I first heard the new Primare Allt-i-Ett at the UK Hifi Show at Ascot last year and came away very impressed by the various demos that Karma AV and Primare were hosting. Allt-i-Ett in Swedish and Norwegian means all-in-one, and you soon get used to the pronunciation. This is the first complete all-in-one speaker system that they are offering, and it certainly has hit the mark with all the flair this Scandinavian company is renowned for: a beautiful design and packed with the latest technologies that only Primare can deliver so well in such a compact unit.
This will be my first review of an all-in-one speaker system, although not my first review of Primare products. Over the last couple of years, I have been listening to many of their products, particularly while reviewing Perlisten speakers, where the two brands work exceptionally well together. Their Class D amplification is among the best I have heard, and it's easily one of the most musically involving and pleasing to listen to.
Primare has a long history of 30+ years of designing and building some of the most desirable HiFi and Home Cinema components on the market today, with an ethos that reflects a commitment to Scandinavian ideals: lagom - "not too much." Not too little. Just right, with the satisfaction that comes with balance and harmony, reflected well in their products with clean lines and a minimalist look, yet packed full of features and easy to use every day. The Allt-i-Ett is aimed at people who do not or maybe might not want all the components that make up a HiFi system, as they may not have the room or time to keep all those products, but instead want an easy and simple solution for everyday usage, or someone who wants another high quality system for another room, the Primare ticks all those boxes.
Build Quality and Features
The build quality of Primare products is always excellent, and the Allt-i-Ett is no exception, with its clean lines and solid build. Most of the cabinet is finished in blackwood, which gives the Allt-i-Ett a great look and solid feel, except for the rear, which features the large but sleek metal heatsink and back plate with all the necessary connections. A slim remote is included, and in the centre of the Primare, sunken in, is a large-volume dial that is very tactile and lit around the dial, providing easy visual appeal. When it is dark, it makes it easy to locate. Still, because it is sunken into the unit, it does not distract when watching movies. There are two screens, and the clever bit is that the primary visual display can move up or down depending on which mode you want to use the Primare in. The main touch-sensitive screen is just above the volume dial, and you can access all functions, including the main settings for setting up the Allt-i-Ett. There are a total of 10 drivers on the Allt-i-Ett: 6 main drivers on the front of the unit, 2 tweeters, 2 midrange drivers, and 2 bass drivers; a further 4 bass drivers are located on the rear and bottom of the unit. The tweeters use a horn-shaped waveguide to direct the sound waves accordingly. The bass drivers at the rear and bottom of the Primare also use fixed metal mesh grills to protect the drivers. The grill sits flush over the main forward-firing drivers and is magnetic; once in place, it gives the unit a nice, clean look, with only the Primare logos visible, which are in the centre and the right corner of the unit. There are so many features, but with a combination of the main touch-sensitive screen and the Primare Prisma App, it is surprisingly easy to use. Power is provided by a healthy 300 watts of peak output, ample power to take the Allt-i-Ett to very loud levels for both movies and music. The two midrange drivers sit in their own isolated chambers to minimise internal reflections within the cabinet, and the 6 main bass drivers use a single chamber finely tuned for optimal bass output. The tweeters have a cardioid-shaped chamber to control backwave energy without overdamping. To also help optimise the speaker's performance, Primare uses DSP to tune and optimise the speakers in the relatively small cabinet. On the front of the cabinet, beneath the main driver array, a light illuminates the cabinet's front. This can be adjusted or turned off if you wish.
This truly is an all-in-one tour de force, as it can play every music format you could possibly want, but with streaming at the heart of the Allt-i-Ett. Spotify, Qobuz, and Tidal are all accessible, and Roon compatibility is in the works. The Prisma App works in conjunction with the streaming dedicated Apps, should you wish to use them. Within the Prisma App, you have the dedicated room EQ, which lets you set up and tune the Primare for your room using just an iPhone. However, if you are using an Android device, you can use a separate Zen mic, which you need to purchase, and they say it provides better results. If you don't want to use the room EQ, there is also an 11-band graphic equaliser for targeted frequency adjustments, which can also be used in conjunction with the Room EQ. The Allt-i-Ett features the Bacch 3D Spatial Audio setting, which creates an immersive 3D sound experience. It does this by using advanced crosstalk cancellation to remove distortions and reveal the natural spatial audio cues in the recordings.
Also included is a high-performance MM (Moving Magnet) Phono stage, which lets you connect your turntable to the Allt-i-Ett. On the rear of the unit are the dedicated RCA connections and a grounding post, with all the necessary settings to fine-tune your turntable for the best performance in the Prisma App, and they are also accessible in the primary settings on the touch-sensitive screen.
The other connections on the rear include 1 x HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) connection, allowing audio to be sent to the Allt-i-Ett via HDMI. This is especially useful when using the Primare for your primary audio source for watching Movies/TV and streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, which I use regularly. It also allows for turning the TV and Allt-i-Ett on and off simultaneously via the CEC setting.
You also get 2 x optical inputs and 1 x Digital Coaxial input, as well as hardwired Ethernet LAN In and Out ports for you to use, and a USB input for connecting your HDD if you want to add more of your digital music library directly into the Allt-i-Ett. A 12V trigger in and out, plus a sub output for connecting a subwoofer, should you feel the need for more bass. An aerial for DAB+ radio is also included, and I like that it comes with an FM Tuner, which is old school but a welcome addition. Finally, on the rear, the primary power supply input is finished off, with an on/off switch for the Allt-i-Ett.
Specifications
Display & Control
1x fixed touchscreen
1x motorised display
Prisma remote (with smart TV and Apple TV media player control)
Bluetooth 5.0 (Rx: SBC, AAC, AptX, AptX-HD; Tx: SBC, AptX)
Amplification & Drivers
DSP-controlled amplifier, 300 W peak
6x 4” woofers
2x 4” midrange drivers
2x 0.75” waveguide tweeters
DSP Features
Placement optimisation (Free, Near Wall, Corner)
Auto Room EQ (iOS/Zen mic)
11-band Graphic EQ
BACCH 3D Spatial Audio
Power
Multi-voltage (100–120 V, 220–240 V)
Operating: 18 W
Normal standby: 5 W (remote/app wake)
Eco standby: <0.5 W (manual wake)
Continuous: 300 W
Finish, Dimensions & Weight
“Blackwood” finish
690 mm (W) x 303 mm (D) x 150 mm (H)
230 mm height with display fully raised
Weight: 16 kg
Setting Up the Allt-i-Ett
Setting up the Primare is daunting at first, with so many features and settings to play with, but thanks to the Prisma App, it's actually relatively straightforward. When you first turn on the unit, you must connect it to the internet and to your home network. This then allows the full functionality of the Prisma App to be used in conjunction with the touch-sensitive screen on the Allt-i-Ett. The only cables that I needed to plug in were the power, and then a pair of Project Audio RCA interconnects with a grounding cable for my turntable, and that is it, so nice and easy. I went straight to the room EQ settings and to the Prisma App, since on the main screen, it only lets you enable or disable this setting. The app uses my iPhone’s microphone for calibration, and you just run through the settings to begin the setup. White noise/test tone is emitted from the Allt-i-Ett, and you walk around your room at about 1.5M distance from the speaker, allowing for different height measurements as well. It takes about 60 seconds to complete. Just press the calibrate button, and it automatically smooths the response to suit your room's acoustics. It's done. I also enabled the Bacch 3D Spatial Audio function, with the boundary settings set against the wall and a distance of 2-3 meters from my seating position. The Spotify, Qobuz, and Tidal settings just need you to log in to each account so you can control them and stream high-resolution music. My own music files are on my home network, stored on my WD HDD, and it has a function for accessing your networked music library so you can stream the digital copies of your music. The app is very intuitive and fast to access. For the FM tuner, extend the aerial, tune in the stations you want to listen to, and store them in the Preset locations on the Allt-i-Ett touchscreen. The DAB+ radio is accessible via the Prisma app with a vast selection to choose from. The Phono source selection needs to be enabled, and there are a few options to set up on the input screen, including input gain, which can be adjusted by ±12 dB. Obviously, it depends on your setup, turntables, and what sounds best for you. You don’t have to use the analogue input for a turntable; it can accept another source, such as a CD via the RCA plugs. I’d rather use it for my vinyl, and that setting can be configured on the Prisma App's setup screen. Once you have all the main settings in place and configured in the Prisma app and on the central touchscreen, you are ready to play, and there is so much to play with.
Sound Quality and Performance
The beauty of the Primare Allt-i-Ett is that it can play any music format. Since it came in for review, I have not stopped listening to music or watching movies every night, which is a first for me, as I don't usually watch many films. But since the Primare arrived, that has changed. I have so much music I want to listen to on this new Allt-i-Ett, and my playlist keeps getting longer and longer every year. I love all the music I either own or stream, so I do not see it getting any shorter; quite the opposite.
Music
The first track I listen to is by the incredible Boris Blank, from his stunning album Resonance, available to stream on Spotify. It is an immersive journey into his world of music, according to Blank, and on a good stereo system, it can create sounds that move all around the room and an almost holographic experience. The Primare has some really clever technology in the form of Bacch 3D Spatial Sound, which at first I was very sceptical about, as there have been other all-in-one systems in the past that I have listened to. None managed to create the correct spatial elements of the music, let alone make it an immersive experience. Still, as soon as I started listening with the Allt-i-Ett, all that changed; the Primare creates an image of the music presented in front of me, with an impressive soundstage where sounds appear to come from the left and right channels (Stereo Sound) and, not from an array of speakers like the Allt-i-Ett which is located dead centre; instead, you get the music presented with a much wider sound field. The Bacch 3D spatial sound manages to produce the music with excellent spatial context. The bass is firm and tight, with wonderful textures on the bass notes, and the top end is airy with lots of detail.
My next track is from the beautiful artist Imelda May and from her album 11 Past the Hour, which I own in high resolution. Once again, the Primare does not disappoint, presenting the music with a wide image. Imelda May's vocals sound very natural, with excellent tonal balance, and her beautiful Irish accent comes through on this recording, with the vocals taking centre stage. The Allt-i-Ett projects the music onto a wide image, so it doesn't matter where I sit on my sofa, and it allows me to enjoy the music from any angle. Both my wife and daughter have been listening to the Primare and keep giving me requests for music to play, which is a first, and what makes it even better is that it is easy for both of them to use. Most things in life can be accessed on a smartphone, and the Prisma app utilises clever design and technology to let anyone enjoy music through this system. They were both enjoying listening to Harry Styles and Bruno Mars, which sounded superb through the Allt-i-Ett.
Next up, I am listening to some vinyl through the MM phonostage on the Allt-i-Ett, by the brilliant French duo Daft Punk, from their album Discovery. The Primare lets you tweak and tune the settings on the central unit's setup screen, and you can also adjust them directly in the Prisma App. I set the input gain to +4 dB, which gave the best sound in my room. This is such a beautiful album, and one of my favourite tracks, Veridis Quo. The Allt-i-Ett gives a surprisingly good performance, considering it is coming from a single speaker cabinet with a spacious and detailed image of the music, bass is punchy thanks to the 6 bass drivers that the Primare possess and with 300 watts of power, it never seems to run out of steam when the volume is turned right up, the width of the soundstage is what impresses me the most as with the Bacch 3D spatial sound creates an almost stereoscopic image of the music even though it is coming from a single source speaker array. Another great track is Something About Us, and the Primare reveals everything from this record; the vocals sound natural, and the music is presented with a crisp, well-defined soundstage in front of me.
I'm a massive fan of electronic music, but I do enjoy all genres. While writing this review, I have been listening to a lot of radio in the background, whether on DAB+ or FM. Jazz FM has been playing a lot throughout the day, with excellent sound quality. I have tuned in a few channels using the preset buttons on the FM receiver, and with DAB+, you just select the station you want in the Prisma app.
Movies
This was a big surprise for me as I have listened to so many sound bars and single box solutions, which have all promised great pseudo-surround sound from a single box, and none have ever delivered to the point where it draws me into the movie, creating the tension and suspense like a complete 5.1 system can. The Primare Allt-i-Ett has changed my opinion on this. I love horror and action films, and the first movie I watched was the 2013 supernatural horror Oculus, which has a brilliant surround sound soundtrack, which creates great tension and suspense with the visuals on screen, leaving you on the edge of your seat and the sound plays a big part in making the directors vision of the film, the Allt-i-Ett completely wins handsdown with this and I put that down to the way the Bacch 3D spatial sound decodes this from the 5.1 soundtrack, with sounds that are projected far out into the room and bass which hits pretty hard, I had to check that the sub wasn't plugged up and working. Action films are another favourite of mine, and I have watched the new Tron: Ares movie and the Mission: Impossible finale movie, both of which sounded incredible, with such a wide soundstage presented in front of me with an almost wraparound effect; helicopters flying around had great panning from left to right, and also high up in the soundstage. I watched the 2003 version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre through Netflix and Amazon Prime, and it had me on the edge of my seat. Dialogue is always presented clearly and well-defined, even with so much going on in the movie. This is most certainly the first all-in-one speaker system that I could easily live with and watch movies from, and I never thought I could feel this way, but Primare have really delivered with the new Allt-i-Ett.
I feel like I have only scratched the surface in this review, as there is so much this all-in-one system can do. CDs are another big part of my music library, and you can listen to them quite easily either via the RCA connections or via the digital Coaxial or SPDIF inputs on the Primare. To say I have enjoyed my time with this new technological tour de force from Primare is putting it mildly. If you follow me on social media, you will see all the videos I have posted with the music I have been listening to on the Allt-i-Ett.
Conclusions and Final Thoughts
The new Primare Allt-i-Ett is most certainly the ultimate all-in-one speaker system that I have listened to, with a feature list that puts many full-sized HiFi systems to shame. It delivers such beautiful music from all sources, whether digital or analogue, and is the first home cinema all-in-one speaker system to provide a convincing and enjoyable experience. There is nothing I can criticise this system for, as it delivers music and movies with such a high level of satisfaction. I strongly recommend anyone considering an all-in-one system to look at the new Primare Allt-i-Ett. You will not be disappointed.
The Speaker Shack awards the new Primare Allt-i-Ett with a 5-star Outstanding award and stamp of approval.
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