R35 – MM/MC phono preamplifier

Mint, Germany, March 2023
R35: Primare R35

“Beautifully designed, finely crafted and not yet completely out of touch in terms of price”… With the Vertere DG-1S and a Thorens MC TAS 1500 as a source, it gave the sound of the system a fundamental impact that is rarely achieved with vinyl. Ideal for helping the newly arrived double LP The World Ended A Long Time Ago to achieve maximum effect… For fans of a warm, silky phono sound, the Primare is therefore exactly the right choice.”

Diapason, France, May 2024
R35: Primare R35

“Did you like the R15? You’ll love the R35 even more. This is not the trailer for a sequel, although the R35, contemporary with the R15, fully deserves to be seen and above all heard. To the point that the question arises of understanding how the Swedish manufacturer achieves such a functionality/quality/appearance/price mix… Of the R15, we wrote that the sound was “full, warm and lively.” In comparison, R35 appears fleshy, vigorous, even fiery. Free, rather. Without being heavy or overwhelming, just impeccably open and breathing while being, yes, fiery… And if you have an integrated or a preamp with balanced line input, you will still gain very significantly in this mode in terms of transparency, dynamics, and noise reduction. The difference is far from negligible. For all these reasons, the R35 establishes a real hierarchy compared to the R15, even offering itself the vanity of challenging devices of significantly higher prices. So yes, this is certainly not new; but, at Primare, the devices are designed to last, and this is not the least of their qualities.

The +: Adaptability and vitality.

The -: We don’t see any.”

Audiograde, UK, December 2022
R35 – Audiograde Best of 2022 / Phono Stage

“Primare’s legacy R32 has been our reference phono stage for almost a decade, but the R35 sets the bar so much higher, with so many settings, balanced connections and improved audio, it really is the reference phono stage.”

Audiograde, UK, Oct 2022
Primare R35 phono stage review

“In the R35 what Primare has done is focus on offering a product that can rival the best on spec alone, while not sacrificing what sets it apart from most at the price which is its sheer musical performance. It has depth and detail in spades, with an analogue character that underlines vinyl’s enduring appeal. It’s bass control is also class leading, and when you put all this together, the package is outstanding.”

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.

HVT, The Netherlands, June 2021
R35: Viking and Vinyl

“What I like about the ‘no nonsense’ aspect of the R35 that is so appealing is that the character of the vinyl (recording, production, quality of mix, master and pressing) is presented quite frankly and not uncritically. My bad records really don’t get any better and the good versions sound better than I’ve ever heard them.”

Lyd & Bilde, Norway
R35 – 6 Star Review

”If you are looking for a flexible phono stage that can be used on all pickups, and that plays heavenly without breaking the bank completely, the Primare R35 is one of the best choices in the price range below NOK 20,000. Outstanding / 6 stars ”

View full review

Stereo+, Norway, January 2021
Primare R35 awarded Phono Preamp Product of the Year 2020-2021 by Stereo+

HiFi+, UK, November 2020
R35: Primare R35 solid-state, MM/MC phono stage

“The Primare R35 is that rare thing: an audio component with a lot of features that also sounds exceptionally revealing. Usually, it’s one or the other, so getting both in a professionally executed package with some superior styling touches at a sensible price is quite an achievement.”

Stereo+, Norway, September 2020
R35: Sound on the Very Top Shelf

“Only seconds into the first track, it is clear that the Primare R35 creates a large and beautiful three-dimensional space, and it does so without over focusing on certain instruments or certain areas of the frequency range. The sound is very well balanced, the dynamics are excellent, and the sound is neat and precisely reproduced… The focus on voices and instruments is excellent and makes the music experience believable and natural. The voices are drawn in the middle, with the rest of the band or orchestra beautifully and neatly placed in both width and depth on the back. Five Stars.”

Hi-Fi News, UK, May 2020
R35: Primare R35

“Primare R35 – Flagship phono stage is an analogue triumph… it is an incredibly flexible and capable phono stage that seemingly has the ability to extract the very best from any cartridge that crosses its path. A rare feat at any price, this only further pumps up the R35’s value. OUTSTANDING PRODUCT.”

Alpha-Audio, The Netherlands, June 2020
R35: Review Primare R35 phono pre-amp

“Primare proves with the R35 that a top product does not have to cost power. What a fantastic sounding preamp for your record player and cartridge. Your vinyl will sound better no matter what element you connect to it. You get detail, musicality, dynamics, soundstage, in short everything that makes music. The R35 allows you to fine-tune the tuning in detail, which is a job that will reward you richly. We will use this Primare R35 as a reference phono preamp and that of course includes an Alpha Approved predicate. Bra gjort (“well done” in Swedish), Primare! Five Stars, Alpha Approved.”

Audio, Germany, May 2020
R35: Professional Appearance

“Technically well designed, the Primare R35 is at the forefront of its price range. Not as a show off, but with strict neutrality with no effort. That is what I call to the point.”