UPDATE: The price is no longer $1,999 and there is now a new US distributor. This is still a very good piece even with the price bump, but the value proposition isn't as sweet as it was when this review went live. I still encourage an audition if possible.
you should try it with nos tubes they are much better than modern russian tubes. vintage mullards rca brimars or ge's are amazing ide start with mullards for smoothness ,brimars or rca's for warmth or ge's for clarity
I can say with confidence that you haven't heard what this amp can do until you swap the tube, it's a major difference. I've been trying to match my Totem Hawks with an amp for over a year with no luck and Sean advised me to give the Primo a try. I didn't love it until I changed the tube, now its a match made in heaven. For tubes, I tried a Mullard and a Golden Lion (both 12AT7), preferred the Golden Lion. Intrigued to try others but I'm happy for now.
Hey Dawid. Yeah, the price of these integrateds on the used market is awesome. I could even see people preferring the OG Unico, as the treble is more tame and the overall sound is slightly more romantic than what you get outta the Primo. I'm not sure if you still have it, but if ya do, enjoy!
@@ZeroFidelity Hey! Thanks for the reply. Yeah I still have it and really enjoy it. I prefer a more relaxed treble presentation, so it does work brilliantly for me. Great video by the way. 👍
Thanks for the video review and Shoutout Sean 😃 Glad the Golden Lion 12at7 helped smooth the sound out and gave the integrated better performace overall .
@@ZeroFidelity Thats great Sean , I had a feeling the lower gain and quality of the tube would make a difference , I have already spent a grand buying tube/valves I been rolling tubes like crazy both Power/Pre tubes , And one thing i have heard for the 'MOST' part is that one tube doesn't sound better than the other tube, its the Synergy pairing with Speaker/Front end. Example My Elac ub52s sound best with the Golden lions Imho. While my 🔺 40th Comete sound best with my Psvane classic tubes 😆 (quality does matter also) Hope that made since. But me loving the Doge 😆 Thanks again Sean for the shoutout think i done gained like 40 subscriber's 😃
Thanks @Zero Fidelity for the hint. @@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120 I loved a couple of videos I have watched from your channel. I'll stay tuned. Keep it up.
Zero I got some more pretubes on order may take about 2 weeks but would like you to try out the Psvane classic 12at7 actually 'seems' to have lower gain than the Golden lions 12at7 and much smoother but the lions have very good clarity ! Sean i am having so much fun tube rolling ! Can't wait to review the Doge but i was asked to wait until Sept 😥
I just bought a Parasound A23+ and a P6 preamp. I'm thrilled with the sound but had I seen or even known about this Unico Primo, I would have bought it for its simplicity alone.
No man you did the right thing buying Parasound products John Curl the designer did the right thing just because this thing is from Italy doesn't mean is exceptional I own Technics class AA amplifier with my C 19 Carver vacuum tube preamp and I love the sound
@@OscarSanchez-tk3hx No one here is saying that it is good because it is from Italia. But obiouvsly it is pretty good and more obiouvsly it comes from Italia.
This Unico paired with a Mojo Dac goes to another level completely. This is my main rig for music listening and don't see any reason for upgrading for the value you get. I have the original version not the Primo. Rated at 85 Watts at 8 Ohm I can tell you I feel like I'm getting at least double that power. Only using about 30% when listening and it's plenty. It has the headroom for much more.
Exactly, I fully agree, I have the same well matched couple near 1.5 years. But now I replaced Mojo with Mojo 2! And now it is even better - imaging, instrument separation, depth, bass control. It is pretty fresh setup (2 weeks) but the differences are very obvious. And also I'm not going for anything else :)
@@tunio14ify Very nice and glad to hear that. What kind of speakers are you utilizing? I currently have Sonus Faber Venere 2.5 that I enjoy. They do well with a variety of music but shine with Classical , Jazz, some soft rock. Hard rock not so much.
Cheers! Glad you mentioned Monitor Audio being a little tilted up in treble! Having enquired into Monitor Audio Silver 500's from a local dealer, he is totally anti Klipsch saying they are too bright, but to me: Monitor Audio is brighter than Klipsch. Go figure.
I am really happy with this amp. It really outshines a Vincent SV237 ($3k) Replacing the stock tube with a NOS RCA black plate 12AX7 ($100) did wonders, and also an excellent replacement tube is the PS Vane 12AX7 ($55)
@@wilsentwins The Vincent may be designed in Germany but as I recall made in China and the build quality of the Primo appears to be superior. The Primo is a powerful amp for it''s size. I have a 15x17 room and it drives my Dynaudio Special 40s and JBL 1600 HDI speakers to mid 80s db level at 3 to 4 out of 10 increments on the volume knob. The sound is round, nuanced, full, and tonally pleasing with lots of detail and "space". In comparison, the Vincent which I had for 30 days even after breaking, never matched the Primo for nuance, air and sound stage detail and scale. It was one of those products that just kind of presented the music with detail and good balance but it didn't "breathe" like the Primo. It sounded more solid-state while the Primo definitely gives you more tube flavor. With the Primo, changing the single tube has a marked impact on the sound. I have tested about eight different tubes in mine and it revealed each tubes character. (NOS RCA, PSVANE and Gold Lion Genelex being best in my opinion) Changing the tube in the Vincent seemed to yield little change. Vincent puts the tube up front in a little glass viewing space with a reflector behind it and a colored light. This arrangement make it difficult to get your fingers in there and change the tube. Seems like an audiophile version of a blue light on your back porch to attract flies. I also have a Schiit Freya+ and an Aegir amp. With a good cable these will run you $2000. Add a second Aegir and you are at $2800 all in with dual mono amps. This setup would be far superior to the Vincent for the same cost. In comparison, The Schiit setup is be a bit better than the Primo but they are very close and I listen to both. The Schiit setup also is three pieces and takes up more real estate. I never feel at all slighted listening to the Primo in comparison. I use a Bluesound streamer into a Schiit Gungnir DAC or an Audio Lab CRT transport for CDs.
@@fletchermunson6225 thanks for sharing all the details bro, appreciate it. I also keep an eye on schiit, i thought schiit was worse than vincent. in my country it is not easy to ab testing hifi.
@@wilsentwins This is just an opinion. I'd give a listen to the Vincent. It does offer lots of features and if you like it, well, who is to say what you will be satisfied with.
Your review is just spot on. I had that. It is a good integrated. Good build. Good sound. Don’t stick finger into the plastic cover of the IR control. It will detach. 🤣😂
The original Unico I had happened to match extremely well with the various speakers I had at the time: NHT 2.5i, Neat Mystique II, StudioLab Reference 1, NHT 1.3. It brought all of those speakers to new levels of performance in a big way. It, of course, didn't have the grunt and balls-to the-wall output that its predecessor, the Bryston 4bst, had. HOWEVER, to my ear, it was much more refined than the Bryston, and still played without strain and far louder than my normal listening levels. In that room, with any of those pairs of speakers, it was sonic bliss. I'd love to own another original.
Had the original Unico (with 2 tubes) for 6 or 7 years. Lovely amp! Upgraded to UR Unico 150 and it’s a beast of an amp. Will keep the original Unico for the second setup.
I owned that one, too... the original with the solid block wood remote with only volume up and down. I wish I hadn't sold that amp... It was gorgeous, and sounded beautiful.
Another great Zero Fidelity review.This is another amplifier I added to my Bucket List. And how do I get one of the big pimpin TEE JAY Stereo Bargainphile shirt ?
Simple designs usually means high quality sound to my ears. It brings to mind most of the Audible Illusions pre amps especially the Modulus line. Beautiful sound, simple design. The difference is that it is a tube preamp line.
Dear Zero Fidelity, once I've heard the top of the line Unico 150 and it' really impress me for realism of reproduction, every instrument seems "real" and the voices had a beautiful organic texture. In the same session I've heard also the Luxman 507ux ii and the MF Nu Vista 600, the first very analitical but also musical, the second extremely smooth and round but both lacks something in terms of realism compared to the 150. Speakers was the Opera V SE from the same Unison Factory I think. It will be great if you could make a review on the 150, and maybe compare it to your favorite gear that stands behind you! :) Congrats for your chanel and reviews
Good to see this model is still being produced. Integrated amp without a DAC? Cool! I remember it being compared to my Musical Fidelity X-150v3 back in the naughties (04?). I had to dig the Mu-Fi out again when my Magnepan LRS arrived. It drives the 4ohm load well, thankfully. LRS need a high current amp: My 40w valve amp choked on the load! Sean:- Did you find a spec for 4ohm output from the Unico?
This review was well done in my opinion. I love your review style and point of view. I’d love to hear that integrated for myself. Keep up the great work!
I have the Unison Primo SE model - 140 wpc @ 8 ohms matched with totem sttaf speakers. A very enjoyable match. Also checked the retail outlet Osage Audio Products, LLC and they feature the Primo at the same price-point.
Upon your glowing recommendation, I got this last week, and I love it! Your description is dead on. I also paired it with my Denafrips Ares II DAC and it's a match made in heaven. The imaging and layering are truly remarkable.
@@JPWinters KLH Concords which are like 94dB efficient, so the amp hits dynamic peaks over 100dB no problem. I normally listen at like 70-85dB average.I wouldn't know for 90dB average as it would hurt my ears too much.
Damn those Italians and their gorgeous workmanship. The Yamaha as1200 and kinky studios ex-m1 are totally different in terms of sound, but worthy competitors as well. So many good choices in the Under $3k price point
Interesting. I had the original Unico (before Primo) with dual tubes in the preamp and absolutely loved it. I decided to switch to the Primo because it had a sub output and really regretted it. I really struggled with the harmonics in the high frequencies. Made all my music sound digital (even after rolling the tube). Especially evident on my Totem Rainmakers.
Thanks for sharing! I confess to purposefully omitting a fact from this review: I owned the original Unico. :D. I decided to say nothing as I know tons of people would expect me to recall an experience I had with a product from over 10 years ago as though it were yesterday. That said, what I do recall matches your experience. The original had a softer top-end and more of a romantic sound. It was extremely pleasant to the ears! Most of the time anyway. The problem was that the original homogenized the sound and wouldn't be happy with certain genres of music, like say, rock or electronic. The Primo seems more resolute and happy to play any form of music, with the tradeoff being that boost to the HF. I could see it not playing well with those Rainmakers or most speakers with metal domes.
@@ZeroFidelity Still have the original with two tubes. Was warmer, more organic, soulful and funky. As far as volume and Rock? I dare you to listen to the Allman's "At Fillmore East" through that amp. The Kevin gray rendition will knock you down with tone and color! And that's through a speaker rated at 86 sensitivity. Sound did remain warm at volume and sounded robust. Still running original military grade Phillips tubes!
Just caught Randy's review and saw you had reviewed this a while back. Seems like it would be a.good match with my Wharfedale Lintons. Thanks for the review.
Hey Sean - great review and I appreciate the work your doing. I was wondering if you thought the Unico Primo with the tube roll would work well with my Klipsch RP8000F?
I have had one since 2004, a delight. My very best hifi buy. My NHS hearing aides, had me in rapture, so much fades away, over time, that it becomes the norm. Its return shakes one.
I think it's beautiful. I love the looks of it. I just wished it had more power. I'm really looking to move up in the power department. It's ironic that you also show the M6si, as that has been my main choice, UNTIL, they started making the M6 500si again, which is what I really want. Great video. Thanks
Thanks, Sean, for your description and encouragement of tube rolling. And with only one 12AX7 needed, it is especially easy to do. Preamp tubes like the 12 series definitely have an impact on sound due to their harmonic distortion signature, mostly 2nd order with some 3rd order, and little, of any,
I've got some killer 5751's that I'd love to hear in this unit. Paired with my Goldenear BRX I can imagine what the sonics overall would be like. Both are holo/spacial specialists, hang on baby.
@@stevensullivan5287 I have a GE 5751 in mine and it works wonders. The secret with this amp is to change the stock tube as soon as you can. It became such a better amp after the tube swap.
@@stevensullivan5287 tried a Gold Lion B759 yesterday. Wow, this is even better than the 5751. A little darker, more spacious presentation and deeper bass!
The assertion of the high end could be due to tube compression. The beautiful thing about tube’s non-linear response which is octave distortion. But frequency response effect occurs because larger amplitude sounds get more reduction, so highs are relatively louder. Do the compression at lower power, in the pre-amp, allows it to be done more precisely quadratic.
I was thinking how it would be great with my Denton 80th Anniversary, which is even more rolled off then those Lintons, or the Denton 85th Anniversary editions. But yea, it would be great with anything from that line, and probably the Diamond line too. Which I also love. Wharfedale speakers definitely don't get enough love IMHO. ✌️
There is a substantial market in the USA for a) tube or tubey sound.b) lively presentation c) subwoofer output to compensate down low (and offload quite a lot of power handling to the powered sub, giving the amp more breathing room). Power? 80wpc is still enough, but not for a "party amp". How does it handle current capability and crazy speakers that go down to 2 Ohms (sometimes even less)? How is customer support? When you plonk 2000 down you have to bear this in mind.
Hello Sean, first time commenting on your review and I love it. I have a UR unico nuovo, an older model but the inside is pretty much the same layout. I noticed that you said you didn’t have the phono stage but if I’m correct, if you had the top of, directly behind the tube is a small print plate vertically mounted. In my layout that is where my phonostage is connected. So isn’t that the phono stage in your amp as well? Great review! I love my amp and if possible will se if I can update to the bigger brother. Thanks for all the details and the work in your video’s. Love it. Peace…
One more great review Sean !!! Hello from Greece :) You mention that the amp has elevated treble. My question is this: You always use a standard (external) DAC to review a unit ? Because if indeed true, this means we do not know exactly how fi the Primo performs since is effected by the sound of the dac. If not, you test with an analog source? And you also compare the Primo with the m6si. Which dac is used with the Primo? Just curious :) Cheers !
Good review, but not at all a revelation as Unicos have been rated highly by reviewers and users for years. If you need more grunt and db's then get the Unico Secondo. I have used one for 11years and absolutely love it. Tests at over 110w into 8 and 180w into 4 ohms. Has driven ATC, Kef Ref one-two and currently Canton A45 without breaking a sweat. Beautifully built with dynamic, balanced, detailed SQ. Cheers.
@@jamescox4823 Honestly James. Having owned AVA products before, and not being very impressed at all. I seriously doubt that's anywhere near the SQ of this amp. I mean we're talking an actual tube preamp, with actual gain. Versus just adding more gain to an amp, and calling it a passive preamp. I'll take the two separate gain stages myself. All day, every day, and twice on Tuesdays. Thank you very much. Besides, it's a completely different sound signature anyway. Not to mention it's not made in Italy by a company that also makes $50,000 integrated tube amps. Sorry, but it's just on a lower rung. And while sure, many people will like it. How many will honestly like it better then the Unico? Besides Frank Van Alstine I mean. 🤣🤣🤣
@@amb3cog You are wrong, you need to listen to this amp. I have many amps including pure tube ultra valves and this one is categorically better. Do a little research, read all the reviews on this. My guess is you think B&W speakers sound good?
@@amb3cog So I call BS on your OPINION and the name calling starts! So now that we have established you are an opiniated snob we also know your political affiliation. Again I have several tube components and this amp is really good, esp paired with my Dennifrips DAC.
Great review, thanks. I have Unico Primo with Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G and I have a great sound for my taste. Now i’m serching that tube, but from technical specification from factory the original tube is ECC83 (12AX7) and not ECC81 (12AT7), how did you manage to use that valve?
Hey Sean great review. I have been considering the Primo lately and am wondering if you have heard the Billie Mk2 and if so, how would you compare it to the Primo?
I have found your comparison with the M6si the most intriguing part of the video. Considering there are some similarities in their respective sound signatures with the higher registers being slightly elevated, would the speaker matching recommendation for M6si be similar as well: e.g. Buchardt Audio S400, Dynaudio Evoke Series, Harbeth, etc? Thanks and keep up the good work 👍
I had 3 integrated amps: Naim Supernait 3, M6si & Unico Primo (with the stock tube replaced by a GE 5751). Tried all 3 with my Harbeth M30.1. I sold the M6si as I found it had too much grit in the trebble and the soundstage was too forward. The Supernait 3 is now paired with my Martin Logan Montis in another system while the Primo is happy driving the Harbeths. This is one of the most underestimated integrated amps out there... if you replace the stock tube...
@@enjoyunreality That is a tough question. I think if you factor in price: yes. In absolute terms where price is not factored in, I think the Naim is more revealing and has more drive, especially with harder to drive speakers like my Martin Logan Montis. I now have a Gold Lion tube in the Primo and I think it makes sweeter with small jazz ensembles or vocal music. At more than 2X the price, you have to realy dedicated to go for the Naim instead of the Primo...
Definitely need audition after seeing this, Bravo indeed! How would you rate if this is to pair with KLH model 5? Would it be too much of liveliness as compare to your favorite pairing using Yamaha AS1200?
I had the Unico SE with Triangle Celius ES since the early 2000's. A bit of a mishap forced me to swap my Unico SE with its big brother the Unico Secondo a couple of years ago. And when Sean made the comparison between Triangle's Australe EZ with the Forte III's, I decided to pull the trigger on the Australe since no one around here carries Klipsch's Heritage speakers. Couldn't be happier. Now I'm thinking that maybe I should look into tube rolling. It's a toss-up between the Golden Lions & Telefunken Black Diamond, both around $125 / matched pair.
I had a Unison Research something, maybe even a Unico something... about 15 years ago and very good it was too. I seem to remember it being close to your description. That was back in the day when you could such things cheaply on eBay.
@@ZeroFidelity YIKES!!! You said "part of your journey"!!! Just when I thought you had avoided the language conformity pandemic amongst hifi reviewers. "Holographic", "your journey"...
Interesting review! How would this compare with, say, Marantz Model 30? I know there's no tone controls but I wonder how the phono stage compares for example? (Looking to upgrade from a Yamaha AS-801 here)
I picked up the original version (power switch in back) and love it. A pair of the latest Elac Uni-Fi Reference bookshelves should be here in a few days . . thinking this should be a great match. I’m currently running it with a Mullard but intrigued about trying it with the Gold Lion. I know it’s only $40 but any thoughts if this particular switch would be worth the hassle to try?
Hi Sean. I like your videos and the way you providing information. But it feels like you rushing somewhere constantly - it is just not natural pace for you. It came up with recent videos and when I'm looking back - I see more cozy and engaging talk. I do think that you are receiving lots of comments and people tend to pickup information really quick these days but my preference staying with your old approach. Come on, we talking about music - do we need to speed track on x1.25 to listen it quicker? I hope pointed my thoughts here. It keeps coming to me with each new video from you and couldn't keep it to myself anymore 😂 Please continue to create videos as you want, I will be subscriber regardless. Thank you.
Here are two major reasons why hi fi sound cannot reproduce the tonality of concert hall sound. BTW, I'm not an audiophile, I'm an engineer, scientist, and music lover. 1. As sound dies out in a concert hall due to reflections the treble dies out faster. Typically a concert hall for a symphony orchestra as an RT, that is reverberation time, the time it takes for sound to fall by 60 db which is a factor of 1,000,000 1.8 to 2.0 seconds at 1 khz. By 8 khz it's half that. So the first sound you hear has the sharpest attack, the most transients, the greatest clarity. As the sound dies out it becomes mellower, warmer. So the tonality is inextricably linked to the reverberation. Because recordings to be played through loudspeakers must be miked closely they capture mostly the direct sound and mostly early reflections. What reflections they do capture is not in proportion to what you would hear live. 2. What you hear from a recording is ideally "overall flat frequency response" but that goes all the way back through the recording microphones. Every element in the recording and playback system can alter the overall frequency response. Therefore with no way to adjust the system frequency response for each recording's own unique spectral balance the one size fits all paradigm of contemporary high end high fidelity sound reproduction systems is flawed in this way. There's a lot more to high fidelity sound reproduction than this. My approach is studying sound fields using physics and mathematical modeling and engineering sound fields from memory of how they might sound live. It is a very complicated problem that no hi fi manufacturer addresses. In fact it takes an entire system approach to address it.
Great review Sean! So tempted to pick this up. It sounds to me like this is the best deal out there right now, if the sound signature, and power level fits you, and your setup. Assuming SQ is your goal anyway. And let's face it. 80 watts isn't exactly low powered IMO. More like medium power. My 60 watt power channel Akitika GT-102 can get louder then I need, as can my Marantz 2275 at 75 watts per. Heck even the Marantz pm6006 (40 watts per) I bought for my girlfriend gets crazy loud on all my speakers. Some of which are only 86db too. So while yes you're not powering a pair of Cerwin Vega's at party levels. In most rooms. 80 watts is quite a lot actually. And many times, in small rooms like mine, those extra watts. And that extra bass boost some amps have, like the MF M6si, can actually become a problem. Especially is you have floorstanders, or speakers that are on the edge of working well in your room already. I guess what I'm saying is that high powered, low powered, and medium powered amps all have their advantages. As well as their weaknesses. And I would hate to see someone not consider this, just because they're under the mistaken belief that it won't have enough power. So to those people, I say. Try it out, and see. Because I doubt you're doing better then this for the money. It clearly beats out many $3k amps out there in SQ, just not power, and features. Something many people won't even use anyway. And besides, you've got the ability to tune it to your liking via tube rolling anyway. And there's accessories out there to add features.
I don't doubt a 40watts amp can sound loud but... a 100 watts, 150 watts, 200 watts amp will keep its composure at high levels, as in all the frequencies are carried together with the same balance
@@claudionesdebologna2533 It's not that simple at all. It depends on the speakers, and the amps. And the room, and the max volume you listen at. There's plenty of 200 watt amps that can't drive a pair of Magnepan LRS speakers, but a 70 watt Hegel, or a 60 watt Naim will drive them all day. That's why I said to give it a try. And besides it's not a 40 watt amp. It's an 80 watt per channel @ 8ohms amp. And it will power most speakers to reasonable listening volumes in most rooms. But no it's not going to play at 100db happily, unless you have very efficient speakers. I own about 20 pairs of speakers, and this amp will drive them all in my room just fine. Same as that 40 watt Marantz did. Watts is probably the most misleading spec out there. Every single new audiophile spends way too much time concentrating on watts, and many other basically meaningless specs. Watts does not tell you the amount of current the amp has, and that's what really matters in most cases. You, and everyone else out there should do themselves a huge favor, and stop looking at specs. And start concentrating on the equipments abilities in the real world, and on who designed it. Some of the best amps you'll ever hear are low wattage.
Enjoyed the review. I have the unico due with two 12ax7 input tubes. Do you think it would be safe trying two 12at7 tubes? I have a pair of Siemens NOS 12at7 tubes on hand…
Hi Sean!, Excellent review BTW. How would you say the Unico Primo compares to the Yamaha A-S2200 in high-frequencies performance and in overall sound. I am looking to buy an integrated amplifier and want something for upbeat tempo music such as rock/jazz fusion. I don't like smooth rolled-off highs.
Hey Sean. Nice review man, as usual! Looking to replace my Musical Paradise MP-301 MKIII Integrated, although it still sounds great, but since my speakers are Quad ESL 57's, I think I should be looking for a little more power. Would the Unico be suitable? If not, what would be your recommendation?
Sean, there seems to have been a power supply upgrade on this model. The previous one has this curved heat sink around the transformer unlike the rectangular one in your sample. It also does not have that protective casing with Unison branding around the transformer. Some online stores talk about this and mention, how Unison improved the dynamics, bass performance with the upgrade which also included the caps. Do you have a view on this. I am seeing some 2nd hand options coming into the used market with the older PS. They pair with the RC2 remote. So I am assuming they are not the previous generation model pre 2011.
I bought a Unico Secondo used with an installed pair of RFT tubes...and I'm very happy with the sound... lush and satisfying os what I describe it.. Wondering how much different if I change it to a pair of Gold Lions.
Hi mate greetings from Australia. Im going through the process of building up my 2 channel system, My first purchase was a Avid Sequel SP turntable with a SME Series 4 tonearm and 2M Bronze cart, phono stage is Simaudio MOON 110LP V2. Have just bought The Unico Primo which will replace a Sansui G-7700 powering a pair of AR94's which have been recently refurbished. I'm thinking of replacing the AR's with a pair of KLH Model 5's. In your opinion will these speakers add an improvement and will they pair well with my system. Cheers Enrico.
I'm still using the original Unico. Similar to this, but 2 ECC82 tubes. I rarely crank the volume, but the sound does change when I do. Some people say it gets 'airy', I think thin.
The Italians really know how to make beautiful objects. There I go, I've objectified an amplifier. I'm sure I've crossed a line somewhere. I have to wonder how well it would mate with Sonus Faber. Their Maxima Amator looks like a nice match for a small tower..
This is a great video. Very interesting hybrid amp. does anyone know how does this Unico Primo compare to the Heaven11 [Billy] hybrid amp in terms of sound stage ?
My Cambridge CXA81 is my first and only experience with a decent A/B amp..and previously I only used class D amps driving active speakers, like my Sonos era 300s/Arc or Adam A7X monitors. I’m curious about your point about the Primo not handling high dynamic range tracks well like a class D .. Is this typical of all A/B amps? Been listening to tracks with huge range on my CXA81+ Kef Q350s and it seems to handle dynamics as well as my class D gear (Cat Stephens: Tea for the Tillerman in particular has a lot of soft/quiet passages that suddenly shift to loads of energy) Maybe my ear isn’t well trained enough to pick up these differences or nuances yet.
Sean, there seems to have been a power supply upgrade on this model. The previous one has this curved heat sink around the transformer unlike the rectangular one in your sample. It also does not have that protective casing with Unison branding around the transformer. Some online stores talk about this and mention, how Unison improved the dynamics, bass performance with the upgrade which also included the caps. Do you have a view on this. I am seeing some 2nd hand options coming into the used market with the older PS. They pair with the RC2 remote. So I am assuming they are not the previous pre 2011 generation model . Would love to know if this model with curved transformer is not too different sonically compared to the one you reviewed.
