HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

Attended a listening session at HiFi Corner in Edinburgh on Saturday last. Wanted to hear the Primare CD 22 as a replacement for my aging Rega Apollo/Brio DAC combo. HiFiC set up a system with the CD player and a Primare integrated amp with some KEF (circa £800) speakers.

First of all my NVA kit blew away the similarly priced amp and speakers. Not bland but lacking in depth, expression and overall musicality. Quite good but I easily became bored. However..... the Primare CD22 is a quite remarkeable piece of kit. Build quality is sublime and reproduction is very good.

I will be buying this player as I think it's superb. Once married to the NVA pre and power amps I'm sure it will excel. It's simply an improvement in technology with the Primare against the Rega.

Notably though.... the Primare amp and Kef speaker combo was entirely eclipsed by me NVA/NVA/NVA combo, and by a long way. Both systems are of a similar price and specification. I'll update this post once the Primare CD22 is installed.

Did you take your amp and speakers there.

good result. I am still using a cd player too. The only thing that bothers me with cdp's is if the transport is well made and will it last . Do primare keep stocks for repairs ? When they become unrepairable they are nothing more than expensive door stops.

Good to hear that nva has kicked arse again

I would buy it on-line and get 30 days to try in my own system at home. I doubt the Primare will outperform a Cambridge CXC and latest Beresford DAC. They do make a good Universal player I noticed which likely is better than Oppo etc.

Pleased you enjoyed the Primare.

Good to hear that you like the Primare player - bargain price high-end !!

I wouldn't worry too much about things wearing out on CD players. The component that most often causes trouble is the laser array - but that can sometimes be fixed with (very careful) cleaning of the lens. I have CDP's of 25+ years old still working fine.

Nice piece of kit - enjoy !

Fretless wrote: ↑Mon Dec 04, 2017 8:49 am Good to hear that you like the Primare player - bargain price high-end !!

I wouldn't worry too much about things wearing out on CD players. The component that most often causes trouble is the laser array - but that can sometimes be fixed with (very careful) cleaning of the lens. I have CDP's of 25+ years old still working fine.

Nice piece of kit - enjoy !

Mine is 20 years old and still going strong on the original laser. But I don't think they make em like they used to. (in general)

karatestu wrote: ↑Sun Dec 03, 2017 10:39 pm I am still using a cd player too. The only thing that bothers me with cdp's is if the transport is well made and will it last .

That's exactly why I got hold of the Marantz CD73. Design and build quality of the unit and its power supply is wanting, but the Philips CDM 0 transport and Swiss Rodenstock laser are bullet proof.

Alfi.

People still buy CD players ??

Hemmo1969 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 04, 2017 10:10 am People still buy CD players ??

My thoughts as well. I find rips and Tidal streams through a decent DAC far superior and the print on CDs is too small for me to read these days.