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Primare SPA21 AV-receiverProperly speaking, a stylish Swedish SPA21 doesn't fall under the classification of AV-receiver. Tuner is absent (you have to buy it separately and, for example, Primare T22 is perfect for it), the switching is simplified for video sources, the possibilities for connection by universal HDMI interface are not provided. But these don't take from the merit of SPA21. If you disassemble it, you will see the device with uncompromising filling. For example, it is supplied by a pair of 800W toroidal transformers and a frighteningly complex multistage stabilization system with the unit of capacitors with a total volume of 100000 UF. There are only five power amplifiers, but their input and driver cascades are single-stage and work in A class and final ones - in AB class. Circuit technique is optimized to maximally minimize a sound signal path. The decoder of surround is built on the Crystal CS493200 chip and is added with audiophile DACs Burr-Brown PCM1738. The micro-circuits (Philips NE5532, Burr-Brown OPA2134) are used only in current-to-voltage converters or as buffers for output from the pre-section. Volume control is made by the specialized cascade on Burr-Brown PGA2311. A qualitative element base is selected for everything: capacitors are Sanyo OS-Con and a universal wideband AV commutation switch Sony CXA2069 is for the selector. SPA21 can disappoint only by the remote control. You want something proper, with a Scandinavian design for the device with such cool and unusual appearance. At first glance, the device sounds a bit old-fashionably, but this feeling quickly disappears. Against the background of the sound, which almost all modern multichannel AV monsters produce, a classical Hi-Fi character at first seems to be simplified and too rectilinear. However, more you listen to SPA21, more you believe it. Sound stage is accurate and deep. Timbres of the instruments are unscrambled and therefore seem to be dissonant sometimes - but they sound so in life! The detailing is moderate and correct - the acoustic nuances don't allocate from the general picture but play a secondary role. Bass range is slightly poor in energy, but agile, not rough and rhythmic. You can find the lightest transistor coloring in the band of middle and high frequencies, but it doesn't distract - each reproduced sound can be recognized clearly and without stress. ![]() |