Just announced by Primare is the BD32, a 'truly universal' high-end player able to handle everything from Blu-ray via SACD and DVD-A to content streamed from a network or stored on external drives.
Selling for £3250 when it goes on sale next month via UK distributor karma-av, the player is 3D-capable, and as well as Blu-Ray, DVD, CD, SACD and DVD-A, can handle, video, and picture files from a wired network (or Wi-Fi using a USB dongle supplied), and USB or eSATA external devices.
Primare adds that 'It will play any audio format or convert it to PCM for D/A conversion elsewhere.'
As well as standard phono outputs for both stereo and 7.1-channel, the BD32 has balanced XLR stereo outputs, and digital audio out on electrical phono, AES/EBU XLR and Toslink optical. It has twin 3D-capable 1080p V1.4a HDMI outputs along with composite and component video, and RS232. 12V trigger and inferred control connections.
Future software upgrades will be possible via the LAN port.
The player uses customised video circuits and discrete Primare audio stages, fed by multiple dedicated power supplies, using Crystal DACs to feed separate audio sections optimised for balanced, single-ended and multichannel working.
Primare says that 'The balanced stage uses Burr-Brown OP-Amps, WIMA and EPCOS polypropylene filter capacitors and large MELF resistors.
'The single-ended output uses a single MOSFET transistor fed by an active current source rather than passive resistors.
'The SACD (DSD) circuit has its own dedicated relay-controlled-filter signal path, and the multichannel audio output stage is driven by a Crystal DSD DAC in conjunction with Burr Brown OP-Amps, WIMA and NPO SMD capacitors and large MELF resistors.'
To ensure performance as well as meeting eco-requirements, the player uses a separate switch-mode standby power supply consuming only 0.5W, which turns off as the main R-core transformer kicks in for 'operate' mode. This transformer has separate windings for the analogue and digital power supply circuits, which are on their own boards on opposite sides of the player.
The entire chassis of the player, which combines heavy-guage steel and aluminium, is used as a heatsink, and the BD32 will be available in black or titanium finishes.
