Fresh from Primare, the Swedish company whose name, correctly pronounced “prime air,” derives from the fact that audio moves air, were two new prototypes with unfinished faceplates: the PRE60 preamp/DAC ($10,000 target price) and A60 stereo power amplifier ($10,000 target price). Both are expected to ship by summer.

The Pre60 takes the company’s existing PRE32 ($4250) up a major step to reference quality. A thoroughly balanced analog preamp, it includes a superior power supply and upgraded media board with a 24/192 DAC that offers asynchronous USB, Toslink, S/PDIF, Ethernet, WiFi, and a dedicated iPhone app. It is also designed to pair perfectly with the A60, a 300Wpc into 8 ohms, 600Wpc into 4 ohms stereo amplifier that incorporates Primare’s proprietary class-D circuitry. Importer Kevin Wolff of Vana Ltd. in Mukilteo, WA emphasizes that Primare’s class-D modules are the company’s own, and are not sourced from elsewhere. Only time will tell if Primare has succeeded in taking class-D to the next sonic level.