R15 – MM/MC phono preamplifier

FWD, Benelux, April 2024
R15 – Seductive phono preamplifer

“Its price tag of 1,050 euros does not make the Primare R15 a phono preamplifier that you ‘just pick up’ when you buy a record player. It is an investment that fits in a better music system with a record player from a higher category (or an affordable but good turntable with a better cartridge). In that context, you not only discover a phono amplifier in a beautiful housing, but above all a very competent phono stage that stands out for its quiet background and excellent detail reproduction.”

AVTech media 2020/2021
R15 named AVTech Media 2020/2021 Best Phono Stage

We are proud to announce that our R15 phono preamplifier has won the AVTech Media award 2020/2021 for best phono stage. The AVTech media awards are presented by the UK’s premium AV magazine brands – Home Cinema Choice, Hi-Fi Choice, and Hi-Fi News & Record Review.

The following official award citation has been issued by AVTech Media:

HiFi+, UK, October 2021
HiFi+ Innovation Award 2021

Primare have received an Innovation award from HiFi+ with the following citation:

“First founded in 1985 by industrial designer Bo Christensen, Primare’s is perhaps one of the most recognisably Scandinavian brands in audio. Its combination of minimalism and good performance all point to a Swedish brand.

So, when Primare uses a Swedish word to describe its ethos, perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised. That word is ‘Lagom’ (pronounced ‘laah-goam’) and roughly translates to ‘just the right amount.’ In Primare’s world this means keeping everything in balance, harmony and proportion, and that the music – rather than the technology or the box in which it comes – should be the focus of audio.

Mint, Germany, May 2021
R15: Phono Pre-Amplifier Primare R15

“What is really impressive, however, is the lack of distortion and the resulting wide and at the same time contour-sharp spatial reproduction of the device: every mixing console track, every percussion or piano sprinkle, the small individual reverb spaces that occasionally envelop voices and instruments – all this gets and retains its fixed place. This creates a clear, confident order to the sound, from which even cheap pickups benefit enormously.”

Audio Review, Italy, September 2020
R15: Primare R15

“I listened to this phono preamp with great interest and I must say I was impressed. The high level of construction and, above all, its performance would suggest a much higher price than the one thousand euros required to own it. Over the years I have had several phono preamps and, especially at the beginning of my audio adventure, my gripe was that I could not afford the expense necessary to purchase a suitable phono. If there had been the Primare R15, I would have solved the problem.”

Salon Audio Video, Russia, November 2020
R15: The Science to Win

“The first impression is that the musical balance is perfectly maintained, the instruments sound natural, with a rich spectrum, and nothing is “overheated” – neither the midrange nor the top… There are many more technical aspects, but the result is the same, rich and lively sound both in MM and MC modes.”

Music Emotion, The Netherlands, November 2020
R15, SC15, I15 MM, CD15 Prisma: The Swedish Approach

“The 15 Series includes after all, relatively many models, so that anyone can build a system which suits their needs… And that fits in perfectly with Primare’s focus on ‘lagom’ (read: exactly what is needed), which is the Swedish approach.”

HiFi+, UK, September 2020
DD15, SC15 Prisma, R15, I15 MM: Primare 15 System

“For my part, I’d be happy with the system whichever way it was put together… In other words, if you want to keep your options open and have all of those options sound good, don’t be surprised if all your electronics end up with a Primare logo on the front.”

Stereo, DE, August 2020
R15: Simple & Moving

“The R15 masters the art of combining transparency with tonal cohesion, which makes a significant contribution to the sophisticated aura exuded by the pleasantly discreet Primare, whose equally unaffected and stylish design found an equivalent in the sound. The R15 performs beyond its price range and was also not overwhelmed by high-quality pickups – regardless of the type. So, the supposedly simple Primare turned out to be quite moving in the end. Price/Performance – Outstanding.”

Hi-Fi Choice,. UK, May 2020
R15: Prime Candidate

“Nine minutes of “Comfortably Numb” isn’t just atmospheric but utterly mesmerising with a sense of air and unfettered bandwidth that captures the scale and magic of the music and the venue… This has nothing to do with the hyped presence some phono stages employ to pep up proceedings, but a precision and focus that doesn’t blunt edges, blur textures or drag tempos and presents the solid and the spacious as a coherent whole with the full spectrum of tonal colours and accurately rendered instrumental timbres. Recommended, Five Stars.”

Stereoplay, Germany, February 2020
R15: Schwedenhappen

“But the R15 enchanted us. It was warm, soulful, quick, brilliant – the best of both Worlds. By the standards one would have our best list quite double for that quality. Therefore, a highlight and a loud one. Buy recommendation.”