Primare Pre60 Pre-Amplifier & A60 2 x 250 Watt Power Amplifier

Primare PRE60 Pre-Amplifier

The PRE60 is a supremely sophisticated system control centre that effortlessly brings the ever-expanding world of music to your system in all its richness and variety. Due to Primare’s careful attention to detail, whether the source is analogue or digital, the sound of the PRE60 is unfailingly accurate and convincing: truer to the recording – truer to life.

The goal was simple for the 60 Series – to build the company’s most thoroughly modern and revealing products yet, all while retaining Primare’s inherently musical sound. The 60 Series is a resounding statement and the next step in Primare’s evolution in creating products for which every aspect of design and implementation has been carefully considered and tested.

Entirely designed and hand built in Sweden, the PRE60 preamplifier and A60 amplifier are the culmination of all that Primare has learned in over three decades of producing components of exemplary quality and performance.

The PRE60’s integrated DAC/media board offers virtually every possible option for digital playback of the highest resolution, be it streamed or stored media; even allowing for instantaneous connection of handheld devices. In designing this third-generation media board, Primare has carefully tailored the filtering to reveal every bit of musical information from every digital source.

PRE60 Specifications:

Analogue Inputs 2 pair XLR (L & R) 4 pair RCA (L & R)

Other In/outputs RS232, IR in/out, Trigger in/out, RF.

Includes Media i/o module

Input Impedance 15k Both RCA and XLR

Analogue Record Output 1 pair RCA (L & R)

Pre Output 2 pair RCA (L & R), 1 pair XLR (L & R)

Output Impedance 110 ohms

Frequency Response 20Hz – 100kHz -3dB

THD + N < 0.003%, 20Hz – 100kHz, 0dB gain.

Signal to Noise -115 dBV

Max in /out level 10Vrms

Gain 16dB

Power Consumption Standby: 0.2W; Operate: 23W

Dimensions (wxdxh) 430 x 385 x 105mm

Weight 10.5 kg

Colour Options: Two Tone Black and Titanium

Primare A60 Power Amplifier

The A60 is a reference audiophile, fully balanced 2 x 250W UFPD stereo power amplifier designed to complement all high-end pre-amplifiers but chiefly as a companion to its matching PRE60 pre-amplifier. With the 60 series components, Primare reclaims its presence in the high-end music system market, reprising the iconic designs of previous decades with ravishing new separates, complete with state-of-the-art audio streaming performance and striking two-tone bodywork. By combining our traditional build quality and analogue circuit design with the finest digital processing, the first 60 series music system represents a major step-up from the 30 series and introduces a new supremely audiophile level of performance to our product range.

The A60 is designed to provide high power output with very low distortion for our PRE60, as well as multi-channel audio processors. UFPD’s instantaneous rise time results in a naturally fast, clean and agile sound over a much wider frequency range and with exceptional headroom. Ecologically the A60 is far superior to conventional Class A/B designs being extremely efficient without generating excessive heat.

What is UFPD?

Primare’s UFPD technology provides for the possibilities of a full-range ‘audiophile’ Class D design. It is a new and significant Class D technology which is remarkable for its performance consistency across the entire audio bandwidth. Traditional Class D amplifiers have a signature response, which is fabulous at low frequencies but can sound harsh and brittle at higher frequencies due to circuit instability produced by insufficient feedback. UFPD actively adjusts the feedback required to deliver a higher level of gain across the entire audio band, maintaining performance irrespective of load (impedance) variations. Primare’s UFPD treats all signals equally, keeping distortion very low at all frequencies. With a very wide ‘load independent’ frequency response UFPD is able to drive any speaker while maintaining control and accuracy.

PFC Power Supply

In conjunction with UFPD, Primare uses an isolated PFC (Power Factor Control) technology in the power supply, which controls the current from the mains voltage so that it is a pure sine wave with the same frequency and phase as the mains voltage. This means that even if 1000W is taken from the mains, other equipment in the room will not be affected.

A60 Features:

Designed and built in Sweden
Fully balanced signal transmission
UFPD technology with 4 output models (2 for each channel) in balanced configuration.
Heavy Switch mode power supplies (2600VA peak)
Excellent 1% MELF resistors
Multi-layer Board (4) for very short signal paths, optimum grounding and best performance
Fully protected (In case of DC or overheating is indicated, the A60 will mute the loudspeaker output)
Custom made heat-sinks for best signal path and performance (direct mount on the PCB board)
High grade WBT nextgen Speaker connectors (two pairs)
High grade WBT nextgen RCA sockets
Neutrik XLR connections
Van Den Hul SCS12 Cable (for internal speaker connection)
Unbalanced input signal will be transformed to balanced
Discrete regulated power supply for the input stage
Heavy-duty chassis with aluminium front panel (15mm)
Integrated LOGO, standby/power button.
RS232, trigger in/out

A60 Specifications:

Output power:
2x250W 8 ohm (both channels driven), max 610W
2x500W 4 ohm (both channels driven), max 1230W
THD+N: <0.02% (1kHz 250W 8 ohm); <0.002 (10W 8 ohm)
Signal to Noise: 20-20kHz unweighted –105dBV
Gain: 26dB Unbalanced, 20dB balanced
Power Consumption Standby: 0.5W; Operate: max 32W
Dimensions (WxDxH) 430 x 385 x 142mm

Reviews

• Hi Fi News
  PRE60 / A60: The 60s “Raise Goosebumps”

  The 60 Series PRE60 and A60 have made the November 2014 cover of the UK’s definitive hi-end audio magazine Hi Fi News. Given top billing as the opening review and in the expanded four-page format reserved for the most significant products, the 60s are accorded the mag’s premier ‘Outstanding Product’ badge. Reviewer John Bamford says “An audiophile friend and I blind-tested each other but neither of us could reliably determine whether we were streaming or playing via the PRE60’s USB input. The rhythm section appeared ultra-precise, with no overhang and subjectively ‘fast’ leading edge definition…Look elsewhere if you crave a big-bosomed, cushy and romantic sound. Primare’s flagship audio components tell it like it is, their honesty raising goose bumps with common regularity”

  View/download full review as PDF

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  hifi & records magazine, Germany
  PRE60 / A60: “Pure Joy”

  In a recent issue of Germany’s hi fi & records magazine, reviewer Olaf Sturm is bewitched by the new 60 series pre/power system. He calls the PRE60 design “pure joy” and is astonished by the measured power generated from the A60’s slim dimensions: “How do you imagine a power amplifier that pumps 675 watts into four ohms and 314 into eight ohms? Perhaps as a walk-in type, maybe with huge, sprawling heatsinks, but by all means totally heavyweight. The A60 weighs in at only 12.5 kilograms…” Above all he loves the sound: “At first it’s the immediacy of the reproduction that wins me over, because it refuses to show even the tiniest time offsets, which leads to perfect homogeneity… The vocal reproduction is characteristic and on par with that of top amplifiers. However a striking feature is the enormous stability in sustained piano chords and the reverb on Gabriel’s voice, which I have rarely even heard in such a 3D sculptured manner.” In conclusion he says that “The enormous range of applications based on the analogue and digital interfaces, which allow anything from elevator music in the morning through internet radio to serious listening of high resolution data files in truly amazing quality, is highly attractive.”

  View/download full review as PDF

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  Hi Fi Plus
  PRE60 / A60: 60 Series Does It Again!

  Adding to the growing number of great reviews for the 60 Series, Alan Sircom shows a genuine understanding of Primare’s goal for these true reference products when he states: “lf it’s power you want, the Primare delivers it with energy and drive. lf it’s sound-staging, it’s as good as the speakers you use. lf it’s infectious rhythm, then the music needs some infectious rhythm rather than have it thrust upon the sound. It’s that sense of doing a thing, and doing it right that Primare really gets here. That’s not damning it with faint praise; that’s prizing it for its honesty and integrity.”

  View/download full review as PDF

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  Polish hi fi magazine ‘Audio’
  PRE60 / A60: Primare Supreme

  The 60 series has received a great review in Polish hi fi magazine ‘Audio’. Writing in the October 14 issue Wojciech Pacula says “The Primare A60 sounds like a class A amplifier, clearly highlighting the transition from bass to midrange. It isn’t exactly ‘warm’ but neither is it clinical, and it does have the ability to strike forcefully. The strong and perfectly produced bass line provides not only foundation and energy but also richness, which is often missing even in the mightiest power amplifiers….The other end of sound spectrum is equally interesting. Here Primare seems to combine richness with clarity. Through the snare drum hits, bass string reverb and electronic background we get a perfect image of each sound and its texture. The soundstage gains ultimate authority with, I repeat, no harshness whatsoever. This is a marvellous achievement from both class D amplifier and network player”.

  View/download full review as PDF

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  LYD & BILLEDE • DECEMBER 2014
  PRE60 / A60: Sound & Vision Loves the 60’s

  Danish magazine Sound & Vision adores our 60 series system. In its December 14 issue, reviewer Sven Bilén awards both with top marks for sound quality and says: “Cool, smooth and pleasing to the ear, the PRE60 and A60 is an excellent combination that can play almost everything you can imagine with a sound quality that’s even better than before. Very successful.” The detailed three-page review concludes that “Primare’s 60 series is a manifestation of how far the firm has come with the new techniques that they have introduced the recent years. Both amplifier modules and media cards perform at a level that proves that Primare can play with the big boys. The products not only sound great, but also visually they’re super delicious. Well done!”

  View/download full review as PDF