JL Audio Primacy CS
Stereo Centerpiece
SOUND AND SIMPLICITY IN HARMONY
Control and enhance your JL Audio Primacy audio system.
What you will love
USER PROFILES
Fine-tune your audio experience based on your room’s acoustics, seating position and frequency response preferences.
HIGH-RESOLUTION CONNECTION
The stereo centerpiece connects to your compatible loudspeakers via Dante® networking, preserving a high-resolution digital signal flow.
DEVICE STREAMING
Connect to your compatible smartphone or computer via Ethernet, Wi-Fi® connectivity or Bluetooth® technology, and stream audio from your favourite online sources.
ROOM OPTIMISATION
JL Audio Primacy CS when paired with your Primacy loudspeakers, you will get Primacy Automatic Room Optimisation (P.A.R.O.), which measures and optimises the entire system, as well as any additional powered subwoofers — for your room and listening position.
REMOTE CONTROLLER
Control the system from your listening chair via the included tabletop remote controller with Wi-Fi — or from anywhere with the JL Audio Primacy™ app on your compatible smartphone or computer.
TURNTABLE-READY
Connect to your turntable with the built-in phono preamp. Plus, easily optimise the moving magnet and moving coil cartridge with the Primacy app.
CENTERPIECE DESIGN
SLEEK AND ELEGANT
The stereo center piece blends into its surroundings.
It features a compact glass-wrapped enclosure with a self-dimming display.
ANALOGUE AUDIO
ANALOGUE INPUTS
Connect additional source components via 2 pairs of analogue inputs, each precisely optimised via discrete circuitry to drive the stereo centerpiece’s dual-mono ESS analogue-to-digital converters.
DISCRETE SIGNAL PATHS
The stereo centerpiece uses no op-amps or coupling capacitors in its analogue signal paths — only highly optimised discrete circuitry.
ANALOGUE OUTPUTS
Connect 2 subwoofers or an external amplifier to the included analogue outputs.
Dual-mono ESS digital-to-analogue converters drive these outputs for maximum performance.
HIGH-PERFORMANCE A/D CONVERTERS
A dual-mono pair of ESS analogue-to-digital converters generate 32-bit/192 kHz digital audio streams for your Primacy loudspeakers (sold separately).
P.A.R.O. FEATURES
POWERFUL OPTIMISATION
P.A.R.O. provides DSP optimisation for each individual driver section of a Primacy loudspeaker (sold separately).
DUAL-FFT + DSP
Advanced analysis techniques conduct precise measurements in the frequency and time domain, allowing for DSP optimisation of the passband and roll-off of each driver section.
TAILORED TO YOUR SPACE
Once the driver sections are optimised, the entire loudspeaker is measured and calibrated to reproduce the target response at your listening position.
OLED DISPLAY
A high-resolution OLED display shows the volume setting, selected source, profile and other system data.
TOUCH CONTROLS
When you approach the stereo centerpiece with your hand, a proximity sensor activates the display.
COOLING TECHNOLOGY
A sophisticated active cooling system quietly circulates air through critical areas.
DIGITAL AUDIO
HIGH-PERFORMANCE DSP
The stereo centerpiece employs a high-performance, triple-core DSP, operating at 32-bit/192 kHz audio resolution, matching the DSPs in each loudspeaker.
HDMI INPUT
You can connect all your sources and streaming services on your TV to the stereo centerpiece via a single HDMI cable with support for ARC/eARC.
OPTICAL DIGITAL INPUTS
Three optical inputs are provided, compatible with S/PDIF audio up to 24 bits/192 kHz.
USB-C® CONNECTION
Connect your computer or other USB digital audio component to the stereo centerpiece’s universal plug-and-play USB-C connection.
CONNECT A SUBWOOFER
P.A.R.O. also includes any of your subwoofers connected to the stereo centerpiece for precise timing, impactful transients and seamless integration.
PHONO PREAMPLIFIER
HIGH-BANDWIDTH, LOW-NOISE DESIGN
The phono preamplifier in the stereo centerpiece delivers up to 70 decibels of gain and the low noise performance required for low-output, moving coil cartridges.
MADE FOR MOVING MAGNET CARTRIDGES
Optimise your moving magnet phono cartridge with 2 gain settings, 2 capacitive loading settings and 2 input grounding options, all adjustable via the Primacy app.
MADE FOR MOVING COIL CARTRIDGES
Optimise your moving coil phono cartridge with 3 gain settings, 12 resistive loading settings and 2 input grounding options, all adjustable via the Primacy app.
PASSIVE RIAA EQUALISATION FILTERS
Separate low- and high-frequency passive networks perform RIAA equalisation without altering gain or feedback in the amplifier circuits, maintaining accuracy to the RIAA spec within a fraction of a decibel.
SELECTABLE INFRASONIC FILTER
Using the Primacy app, you can seamlessly engage a 20 Hz infrasonic filter for improved playback of warped records.
CONNECTIVITY
COMPATIBLE WITH YOUR DEVICES
Easily share and stream audio from your compatible Airplay® 2 feature from Apple® along with the Google Cast™ kit.
BLUETOOTH AUDIO
Stream audio from any device with Bluetooth connectivity, with support for SBC and AAC codecs
ROON READY
Roon Ready devices have Roon’s streaming technology built in and are certified by Roon Labs to provide the highest level of quality and performance in network streaming (subscription may be required).
SPOTIFY CONNECT
Access millions of songs from anywhere in your home by using Spotify Connect and the Primacy or Spotify apps (subscription may be required).
QOBUZ CONNECT
Use the Qobuz or Primacy app to stream their extensive audio library. Discover new artists and albums with high-resolution audio up to 24 bits/192 kHz (subscription may be required).
TIDAL CONNECT
Enjoy unmatched sound on more than 110 million songs with high-quality FLAC and Dolby Atmos content streamed seamlessly to your loudspeaker (subscription may be required).
Control
PRIMACY MOBILE APP
The Primacy mobile app provides simple, convenient control of the setup and operation of your Primacy system.
PRIMACY PC AND MAC® APPS
When connected to the stereo centerpiece from your computer, you can set up and control your Primacy system, including P.A.R.O.
TABLETOP REMOTE CONTROLLER
Your stereo centerpiece includes a tabletop, Wi-Fi technology-enabled remote controller, featuring a weighted volume knob and touch buttons to selected source, profile and more.
YOUR TV REMOTE
A simple 1-cable HDMI ARC/eARC connection to your compatible television enables a TV remote to adjust the volume level of the stereo centerpiece when you’re watching TV or streaming content.
SMART HOME CONTROL
Consult with your home automation professional to see how Primacy can connect to RTI®, Crestron®, Control4®, Savant® and Nice smart home systems.
PROFILES
PROFILE CREATION
Create, store and name your own listening profiles optimised for different listening positions, EQ preferences, accent lighting and activities.
EASY TO SWITCH
Seamlessly select your saved profiles from the Primacy app, the stereo centerpiece control panel or the tabletop remote controller.
Specification JL Audo Primacy CS
General |
|
| CONSTRUCTION | Primary cast aluminium alloy enclosure with secondary machining, glass top, and fascia Volume control: machined aluminium rotary dial with active lighting ring and push-button centre cap |
| DISPLAY | RGB AMOLED dead front, 640 x 320 pixels, 198 ppi, 70 x 43 mm active area |
| CIRCUITRY SHIELDING | Modular architecture with isolated power supply and dedicated, fully shielded secondary enclosures for analogue and phono subsections |
| THERMAL MANAGEMENT | Active, quiet-flow fan cooling system with user-serviceable air intake filtration |
Streaming Functionality |
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| KEY SUPPORTED FUNCTIONS | Apple® AirPlay® 2, Google Cast™, Qobuz Connect, Roon Ready, SPOTIFY® Connect, TIDALSMConnect |
| NETWORK STANDARD | UPnP/DLNA |
| SOURCE LEVEL TRIM | –12 dB to +12 dB in 0.5 dB steps |
Digital Signal Processing and Conversion |
|
| ANALOGUE TO DIGITAL CONVERTERS | ESS SABRE PRO x 2 (operating in mono mode) |
| DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSOR | AKM triple-core with Velvet Sound technology with local input switching/routing and line output processing |
| PROCESSING BIT DEPTH/RESOLUTION | 32 bit/192 kHz |
| SAMPLE RATE CONVERSION | Dedicated, hardware asynchronous sample rate converters for rate matching non-analogue inputs to core 32 bit/192 kHz processing |
| DIGITAL TO ANALOGUE CONVERTERS | ESS SABRE Reference DACs x 2 (operating in mono mode) |
Primacy® Automatic Room Optimisation (P.A.R.O.) |
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| MEASUREMENT ENGINE | Dual FFT measuring time, frequency and amplitude |
| MEASURED RESULTS | Frequency response (RTA, magnitude), impulse response (Lin IR, Log IR, ETC IR) and phase |
| COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS | Computer running the Primacy Desktop application: Windows® 10 (OS Build 1809 or later), 11 Mac® OS 14, 15, 26 |
Audio Settings |
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| BALANCE | Left/right channel slider |
| TONE CONTROLS | Off/on Bass: -6.0 dB to +6.0 dB in 0.5 dB steps Midrange: -6.0 dB to +6.0 dB in 0.5 dB steps Treble: -6.0 dB to +6.0 dB in 0.5 dB steps |
| EXTREME LOW FREQUENCY (E.L.F.) TRIM | –12 dB to 0 dB in 0.5 dB steps |
Network Digital Audio Transport |
|
| PROTOCOL | Dante® audio over IP |
| STANDARD | 802.3ab compliant (1000BASE-T) |
| CONNECTIONS | Four RJ45 (Four port switch redundant or daisy chain Dante + control) |
| BIT DEPTH/RESOLUTION | 2 Channel @ 32 bit/192 kHz |
Unbalanced Analogue Inputs (RCA) |
|
| TYPE | Two sets of left and right RCA input jacks |
| DESIGN | Bipolar transistors with enhanced bias in a cascode configuration and proprietary gain/feedback topology (1 dB to 20 dB variable gain); maintains nearly continuous feedback and high-frequency bandwidth (> 1 MHz) Input amplifier with fully differential input attenuator and discrete 1% resistors and precision analogue switches |
| INPUT IMPEDANCE | 47 kΩ |
| INPUT GROUND LIFT | Grounded or isolated |
| ANALOGUE INPUT SENSITIVITY | 1: 8 V (+18 dBV) 2: 4 V (+12 dBV) 3: 2 V (+6 dBV) 4: 1.0 V (0 dBV), default setting 5: 0.63 V (-4 dBV) 6: 0.45 V (-7 dBV) 7: 0.32 V (-10 dBV) |
| SOURCE LEVEL TRIM | –12 dB to +12 dB in 0.5 dB steps |
| FREQUENCY RESPONSE | 20 Hz to 20 kHz (+/- 0.02 dB) 2 Hz to 80 kHz (+0, -3 dB) |
| THD+N, 20 HZ TO 20 KHZ | < 0.027%: 8.0 V, 4.0 V, 2.0 V sensitivities < 0.011%: 1.0 V, 0.63 V, 0.45 V, 0.32 V sensitivities |
| SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO (10 HZ TO 96 KHZ, REFERRED TO 0 DBFS) | Unweighted: > 98 dB (2.0 V, 1.0 V sensitivities) A-weighted: > 101 dB (2.0 V, 1.0 V sensitivities) |
Phono Inputs (RCA) |
|
| TYPE | Left and right RCA input jacks, plus grounding terminal |
| DESIGN | Four pairs of matched JFETs per channel, connected in parallel for increased gain and reduced noise. A fifth JFET pair is connected in a cascode configuration, allowing the other JFETs to operate at a constant voltage, regardless of the input signal, to reduce distortion and increase the bandwidth of the input section. The output section employs bipolar transistors, also in a cascode configuration, operating with enhanced bias current for reduced distortion and high slew rate. The main phono input amplifier features 61 dB of gain and a high frequency bandwidth of 700 kHz, resulting in reduced input noise for compatibility with low-output moving coil cartridges. The fully differential signal path is maintained from input to output, for decreased noise and distortion. |
| RIAA EQUALISATION METHOD | Two separate passive networks per channel, one each for low and high frequencies, perform RIAA equalisation without altering the feedback or gain structure of the amplifier circuits. Separate networks eliminate interdependency that can cause deviations from spec. 1%-tolerance resistors and 2%-tolerance polypropylene capacitors deliver +/-0.2dB accuracy. |
| RIAA FREQUENCY RESPONSE | 20 Hz to 20 kHz (+/- 0.2 dB) |
| CAPACITANCE LOADING | 100 pF or 430 pF |
| MOVING COIL SETTINGS | Input loading: 10, 20, 33, 50, 67, 100, 140, 200, 330, 500, 1k, 47 kΩ Gain: low (+49 dB), medium (+59 dB), or high (+69 dB) |
| MOVING MAGNET SETTINGS | Input impedance: 47 kΩ (nominal) Gain: low (+29 dB) or high (+39 dB) |
| MOVING COIL MODE SPECIFICATIONS | THD+N @ 1 kHz, -0.5 dBFS: < 0.01% (low gain), < 0.02% (medium gain), < 0.06% (high gain) THD+N @ 20 Hz to 20 kHz, -20 dBFS: < 0.08% (low gain), < 0.2% (medium gain), < 0.6% (high gain) Signal to noise ratio, 20 Hz to 20 kHz, referred to 0 dBFS, unweighted: > 90 dB (low gain), > 80 dB (medium gain), > 70 dB (high gain) Signal to noise ratio, 20 Hz to 20 kHz, referred to 0 dBFS, A-weighted: > 98 dB (low gain), > 88 dB (medium gain), > 78 dB (high gain) Maximum output level, output not exceeding 0.5% THD+N: 10.7 mV (low gain), 3.4 mV (medium gain), 1.1 mV (high gain) Input overload threshold: 20 mV (low gain), 20 mV (medium gain), 12 mV (high gain) |
| MOVING MAGNET MODE SPECIFICATIONS | THD+N @ 1 kHz, -0.5 dBFS: < 0.009% (low gain), < 0.005% (high gain) THD+N @ 20 Hz to 20 kHz, -20 dBFS: < 0.013% (low gain), < 0.01% (high gain) Signal to noise ratio, 20 Hz to 20 kHz, referred to 0 dBFS, unweighted: > 104 dB (low gain), > 98 dB (high gain) Signal to noise ratio, 20 Hz to 20 kHz, referred to 0 dBFS, A-weighted: > 108 dB (low gain), > 102 dB (high gain) Maximum output level, output not exceeding 0.5% THD+N: 107 mV (low gain), 133 mV (high gain) Input overload threshold: 199 mV |
| INFRASONIC FILTER | 6 dB/octave @ 22 Hz (for playback of warped LPs) |
| INPUT GROUND LIFT | Grounded or isolated (100 Ω), for hum mitigation |
| SOURCE LEVEL TRIM | –12 dB to +12 dB in 0.5 dB steps |
Optical Input (Toslink) |
|
| TYPE | Toslink (SPDIF) x 3 |
| INPUT RECEIVER TRANSFER RATE | 25 Mbps (max) |
| INPUT RECEIVER SENSITIVITY (MIN) | –27 dBm |
| INPUT RECEIVER WAVELENGTH | 650 nm |
| DIGITAL INPUT DATA TYPE | 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz, 24 bit LPCM |
| SOURCE LEVEL TRIM | –12 dB to +12 dB in 0.5 dB steps |
HDMI Input |
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| STANDARD | HDMI 2.1/HDMI-CEC |
| AUDIO FORMAT | 2 CH LPCM (ARC/eARC) |
| SAMPLE RATE SUPPORT | 16/20/24/32 bit @ 44.1/48/88.2/96/176.4/192 kHz |
USB Input (USB-C®) |
|
| TYPE | USB 2.0 (high speed) |
| AUDIO DRIVER | ASIO 2.3.1 compliant driver (supports audio class 1.0/2.0 and USB 2.0 full-speed/high-speed devices |
| SAMPLE RATE SUPPORT | PCM: 16/20/24 bit @ 44.1/48/88.2/96/176.4/192/352.4/384 kHz DSD: 1x/2x/4x |
| SOURCE LEVEL TRIM | –12 dB to +12 dB in 0.5 dB steps |
Subwoofer outputs |
|
| TYPE | Two sets of analogue subwoofer output jacks (RCA and XLR) |
| DESIGN | Line output amplifier with extremely low impedance input with super transistor topology. Subsequent sections add and subtract current signals, converting them into a differential voltage. The output sections of the amplifier are complementary while running at a high-bias current, allowing the amplifier to preserve fidelity while driving virtually any other component, even when using long, capacitive interconnects. |
| OUTPUT SOURCE IMPEDANCE | Balanced (XLR): < 60 Ω Unbalanced (RCA): < 120 Ω |
| OUTPUT VOLTAGE @ 0 DBFS | Balanced (XLR): 1.5 V RMS Unbalanced (RCA): 3.0 V RMS |
| THD+N, 20 HZ TO 20 KHZ, @ RATED OUTPUT | Balanced (XLR): < 0.003% Unbalanced (RCA): < 0.007% |
| SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO, 20 HZ TO 20 KHZ, @ RATED OUTPUT, UNWEIGHTED | Balanced (XLR): > 104 dB Unbalanced (RCA): > 99 dB |
| SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO, 20 HZ TO 20 KHZ, @ RATED OUTPUT, A-WEIGHTED | Balanced (XLR): > 108 dB Unbalanced (RCA): > 105 dB |
| SUBWOOFER LINE OUTPUT LEVEL TRIM | –12 dB to +12 dB in 0.5 dB steps |
| SUBWOOFER LINE OUTPUT LOW-PASS FILTER | Variable frequency, 24 dB/octave, Linkwitz Riley |
| LINE OUTPUT MODES | Off, single mono (left), dual mono (left and right), or stereo (left and right) |
Network/Wireless Specifications |
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| LAN | 802.3ab compliant (1000BASE-T) (for the best streaming experience, a wired LAN connection is recommended) |
| WLAN | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2×2 MIMO (Wi‑Fi® 6) |
| WIRELESS PROTOCOL | Bluetooth® 5.1 SBC with AAC codec |
| RST DFU USB-2 USB-3 |
Service controls |
Electrical |
|
| MAINS VOLTAGE | 100 to 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz |
| POWER SUPPLY DESIGN | Worldwide voltage compatibility with synchronized regulated switching power supply |
| POWER CORD | Detachable IEC style 125 V: 18 AWG, 10 A 250 V: 17 AWG, 10 A |
| POWER CONSUMPTION | Standby in Eco mode: < 7.0 W Standby in Faster mode: ~12 W Full operation: ~52 W |
| IDLE POWER CONSUMPTION (ACTIVE WITH NO SIGNAL) | 120 V: ~34 W 240 V: ~40 W |
| TRIGGER | 12 VDC input: 1/8″ (3.5 mm) mini jack, tip positive 12 VDC output: 1/8″ (3.5 mm) mini jack, tip positive, 50 mA max. load |
CS Centerpiece Physical Specifications |
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| OVERALL HEIGHT (INCLUDING FEET) | 92 mm (3.61″) |
| CHASIS HEIGHT | 84 mm (3.31″) |
| WIDTH | 333 mm (13.10″) |
| OVERALL DEPTH (INCLUDING VOLUME CONTROL AND CONNECTIONS) | 287 mm (11.30″) |
| CHASIS DEPTH | 256 mm (10.07″) |
| NET WEIGHT | 8 kg (18 lbs) |
CS Remote Controller Physical Specifications |
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| HEIGHT | 31 mm (1.20″) |
| WIDTH | 168 mm (6.61″) |
| DEPTH | 101 mm (3.98″) |
| NET WEIGHT | 0.78 kg (1.72 lbs) |
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