Oxford Crystal Reference restoration

[peter]

Maybe I skimped a little on the photos of the Primare, forgetting about the optional remote control with touch sensitive pads. The shape/size of the remote is such that it would fit where the switches on the front panel are (if you took out the switches). The silkscreen has worn off on the pad next to STANDBY which should say MUTE.



The little box is the sensor which is on a long lead that plugs into the back of the preamp allowing you to place it wherever



The box honed from a solid hunk of aluminium and is the heaviest remote I have. The tech is bleeding edge for the time.



Fitted new battery, sensor box again here, you can see the logo in the front (there is a transparent section under the bottom of the omega that the sensor sees through)



and the bottom panel also machined from aluminium.



It controls the volume control (a stepped attenuator) using a stepper motor



One other photo showing a blown tantalum (serious kaboom stuff) just follow the blue wire...



Back panel. The fuseholder is now gone and the hole is used for the new DC power cable arrangement.



I sit my preamp on a speaker stand so it is right next to the T/T and the MC wires are therefore very short. IMO this matches the turntable and looks better than just putting it on a table. I had Acoustat 2+2 originally so everything was tall or on stalks!

[MartinT]

Gosh, no wonder that Primare cost a lot of dosh, it must have cost them a packet to build each one. What happened to the company?

[peter]

Gosh, no wonder that Primare cost a lot of dosh, it must have cost them a packet to build each one. What happened to the company?

"The man" behind he original stuff is Bo Christensen, I do hate cult of personality articles but the information is in these. If Primare is still going it is perhaps going a different way now.

Bo Christensen - Stereophile

and here

[The Grand Wazoo]

They're still going:
http://www.primare.net/

.........but don't appear to have a UK presence

[Spectral Morn]

I too lusted after one of these at the time and having seen yours I still do The 920 series was and is still very tasty looking and no doubt sounding.... though I have never heard them.

Bo went on to form Bow Technologies which also make/made some stunning looking kit. http://www.inner-magazines.com/news/...-Technologies/

Not sure if Bow Technologies are still trading ?

Regards D S D L

[Reid Malenfant]

Well blow me down if i don't see an LF353 in a top quality bit of kit from yesteryear

Stanley B eat your heart out

If it's good enough for Primare then i'm sure they were good enough for a homemade active crossover on veroboard back in the early 90s made by myself

Thanks for the post & picture Peter Much appreciated...

[The Grand Wazoo]

Bo went on to form Bow Technologies which also make/made some stunning looking kit.

Ah yes, how could I forget the Bow Wazoo?!!
A recent interview with Bo Christensen here (Feb 2010)
http://www.inner-magazines.com/news/...-Technologies/

[peter]

Well blow me down if i don't see an LF353 in a top quality bit of kit from yesteryear

Stanley B eat your heart out

If it's good enough for Primare then i'm sure they were good enough for a homemade active crossover on veroboard back in the early 90s made by myself

Thanks for the post & picture Peter Much appreciated...

Well at least it is a Motorola one

But you weren't paying attention earlier, here are some LF353s in the CJ Premier 4, a green-spot matched pair in fact

[It Cost How Much!?!]

But first, I needed to resolve the hum with the Primare. This is largely caused by coupling of EM radiation from the transformer on the right of the box via the lid to the left of the box (where the MC board is).

You can't operate the Preamp without the lid as this also serves as the heatsink for the regulators - rock/hardplace.

Inspired by what I saw over in the DIY section, I made a new DC supply and stuffed it in a PC PSU box, which also now provides some mains filtering power switch and a fan. Here it is.



The fan is wired across one of the the resistors in the Pi filter, so it goes around very slowly and is not audible.



The preamp now has much reduced levels hum, so now we can do some listening.



.

enjoy.
peter

Very interesting thread, especially to me as I have a Oxford Acoustics Crystal Reference / SME V / Lyra Helikon and some Primare 928 power amps (in white). Quality items indeed and built to last. I am seeking a 928 pre and also a Gryphon Pre also.

I purchased my Oxford from Snoopdog on this forum and its he who pointed me to this thread

[hifi_dave]

After the failure of Bow Technology, Bo started up on his own again for a short while but ( to my knowledge) no products appeared in this country.

The original Bow products were beautifully put together, superbly finished and (obviously) stunning styling. Unfortunately, the sound quality didn't live up to the promise and there were various quirky features which made them a difficult sell.