with these setups? Should I go ahead and accept the shop's advice or go out hunting for something better/cheaper? I'm guessing everyone here will be supporting the much more expensive separate units over the integrated? Has anyone actually compared the 2 setups?

I have to say that we've come quite far from our original intent of buying demo B&W 804 D2s for $6'000 and driving them with a top line Marantz for $2'000. I think all totaled we were looking under $20'000 for a 5 speaker set from B&W, the integrated amp, and a 75 inch Sony...this is about double that...it's a hard call but I'm willing to make the investment if I can justify it overall.

Thanks in advance.

Amplification:
 
Amplificateur intégré:
Primare SPA23 à CHF 4'290.- :
    Or
Preamplificateur:
Primare SP33 à CHF 5'190.
+ Amplificateur de puissance Primare a30.7 à CHF 3'190

Lecteur de réseau:
Lecteur réseau
Primare NP30 (compatible TIDAL) à CHF 2'690.- :

 

[Al ears]

Hi all,

I've been looking into building a combo hifi/surround system starting from scratch..

.Been auditioning a few different speakers...So far my wife and I both like the DALI Epicon 6 & are considering the Epicon S2s as rear speakers (as well as the Epicon Center).

The shop I'm dealing with doesn't stock these amps...so I can't listen to them....but it's what they are suggesting I buy...

The integral SPA23 isn't very cheap... but compared to the SP33/a30.7 combo (almost twice the price) it's a steal...

Does anyone have any experience with these setups? Should I go ahead and accept the shop's advice or go out hunting for something better/cheaper? I'm guessing everyone here will be supporting the much more expensive separate units over the integrated? Has anyone actually compared the 2 setups?

I have to say that we've come quite far from our original intent of buying demo B&W 804 D2s for $6'000 and driving them with a top line Marantz for $2'000. I think all totaled we were looking under $20'000 for a 5 speaker set from B&W, the integrated amp, and a 75 inch Sony...this is about double that...it's a hard call but I'm willing to make the investment if I can justify it overall.

Thanks in advance.

Amplification: Amplificateur intégré: Primare SPA23 à CHF 4'290.- : Or Preamplificateur: Primare SP33 à CHF 5'190. + Amplificateur de puissance Primare a30.7 à CHF 3'190

Lecteur de réseau: Lecteur réseau Primare NP30 (compatible TIDAL) à CHF 2'690.- :

For Primare amps of this nature I would tend to look for second hand models of the earlier versions. The are brought out on a regular basis and both build quality and relability are very good indeed.

You mention the SPA23, well there is an SPA22 on the UK eBay website right now going for £1295. There's also quite a few seperates too.

Other manufacturers of similar amps such as Parasound should not be overlooked either.

 

[NSA_watch_my_toilet]

Hello Just1More,

Your adventures are going to be my feuilleton of the endsummer. Looks like you have come around isn't it.

I have no real experience with the primare stuff. From the things I read on different forums, they are appreciated. The only thing that is disturbing me is that they are expensive for a chinese brand. But, in the other way, they look well made.

But I have experience in the Dali epicons. Especially the 6, that I reviewed for a french portal. They are great speakers and much more easy to drive than the D2 B&W's.

Do you read french ?

 

[nopiano]

Hello Just1More,

Your adventures are going to be my feuilleton of the endsummer. Looks like you have come around isn't it.

I have no real experience with the primare stuff. From the things I read on different forums, they are appreciated. The only thing that is disturbing me is that they are expensive for a chinese brand. But, in the other way, they look well made.

But I have experience in the Dali epicons. Especially the 6, that I reviewed for a french portal. They are great speakers and much more easy to drive than the D2 B&W's.

Do you read french ?

I thought Primare was a Swedish brand....

 

[Al ears]

Hello Just1More,

Your adventures are going to be my feuilleton of the endsummer. Looks like you have come around isn't it.

I have no real experience with the primare stuff. From the things I read on different forums, they are appreciated. The only thing that is disturbing me is that they are expensive for a chinese brand. But, in the other way, they look well made.

But I have experience in the Dali epicons. Especially the 6, that I reviewed for a french portal. They are great speakers and much more easy to drive than the D2 B&W's.

Do you read french ?

I thought Primare was a Swedish brand....

They are. Once again NSA seems a little confused.

 

[just1more]

Hello Just1More,

Your adventures are going to be my feuilleton of the endsummer. Looks like you have come around isn't it.

I have no real experience with the primare stuff. From the things I read on different forums, they are appreciated. The only thing that is disturbing me is that they are expensive for a chinese brand. But, in the other way, they look well made.

But I have experience in the Dali epicons. Especially the 6, that I reviewed for a french portal. They are great speakers and much more easy to drive than the D2 B&W's.

Do you read french ?

I thought Primare was a Swedish brand....

They are. Once again NSA seems a little confused.

Indeed...Swedish brand but made in China & Taiwan since 2000...there's a bit of a discussion on it here from 2009.

http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/when-primare-product-manufacture-china

 

[just1more]

Hello Just1More,

Your adventures are going to be my feuilleton of the endsummer. Looks like you have come around isn't it.

I have no real experience with the primare stuff. From the things I read on different forums, they are appreciated. The only thing that is disturbing me is that they are expensive for a chinese brand. But, in the other way, they look well made.

But I have experience in the Dali epicons. Especially the 6, that I reviewed for a french portal. They are great speakers and much more easy to drive than the D2 B&W's.

Do you read french ?

Thank you for your response...although no one will ever mistake me for a Parisian, after 12 years in Switzerland my French is decent enough...I'd hazard a guess that I could handle your review and would appreciate it if you could provide a link.

Would you happen to have any experience with the Epicon 2s? For some reason I like the idea of getting the entire speaker set up from the same series...but $5'000 for Epicon 2s for use as rear speakers seems pretty steep compared to $2'000 for the Dali Rubicon 2s ..

Thank you in advance

 

[Al ears]

Hello Just1More,

Your adventures are going to be my feuilleton of the endsummer. Looks like you have come around isn't it.

I have no real experience with the primare stuff. From the things I read on different forums, they are appreciated. The only thing that is disturbing me is that they are expensive for a chinese brand. But, in the other way, they look well made.

But I have experience in the Dali epicons. Especially the 6, that I reviewed for a french portal. They are great speakers and much more easy to drive than the D2 B&W's.

Do you read french ?

I thought Primare was a Swedish brand....

They are. Once again NSA seems a little confused.

Indeed...Swedish brand but made in China & Taiwan since 2000...there's a bit of a discussion on it here from 2009.

http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/when-primare-product-manufacture-china

It's a matter of diction. NSA called them a Chinese brand which they clearly are not.

Many products are designed in one country but the components are made and assembled in another these days but this does'nt change the nationality of the Brand owners.

 

[Benedict_Arnold]

Hello Just1More,

Your adventures are going to be my feuilleton of the endsummer. Looks like you have come around isn't it.

I have no real experience with the primare stuff. From the things I read on different forums, they are appreciated. The only thing that is disturbing me is that they are expensive for a chinese brand. But, in the other way, they look well made.

But I have experience in the Dali epicons. Especially the 6, that I reviewed for a french portal. They are great speakers and much more easy to drive than the D2 B&W's.

Do you read french ?

I thought Primare was a Swedish brand....

They are. Once again NSA seems a little confused.

Indeed...Swedish brand but made in China & Taiwan since 2000...there's a bit of a discussion on it here from 2009.

http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/when-primare-product-manufacture-china

Well. What ISN'T made in China these days?
Americans don't refer to Walmart as Maomart without good reason.
However, Primares are now off my shopping list.

 

[stevebrock]

Had my Primare boxes for about a month now - lovely kit imo, superb build quality too - if they are made in China then so be it - the manufacturing facilities out there are amongst the best in the world

 

[Al ears]

Had my Primare boxes for about a month now - lovely kit imo, superb build quality too - if they are made in China then so be it - the manufacturing facilities out there are amongst the best in the world

Very true. Always worth remembering that a lot of British exotica was knocked together in little more than a garden shed. ;-)

 

[busb]

Had my A34.2 power amp for nearly 4 years - very reliable. Had my Pre32 for 5 months - the display started flickering after a week. Audiologica arranged collection to send it off to Karma who fixed it (new display) then returned within a week - sorted. Been fine ever since. It's when things go wrong when you find out the worth of companies you deal with.

The build quality is right up there as is the SQ.