JUNE 2017
AVM AUDIO
EVOLUTION A3.2 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER
REVIEW / AVM AUDIO / EVOLUTION A3.2 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER
AVM AUDIO
EVOLUTION A3.2 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER
Distributor: NAG Distribution $6290 RRP (Silver or Black), $7990 RRP (Chrome)
For a brand that has been around for over 30
Opting for a more purist approach to sound,
years, you could be forgiven for either never
AVM are all about keeping things simple in
having heard the name AVM, or even getting
their designs by maintaining a short, straight
it confused with any number of other brands
signal path.
sporting three letter names or acronyms.
While AVM are pitched at the higher end
Head over to Europe and it’s a different
of the audio market, they have three core
story. At the 2017 High End Show in
ranges: Inspiration, Evolution and Ovation.
Munich, Germany, the AVM brand was well represented and their electronics are the choice for many speaker manufacturers. You see, AVM are an audio manufacturer born within the land of chocolate. The land of chocolate you ask?
These ranges cover a broad price range from $1,499 for their Inspiration Phono Stage right up to $44,000 for their Ovation Series Monoblock Amplifier. The subject of this review, the Evolution A3.2 Integrated Amplifier sits at a not unreasonable
Cue a short clip of a Homer fantasy courtesy
$6,290 (Silver or Black finish, and for those
of a classic Simpsons episode and of course
wanting the most premium look, Chrome is
the country I am referring to, is Germany.
also available for $7990).
AVM Audio is headed up by Udo Besser,
Like every other AVM Hi-Fi product, the A3.2
an Electrical Engineer who took over the
is designed, manufactured, and assembled
company in 2010 after being the Managing
in Germany with locally sourced parts
Director at luxury audio brand, Burmester.
and components.
“keeping things simple in their designs by maintaining a short, straight signal path�
Features Like all AVM amplifiers, the A3.2 is a class
In the case of the A3.2, it is equipped with
AB design.
three slots for optional upgrades such as a
It features a power output of 100 watts into 8 ohms and solid output into 4 ohms of 175
USB DAC, Phono Stage or FM Tuner allowing you to flavor it to taste.
watts, indicating it can drive a good majority
Each separate module will set you back
of speakers with ease.
an additional $999; likely much less than
Damping factor is specified reasonably high too at > 200. The A3.2 also boasts quite a high signal to noise ratio of 101dB (Line Input). Props have to go to AVM for forward thinking too, by building the A3.2 as a modular design. For those that don’t know, modular designs allow for a manufacturer to leave ‘blank plates’ if you will, on the rear panel of a component. These blank plates can be filled with a ‘module’ that can offer a variety of different features. One of the key benefits of this design is typically future-proofing, as you can add modules as they are required, or as technology is further developed.
the cost of purchasing an additional, separate component. Special mention must also be given for the supplied AVM remote. While the buttons are quite small, the machining of the remote is excellent and it certainly looks and feels like you would expect at this price point.
“meticulously well packaged” Setup To my surprise, the A3.2 didn’t have much
a banana plug to attach to the end of your
heft to it, weighing in at a relatively meager
turntable’s grounding wire.
9kg.
Typically, in my own system I would connect a
The review unit appeared to be a repack /
MacBook Pro with an AudioQuest Jitterbug in
display model, but came meticulously well
line with a WireWorld Platinum Starlight USB
packaged in its original box. The supplied unit
cable, terminating at my Vincent CD-S7 DAC.
was already fitted with the optional phono and DAC modules.
I seemed to be experiencing digital noise alongside the music, and after using a
While the Phono Module is able to handle
process of elimination, I discovered that the
both MM and MC phono cartridges, the
DAC module on the A3.2 appeared to be
grounding terminal appears to have been
sensitive to the Jitterbug. Once removed, the
made specifically for a banana plug type
noise disappeared so in this case I finished
connection only. You’ll likely need to source
the review without the Jitterbug.
Listening Even from early listening I
This playlist gets a workout in
Everything I heard via the DAC
Resorting to a typical hi-fi analogy,
could tell that the A3.2 was
my place regularly as for some
module indicated to me that it
I feel as though it’s safe to say
something special.
reason, it really helps knock my
is of excellent quality and could
that the AVM simply got out of the
little toddler out and in turn gives
very easily pass the test for those
way and let the music flow.
me a couple of hours of peace
looking for a high quality, single-
and quiet. Priceless.
box solution.
It features some great modern
Dirty Projectors’ second,
contemporary artists such as
self-titled release is one of my
Olafur Arnalds, Ludovico
picks for quality of production
Einaudi and Max Richter, and
this year. I just recently picked
I have warmed to it greatly over
myself up a vinyl copy and gave
the past year or so.
it a spin. Having heard how great
It seemed to be analytic without sounding clinical, and musical without seeming lush, striking a good balance. The A3.2 immediately offered up noticeably greater depth than my usual Vincent SV-237 and projected an obviously wider soundstage too. Perhaps the only place it felt slightly short was in the expressiveness in the lower registers. The Vincent seems to have more weight down there, albeit being a touch looser and less controlled. Controlled. That is actually a great word to describe the AVM A3.2. Tight, controlled, precise. Ultimately, exactly what I would expect from German engineering.
Verses (Olafur Arnalds & Alice Sara Ott) sounded lovely,
sounds, I had high hopes …
‘Up In Hudson’ was another example where a lot of different instruments and different phrases were sequenced together and rather than sound confused, the AVM broke it all down, put each one in place, portraying it all beautifully. Angus & Julia Stone’s ‘Down
displaying a full-bodied sound
Playing via my Marantz TT-
with a striking bite in the strings.
15s1 turntable equipped with
Separation of instrumentation
an Ortofon Quintet Bronze and
was excellent, particularly in
played back via my Phono Box
crowded phrases of the song,
RS/Power Box RS combination,
not letting any one element
the A3.2 never failed to deliver the
drown out another.
dynamics I’ve come to expect.
Richter: Path 5 (delta) was bare
I would go as far as to say that
certainly didn’t take any missteps
and intimate. Hearing each
this is now my favorite version of
in its own portrayal of it.
sequence play out was a delight.
this album.
As one instrument faded out,
Using my MacBook Pro via
another would come to take
Audirvana Plus as the source,
its place. The serenity of this
I streamed Tidal’s “Classical
track certainly was not lost on
Relaxation” playlist. I’m no
the A3.2.
classical buff, not by any means.
the digital version of this album
And flow it did.
the Way’, a modern classic for production quality, played back via CD on my CDS7 DAC sounded as pretty as I’d ever heard it. The recording is already an intimate insight into the recording studio, and the A3.2
The acoustic guitar on ‘Yellow
The opening track ‘Keep Your
Brick Road’ had just the right
Name’ offered up excellent
amount of twang and Angus’ own
imaging, a full bodied vocal and
vocal, had a warm, full-bodied
a huge bass hit.
presence.
“the learning curve should only take a few minutes”
In Comparison
Conclusion
Of the two amplifiers I use
I dare say for digital sources,
AVM is a brand that should
As the market is beginning to shift
regularly at home, the A3.2 falls
the NAD wins for ultimate
certainly be considered more
away from racks of components,
closer in line price-wise with my
transparency, however, the M2
seriously in Australia.
purchasers would be very happy
NAD M2.
has very limited connectivity
This amp of course is a very different beast from the AVM, being considered more a ‘Power-
for analog sources and unlike the AVM, cannot be upgraded with modules.
Dac’ using Class D amplification
I would argue too that the AVM
rather than a typical design.
is a more engaging and musical
Sonically however, I found that there are more similarities than not, with both offering up a clean, wide soundstage.
too, with a hint more bite on instruments, for example, the ringing out of guitar strings had longer extension.
The level of quality provided for the reasonably modest outlay is most impressive and with the A3.2, AVM have certainly hit the nail on the head. In the world of high end audio, and that what this is, $6000 is not a lot of money for what the AVM delivers. If the DAC module is anything to go by, the modular architecture and optional modules
opting for something like this as a single box solution. Simply add the modules you need, and add more as necessary at a later date. If you’re shopping for an all-inone solution and this fits within the budget, I strongly urge you to audition the AVM A3.2. Like me, you’ll be pleasantly surprised and likely need to spend quite substantially more, for better. Highly Recommended.
appear to be of excellent performance quality.
WORDS/IMAGES: Tarkan Ceviker