New CD Player and Integrated Amp from Primare…

CD22 CD Player

The CD22 is the successor to and upgrade for the successful CD21 CD Player.  It is housed in Primare’s signature heavy alloy chassis, designed to provide strength, rigidity, and isolation, while also damping vibrations from external sources.

The internals include a switchable sample rate converter (44.1/48/96/192kHz), single Burr-Brown PCM1792 DAC with active MOSFET transistor, and SMD technology that keeps the signal paths isolated and as short as possible.  Also befitting its audiophile credentials, the CD22 contains no capacitors in the signal path: a DC servo takes care of any DC offset present in the circuit or from the DACs.

The display of the CD22 is isolated from the audio circuits and is dimmable in 4 steps (when connected to the I22 via IR, the CD22 and I22 display brightness can be matched). RS232 is included for connection to a larger home automation system.

INPUTS: USB, IR 3.5mm, RS232, Trigger 3.5mm

OUTPUTS: 1pr x RCA (analogue), 1 x S/PDIF (digital), 1 x optical (digital), RS232, IR, Trigger

The CD22 is available in black or silver finish for immediate shipment at a US retail price of $1695.

I22 Integrated Amplifier

The I22 is a 2 x 80wpc Class D Integrated Amplifier that utilizes Primare’s proprietary UFPD power technology.  It is designed to provide high power output with very low distortion as well as system control for the new 20 Series range of separates.  The I22 is proud to be “green”, as its Class D design makes it extremely efficient without generating excessive heat, and its standby mode only consumes 0.3 W.

Inside the heavy alloy chassis are two discrete UFPD amplifiers, with the preamp section fed by its own dedicated power supply.  All signal paths are as short as possible and all signal controls (source selection, volume, and channel balance trim) are performed purely in the analogue domain.  Volume and balance controls employ a single LM1972 attenuator; source selection is via high performance relays.

ULTRA FAST POWER DEVICE (UFPD) TECHNOLOGY

The use of switch mode power electronics is gaining in popularity as the result of its lower energy consumption and as a way to squeeze more amplifier channels into smaller spaces.  Unfortunately Class D amplifiers and their switch mode power supplies have traditionally deserved a reputation for poor audio quality, characterized by rising THD with frequency. Primare’s UFPD (Ultra Fast Power Device) technology, however, provides for the possibilities of a full-range ‘audiophile’ Class D design. It features a consistent 26dB feedback loop gain across the entire audio bandwidth and is stable way beyond the audible frequencies. This is quite easy to achieve in conventional linear ‘continuous signal’ amplifiers, but much more difficult in ‘non-continuous’ high speed switching amplifiers.

Rather than have the amplifier and then the filter as discrete stages, the UFPD design integrates the two, making control with feedback much more immediate and accurate.  The UFPD amplifier actively adapts the loop gain to keep the total loop stable during start-up, clipping, and current limit.  It senses the changes to the filter output and compensates by applying the precise amount of feedback.  This adaptive pole control allows for several more dBs of constant loop gain across the audio band and maintains performance irrespective of load (impedance) variations.

The UFPD treats all signals equally, regardless of frequency or slew rate, and has the ability to suppress the filter resonance entirely.  Consequently THD is kept very low at all frequencies.  With this very wide “load independent” frequency response, UFPD is able to drive any speaker while maintaining control and accuracy.

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.  The isolating stage of the converter works in a ZVS mode and as a result, the switch flanks contain a lower quantity of harmonics, providing lower EMI and a clean environment for the amplifiers to work in.

OPTIONAL DAC BOARD

An optional retailer-installed DAC board is available for the I22, allowing not just the connection of an existing CD player but also the streaming of music files from PCs and Macs.  Three digital inputs are included: isochronous USB-B (16-24bit/44.1-96kHz), optical (16-24bit/44.1-192kHz), and S/PDIF (16-24bit/44.1-192kHz).

The DAC consists of two chips: Analog Devices’ AD1855 and TI’s PCM1792A.  And although the I22 uses a conventional USB input, it is non-standard, exhibiting reduced jitter and improved clock performance by using TI’s USB streaming chip TAS1020B.

SPECIFICATIONS

Output Power            2 x 80wpc at 8Ω, 2 x 160wpc at 4Ω
Analogue Inputs        4 pair RCA

Optional DAC Board        1 x USB-B Input
1 x Digital Optical Input (TOSLINK)
1 x Digital Coaxial Input (RCA)

Input Impedance        15kΩ
Analogue Record Out        1 pair RCA
Pre Out            1 pair RCA
Output Impedance        RCA 94Ω
Frequency Response        10Hz – 20kHz, -0.5dB
THD + N            < 0.05%, 20Hz – 20kHz, 10W at 8Ω
Signal-to-noise            -95dB
Power Consumption        Standby: 0.3W, Operation: 19W
Net Weight            10kg

The I22 is available in black or silver finish for immediate shipment at a US retail price of $1695.

The optional DAC board for the I22 is also available immediately at a US retail price of $595.