Trafomatic Primavera Initial Impressions
May 21, 2020 at 7:25 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 104

Pale Rider

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This is an overview and preliminary review of my recently purchased Trafomatic Primavera headphone amp. I bought it myself, and I have not been asked for this review, nor promised any form of reward or benefit for it. I have no relationship with Trafomatic or Audio Prana other than as a customer.
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1. Ordering process & Delivery. Well, unless you’ve seen/heard one at an audio show, you’re pretty much ordering it blind, and with almost no reviews to guide you. Fred Crane at Audio Prana in Gloucester, MA is the distributor/dealer for North America. And if you live in the US, that’s who you order from. Fred’s a great guy, giving freely of his time to answer any questions about the Trafomatic product line. One of the things that Fred shared is that Trafomatic has only built Primavera amps for customers, and has not supplied any to the trade press. So much for in-depth reviews. And they build about 6 per year.

Trafomatic will finish the amp in just about any RAL color, and can finish it either gloss or with Soft-Touch, a rubbery-like coating. I believe 6moons mentioned this coating in their review of the Lara preamp. The coating is quite cool, and adds to the tactile enjoyment of the amp. Although I had originally set my sights on a sort of Pearl Oyster White color, Trafomatic happened to have enough of the matte black rubber coating material in stock to offer It to me at very little additional charge, but with some additional wait time. I accepted that offer.

It’s not cheap. But when you look at some of the other TOTL statement headphone amps from people like MSB, and Viva, you can see that the Primavera is price-competitive in that class. And I happen to know that there are folks out there pairing $50k+ amps with the SR1a and Susvara.

Color and finish are the only choices. Everything else is stock. Pay your deposit, and settle in for the wait, which can be anywhere from 8-16 weeks. I ordered mine in late February, and it shipped from Serbia early April. When it finally arrived in Massachusetts, Fred turned it around immediately and shipped it overnight to me in California.

It arrives in a big wooden crate, which grossed out at 44.91kg or 99 pounds. My FedEx delivery guy asked for help with it.

2. Build Quality. The Primavera is beautiful, especially if you like tube amps. The fit, finish, construction and weight, are very much what one would expect from a $15k amp.The layout is very much in the style of the deep, slightly narrow, SET look like Decware and so many others. It is built like the proverbial tank. As noted above, it is available in just about any color you could want.​

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3. The Setup. The signal chain is NAS—>Cisco Switch via fiber—>Roon Nucleus+—>MSB Select II w/ Network Renderer 2—>Trafomatic Primavera. ICs are Iconoclast. Power cords are Cerious Graphene. The MSB has a Gigafoil 4 and .5m BJC Cat 6 Ethernet in front of it. The Nucleus+, GigaFoil, and Cisco are powered by a Keces P8 [I share this for info only, not to start a cable/power supply/network discussion].
The Susvara specs are:
Frequency Response : 6Hz-75kHz
Impedance : 60Ω
Sensitivity : 83dB
Weight : 450g (15.9oz)
It’s that 83db sensitivity that seems to be the challenge for most amps. Obviously, any amp capable of driving insensitive speakers would probably do just fine; pretty much all speaker amps and a few headphone amps. Say, something like a Schiit Vidar, which I initially used to drive my SR1a, would be fine. And it is fine. I tried it out one day on the Susvara, ad it didn’t sound half bad. I also own a HeadAmp GS-X Mk2 and an LTA Z10E. Both do quite fine by the Susvara, the Z10E to my ears slightly better than the HeadAmp, and at 2.5x in cost, one might hope so.

4. Initial Listening Impressions. I purchased the Primavera primarily for use with the Susvara. I also listened to my LCD-4, the MySphere 3.2, and the Focal Utopia. IIRC, a fellow Head-Fier opined that the Primavera would not be a good match for the Susvara due to a perceived impedance mismatch. I think this may have been speculative. Inasmuch as the Sus was one of the headphones used to voice the Primavera’s development, that strikes me as an odd speculation, but to each their own. There is no impedance mismatch I can discern. The Trafomatic does not have a 60Ω setting, but it’s 50Ω setting is more than close enough. In the well-done owner’s manual. the user is cautioned that an impedance higher than a headphone’s rated impedance will likely cause distortion [it does], while one lower than the headphone’s rating should be fine [it is].

The tracks I listened to repeatedly [there were many more, but these I made into an evaluation-specific playlist]:​
ARTIST,​
ALBUM​
TRACK​
Chris Rea,The Road To Hell,The Road To Hell 1 & 2
Cowboy JunkiesTrinity RevisitedBlue Moon Revisited
NirvanaNirvanaThe Man Who Sold The World
Manu KatchéUnstaticUnstatic
GoGo PenguinV2.0Murmuration
Mark KnopflerShangri-LaBoom, Like That
Dead Can DanceInto The LabyrinthYulunga
Fiona Joy HawkinsInto The MistOpus 1-3
Yo Yo MaVivaldi’s CelloCello Concerto in C minor
Robert Shaw & ASOVerdi RequiemDies Irae
Ozzy OsbourneOzzmosisPerry Mason
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto TrioMidnight SugarMidnight Sugar
Massive AttackMezzanineTeardrops
PropellerheadsDecksanddrumsandrockandrollTake California
Dire StraitsBrothers In ArmsOne World
Getz/GilbertoGetz/GilbertoThe Girl From Ipanema
Boz ScaggsDigThanks To You
Dire StraitsBrothers In ArmsBrothers In Arms
Linkin ParkMeteoraBreaking The Habit
RushMoving PicturesTom Sawyer
Jim KeltnerSheffield Drum & Track DiscAmuseum
Steely DanAjaJosie
SupertrampCrime of the CenturySchool
Black DubBlack DubSurely
The AIX All Star BandMoonlight AcousticaMoonlight Acoustica
Pink FloydA Momentary Lapse of ReasonSorrow
Eddie MoneyPlaylistTake Me Home Tonight
Dead Can DanceLabyrinthThe Wind That Shakes the Barley
Fazil SayComplete Beethoven SonatasSonata No. 14 [Moonlight]
Peter GabrielSoMercy Street

Here’s the TLDR version: the Primavera makes the Susvara. It makes it as good as, maybe better than the Stax SR-009S in all but the most minute and intimate of detail, and on female vocal, percussion, and piano transients. In the ability to disambiguate layers, it is on par with the Stax/T2 combo. From a PRAT, slam, presence, and richness perspective, it exceeds the RAAL | Requisite SR1a, though it is audibly inferior to the SR1a in detail and speed, transient attack and decay. So is everything else.

5. Specific SQ Topics.
a.It’s really tough to beat the Stax SR-009S/T2 combo on piano and female vocals. As wonderful as the SR1a is, it sometimes feels like the speed takes precedence over the fullness. Depending on the recording location—e.g., a church vs. a studio, the size of the hall, etc.—and how much “air” one desires around one’s ears, one can easily find the SR1a and the Stax a tossup. But if one wants to really hear and feel the orchestra during something magnificent like Verdi’s Requiem, neither the SR1a nor the 009/S can deliver what the Primavera/Susvara can. This is also true of smaller scale stuff, like GoGo Penguin’s Murmuration, which has some visceral bass lines in the build up to its climax. The Stax and RAAL simply cannot do what the Susvara does with the Trafomatic. Similarly, the Cowboy Junkies’ Blue Moon Revisited reveals some significant differences between the cans. There are wonderful bass lines in this track, that the Sus reproduces better than the other two cans. But there is also soundstage, air, and transients that both the SR1a and Stax reproduce slightly more realistically. [Note: I apply some EQ in Roon to the SR1a when listening, to bring the bass up a touch, but it’s still no match for the Sus. and sometimes the Stax.]

b.I mentioned disambiguating layers above. Take a recording from the old Phil Spector wall of sound era, or a more modern equivalent like Eddie Money’s Take Me Home Tonight, or almost any massed symphonic/choral work like the Requiem or Beethoven’s 9th. The Susvara will separate and reveal the various layers upon layers that such recordings deliver [either as a bit of a gimmick in the Spector case, or more naturally in a symphonic hall]. On my HeadAmp and Z10E, those layers are more “congested” on the Susvara, and thus quite a bit less desirable than the TOTL amps for the Stax and the RAAL. But that changes with the Trafomatic. Like peeling and reassembling all the layers of an onion, or some Tony Stark virtual 3D design holography, both the whole and the parts become audible.The Susvara is not quite as fast as the Stax, or the SR1a, but its presentation of the fuller audio spectrum provides proper weight, and thus imaging and location, to those instruments that produce the bass lines. Cymbal crashes may be slightly thicker, but the tympanis nearby are more realistic.

c.For some people, electrostats can be a bit zingy. I think that is usually a shortcoming in the amplification, but maybe not all of it. A good planar should have none of that, and very nearly all the speed of the electrostat. The Susvara does. I found myself replaying some tracks like Blue Moon Revisited and Murmuration over and over again, just to delight in the balanced combo of speed and top-to-bottom SQ.

d.I apologize to anyone who is offended by this, but the LCD-4 is just not in the discussion. Whether on the Primavera or the HeadAmp or the Z10E, it comes across as too warm even dark, veiled, and thick. I had not listened to my LCD-4 in quite some time; I was startled at how poorly it compared to the other cans. On bass, it thumped all the others but the Susvara, but that’s not enough to carry the day. Granted, I am a bit of a speed and detail freak, but compared to the other three cans, the LCD-4 sounded veiled and a bit sluggish.

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6. Conclusion. Although I have been without my SR1a for a couple fo weeks while the HSA-1a is having some updates fitted, I have little doubt that it will return to being my favorite overall listening kit, because of its amazing transient speed, air, and soundstage, while the Susvara/Primavera will be my 1a listening choice. But I could be wrong. We’ll see. That slam is awfully addictive. I don’t love my T2/009S combo any less, but its use case has been narrowed. If I want air, speed, the sense of shimmer, and a little more comfort as compared to the SR1a, I will listen to the Stax. But for overall top-to-bottom SQ, the Susvara/Primavera is my new #1.

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May 22, 2020 at 1:13 PM Post #3 of 104
So how would you rank each for resolution, bass & stage width?

SR1a/HSA-1a
Susvara/Primavera
T2/009S
Well, I think I made the bass ranking pretty clear. 😉 Still, here’s a quick rank:
ResolutionBassStage
009/T2222a
SR1a/HSA-1a1*31
Susvara/Primavera31*2b

The asterisks indicate that the difference between #1 and the others is significant. All other rankings are matters of smaller degree.

I don’t find this approach very satisfactory though. Unfortunately, I think we do too much of audio this way. And it creates a false sense of hierarchy. For example, I find the RAAL combo an unbelievable value for the extraordinary resolution, detail, speed, and air. But if you’ve gotta have real bass, where you (think you) can feel the depths of the piano, the interior wood of the bass, or the organ pipes, it’s a non-starter. If you want the sense of an earfield monitor, rather than cups on your head, it’s one of your best choices (along with the excellent MySphere). And the value of the RAAL is just amazing. For less than $4k, and an amp you might already own, you have a TOTL headphone experience. And for less than another $1k, you can add the Schiit JotR to drive it beautifully. From a cost perspective, compared to the other two here, it’s a no-brainer. As long as you don’t need extended bass,

Similarly, neither the 009S nor the Susvara provides as good a side-to-side or front-to-back soundstage as the SR1a, but they’re still quite rewarding. Considering they are headphones, both have among the better soundstages out there. Both manage to create some illusion of a stage just forward of the listener and with greater width than the size of one’s head. So, there’s no bad in that category for either headphone. They’re just not as good as the SR1a.

Anyway.
 
Oct 5, 2020 at 1:38 PM Post #4 of 104
@Pale Rider Have you done any head-to-head comparisons between the Primavera and the Woo Audio WA33 Elite? Those seem to be the most comparable HP tube amps in terms of price.
 
Oct 5, 2020 at 1:44 PM Post #5 of 104
@Pale Rider Have you done any head-to-head comparisons between the Primavera and the Woo Audio WA33 Elite? Those seem to be the most comparable HP tube amps in terms of price.
No, I haven't. I've never been a huge Woo fan. :wink: I've only heard them at meets, but just never went gaga over them, though then I was usually on an electrostatic bent and determined to spend time with things like Blue Hawaii, Carbon, etc. I remain very pleased with the Primavera. I have never heard anything like it on dynamic or planar cans.
 
Oct 5, 2020 at 2:01 PM Post #6 of 104
I wish there was a way to demo the Primavera. I'm in search of a TOTL tube amp to drive 1266 TC and Susvaras. Torn between this and the WA33 Elite.

@Pale Rider Do you tube roll the Primavera?
 
Oct 8, 2020 at 8:24 PM Post #7 of 104
I can only imagine this amp. The Head 2 is fantastic. Guess I’ll have to settle for my Auris Nirvana sigh:wink:
 
Oct 19, 2020 at 10:58 AM Post #8 of 104
Hello,

here I am again. And today with some sound impressions to the TRAFOMATIC PRIMAVERA. Please forgive the partly inaccurate wording, but English is not my mother language, you know... :wink:

The headphone amplifier of the small manufacturer from Mladenovac not only marks the tube-reinforced top model of the Serbs, but confidently and blatantly claims a top position in the sound Olympics. And already the dimensions of the classic tube amplifier leave no doubt that the Serbian manufacturer wants to set a striking and clear exclamation mark with regard to the aforementioned ambitions.

Tube Amplifier Par Excellence

With dimensions of 340 x 480 x 240 mm (W x D x H) and a weight of a proud 30 kg, probably no inexperienced newcomer to the illustrious circle of the Grail Knights of Sound would think that the TRAFOMATIC PRIMAVERA, given these dimensions, could actually be the drive unit for an ear loudspeaker. The single-ended Tube-beau is a handmade small series product that impresses with its excellent workmanship and feel and IMO a very successful material mix of chrome- plated, brushed and painted steel and aluminum elements.

Also, completely separate power supplies for both channels, as well as high-quality internal components such as selected Mundorf capacitors, highly inductive filter chokes and oversized output transformers from own production are proof of the manufacturer's efforts to create a monumental masterpiece in this product series. Moreover, TRAFOMATIC AUDIO also manufactures the headphone amplifier in any desired RAL color, and even the type of coating (soft-touch or glossy lacquer surfaces) can be freely selected by the customer. Against surcharge of course.

Each PRIMAVERA is therefore unique, which is usually only manufactured individually after the order has been placed. Currently only a few units per year leave the holy halls in Mladenovac, which again underlines the worldwide exclusivity. Especially since the official sales price in Europe is settling at a whopping 11,999 Euros (14,999 US$).
Thus the TRAFOMATIC PRIMAVERA is almost on a par with a VIVA EGOISTA 845 (12,800 €), or the WOO AUDIO WA33 in the Elite Edition (14,999 US$). So it almost goes without saying that the Serbian tube amp also offers the performance values that are usual in this class.

Power Rules

The PRIMAVERA provides identical 2 x 9 watts into 50 ohms at both its 4-pin XLR and the mandatory 6.3 mm Neutrik socket. The same applies of course to the two 3-pin outputs in the immediate vicinity. Not bad for a single-ended DHT (Directly Heated Triode) tube amp in pure Class-A operation. However, the maximum power consumption of 280 watts is not bad either. This is probably also due to the power-hungry amplifier layout with strictly selected pairs of tubes, consisting of 2 x 6S45P in the preamp section and 2 x SV811-10 power tubes.

Due to a sensitively graded impedance adjustment from 25 - 600 ohms, the potentially high-quality playing partners are also perfectly conditioned for their sonic purpose - to help the Knight of the Grail of fine tones in combination with the Serbian alpha-player to achieve a unique musical adventure. Of course, the TRAFOMATIC PRIMAVERA is also capable of handling the most demanding headphone loads on the planet due to its enormous power reserves.

For this reason, I chose the HIFIMAN SUSVARA as the ear loudspeaker for the following listening test. With an efficiency of 83 dB/mW, it is not necessarily one of the most efficiently headphones. The Chinese/American ear loudspeaker also mercilessly expose every acoustic weakness of the player, no matter how small. On the other hand, the ABYSS AB1266 PHI TC, which is also relatively insensitive, is given an extensive playing time on the TRAFOMATIC PRIMAVERA, in order to fully sound out the spatial imaging capabilities of the Serbian tube amplifier in addition to determining the bass qualities.

The signal source is my iMAC equipped with AUDIRVANA+ software. The BAKOON DAC21, which plays very "analog", prepares the digital fare for the PRIMAVERA in a first- class manner. The signal cable (USB + RCA) is made up of my well-proven CHORD EPIC- series strips, the power cable for the TRAFOMATIC is provided by SHUNYATA RESEARCH in form of an ALPHA-HC. Further information about the TRAFOMATIC PRIMAVERA can be found on the homepage of the Serbian manufacturer Trafomatic.com

Sonic Tube Olympic

Before I start the technical sound assessment, I allow the TRAFOMATIC PRIMAVERA an almost obligatory 50 hours of recording time. Experience has shown that the bass response of tube amplifiers is particularly improved afterwards.

And in combination with the AB1266 PHI TC the bass range is really something special. Not only does the bass reach down ultra-deep and really plumb the very last corner of the frequency cellar accurately and without noticeable pressure loss, it also has an excellent, albeit rather slim structure and convinces with a bone dry and impulse-fast attack.
Regardless of the listening level, the PRIMAVERA never shows signs of acoustic fatigue, maintains control effortlessly and confidently, and fires the American monster with bass attacks that make me fear and anxiety about the durability of the orthodynamic radiator's wafer-thin membrane material.

The TRAFOMATIC doses the bass volume in a masterly manner and ensures that the bass range does not overlap the fundamental range at any time. The base tone is not of an earthy, warm nature, which is rather untypical for tube amplifiers, but clearly maintains the neutral line and thus serves as a natural, because at the same time substantial, basis for the mid-range relevant to the sound. And especially in the mid frequency range the PRIMAVERA shows impressively what the Serbian tube amp is made of. This dreamlike exact measure of acoustic imaging, precise focusing and at the same time razor-sharp changes of voices and instruments has to be experienced to be believed.

At the same time, the TRAFOMATIC combines plasticity and airiness in an impressive way, so that in spite of the well-known excessive stage imaging of the AB1266 PHI TC, a pinpoint exact location is possible at any time without any problems. In addition, the respective actors are always placed transparently in the spatial context in the correct proportion. This is undoubtedly world class. The musical reproduction, however, is free of a flowery play of timbres, partly because the large ABYSS does not necessarily prefer this, and partly because the PRIMAVERA is committed to the most neutral reproduction possible.

The TRAFOMATIC also proves a great deal of sensitivity for rhythm and timing and, in combination with the headphone legend by Joe Skubinski, provides the now completely enthusiastic Knight of the Grail, that’s me, with a musically highly emotional experience. Especially as this congenial combination also makes a lasting impression in the high frequency range. Even the smallest tonal ramifications are resolved in detail and without any sharpness with a delicate tube meltdown. In addition, reverberation vanes appear completely natural, resulting in an absolutely authentic spatial impression.

With regard to the dynamic power reserves, no wishes remain unfulfilled. Because the TRAFOMATIC PRIMAVERA is able to unleash an acoustic storm attack on the eardrums without any compression whatsoever, which is unrivalled. And also the superb fine dynamics meet the highest demands. Just this great. Hard to imagine that this performance can be topped. Nevertheless, the interaction with the HIFIMAN SUSVARA teaches me better. And once again it shows me that Aristotle can't be completely wrong. For the whole is more than the sum of its parts.

Bass quality and quantity in combination with the SUSVARA reach almost the ideal state. Draft, pressure and volume in absolute harmony, especially since the somewhat more powerful bass of the HIFIMAN is perfectly levelled out by the PRIMAVERA's slim contours compared to the ABYSS. In addition, the Serb drums precisely to the point with raven black basses.

Also in the mid and high frequency range the TRAFOMATIC PRIMAVERA always maintains the perfect musical balance in combination with the masterpiece of Dr. Fang Bian - in a fascinating way at the same time. Based on a slightly more vivid base tone, any musical journey is not only drawn with the finest brush and individual tonal events are reproduced in breadth and depth in an extremely airy and spacious manner, but also coherently united to form a great whole. A three-dimensional masterpiece.

My Conclusion

No question at all. In my opinion the TRAFOMATIC PRIMAVERA is one of the very best tube amplifiers for operation via ear loudspeakers, that you can buy for money.
It combines the fundamental strengths of the tube principle such as impulse speed, spatial imaging and naturalness with the outstanding performance of transistor amplifiers, garnishes them with a proper pinch of emotion and impresses with highly dynamic and unrestrained joy of playing.

The fact that the PRIMAVERA does without the sound characteristics of classical tube amplifiers, such as an exuberant richness of tone color and a sometimes unrealistic size representation, is in my opinion highly to be credited.

Unfortunately, the Serbian super-tube will probably continue to be rarely found in the wild in the future. Especially since the TRAFOMATIC PRIMAVERA is only awarded by the Serbian manufactory to hand-picked knights of the Grail of the very finest tones in return for a not inconsiderable monetary tribute.

This amplifier is without doubt a musical dream. And dreaming may finally be allowed. :)

Yours Fidelio

Trafomatic Primavera.jpg
 
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Oct 19, 2020 at 4:09 PM Post #9 of 104
@Musicalhead Thank you for this beautiful review. Despite English not being your native language, it was incredibly well written and has an almost romantic quality to it. I am thrilled that you reviewed it with both the Abyss 1266 TC and Susvara, as those are my two current HPs. I am in search of a TOTL tube amp, and it is down to either the Primavera or WA33 Elite. In terms of direct comparison between the Primavera and WA33 Elite, are you familiar enough with the latter to make a head-to-head comparison?
 
Oct 19, 2020 at 4:35 PM Post #10 of 104
Hi Jonathan,

unfortunately, I currently do not have the possibility to compare the two headphone amplifiers directly.

However, only recently I had the opportunity to listen to the Elite Edition of the WA33 at one of my friends in combination with the ABYSS AB1266 PHI TC. Jack's big tube amp definitely has IMO the warmer timbre compared to the PRIMAVERA, which is a little bit more analytical. That's why I liked the slightly more substantial SUSVARA on the TRAFOMATIC a tiny trace better.

But of course this is purely a matter of taste...:wink:

Greetings
Fidelio
 
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Oct 22, 2020 at 5:16 AM Post #11 of 104
Hello,

here I am again. And today with some sound impressions to the TRAFOMATIC PRIMAVERA. Please forgive the partly inaccurate wording, but English is not my mother language, you know... :wink:

The headphone amplifier of the small manufacturer from Mladenovac not only marks the tube-reinforced top model of the Serbs, but confidently and blatantly claims a top position in the sound Olympics. And already the dimensions of the classic tube amplifier leave no doubt that the Serbian manufacturer wants to set a striking and clear exclamation mark with regard to the aforementioned ambitions.

Tube Amplifier Par Excellence

With dimensions of 340 x 480 x 240 mm (W x D x H) and a weight of a proud 30 kg, probably no inexperienced newcomer to the illustrious circle of the Grail Knights of Sound would think that the TRAFOMATIC PRIMAVERA, given these dimensions, could actually be the drive unit for an ear loudspeaker. The single-ended Tube-beau is a handmade small series product that impresses with its excellent workmanship and feel and IMO a very successful material mix of chrome- plated, brushed and painted steel and aluminum elements.

Also, completely separate power supplies for both channels, as well as high-quality internal components such as selected Mundorf capacitors, highly inductive filter chokes and oversized output transformers from own production are proof of the manufacturer's efforts to create a monumental masterpiece in this product series. Moreover, TRAFOMATIC AUDIO also manufactures the headphone amplifier in any desired RAL color, and even the type of coating (soft-touch or glossy lacquer surfaces) can be freely selected by the customer. Against surcharge of course.

Each PRIMAVERA is therefore unique, which is usually only manufactured individually after the order has been placed. Currently only a few units per year leave the holy halls in Mladenovac, which again underlines the worldwide exclusivity. Especially since the official sales price in Europe is settling at a whopping 11,999 Euros (14,999 US$).
Thus the TRAFOMATIC PRIMAVERA is almost on a par with a VIVA EGOISTA 845 (12,800 €), or the WOO AUDIO WA33 in the Elite Edition (14,999 US$). So it almost goes without saying that the Serbian tube amp also offers the performance values that are usual in this class.

Power Rules

The PRIMAVERA provides identical 2 x 9 watts into 50 ohms at both its 4-pin XLR and the mandatory 6.3 mm Neutrik socket. The same applies of course to the two 3-pin outputs in the immediate vicinity. Not bad for a single-ended DHT (Directly Heated Triode) tube amp in pure Class-A operation. However, the maximum power consumption of 280 watts is not bad either. This is probably also due to the power-hungry amplifier layout with strictly selected pairs of tubes, consisting of 2 x 6S45P in the preamp section and 2 x SV811-10 power tubes.

Due to a sensitively graded impedance adjustment from 25 - 600 ohms, the potentially high-quality playing partners are also perfectly conditioned for their sonic purpose - to help the Knight of the Grail of fine tones in combination with the Serbian alpha-player to achieve a unique musical adventure. Of course, the TRAFOMATIC PRIMAVERA is also capable of handling the most demanding headphone loads on the planet due to its enormous power reserves.

For this reason, I chose the HIFIMAN SUSVARA as the ear loudspeaker for the following listening test. With an efficiency of 83 dB/mW, it is not necessarily one of the most efficiently headphones. The Chinese/American ear loudspeaker also mercilessly expose every acoustic weakness of the player, no matter how small. On the other hand, the ABYSS AB1266 PHI TC, which is also relatively insensitive, is given an extensive playing time on the TRAFOMATIC PRIMAVERA, in order to fully sound out the spatial imaging capabilities of the Serbian tube amplifier in addition to determining the bass qualities.

The signal source is my iMAC equipped with AUDIRVANA+ software. The BAKOON DAC21, which plays very "analog", prepares the digital fare for the PRIMAVERA in a first- class manner. The signal cable (USB + RCA) is made up of my well-proven CHORD EPIC- series strips, the power cable for the TRAFOMATIC is provided by SHUNYATA RESEARCH in form of an ALPHA-HC. Further information about the TRAFOMATIC PRIMAVERA can be found on the homepage of the Serbian manufacturer Trafomatic.com

Sonic Tube Olympic

Before I start the technical sound assessment, I allow the TRAFOMATIC PRIMAVERA an almost obligatory 50 hours of recording time. Experience has shown that the bass response of tube amplifiers is particularly improved afterwards.

And in combination with the AB1266 PHI TC the bass range is really something special. Not only does the bass reach down ultra-deep and really plumb the very last corner of the frequency cellar accurately and without noticeable pressure loss, it also has an excellent, albeit rather slim structure and convinces with a bone dry and impulse-fast attack.
Regardless of the listening level, the PRIMAVERA never shows signs of acoustic fatigue, maintains control effortlessly and confidently, and fires the American monster with bass attacks that make me fear and anxiety about the durability of the orthodynamic radiator's wafer-thin membrane material.

The TRAFOMATIC doses the bass volume in a masterly manner and ensures that the bass range does not overlap the fundamental range at any time. The base tone is not of an earthy, warm nature, which is rather untypical for tube amplifiers, but clearly maintains the neutral line and thus serves as a natural, because at the same time substantial, basis for the mid-range relevant to the sound. And especially in the mid frequency range the PRIMAVERA shows impressively what the Serbian tube amp is made of. This dreamlike exact measure of acoustic imaging, precise focusing and at the same time razor-sharp changes of voices and instruments has to be experienced to be believed.

At the same time, the TRAFOMATIC combines plasticity and airiness in an impressive way, so that in spite of the well-known excessive stage imaging of the AB1266 PHI TC, a pinpoint exact location is possible at any time without any problems. In addition, the respective actors are always placed transparently in the spatial context in the correct proportion. This is undoubtedly world class. The musical reproduction, however, is free of a flowery play of timbres, partly because the large ABYSS does not necessarily prefer this, and partly because the PRIMAVERA is committed to the most neutral reproduction possible.

The TRAFOMATIC also proves a great deal of sensitivity for rhythm and timing and, in combination with the headphone legend by Joe Skubinski, provides the now completely enthusiastic Knight of the Grail, that’s me, with a musically highly emotional experience. Especially as this congenial combination also makes a lasting impression in the high frequency range. Even the smallest tonal ramifications are resolved in detail and without any sharpness with a delicate tube meltdown. In addition, reverberation vanes appear completely natural, resulting in an absolutely authentic spatial impression.

With regard to the dynamic power reserves, no wishes remain unfulfilled. Because the TRAFOMATIC PRIMAVERA is able to unleash an acoustic storm attack on the eardrums without any compression whatsoever, which is unrivalled. And also the superb fine dynamics meet the highest demands. Just this great. Hard to imagine that this performance can be topped. Nevertheless, the interaction with the HIFIMAN SUSVARA teaches me better. And once again it shows me that Aristotle can't be completely wrong. For the whole is more than the sum of its parts.

Bass quality and quantity in combination with the SUSVARA reach almost the ideal state. Draft, pressure and volume in absolute harmony, especially since the somewhat more powerful bass of the HIFIMAN is perfectly levelled out by the PRIMAVERA's slim contours compared to the ABYSS. In addition, the Serb drums precisely to the point with raven black basses.

Also in the mid and high frequency range the TRAFOMATIC PRIMAVERA always maintains the perfect musical balance in combination with the masterpiece of Dr. Fang Bian - in a fascinating way at the same time. Based on a slightly more vivid base tone, any musical journey is not only drawn with the finest brush and individual tonal events are reproduced in breadth and depth in an extremely airy and spacious manner, but also coherently united to form a great whole. A three-dimensional masterpiece.

My Conclusion

No question at all. In my opinion the TRAFOMATIC PRIMAVERA is one of the very best tube amplifiers for operation via ear loudspeakers, that you can buy for money.
It combines the fundamental strengths of the tube principle such as impulse speed, spatial imaging and naturalness with the outstanding performance of transistor amplifiers, garnishes them with a proper pinch of emotion and impresses with highly dynamic and unrestrained joy of playing.

The fact that the PRIMAVERA does without the sound characteristics of classical tube amplifiers, such as an exuberant richness of tone color and a sometimes unrealistic size representation, is in my opinion highly to be credited.

Unfortunately, the Serbian super-tube will probably continue to be rarely found in the wild in the future. Especially since the TRAFOMATIC PRIMAVERA is only awarded by the Serbian manufactory to hand-picked knights of the Grail of the very finest tones in return for a not inconsiderable monetary tribute.

This amplifier is without doubt a musical dream. And dreaming may finally be allowed. :)

Yours Fidelio

Trafomatic Primavera.jpg
You really have a memorable writing style. I didn't look at the user name and after the first two paragraphs, I was thinking "this reads like a review from Fidelio"

As always a high quality review.

Any chances on a thorough review of the Woo Audio WA33 (normal or elite) or the two top amps of Cayin (HA-300 and HA-6A) ?
 
Oct 22, 2020 at 3:00 PM Post #12 of 104
Hi Thanatos VI,

at the moment I still have some test devices in the pipeline until Christmas. But maybe I will write to Jack for a WA33 in the next months. And btw, I already have contact to Cayin, too...😉

Greetings
Wolfgang
 
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Oct 26, 2020 at 2:03 PM Post #13 of 104
Does anyone have any experience pairing the Primavera with the DCS Bartok? I am building my end-game headphone setup and curious to know how DCS would pair with the Trafomatic.

I have to admit i am all over the place with the amplifier pairing for the Bartok, i've also been looking at the Luxman P750u. The main issue is the ability to demo any of the amps i'm thinking about given both Covid and the fact that both of these amps are only sparingly found in the wild
 
Oct 26, 2020 at 2:24 PM Post #15 of 104
Does anyone have any experience pairing the Primavera with the DCS Bartok? I am building my end-game headphone setup and curious to know how DCS would pair with the Trafomatic.

I have to admit i am all over the place with the amplifier pairing for the Bartok, i've also been looking at the Luxman P750u. The main issue is the ability to demo any of the amps i'm thinking about given both Covid and the fact that both of these amps are only sparingly found in the wild

I can't speak to the Primavera paired with the Bartok, as I haven't demoed either, but in terms of helping you narrow down your selection....What is your budget and do you have a preference for SS vs tube? I only ask because the Primavera is a $15,000 tube amp and the Luxman P750u is a $5000 SS amp; hence your statement of being all over the place :wink:
 

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