unison research unico p

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• Audiokarma System Building
• Equipment Reviews & Opinions

Unison Research Unico P

• Thread starter Art K.
• Start date Apr 12, 2009

The Voodoo You Do!

• Apr 12, 2009

Here are some of my thoughts on the Unico. Unison Research Unico P System used for audition: Rega R5 speakers Rega Apollo cd player Rega P3-24 turntable w/Dynavector 10x5 All van den Hul cables. I’ve been living in my usual state of audio dissatisfaction for quite sometime. I enjoyed my all Rega system but something has been lacking. It felt kind of gray or uninteresting to me. I’ve tried various speakers without enhancing my overall level of happiness…oh sure one speaker had better imaging or better bass response but in the end it wasn’t long before I was reaching for the old familiar R5’s. So now what…can’t afford any new gear and I really, really don’t want to make another lateral move….oh well, live with it. Then enters the Unico P. So I’m talking with a friend of mine who is familiar with my gear and he says “it ain’t gonna improve until you bid farewell to the Mira 3”….but I love my Mira 3, it matches my Apollo and has a fabulous phono stage…”so be it”. So I’m browsing a used HiFi store’s online inventory when I see this Unico P for less than I figure my Mira 3 is worth…hmm, I’ve heard good things about those…I wonder. I shoot ’em an email and his reply was; “Thanks for your email. We were listening to the Unico on Saturday and heard a distinctive hum in both channels so I am going to have my technician check it out this week. If it get's a clean bill of health, I'll email you right away. For now, I'll remove it from the website.” Thus began the saga of the great transaction…a couple of days later it was; The Unison is in the hands of our best surgeon right now. I think a tube simply went but we want to check the bias and make sure everything it okay. It will be 2 weeks until it's available again as he wants to test it under extreme hot and cold temperatures. Sorry for the delay. Hmm…so I waited 2 weeks and called….”I’m sorry but our tech has been out with personal issues…” oy vey! Finally and at long last I got the call, “we’re shipping it down for your audition” Yippie! Moments of disappointment quickly turn to excitement, followed by disappointment, followed by excitement and finally contentment. When I arrived home from work last Thursday (½ hour early…I was fortunate enough to have a power outage at work) there sat a box on the front porch…Unico Research clearly legible on the box. Excited as I was I had promised my wife and that we would go to dinner with her daughter and granddaughter. So I slipped the box into the house and split. Two long hrs later I was ready to start the listening. It took me all of 10 minutes to switch out the amps and prepare for listening. Disappointment First impression was that of a rather warm presentation but a bit dense with poor imaging but decent timbre. It had promise but that promise wasn’t realized yet…then I remembered a review I read while waiting for the unit to be repaired. The reviewer stated; “This amp scored a clear hit with all our listeners. It seems to have ticked all the boxes, and what's more the impression it made started well but got better. The praise began cautiously, with a warning note about slight veiling, but by the third track comments were uniformly positive.” http://www.techradar.com/reviews/audio-visual/hi-fi-and-audio/amplifiers/unison- unico-p-278302/review So I felt that some patience might be rewarded…but dadburnit patient I’m not! Excitement As the first evening wore on the amp sounded better and better. I was very impressed by now…however I had no idea what was to come. Night number 2..by Friday night the unit had been on 24 hrs and it was time to begin listening to music that has been giving my system a hard time. Music that I enjoy but that requires something special to really bring it out. What I was expecting to do is listen for sibilance, brightness, timbre, soundstage, imaging and all of those other audiophile goodies….what caught me by surprise was something altogether unexpected. Remember this if nothing else about this amp…it communicates music and it flat boogies. This reminds me of what Frank Abela said long ago about the Mira 3, it has pace and timing but lacks Rhythm when compared to Naim…uh yeah and now compared to the Unico P. The sense of rhythm that I experienced with the Unico is part of another phenomenon with this amp that blew my mind…it’s ability to articulate every line in a piece of music and weave it together where it all makes sense both individually as expressions of an artists ability and together as a coherent piece of art. Music that I liked before I now love as I can hear and more importantly feel all of it. I can now follow all of the lines in a piece of music while still tapping my toe to the overall piece…what a joy! A great cd to listen to to feel what I’m talking about is the Luciana Souza’s Brazilian Duos disc. When it’s right she sounds dynamic with an incredible ability to communicate, her voice like the body of a gymnast moves with speed and cat like precision and her timbre is rich. Lucinda Williams often sounds sibilant and her lyrics brilliant but a bit difficult to understand…not with the Unico P. Late night listening Friday to Lucinda’s World Without Tears cd revealed and amp that is able to convey the difficult emotions that are always a part of Lucinda’s music. Her lyrics were easy to hear and better yet to feel and the music made sense as part of the whole I didn’t leave vinyl out….I tried one of my favorites..don’t laugh…The Ozark Mountain Daredevil’s It’ll Shine When It Shines. I turned the volume up so that it was like one of my summer late night listening sessions and it sounded fabulous. Rich and warm with plenty of detail. In this area alone it was not a lot better than the Mira 3 but was at least as good. Oh yeah and I guess I forgot to mention bass extension and hi end and all of that, so what. It’s excellent but that is so much not the point with this amp. It’s all about musical communication…that’s what’s important isn’t it?! Diasppointment Hum…oh no, I HATE HUM!!! Wait a second…don’t panic.. So how much hum? In a quiet room you have to put your ear within’ 18 inches or so to hear it. But is it just mine, is there something wrong? No. I emailed other owners and they stated that they too have the hum and that it bothers them not a bit. OK…keep in mind that I’m trading my 2 year old amp that has the same retail value as this amp…and did ya read other comments here, ya I’m keeping’ it! Excitement The next day I start to play my favorite music and…no you’re kidding…it sounds better yet. Holy smokes how long can this continue? Honestly I don’t know. Everyday it sounds better, it hasn’t been turned off since I first fired it up. It just keeps getting better and better. By now as you may have guessed I've boxed up the Mira 3, thanked it for 2 years of unfailing service, and bid it farewell. Contentment That’s where I’m at today. Content in the fact that every piece I play sounds like music, real music. It’s a process of rediscovery as every cd I play sounds better than I’ve heard it before. Well that’s about it, sorry not much in the way of audiophile stuff. Just an emotional journey for me and one I’m glad I undertook. Thanks to all of my friends here at Ecoustics, Bill (Cableguy) from Audiokarma and Dale from Eugene HiFi. It’s been real…musical!  

In Twang We Trust

What I have been treated today is music, pure and simple.... Click to expand...

cableguy said: After reading your review I was reminded of my mini review and conclusions... (on that day I wrote...) Sound about right...? Is there any better compliment that can be handed to a piece of gear...? Click to expand...

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• Unico Series
• Loudspeakers
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A perfect example of Italian style and design, the innovations contained in the Unico integrated amplifier designs are universally appreciated and recognized.

The Primo is a stereo integrated amplifier that offers elegant lines and details, thanks to carefully considered surface finishes and proportions. Solid construction, careful selection of components and precise assembly are part of an almost artisan approach to amplifier design, reflecting our origins in Treviso. Unison Reasearch has concentrated all of our experience, knowledge and ambition into a small amplifier—one that includes all the technology and passion that one usually finds in the finest flagship products.

Tech spechs

• Output power: >80W
• Output stage: Dynamic A Class POWER MOSFET
• Polarization: Classe A Dinamic
• Input stage: Triodi A-Class A
• Valve: 1 x ECC83
• Sensibilty: 260mV
• Input impedance: 50 kΩ
  / 47 pF
• Frequency response: -0.1dB@10Hz / -0.5dB@100kHz
• THD: <0.003%
• Negative feedback: 10dB
• Damping Factor: >50
• Inputs: 5 line RCA ( 1 phono optional ), 1 tape RCA
• Output: 1 tape RCA, 1 subwoofer RCA
• Power consumption: 380W max
• Dimensions : 43.5 cm x 43 cm x H 9.5 cm
• Net weight: 14 kg / 31 lb
• PHONO STAGE (opzionale)
• Input Impedance: 47 kohm / 220 pF (MM) – 100 ohm / 440 pF (MC)
• Gain: MM 40 dB, MC 50 dB
• Selezione del guadagno: +0 dB / +10 dB
• THD: 0.001%
• Massima tensione di ingresso: 120 mV @ 1kHz (MM)
• Equalizzazione RIAA: attiva alle basse frequenze, passiva alle alte frequenze
• UnicoPrimo_manual

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• Integrated Amplifiers

Unison Research Unico Primo Integrated Amplifier

Unison Research Unico Primo Integrated Amplifier A perfect example of Italian style and design, the innovations contained in the Unico integrated amplifier designs are universally appreciated and recognized. The Primo is a stereo integrated amplifier that offers elegant lines and details, thanks to carefully considered surface finishes and proportions. Solid construction, careful selection of components and precise assembly are part of an almost artisan approach to amplifier design, reflecting our origins in Treviso. Unison Research has concentrated all of our experience, knowledge and ambition into a small amplifier — one that includes all the technology and passion that one usually finds in the finest flagship products. Specifications Output power:> 80W RMS on 8Ω Output stage: Dynamic A Class POWER MOSFET complementary pair Polarization: Class A Dynamic Input stage: A-Class A triodes Valve: 1 x ECC83 (12AX7) Sensibility: 260mV Input impedance: 50 kΩ? / 47 pF Frequency response: -0.1dB@10Hz / -0.5dB@100kHz SNR: 90dB THD: 0.15% @ 10W, 1kHz Negative feedback: 10dB Damping Factor:> 50 Inputs: 5 line RCA, 1 tape RCA Output: 1 RCA tape, 1 RCA subwoofer Output connectors: 4 +4 for Bi-Wiring Remote control: Volume, IR Power consumption: 380W max Dimensions (l x lu x alt): 43.5 x 43 x 9.5 cm Net weight: 14 kg Resources: Manual

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Unison Research Unico Primo review

For an impressive performance, look no further than the unico primo integrated amp.

TechRadar Verdict

This is an amp that lives up to its billing and works brilliantly with the Unico CDE. Build quality, externally and internally – including the smooth-running controls (all two of them) and the twin sets of loudspeaker terminals – is excellent

An exceptionally well-sorted amplifier that gets the basic sound parameters just right, without straying off into valve-like excess

It has no obvious weaknesses, though you do have to pay a little extra for the phono input. The remote control isn't great, however, and there's no balance adjustment

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

The Unico Primo is Unison's entry-level hybrid valve/transistor integrated amplifier and comes in a slimline housing with a finish closely matching that of the Unico CDE CD player.

In fact, the two can be stacked vertically with minimal heat build-up, since both are relatively cool-running.

The amplifier runs cooler than many solid-state models when idling and increased heat build-up when powered up is modest. The chassis is made from polished aluminium and acts as an effective heatsink, with louvres in the top panel adding increased thermal dissipation.

Design improvements

The Primo has a power rating of 85 watts per channel RMS into an eight-ohm load under all conditions, though Unison states that output is higher for non-correlated signals – that is, for anything but steadystate tones.

The model shares with its sister amplifier, the Unico P, a design based on a single double triode, in this case an ecc83/AX7 instead of the ecc82/AU7 combination used previously by Unison. This type of triode input stage is said to have quite different characteristics to the ecc82.

Apparently the choice arose from technical and listening-based investigations initiated by Unison technical staff, based initially on existing models in the company's range which were modified to suit.

Some improvements to the driver and power output stages have been made to suit the new input, with power-supply revisions including a larger, more powerful mains transformer and filter capacitor stage, with the intention of improving dynamics and bass-response drive capacity.

Amp connections

As standard, the Primo is a line-level amplifier, with a total of four line inputs and one tape circuit. But there are a couple of additional features that may be of interest.

One is the ability to convert a line input to an MM/MC phono stage, which will set you back a relatively modest £150 for an internal RIAA board – the phono input is already identified on the rear panel and is marked on the source selector.

If you don't choose this option, the input is a standard line input, one of the four already specified.

First-rate amplifier

Valve amplifiers aren't to everyone's taste, even if they can be easier on the ear and more relaxed-sounding than solid-state models. And it's fair to say that some early amplifiers in the Unison Research range fall into the ambivalent category.

But no such qualifications are required in this case. This is, by any standards (entry level or otherwise), a first-rate amplifier. For starters, it has an impressive power output. Not only does it go loud; it does so with some grace, and in particular it stays consistent in sound as the volume is turned up to quite impressive levels – tested on this occasion using a pair of Mordaunt- Short Performance 6 Le speakers.

It's that tell-tale hardening of the sound as the volume output is increased that makes many amplifiers stand out for all the wrong reasons. That said, in most respects, there's nothing obviously valve-like in the sound of this amplifier. It could easily be mistaken for a solid-state design, if you didn't know better.

It is, of course, solid state, in that the output stage uses MOSFETs, though they have the reputation of being the most valve-like of solid-state devices. But MOSFETs frequently don't live up to the stereotypes and lack a certain grace and transparency, which isn't an issue here.

The first thing we noticed was that the Primo is unusually solid-sounding, and it has this quality at virtually any volume level, within the limits established by its output stage. This is an amplifier with real grip, which became apparent in one of the early tests using a new recording of Benjamin Britten's War Requiem (Helmuth Rilling, Aurelius Sängerknaben Calw on the Hänssler classic label in PCM and SACD).

This was a real test in many respects, thanks to the way in which large orchestral forces and multiple choirs in the Requiem Mass are juxtaposed with a small chamber orchestra to partner the tenor and baritone soloists. Somehow, the Primo managed the clash of scales surprisingly well, and the result had a compelling unity of purpose, again with the solidity and consistency already referred to.

Another quality the amplifier brings to the table is an unusually fine bass. It's rich but pure and unerringly tuneful, as well as being essentially free of the romantic haze that persists with some valve amps. You can hear this from the start of Mahler's 7th Symphony (played by the LSO under Valery Gergiev).

This, like the Britten, is an SACD recording, or more correctly a multichannel hybrid recording, but it's a distinguished one that blossoms in high-quality DSD and therefore offers a performance level that's perfectly suited for this amplifier.

Impressive precision

The main qualities of the Unico Primo, then, are its generous output, its consistency with level, its tuneful bass and its ability to keep its act together when things become difficult and potentially messy – which is the danger with the dense and complex Britten recording.

In addition, the Primo is an amplifier with a strong sense of detail and precision, the kind that sounds close even when the system is in an adjoining room. In short, it's a class act. It's not exactly swimming in toys and gadgets, but everything necessary for a purist amplifier is there (though admittedly there's no balance control, which some might miss).

Other highlights include the ability to add a phono stage at a moderate cost and the fact that it can also drive a subwoofer in a 2.1 or 2.2 set-up. This is a very handy addition and one which should extend the amplifier's useful life beyond the point where it might otherwise be considered due for upgrading.

Awkward remote

The Unico Primo is also exceptionally well built. Though slimline, it still weighs a substantial 15kg, partly thanks to a massive toroidal power transformer, extensive use of die-cast heatsink extrusions and a thick one-piece front panel.

We're less impressed by the remote control, however, which looks fine at first sight, but is marred by prominent fixing screws on the top plate and by the controls themselves, which are tiny and awkward to use.

In its favour, though, this is the same remote that's supplied with the Unico CDE CD player, so you only need the one handset to control the entire system – leaving you one spare to lose down the back of an armchair.

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