The Sound
Contents
Alright. Let’s take a listen to this all-in-one. We’ll start with the built-in streamer. We stream both from Roon and via AVM’s App (for the use of Tidal). Tidal Connect works as well. The AVM RC X app works responsively, but still a bit rudimentary at times if you’re used to Roon. But let’s face it: Roon costs a lot of money. And the RC X app is free.
The Pascal class D power amplifier has an excellent grip on the TADs. Now these speakers are not very hard to drive, but in Alpha Audio’s large and somewhat dry sounding room, an amplifier must be able to deliver some power to play at a reasonable volume. And that’s fine with this AVM Inspiration CS 2.3. We estimate that in an ordinary living room this should also go fine.
Balance
The sound balance is pleasing. We hear no obvious coloration, lifted treble or sharpness, as some enthusiasts asociate with Class D.
Now, we also know AVM’s Ovation series and in, for example, the 6.2 ME, the mids are a bit calmer and a bit more fluid than in this Inspiration when used purely as an all-in-one. Of course it has to be, because this Ovation costs twice as much as this all-in-one. And then you only have an amplifier. In short: apples to oranges, but we want to manage expectations for a moment.
What we find very nice with this all-in-one is the bass. It is round, detailed and very well controlled. Hania Rani’s album Home has a deep synth bass in certain tracks. That rolls into the room without any problem. If it needs to be tight and short, that is definately possible. For example, on Younger Brother’s album The Last Days of Gravity.
Fluid behavior
The high is never sharp with these Pascal modules. We also find them a bit less dry than the all-in-ones with Eigentakt under the hood. Those are a bit tighter and a bit drier in terms of sound. However, they do seem to have a bit more grip on the midrange when things get a bit more complex. Think of the piano work on Hania Rani. The harmonics pile up there and we hear that sometimes it loses some insight and flow. Now these are difficult pieces to get really right, but well: in a review you seek the limits, don’t you?
Various inputs
Now this AVM has several inputs. What happens when we stream through our PC and the Sonnet? Remarkably, we make a readily audible jump in air and calmness. The stereo image gains depth and width and the midrange feels freer and quieter, making listening to those complex piano pieces more enjoyable.
Finally, of course, we have the CD! AVM has chosen a nice front-loader from Teac. A good choice it turns out, because the CD player sounds excellent. Whether we slide Portishead, A Perfect Circle or Air into it: we get excellent reproduction…. beyond expectation even.
The sound of the CD player compared to streaming is clearly a bit warmer and especially a bit smoother. This picks up well and gives the AVM a very pleasant character. This will certainly cause many an enthusiast to dive back into the CD cabinet to rediscover his own collection.
Overall?
We did not immediately expect this, but in the end, the CD player is the most interesting option of this AVM. And for those users with another good source, the analog inputs also appear to be of excellent quality.
The streamer, while certainly not bad, loses out to the CD player. Is that crazy? No: we hear that a lot to be honest. It actually shows that we just don’t have to say goodbye to the silver discs…. they’re just really good!
