Mark Craven is blown away by the music and movie skills of Primare's luxuriously styled nine-channel AVR

As well as clean, minimalist design and meticulous build quality, Sweden’s Primare is all over the idea of modularity, a philosophy that invites system flexibility and, very Scandi this, internal harmony. For example, buy its flagship CD35 CD player and you can add its SM35 Prisma network player module at any point. There’s also the DD25 transport – essentially the CD35 sans DAC – to consider in a wider system context. Whichever way you cut it, all bases are covered.

The Primare 35.8 has an unassuming profile. It’s simply a black box with an on/off switch, which is good start. But this is a glorious sounding amplifier. Movies and music are awash with fine detail, and superb imaging and depth of field. What’s more, music sources come off as almost tangible with a delightfully analogue quality for a Class D design. This is all a surprise. As a consumer, you must prepare to spend big on the best amplifiers for a dedicated home cinema room. But also remember that these are the components that will probably find a home in your AV room the longest duration. If you’re at the decision stage for purchasing eight (or sixteen) channels of unbridled power, we say don’t overlook the Primare 35.8.