(23-Nov-2018, 19:14)Confused Wrote: @Greg - I am not familiar with the Primare R32 phonostage, I have never seen one let alone heard one. However, I did find some information on the 'net, and I have to say it looks like a very nice piece of kit, especially considering the price. Indeed, it is less expensive than an Ortofon ST80 SUT. I presume it looks as good in the flesh as it does in the picture? Out of interest, how did you decide on the Primare R32? Did you have the chance to compare to the alternatives? I'm half tempted to buy one because it looks nicer than most of my other kit!Hello, @Confused. Sorry for the slow response. Yes, like you I had not heard of the Primare R32 until I saw one advertised secondhand at a nice price. I did loads of research on it that satisfied me enough to make a blind offer on it that was accepted. Consequently, I am chuffed to bits with it’s performance and capability and everything said about the build quality is completely right. Coming from years as a DIYer, I’m much impressed and wish all commercial gear was built to this standard. In terms of performance, one thing I really like is it’s ability to resolve fine detail (micro detail) in recordings. It doesn’t completely eliminate hiss, or phono roar as I have always known it, but it is considerably better than the naked Devialet stage. Furthermore, IMHO, it resolves far more detail than the Devialet stage can do, also presenting an overall tighter sound. Now I know that a completely silent phonostage is electronically possible these days. Nick Gorham of Longdog Audio http://www.longdogaudio.com/ designs some remarkably cheap and also up to very expensive quiet phonostages and I’ve listened with approval to many of them. I’ve also used a Ray Samuels F-117 Nighthawk stage and this has absolutely no roar, but annoyingly does exhibit some electronic component interference noise at higher volumes in terms of a constant ‘futter-futter’ type sound. I’ve found the Primare an affordable compromise in terms of lower roar and the benefit of more detail it’s an overall tighter, more defined sound.
@petrik - A very good question! But I am betting that nobody has ever received a sensible answer.
I seam to be a little less bothered than most about the hiss, but if Devialet did come out with an improved "no hiss" but still great SQ phono board, I would probably buy it. This got me thinking. I recall a while ago someone posted about a digital phono stage, that is, with digital RIIA correction, and digital output that could be fed to a Devialet. Can anyone recall the details of this item?
(I do wonder if like @ogs I find the hiss rather pleasant and comforting. Maybe a reminder of the 70's kit that made me happy as a child in the parental home.......)
Over this weekend, I took my Primare to a (for want of a better term) bake off and it absolutely shone through with everyone (5), all well experienced audiofools not shy to spend a dollar or two on kit, rating it extremely highly, comparing well with some phonostages six times it’s value.
I understand the comfort argument regarding phono roar and of course, with modern stylus profiles, very low surface noise from vinyl can be achieved. If I am brutally honest, this was never an issue for me before I started streaming, experiencing playback with no additional noise outside of what is on the recording. I know vinyl playback can very closely reciprocate this and also show that analogue sound that many of us find so beguiling. I want it for the best price available. I’m getting there, but it bugs me considerably that Devialet claim (quote to me in person by Mathieu Pernot) that the phonostage in their amps was meticulously designed and built using the very finest components. I suppose the final frustration is that I moved to Devialet to eliminate other components in the system and I have found this has not been a total solution albeit I have shed a load of boxes nevertheless.
