Primare SC15 Prisma MK2 Network Player and DAC

The front end of a system, minus the power amplifier

The Primare SC15 Prisma MK2 is a network player, converter and preamplifier in one compact chassis, built for systems where the power amplification is handled separately or by active speakers. It runs an ESS ES9028Q2M converter, takes eight digital and analogue inputs, and its output can be switched between fixed and variable. The MK2 revision added room correction, run from the Prisma app, and it carries a WiSA output for wireless active speakers.

Why You'll Love It

• Room correction without a rack of gear. Auto and manual EQ run from the Prisma app, which addresses the room, and the room is usually the largest problem in any system.
• Variable output, so it drives anything. Switch the output to variable and it feeds a power amplifier or active speakers directly, with no separate preamplifier in the chain.
• Wireless speakers, properly. The WiSA output connects compatible active speakers without speaker cable, which solves rooms where running cable is not an option.

Under the Hood

• ESS ES9028Q2M 32-bit converter with HyperStream architecture and Time Domain Jitter Eliminator, handling PCM to 384kHz and 32-bit and DSD256 over USB-B.
• THD plus noise below 0.005% from 20Hz to 20kHz, signal to noise better than 100dB, frequency response 20Hz to 20kHz at -0.3dB.
• Ultra low noise switch mode supply with capacitive storage, feeding an output stage switchable between fixed and variable at 150Ω.

CHT Insider Verdict

This is the most flexible box in the 15 series and the one that makes the most sense if you already own power amplification or are going active. The room EQ is the genuinely useful part and it is not something most competitors at this price offer at all. Note the Android version of the EQ setup needs a measurement microphone, so check what your phone platform requires before you plan the install.

Pro Tip: Run the room correction with the system in its final position and the room in its normal state, doors and curtains included. Measuring an empty room and then filling it with furniture gives you a correction curve for a room that no longer exists.