Volumio has picked up its third EISA Award in three years, with the Primo Plus streaming DAC named Streamer of 2026-2027 by the Expert Imaging and Sound Association. The Volumio Primo Plus EISA Award puts the Florence-built streamer alongside DALI, Wilson Audio and SME in this year’s 37-category Hi-Fi list, and confirms Volumio’s dual-mono ESS architecture as one of the more convincing digital front ends at its price point.
A dual-mono redesign built for one goal
The Volumio Primo Plus enhances the original Primo by combining two ESS ES9039Q2M DAC chips in a fully balanced dual-mono layout, paired with upgraded OPAMPs, an ultra-low-noise dual linear power supply and a high-precision clock that Volumio says cuts jitter and lifts overall resolution. Refined LC filtering and independent regulation for the analogue and digital sections keep noise away from the signal path, while eight selectable DAC filters, or a NOS mode that bypasses them entirely, let listeners tailor the sound to their own system.
Volumio’s third EISA win in three years
The Volumio Primo Plus EISA Award is no one-off. Volumio’s original Primo took an EISA award of its own, and the Rivo digital player picked up the 2023-2024 EISA award for best digital player before that, giving the Florence brand three EISA recognitions across three different product lines in three consecutive award cycles. EISA groups together more than 50 specialist magazines and websites from across Europe, which test and debate products throughout the year before voting on a single winner per category, so the Volumio Primo Plus EISA Award is a jury result rather than a marketing claim.
A fully balanced output stage with an integrated preamp
Beyond the DAC section, the Primo Plus runs the latest Volumio OS, aggregating Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify and local or network-attached files into one interface, with Roon Ready certification, DLNA, AirPlay and Bluetooth 5.0 covering the rest. A fully balanced output stage with exceptional channel separation and an integrated volume control means the Primo Plus can connect directly to a power amplifier, skipping a separate preamp entirely for listeners who want a leaner signal chain. The bundled Volumio Remoto remote and a 1.3-inch OLED display keep everyday control simple.
Where the Primo Plus sits in Volumio’s range
Volumio positions the Primo Plus above the entry-level Rivo and standard Primo, aiming it at listeners who already own power amplifiers or active speakers and want one box to handle streaming, DAC duties and preamplification. Every unit is designed and hand-assembled in Florence, a detail Volumio leans on heavily in its own marketing, and one that also underpinned the Primo Plus’s case with the EISA Hi-Fi jury this year. For a company that started out building open-source streaming software, three EISA Awards across three product generations is a meaningful shift toward being judged on hardware as much as on its OS.
Pricing and availability
The Volumio Primo Plus is available now direct from shop.volumio.com and through Volumio’s dealer network, priced at €1,199. The EISA Streamer Award badge for 2026-2027 does not change the specification or price of units already shipping.
Key specifications
- DAC: dual ESS ES9039Q2M in a fully balanced dual-mono layout
- Formats: PCM up to 768kHz/32-bit, DSD512
- Filtering: eight selectable DAC filters, plus NOS (non-oversampling) mode
- Outputs: balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA, eight selectable voltage levels
- Connectivity: Roon Ready, AirPlay, DLNA, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi/Ethernet
- Preamp mode: integrated volume control for direct power-amp connection
- Built in Florence, Italy
- Price: €1,199, available now
