Pure bass

The first thing we noticed was that the Primo is unusually solid-sounding, and it has this quality at virtually any volume level, within the limits established by its output stage. This is an amplifier with real grip, which became apparent in one of the early tests using a new recording of Benjamin Britten's War Requiem (Helmuth Rilling, Aurelius Sängerknaben Calw on the Hänssler classic label in PCM and SACD).

This was a real test in many respects, thanks to the way in which large orchestral forces and multiple choirs in the Requiem Mass are juxtaposed with a small chamber orchestra to partner the tenor and baritone soloists. Somehow, the Primo managed the clash of scales surprisingly well, and the result had a compelling unity of purpose, again with the solidity and consistency already referred to.

Another quality the amplifier brings to the table is an unusually fine bass. It's rich but pure and unerringly tuneful, as well as being essentially free of the romantic haze that persists with some valve amps. You can hear this from the start of Mahler's 7th Symphony (played by the LSO under Valery Gergiev).

This, like the Britten, is an SACD recording, or more correctly a multichannel hybrid recording, but it's a distinguished one that blossoms in high-quality DSD and therefore offers a performance level that's perfectly suited for this amplifier.

Impressive precision

The main qualities of the Unico Primo, then, are its generous output, its consistency with level, its tuneful bass and its ability to keep its act together when things become difficult and potentially messy – which is the danger with the dense and complex Britten recording.

In addition, the Primo is an amplifier with a strong sense of detail and precision, the kind that sounds close even when the system is in an adjoining room. In short, it's a class act. It's not exactly swimming in toys and gadgets, but everything necessary for a purist amplifier is there (though admittedly there's no balance control, which some might miss).

Other highlights include the ability to add a phono stage at a moderate cost and the fact that it can also drive a subwoofer in a 2.1 or 2.2 set-up. This is a very handy addition and one which should extend the amplifier's useful life beyond the point where it might otherwise be considered due for upgrading.

Awkward remote

The Unico Primo is also exceptionally well built. Though slimline, it still weighs a substantial 15kg, partly thanks to a massive toroidal power transformer, extensive use of die-cast heatsink extrusions and a thick one-piece front panel.

We're less impressed by the remote control, however, which looks fine at first sight, but is marred by prominent fixing screws on the top plate and by the controls themselves, which are tiny and awkward to use.

In its favour, though, this is the same remote that's supplied with the Unico CDE CD player, so you only need the one handset to control the entire system – leaving you one spare to lose down the back of an armchair.