Posted on Mon, 07 Aug, 2017
Posted by Bob

The Primare SPA23 4KVM AV Receiver fuses Audiophile quality with AV Receiver convenience in a stylish, minimalist, purist package.

AV Receivers can’t provide the true Audiophile experience of a dedicated, two-channel Hi-Fi amplifier; or at least, so goes the conventional wisdom. A spate of recent releases by manufacturers such as Arcam, Anthem and here, Primare, set out to smash that preconception.

Let’s investigate the minimalist design and advanced technology which makes the flagship Primare SPA23 4KVM AV Receiver a step apart from most other AV receivers.

Primare SPA23 4KVM

 

Primare SPA23 4KVM – Ends the compromise between Music and Movies

Three main manufacturers, Arcam, Anthem and Primare, currently spearhead the approach towards making true Audiophile grade AV Receivers; units which handle high-end AV duties with aplomb, whilst also delivering the kind of audio quality usually reserved for traditional, two-channel Hi-Fi.

Arcam’s AVR850 (as covered just this week in the Audio Affair Blog) majors on colossal power from its G-Class amplification and extensive features. Likewise, Anthem’s MRX1120 places great emphasis on sound quality, whilst the included ARC and reference microphone, ensures a perfect acoustic set-up, every time.

Enter, the Primare SPA23 4KVM AV Receiver; fusing Primare’s trademark minimalist approach to design and aesthetics, with the very highest audio quality, the Primare SPA23 4KVM enters the ‘Audiophile AV Receiver’ game with aplomb.

Primare’s Premium Design

Primare has become associated with premium audio design and clean, minimalist aesthetics; one of Primare’s key innovations have been their UFPD Amplification technology which is based upon a high-end, high-fidelity, Class D amplifier topology.

Primare claim that their UFPD technology allows for a highly energy efficient, compact, high output, stable, low-distortion power stage with a “ruler-flat frequency bandwidth into any speaker load“. The Primare SPA23 4KVM features no less than five UFPD power stages, for outstanding performance whether listening to stereo or surround sources.

For those who would prefer a two-box solution, Primare also offers the SP33 processor and A30.7 power amp combination. Whilst the Primare SPA23 4KVM AV Receiver represents a fantastic ‘one-box’ solution, the two-box combination may be of interest for those who prefer the flexibility afforded by such a setup.

Personalisable and Flexible

The Primare SPA23 4KVM AV Receiver allows the user to make a number of adjustments and personalisations to suit their personal requirements, environment, and component sources.

Simple on-screen menus allow the user to optimise the performance of every component with ease. Each source connected to the SPA23 4KVM can be customised with a user definable name, appropriate surround format and level adjustment, for user convenience.

Primare SPA23 4KVM rear

For example, a user could label one of the HDMI inputs ‘Blu-ray’, and assign surround processing to be Dolby Tru HD, with the output level adjusted to be the same as the two-channel CD input. The Primare SPA23 4KVM allows precise adjustment for level, speaker type, crossover frequency, delay and bass management.

 

Primare 4KVM Module

Primare has recently released their 4KVM module which expands the capabilities of the SPA23 and SP33, enabling true 4K UHD video performance; the design of which carries Primare’s characteristically minimal and focused design ethos.

 

primare-4kvm-4k-video-module-cover_2

 

Primare designed the 4KVM Module as a pure matrix switcher, which has been stripped to the essential elements, allowing a shortest possible signal path for no alteration of the video signal. Resolution up to 4K@50/60 (2160p) is available from any of the six sources which can be assigned to one or both of the two HDMI outputs.

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