Reel the clock back 10 years and we got on with Primare rather well. The A30 amp was a classic. Well mannered, open, refined and one of the best at its price point. But time does not stand still and, despite mild updates and re-names, the i30 and matching CD players were becoming quite ordinary in their dotage.

Primare have clearly been working rather hard to regain their previous form and, in the new and quite radical i32 amplifier and CD32 player, we think they have found it. The amp is a particularly interesting proposition not least because it has a port which will allow for the intriguing option of adding UPnP music streaming as well as FM and DAB radio. Oh yes, and digital inputs plus the inevitable iPod interface too. Claims are high but we have yet to hear or see how this feature performs.

For now, we have the CD player and 'bare' amplifier and they really are very good indeed. Clear, refined and open as before but also agile, transparent and powerful. Tonally cool-going-on-neutral but with remarkable bass power and control. No, strike that. After a recent play with some PMC Fact 8 speakers which are themselves quite 'cool' in balance, the Primare came over as tonally richer, warmer I guess, than some mid range Naim components. The results utterly belied the relatively low cost of the electronics. Combinations, eh? The timing is good, as are scale and dynamics. The sense of 'coolness' probably stems most from the absence of bloom and blur. The bass delivery is quite unlike any previous Primare but the important bit is that it is musical and engaging.

Cable choice is 'interesting'. Our last exposure to one of the later i30 amps and CD players had us discovering that Rega SC42 speaker cable and Couple interconnect was a very good choice. Not so this time. With Kudos C10s connected, a quick swap to Nordost Red Dawn interconnect and speaker cable brought a far more refined and transparent delivery. With this amp, we might get to sell some 'spensive Nordost cales again! The PMC Fact8s are also very happy with the Nordost wires in place. The i32 uses what Primare call UFPD. It's a class D design and the design brief can be downloaded here.

As you may have noticed, if you have followed the link, the I32 is also very green indeed. Stand-by draws just 0.2W and almost no energy is wasted as heat when it is playing. On top of that, warm-up is rapid too. All too good to be true?

After a previous bad experience in reuniting with a brand that appeared to be back on form, we have taken the trouble to listen to a couple of samples to be completely sure that the first 'good' example is completely representative. From what we have heard, consistency is good as are other areas that used to elude Primare such as the quality of the displays and control logic.

Both CD player and amp can display their settings clearly and this bodes well for when you are searching for music files or internet radio on the i32 fitted with the upgrade board. For now, the amp allows you to 'trim' individual input levels and to name them specifically. Even the colour of the text can be adjusted via settings - so it can actually be green too.

This really is a nice device to play with and, with the sound quality and output power, it has to be short-list fodder at under £2200 per box. Even if you are aiming higher it could well be worth a look.

Not keen on black? Titanium finish is an option too!

*CSE, the previous importer, ceased trading late 2010. Karma have formed from the ashes of the old business and promise to maintain the same high level of support that CSE offered. Same location, same engineers, new owner.