Primare I30 -- how good is it?
- Thread starter Spidey
- Start date
neo
Active Member
I only heard it a couple of time & IMO It's a good amp. AFAIK It retails arnd 1.2-1.4 Lacs. It sounds musical, may sound bright with a few speakers & also seems to lack grunt in the bottom end. So make sure of the speakers you are pairing them with. I Know dinyaar is one person who has heard it quite a few times he might be able to give you more input.
As for the resale value i'm no expert, but i guess if it's in good condtion then arnd 50k would be a good deal.
All the best
Cheers
As for the resale value i'm no expert, but i guess if it's in good condtion then arnd 50k would be a good deal.
All the best
Cheers
unleash_me
Well-Known Member
I had the Primare I30 and CD31 for a short while. Its there in the family. A colleague of mine recently picked up a new shiny pair few months back. Both of them paired it with Studio 140. Its a match made is sonic heaven! I30 is dual-mono integrated amp and you can expect the best stereo reproduction in the category for sure. Pick it up, if you get a good deal.
Hi-Fi equipment par excellence by PRIMARE Systems - It''s Scandinavian
Similar amps to compare would be the Krell integrated, Caspian, Naim XS, Destiny etc.
Cheers.
Hi-Fi equipment par excellence by PRIMARE Systems - It''s Scandinavian
Similar amps to compare would be the Krell integrated, Caspian, Naim XS, Destiny etc.
Cheers.
I would include also the Arcam FMJ A38, and Yamaha (2000?) amps in that list. In the list provided by unleash, the Caspian is from Roksan and the Destiny amp is from Creek.
According to some people Roksan Candy L3 (older model) and perhaps also K2 (newer model) may be have a similar sound, but at a much lower price.
If you have easy-to-drive speakers, and want to consider tube amps, you can also consider Leben CS300 integrated amp which I own and can very positively certify. For more details on the Leben, please see the last pages of my very long thread in the amp section.
The I 30 is a good amp, it is very hard to find bad reviews (pro or user) on it. However, according to dinyaar (as commented by him in my amp thread), it may have some issues with occasional break down, as far as I can remember. Please try to get this out of dinyaar why he said so. I don't see him around for the last few days, probably very busy with the beforemath and the aftermath of the budget. He would also know what is a fair price for a 3 year old I 30.
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unleash_me
Well-Known Member
I'm sure Dinyaar had had some good reason to say so. However there is a combo at my in-laws and its been serving them good for may be close to 5 years or more. So far, I never heard of any breakdowns as such. Infact I cant even remember my FIL complaining about any issues with his amp ever! But ofcourse YMMV.
Cheers.
Yes, unleash, I was a bit surprised by his comment too. You will find his comment in the middle of post #27 on page 3 of my amp thread http://www.hifivision.com/amplifiers/3200-amp-upgrade-canton-speakers-feasibility-study-3.html
According to reports in general, the I 30 is a very good amp. Actually I think dinyaar himself agrees to that because in post #7 on page 1, he himself did recommend I 30 to me. The failure report in his post #27 seems like a stray incident that can happen occasionally to any product and also for reasons unrelated to the quality of the object in question.
According to reports in general, the I 30 is a very good amp. Actually I think dinyaar himself agrees to that because in post #7 on page 1, he himself did recommend I 30 to me. The failure report in his post #27 seems like a stray incident that can happen occasionally to any product and also for reasons unrelated to the quality of the object in question.
Absolute Phase
Active Member
The Primare range in particular is very good. Excellent build quality. A little cold initially, but once its burnt in then its a different story. One of my customers uses the pre/pwr and cdp combo with the ProAc Studio 140s and sure they are a match in heaven.
Primare equipment is not bright at all. Its very clean detailed and is a very good built product.
Primare equipment is not bright at all. Its very clean detailed and is a very good built product.
marsilians
Well-Known Member
What speakers are you pairing this with? Also what types of music do you listen to? In my experience (~8 yrs) amps at any price range have very specific tonalities that require a good match with speakers and transport to get the best out. This is more so critical for premium brands.
Also I would suggest that if you want to get ahead, get a used one at this price point as the owners who have plopped so much money don't normally abuse their components. Unless you are set on the warranty and looks
Hi Guys,
IMO the primare can sound a little shrill/cool/aloof in some set ups but then so do so many of the other popular amplifiers. The reason for saying its a quirky performer is the experience of two friends. Both the amps are fixed and running as of now though. I always liked the brand (like most things scandinavian). As unleash mentioned it is a dual mono with balanced ins (should be used).
See please dont hang me for my comment on its reliability. Am sure people may opine different. Most people will rave about Bryston and its incredible build and service but i have had mixed results with the brand. The older amps are tanks, its the newer amps that i have a problem with.
The price for a 2/3 year old amp should be 55/60K. A cheaper alternative is the Roksan kandy and a better option is an arcam A38. I rarely hear (if ever) of an arcam failing or misbehaving and it is still built in the UK.
The primare/pro Ac is a tried and tested combo but there is nothing to suggest the primare wont mate well with many other readily available speaker brands. One has to experiment.
The reason that these 2/3 yr old amps should go for about 55/60K is that the price these were bought at the time was about a lac and not 1.4/5 as quoted currently and most gear depreciates such.
Rgds
IMO the primare can sound a little shrill/cool/aloof in some set ups but then so do so many of the other popular amplifiers. The reason for saying its a quirky performer is the experience of two friends. Both the amps are fixed and running as of now though. I always liked the brand (like most things scandinavian). As unleash mentioned it is a dual mono with balanced ins (should be used).
See please dont hang me for my comment on its reliability. Am sure people may opine different. Most people will rave about Bryston and its incredible build and service but i have had mixed results with the brand. The older amps are tanks, its the newer amps that i have a problem with.
The price for a 2/3 year old amp should be 55/60K. A cheaper alternative is the Roksan kandy and a better option is an arcam A38. I rarely hear (if ever) of an arcam failing or misbehaving and it is still built in the UK.
The primare/pro Ac is a tried and tested combo but there is nothing to suggest the primare wont mate well with many other readily available speaker brands. One has to experiment.
The reason that these 2/3 yr old amps should go for about 55/60K is that the price these were bought at the time was about a lac and not 1.4/5 as quoted currently and most gear depreciates such.
Rgds
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Yes..Many good amps costing 1L+ new can be had for 40-50k in used market.
A friend of mine is offering to sell Primare I21 for ~40k.Don't know cost of new one.
I listened to this Primare I21 paired with same I21 CDP and Dali Ikon 6 fs.
To me the sound was clean and neutral but unexciting.Maybe they were paired with wrong spks or the audition was too short.. My friend agreed that Cyrus 8vs2 amp sounds better with the Dalis( this being his subjective opinion on his Dalis).
I heard the track " Stimela " by Hugh Masekela and some opera on it.
As you know in the track Stimela, Hugh makes some fantastic noises that a human throat can make and a human ear can appreciate. The chugging noise of a train and the sudden shrill train cry and the narration is fantastic.
I had heard the track elsewhere on some other system...
it didnt excite me on primare i21 that much. And bass is missing at places.
Maybe you need to pair Primare better .. and carefully.
A friend of mine is offering to sell Primare I21 for ~40k.Don't know cost of new one.
I listened to this Primare I21 paired with same I21 CDP and Dali Ikon 6 fs.
To me the sound was clean and neutral but unexciting.Maybe they were paired with wrong spks or the audition was too short.. My friend agreed that Cyrus 8vs2 amp sounds better with the Dalis( this being his subjective opinion on his Dalis).
I heard the track " Stimela " by Hugh Masekela and some opera on it.
As you know in the track Stimela, Hugh makes some fantastic noises that a human throat can make and a human ear can appreciate. The chugging noise of a train and the sudden shrill train cry and the narration is fantastic.
I had heard the track elsewhere on some other system...
it didnt excite me on primare i21 that much. And bass is missing at places.
Maybe you need to pair Primare better .. and carefully.
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Absolute Phase
Active Member
Most european brands sound very cold and do not draw you into the music. But they are very clean sounding, of course the build quality is excellent. The Cyrus is a much more warmer sounding amp. Thats why your friend would have liked it. This is also an excellent amp, though I hate the small form factor personally, but in the end its the sound that matters and not the size.
Hi Spidey,
I like this 'european' sound and if choosing between the two brands(cyrus/primare) i would take a primare for sure.
I dont think the I 21 is the amp to buy. The bigger amp is far better sounding. Similar sound with much more dynamics.
Try an Arcam amplifier and see if u like the sound. I much preferred the newer arcam cdps to the highly rated and recommended cyrus.
Rgds
I like this 'european' sound and if choosing between the two brands(cyrus/primare) i would take a primare for sure.
I dont think the I 21 is the amp to buy. The bigger amp is far better sounding. Similar sound with much more dynamics.
Try an Arcam amplifier and see if u like the sound. I much preferred the newer arcam cdps to the highly rated and recommended cyrus.
Rgds
I came to the same conclusion... i21 not worth price.
Anyway even their website if filled with good reviews and awards for i30 specifically.
anm
Well-Known Member
sorry to barge into the thread - but I really don't understand cold thin and warm. Where would you place an hk 6550 amp out of these categories?
regards
regards
Hi,
Have not heard the Primare A32 'super amp'. All i remember is that it was a larger power amp @ 250 WPC at 8 ohms. Have heard all the other primare amps though. My guess is the same house sound with much more control and more dynamics and fluency. Another thing that can happen with more power is a better balance and hence a feeling of a less 'bright' presentation.
Since u mention Bryston this is exactly what i thought when i swapped my 3BSST to the 4BSST. Much more dynamic and open.
The primare and bryston are very different sounds. I would go with Bryston if i had to choose for most speakers. Tremendous control and neutrality. The new Bryston sound very different from the very 'solid state sounding' ST series amps of yester years and the Co is heavily trying to shake of the PRO AUDIO tag and refining the amps to reduce the earlier edginess.
The only way to actually figure out all this gyaan that me and a many others will give u is to hear both amps and take a call.
Rgds
The reason for my asking was that when I heard Primare I30, it sounded outright clear than other amps present there. Like everything sounds crystal clear.
But somehow there is no emotion to it. This is very apparent on say old hindi songs , ghazals etc. Some songs like "Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki" from Dulari are quite nicely recorded (considering their time of recording ) . So when I heard that on primare, that emotion in the song was not there, which I can easliy get from current NAD 372 ( I have not done A-B comparison of Primare and NAD )
So my basic question was whether do all "neutral" amps sound like this ( that is is why I brought Bryston into the question too since they are known for their neutrality .Not heard a Bryston yet)
Though I have no plans of buying a new amp now, even if buy it sometimes later , looks like the NAD will always have to remain in the system , for a large section of songs
But somehow there is no emotion to it. This is very apparent on say old hindi songs , ghazals etc. Some songs like "Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki" from Dulari are quite nicely recorded (considering their time of recording ) . So when I heard that on primare, that emotion in the song was not there, which I can easliy get from current NAD 372 ( I have not done A-B comparison of Primare and NAD )
So my basic question was whether do all "neutral" amps sound like this ( that is is why I brought Bryston into the question too since they are known for their neutrality .Not heard a Bryston yet)
Though I have no plans of buying a new amp now, even if buy it sometimes later , looks like the NAD will always have to remain in the system , for a large section of songs
Though I have no plans of buying a new amp now, even if buy it sometimes later , looks like the NAD will always have to remain in the system , for a large section of songs
I have heard NAD.. they have a powerful sound but definately colored.
So your ears if once get accustomed to colored sound , everything else seems too neutral.
Most mid-fi brands color their sound and thats why people like it immenselsy and they buy.NAD and Wharfedale are both notorious for coloring sound.
Wharfedale speakers(ex -9.5) produce such sound that if you get accustomed to them even 1lac and above speakers seem "mild" and neutral initially.
Happy listening !
hi spidey
i've been using primare amps for the last 9 years and can shed some light on your original query. do keep in mind however, that my views are merely a subjective opinion. ultimately, you should trust your own ears. anyway, here goes:
current setup: ca 840c > primare i30 > epos m22
cdp and amp running balanced via mogami gold studio xlrs
m22s tri-wired with qed silver xt
room: 26' x 18' x 9'
regarding reliability: the i30 has been working flawlessly for the last 2 years. prior to that, the i20 served me well for 7 ears without a hiccup.
regarding sound: excellent detail and clarity, huge soundstage, deep well-controlled bass, superb timing. above all else, i find this amp lets the music through with very little (if anything) added to it. any change in source component or speakers is immediately apparent.
regarding cost: i paid 1.3 for mine 2 years ago. however, when the time comes, i doubt i'd be willing to part with mine for 50k! the logic i would apply for pricing is this: what can the buyer get NEW that sounds nearly as good? the simple answer: for under 75k, very little.
hope that helps.
cheers
coaltrain
i've been using primare amps for the last 9 years and can shed some light on your original query. do keep in mind however, that my views are merely a subjective opinion. ultimately, you should trust your own ears. anyway, here goes:
current setup: ca 840c > primare i30 > epos m22
cdp and amp running balanced via mogami gold studio xlrs
m22s tri-wired with qed silver xt
room: 26' x 18' x 9'
regarding reliability: the i30 has been working flawlessly for the last 2 years. prior to that, the i20 served me well for 7 ears without a hiccup.
regarding sound: excellent detail and clarity, huge soundstage, deep well-controlled bass, superb timing. above all else, i find this amp lets the music through with very little (if anything) added to it. any change in source component or speakers is immediately apparent.
regarding cost: i paid 1.3 for mine 2 years ago. however, when the time comes, i doubt i'd be willing to part with mine for 50k!
the logic i would apply for pricing is this: what can the buyer get NEW that sounds nearly as good? the simple answer: for under 75k, very little.hope that helps.
cheers
coaltrain
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