Primare PRE35 streaming preamplifier
Primare is a Swedish company that conducts its design work in Sweden and manufactures in China. Their philosophy is based on the very Scandinavian concepts of lagom and hygge. Lagom roughly meaning ‘just the right amount, not too much, not too little, everything in perfect balance, harmony, and proportion – just right’. Hygge, they say, is often translated as ‘cosy’, but according to Primare, hygge means so much more, and may be considered the ‘highest expression of living’.
The company takes great care with engineering their power supplies, choosing the best types for each circuit they supply. Ultra-short signal paths and simplified circuits, requiring fewer, higher-quality parts are designed for higher sound quality. In addition, two and four-layer PCBs enable neat circuit layouts help to keep those signal paths as short as possible, for lowest distortion and purer sonics.
Likewise, they claim, applying surface-mount components minimises metal-to-metal and solder interfaces introduced by larger-scale components and through-hole eyelet PCB construction, while maximising signal flow through solder. It’s all in the quest to simplify, shorten and purify signal paths. Also, instead of using CMOS switching, Primare use the more expensive, but superior method of relay input switching. The analogue circuits are fully balanced from line inputs to outputs, keeping the signal in pure analogue form (while also providing unbalanced input and output options), so there are no digital conversions, or processing, for analogue signals.
However, there’s no phono preamplifier included, apparently, integrating a phono stage into the PRE35 would have compromised performance. A dedicated external phono preamplifier benefits from superior, shielding and a separate, purpose-built optimised power supply, whilst keeping these most sensitive of analogue circuits away from digital circuitry, to minimise noise and maximise performance. In contrast, digital-to-analogue conversion and network playback modules do not present the same challenges, so those options are offered within the preamplifier. Needless to say, Primare have their own matching R35 MM/MC phono preamp.
The PRE35 comes in various forms; the base PRE35 is a purely analogue preamp. The next level includes the DM36 DAC module, and the fully loaded version includes the Prisma SM35 streaming module (which obviously requires the DAC), including WiSA, for high-res wireless loudspeaker connectivity. The Prisma SM35 module may be added to either the analogue or DAC versions. So, the PRE35 is incredibly flexible. Also, the basic PRE35 may be upgraded at any time by adding the DAC and Prisma modules.
The review sample contained the DM36 DAC module, employing the ESS ES9068A chip set, enabling up to PCM 384kHz/32bit and DSD 256 conversion, with upsampling options and MQA decoding. Also included was the SM35 network player module, (which also provides multi-room and multi-zone connectivity), and WiSA. Primare’s own Prisma app provides control from a mobile device through wi-fi, in addition to front panel operation. On top of all this, it has Bluetooth, Airplay 2, Spotify Connect, Chrome cast built-in and is Roon ready. In short, it’s got almost everything, within one solidly-constructed and, I think, quite a handsome unit, due to its Scandinavian design aesthetic.
Sound quality
Right from the start, streaming with the PRE35 DM36 struck me as a very civilised experience. The sound Primare’s designers have achieved is approachable, neutral and nicely balanced, not emphasising any one part of the audio spectrum. Maybe that’s their way of expressing lagom and hygge within the very fabric of their products. The sound is not the most hyper-detailed, as with some streamers, but is big, bold and generous, with everything in balance. This enabled me to enjoy many files, without hanging on to every finely-etched detail.
For instance, streaming Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto (Sviatoslav Richter on piano, with the Warsaw National Philharmonic conducted by Stanislaw Wislocki), this 24 bit/96kHz quality file (with upsampling enabled in the PRE35) streaming from Qobuz, and using the Primare app, was extremely listenable. The ebb and flow within the piece was delightful and Richter’s lyrical yet powerful playing very much in evidence. The strings were not sour-toned as can sometimes be the case, just slightly astringent, as in the recording, and the presentation of the orchestra was natural. The streamer was not extracting the last possible milligram of detail, but instead re-creating a convincing impression of the orchestra, and I quite liked it like that.
Playing Kraftwerk’s Minimum–Maximum live album from Qobuz via the Primare app, provided a huge sound with the cavernous reverb, and audience participation, producing a great sense of atmosphere as the synths and vocoders reverberated on Planet of Visions and Trans Europe Express.
With The Pet Shop Boys’ West End Girls, and Two divided by Zero, there were clear, solid bass lines and punchy vibrant vocals. Most noticeable was that, unlike some DACs or streamers, the Primare did not add any sharpness, or fizziness to the treble, and vocals were not at all lispy or sibilant. In contrast, treble content was nicely controlled – clear but not too hot. It was a pleasing and enjoyable balance, a pattern repeated during my listening sessions, regardless of musical genre.
Changing tack to a Qobuz Legacy file of Dave Brubeck’s Take Five, revealed the clear crisp cymbals and a good sense of back echo from the drum kit. Well presented, but not hyper detailed. I thought I’d try the CD in my Teac VRDS 10 Se played via the Primare’s coax digital input. This provided a greater sense of lively interplay between the cymbals and snares, a touch clearer back echo and a sharper focus on the drum kit and its reverb. As a result, the pace and volume seemed to build more tangibly than with the Qobuz-streamed version, which was maybe not a surprise.
I tried to listen to the same quality of Legacy file on my Lacie SSD drive, but for some reason its contents were not readable. However, Karma AV had left a 32GB Sandisk USB stick in the box, loaded with files used by them for the North West Audio show. In addition to many hi res. and standard definition files: it also contained a CD-quality copy of Take Five. Listening to that was an enlightening comparison, as the USB-based file sounded noticeably better than the streamed version, and much like the CD replay, or better. Replay of a few other files on the Sandisk also gave excellent results. Consequently I have no doubt my Lacie USB files would have sounded better than Qobuz.
So, the PRE35’s internal DAC module is certainly very good indeed, and it was great to also to be able to play the TV through the optical input, which I took advantage of during the BBC Proms. I particularly enjoyed Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, performed by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and conducted by Maxim Emelyanychev, who imparted an electrifying sense of drive and pace to this piece, making it truly exciting, and with a very natural sounding overall presentation – a testament to the BBC engineers and the Primare, of course – although it would no doubt have sounded even better via HDMI.
Much listening was done using Primare’s own app, but I also found I could cast directly from my Qobuz app to the PRE35 via Google home. This provided clarity extremely close to that of the Primare app, but the latter just pipped casting for life and clarity. Most of my listening was done with upsampling set to on – which appeared to be the default position. Trying it without upsampling changed the sonic character, providing a more dynamic, lively and energetic sound, though one which was less tidy and brighter at the highest frequencies.
Benjamin Britten’s Piano Concerto (Mark Lubotski conducting and Sviatoslav Richter at the piano, 44.1kHz/ 16 bit) enjoyed even-handed treatment by the PRE35, exhibiting a natural sound balance with upsampling. Switching this off, so that the DAC ran at the native file rate of 44.1kHz, hardened up the strings, but also seemed to improve the sense of dynamics, clarity and excitement. So, although its outright vivacity may have a certain appeal, I was perfectly happy to leave upsampling on, especially when playing CDs or from USB sticks.
Conclusion
I rather liked the Primare PRE35’s even-handed performance, which was naturally balanced and rarely if ever brittle or harsh, it presented music in a very listenable fashion, especially when set to upsampling. It may not seem the most obviously hyper-analytical of streamers, but it did not throw the spotlight onto, or highlight, any one part of the spectrum. Instead the detail was subtly presented, so that one could simply sit back and enjoy the music. When playing from USB or CD sources, this intrinsic musicality was retained, but with greater clarity, and transparency.
The other great thing about the PRE35 is its versatility. The analogue inputs are pure analogue all the way through to the outputs, and with a relay-operated volume control to keep distortion to a minimum, it’s a great solution for anyone wanting to enjoy analogue sources. The reasonable cost of adding the internal DAC and Prisma modules makes these great value compared to buying an outboard DAC or streamer. The DAC module is excellent and provides the option of using the coax for CD replay, or the optical for less critical sources, such as TVs, although it’s a pity there’s no HDMI input.
An unusual bonus of the Prisma module, and indeed all versions of the PRE35, is the inclusion of high definition WiSA. I have used this in another Primare (SC 15) and found it to be excellent with wireless speakers, and capable of surprisingly good sound quality. Then there’s the solid build quality and neat Scandinavian aesthetic, which altogether makes the PRE35 a very attractive proposition.