UNISON RESEARCH UNICO PRIMO

Pre owned. In good condition. Shows some signs of wear as shown in the photos. Comes with remote control, manual, and original packaging.

Equipped with phono board.

The Unico Primo is an 80-watt Class A hybrid integrated stereo amplifier that represents one of the most recognizable expressions of the design philosophy of Unison Research. Its elegant and contemporary design, at once solid and artisanal, incorporates advanced technological solutions and a build quality that reflects the long-standing tradition of the Treviso-based company, long appreciated for its attention to detail and its balance between aesthetics and function.

The circuit architecture is hybrid, combining a tube input stage with a transistor output section, a choice that allows musicality and control to merge within a single compact design. The preamplification stage employs an ECC83 tube, capable of imparting naturalness, warmth, and rich harmonic content to the sound, while the output stage uses Dynamic Class A MOSFETs, delivering power with continuity, precision, and excellent loudspeaker control.

Conceived as the entry-level model of the renowned Unico line, the Unico Primo preserves the brand’s core values, such as solid construction, rigorous component selection, and assembly carried out with an almost tailor-made approach. Carefully studied proportions and refined finishes contribute to a sober yet distinctive aesthetic, allowing it to integrate naturally into any dedicated listening environment.

Its sonic performance arises from the balance typical of hybrid architectures: the sweetness and musicality of the tube input stage combine with the speed, current capability, and low-frequency control provided by solid-state devices. The result is a fluid and engaging sound, particularly expressive in the mid and high frequencies, yet at the same time precise and authoritative in the bass, with a responsive and well-articulated dynamic behavior.

The power supply section has been designed with particular care and uses an encapsulated toroidal transformer along with oversized filtering capacitors, solutions that enhance dynamic response, low-frequency solidity, and transient attack. This configuration allows the amplifier to maintain coherence and stability even at higher volume levels, consistently preserving tonal quality.

The Unico Primo is equipped with a low-impedance active stereo output for connecting a subwoofer, and this specific unit features an integrated RIAA phono board, enabling direct connection of a turntable without the need for additional accessories, making it especially versatile and complete from the very first use.

At the heart of the project lies the philosophy of Giovanni Maria Sacchetti, a long-time advocate of integrated electronics as the ideal solution for optimizing the integration of different sections, minimizing the signal path, and maintaining uniform tonal coherence. This approach requires extensive design experience to avoid internal interference, an area in which the Italian company demonstrates the expertise gained through decades of Hi-Fi manufacturing.

Alongside this vision, Unison Research also emphasizes the use of local suppliers, favoring components sourced within a limited geographical radius of its production facility. Design, research, assembly, and testing all take place entirely in Italy, in the Treviso laboratories, thanks to the work of a team of engineers and technicians united by a deep passion for music and high fidelity.

The Unico Primo thus presents itself as a compact yet ambitious amplifier, capable of encapsulating technology, experience, and musical sensitivity within a single component. A concrete example of Italian style and design, created to make accessible to a wider audience the musicality that has made the brand’s tube electronics famous, without sacrificing quality, reliability, or listening pleasure.

Technical specifications:

• Output power: >80 W continuous RMS into 8 Ω
• Output stage: POWER MOSFET in complementary pair
• Biasing: Dynamic Class A
• Input stage: Class A triodes
• Tubes: 1 x ECC83 (12AX7)
• Sensitivity: 260 mV
• Input impedance: 50 kΩ / 47 pF
• Frequency response: -0.1 dB at 10 Hz / -0.5 dB at 100 kHz
• Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR): 90 dB
• Total harmonic distortion (THD): 0.15% @ 10 W, 1 kHz
• Feedback factor: 10 dB
• Damping factor: >50
• Inputs: 5 line RCA, 1 tape RCA
• Outputs: 1 tape RCA, 1 subwoofer RCA
• Speaker terminals: 4 + 4 for bi-wiring
• Remote control: Infrared (IR) volume control
• Power consumption: 380 W max
• Dimensions (W x D x H): 43.5 x 43 x 9.5 cm
• Net weight: 14 kg

Phono stage:

• Input impedance: 47 kΩ / 220 pF (MM); 100 Ω / 440 pF (MC)
• Gain: MM 40 dB; MC 50 dB
• Gain selection: +0 dB; +10 dB
• Maximum input voltage: 120 mV @ 1 kHz (MM)
• RIAA equalization: active at low frequencies; passive at high frequencies
• THD: 0.09% @ 5 mV, 1 kHz