”Class B (solid state) – This eight-channel colleague of the Swedish manufacturer’s stereo A35.2 uses the reliable and powerful Hypex NC500 class-D module, with some modifications. The amplifier features a switch-mode power supply, with its two outputs each feeding four amplifier stages. Pairs of outputs can be run as bridged mono amplifiers. KR auditioned the Primare with three bridged pairs to run his Left-Center-Right speakers and the remaining two channels to run his two surround-channel speakers. While he did try the amplifier in eight-channel mode KR found that bridging transformed the A35.8 “into a much more exciting amplifier” with a better bass balance and superbly stable imaging, even in stereo. He noted that there was never any evidence of the “gray” treble he had experienced with earlier Ncore-based amplifiers: “In my preferred five-channel configuration, the A35.8 equaled other good amplifiers in the treble.” Comparing the Primare with his reference Benchmark AHB2, he felt that the Primare sounded “more convincingly live” than the Benchmark. On the test bench, the A35.8 exceeded its specified power of 150Wpc with two channels driven into 8 ohms, clipping at 200Wpc, and met its 300Wpc specification with two channels driven into 4 ohms. JA’s conclusion was that the Primare A35.8 offers high power, especially in bridged mode, with very low levels of distortion and audioband noise. KR suggests A–; too bad there’s no such rating.”