avm inspiration p1 - nextmedia€¦ · Hanna on piano and Steve Gadd on drums, this is another...

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32 ON TEST www.avhub.com.au Australian Hi-Fi A VM’s CEO, Udo Besser, refers to it as ‘our smallest guy’, while others within AVM call it ‘our newest ‘baby’, but what they’re all talking about is this German company’s latest phono stage, the AVM ‘Inspiration’ P1.2. As with all phono stages, the purpose of the AVM P1.2 is three-fold: to boost the low voltage from a moving-magnet or moving-coil cartridge to a level that’s high- enough to drive a pre-amplifier; to provide an appropriate load for that cartridge, so it performs as its designers intended; and to provide RIAA equalisation to ‘correct’ the music signal recorded on vinyl LPs. Why do you have to ‘correct’ the signal recorded on the LP? Basically, in order to be able to engrave an audio signal on an LP, the mastering engineer has to dramatical- ly reduce the level of the bass frequencies (gradually from 1kHz until by 20Hz the level has been reduced by 19.27dB) and dramatically increase the level of the high frequencies (gradually from 1kHz until by 20kHz the signal level is boosted by 19.62dB). If this were not to happen, the groove would meander so violently at low frequencies that it would, literally, throw the cartridge out of the groove, while at high frequencies, the sound caused by the stylus scraping over the vinyl would ‘drown out’ the treble. (This is a somewhat simplified explanation, but an exploration of the effects of the constant velocity characteristics of magnetic cutter heads is, I think, somewhat beyond the requirements of this review.) So it’s the job of the phono preamplifier to boost the level of the bass back to where it’s supposed to be, and reduce the level of treble, via a process known as ‘equalisation.’ The equalisation curve that’s used now- adays to perform this function is known as the ‘RIAA equalisation curve’ simply because it was developed by the Record Industry Association of America. Before the RIAA stepped in, different LP manufacturers used different curves, so if you played an LP pressed by Columbia you’d need one curve, then if you played one pressed by Decca, a different curve and then, if you played one by Deutsche Grammophon, another completely different curve again. In fact, at one stage, there were more than 20 different equalisation ‘curves’ in common use, which was obviously a nightmare for both consum- ers and manufacturers alike. Even as late as the 1970s, some manufacturers refused to use the RIAA-specified curve, which is why some phono stage manufacturers still produce phono stages with switchable equalisation (usually between the RIAA, Columbia, Decca, CCIR, and Teldec EQ curves). THE EQUIPMENT In typical AVM fashion, the Inspiration P1.2 (which offers only RIAA-standard equalisa- tion) is beautifully crafted from solid brushed aluminium and the front panel is an exercise in minimalism: there’s just an AVM logo and a small LED that glows when the unit is switched on. In order to keep the noisy 240V a.c. mains power supply away from the phono circuitry, AVM supplies a plug-pack AVM INSPIRATION P1.2 PHONO STAGE

Transcript of avm inspiration p1 - nextmedia€¦ · Hanna on piano and Steve Gadd on drums, this is another...

32

O N T E S T

www.avhub.com.auAustralian Hi-Fi

AVM’s CEO, Udo Besser, refers to it as ‘our smallest guy’, while others within AVM call it ‘our newest ‘baby’, but what they’re all talking about is this German company’s latest

phono stage, the AVM ‘Inspiration’ P1.2.As with all phono stages, the purpose

of the AVM P1.2 is three-fold: to boost the low voltage from a moving-magnet or moving-coil cartridge to a level that’s high-enough to drive a pre-amplifier; to provide an appropriate load for that cartridge, so it performs as its designers intended; and to provide RIAA equalisation to ‘correct’ the music signal recorded on vinyl LPs.

Why do you have to ‘correct’ the signal recorded on the LP? Basically, in order to be able to engrave an audio signal on an LP, the mastering engineer has to dramatical-ly reduce the level of the bass frequencies (gradually from 1kHz until by 20Hz the level has been reduced by 19.27dB) and dramatically increase the level of the high

frequencies (gradually from 1kHz until by 20kHz the signal level is boosted by 19.62dB). If this were not to happen, the groove would meander so violently at low frequencies that it would, literally, throw the cartridge out of the groove, while at high frequencies, the sound caused by the stylus scraping over the vinyl would ‘drown out’ the treble. (This is a somewhat simplified explanation, but an exploration of the effects of the constant velocity characteristics of magnetic cutter heads is, I think, somewhat beyond the requirements of this review.) So it’s the job of the phono preamplifier to boost the level of the bass back to where it’s supposed to be, and reduce the level of treble, via a process known as ‘equalisation.’

The equalisation curve that’s used now-adays to perform this function is known as the ‘RIAA equalisation curve’ simply because it was developed by the Record Industry Association of America. Before the RIAA stepped in, different LP manufacturers used different curves, so if you played an LP pressed by Columbia you’d need one curve,

then if you played one pressed by Decca, a different curve and then, if you played one by Deutsche Grammophon, another completely different curve again. In fact, at one stage, there were more than 20 different equalisation ‘curves’ in common use, which was obviously a nightmare for both consum-ers and manufacturers alike. Even as late as the 1970s, some manufacturers refused to use the RIAA-specified curve, which is why some phono stage manufacturers still produce phono stages with switchable equalisation (usually between the RIAA, Columbia, Decca, CCIR, and Teldec EQ curves).

The equipmenTIn typical AVM fashion, the Inspiration P1.2 (which offers only RIAA-standard equalisa-tion) is beautifully crafted from solid brushed aluminium and the front panel is an exercise in minimalism: there’s just an AVM logo and a small LED that glows when the unit is switched on. In order to keep the noisy 240V a.c. mains power supply away from the phono circuitry, AVM supplies a plug-pack

avm inspiration p1.2phono stage

33

AVM Inspiration P1.2 Phono Stage

Australian Hi-Fi

that converts the 240V a.c. to 24V d.c. and it’s this d.c. voltage that is plugged into the rear of the P1.2 using a standard 3mm d.c. plug (tip positive). A power button is located alongside the d.c. input… but note that it’s not a ‘mains power’ button: it just discon-nects the d.c. from the AVM’s rails. Although the AVM doesn’t draws much power when it’s operating (3.4-watts, according to the

manual), I’d still recommend switching it off when you’re not using it. Switch it off first by using the power switch on the rear panel, and then by switching off the 240V supply to the plug-pack. (Similarly, when switching on, switch the plug-pack on first, and the power switch on the AVM second.)

The AVM P1.2 has two inputs: one for moving-magnet cartridges; the other for moving-coil cartridges. Both use gold-plated RCA sockets. Some early AVM manuals and brochures say the AVM P1.2 has three inputs. This is incorrect. What looks to be a third input on the rear panel is actually a socket that allows you to plug in external loads to modify the input impedance of the moving coil input. AVM provides three standard loads for you, 100Ω, 200Ω and 1kΩ, with the resistance wired inside a standard phono plug (see photo page 36). When plugged in, the resistance is paralleled with the AVM P1.2’s internal resistance of 47kΩ. This means that with no plug fitted, the MC input’s imped-ance is 47kΩ. With the 1kΩ plug it’s changed to 979Ω. With the 200Ω plug it becomes 199Ω and with the 100Ω plug it becomes 99Ω. (There are two plugs, one for each chan-nel, and you always need to use BOTH plugs, which also must be the same resistance).

Although AVM’s plugs cover the most com-mon impedances, if your cartridge requires, say, an impedance of 150Ω, you could easily create this load yourself by wiring a 150Ω resistor across a phono plug, and using that instead of AVM’s loads. (You’d need to make two plugs, of course!) I was disappointed that AVM’s manual offers no advice at all about impedance matching, or even how to use

At one stage, there were more than 20 different equalisation ‘curves’ in common use, which was obviously a nightmare for consumers

its impedance-matching plugs… in fact it doesn’t even mention the plugs at all! Nor is there any advice as to how to make your own loads. I am advised that these oversights will be rectified, but that their omission was apparently in part because AVM expects that its dealers should be responsible for providing this information to their customers.

Switching between the MM and MC car-tridges is accomplished via a small pushbutton that’s mounted on the rear panel immediately below a ground termi-nal post. Mounting the power and cartridge selection switches on the rear panel keeps the front panel neat and clean-looking, but it is a tad inconvenient… but

only a tad, since the AVM P1.2 is so small—150×120×45mm (WDH)—that it’s actually very easy to reach behind and switch them as necessary.

in use and LisTening sessionsFirst-up, I have to say how pleased I was that the AVM P1.2 has both moving-magnet and moving-coil inputs, because it means I was

able to connect both my tonearms at the same time. Yep, I have two arms fitted to my turntable, because, as a reviewer, I figure that this is the only real way to compare phono cartridges when doing A–B listening sessions. However, I also do it from a practical point of view, because when I am not listening critically, I use the arm fitted with the mov-ing-magnet cartridge (which has an easily-re-placeable stylus), but when I am listening critically (such as when I am writing a review of an album, for example), I use the tonearm fitted with the moving-coil cartridge. (As you’ve probably guessed, some phono pream-plifiers have just a single input that serves for both MM and MC inputs, with a switch to se-lect which one you want. This configuration means that if you’re running two cartridges, you have to physically swap over phono leads every time you change from one to the other, which is obviously a real nuisance.)

I listened first via the moving-magnet input and very much liked what I heard from the get-go. I first heard the gorgeous sound of vinyl: that sweet, smooth, incredibly life-like and natural organic sound that eludes all the digital formats… including the hi-res digital formats! But then I heard more… the stereo imaging ability of the AVM P1.2 is phenome-nally good. Not only was I truly immersed in the musical soundfield, I was embedded in it, so as I swayed and moved my head (I find it impossible not to start dancing in my listen-ing chair when I’m listening to vinyl), none of the imaging collapsed or altered: only my perception of it changed to reflect my

In typical AVM fashion, the Inspiration P1.2 is beau-tifully crafted from solid brushed aluminium and the front panel is an exercise in minimalism: there’s just an AVM logo and a small LED. The same could be said of the internal circuitry.

O N T E S T L A B R E P O R T

34 www.avhub.com.auAustralian Hi-Fi

AVM Inspiration P1.2 Phono Stage

physical movement in space. Listening to the Sony Legacy remaster of Simon and Garfun-kel’s Concert in Central Park I was struck by both the superb clarity and richness of their voices, and perhaps made a little sad that although both their voices are still good, their (individual) more recent albums show that age has certainly wearied their vocal cords. If you weren’t around in the 80s to hear Simon & Garfunkel at their very best, this is the album that most accurately delivers what they really sounded like, including the incredible har-monies, which are so tonally dense. Because this was New York, they also played their best material for this concert, so every song on this two LP set (180g virgin vinyl) is a classic… think America, Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover, Sounds of Silence, April Come She Will…

Switching to the moving-coil input, I used my Kontrapunkt B (with AVM’s 200Ω load) to audition Jim Hall’s Concierto, using the new double-disc re-release on Pure Pleasure. The sound of Ron Carter’s double-bass had me open-mouthed from the outset: such depth, such a stringy tone to the sound, yet delivered with a warmth that eludes digital formats, whether on disc or on file. Paul Desmond’s sound, immediately recognisable as one of the most distinctive alto sax sounds I’ve ever heard, was partly because of his superbly melodic style, and partly because of his choice of sax (a Selmer Super Action). Like me, Desmond was a huge fan of T.S. Eliot’s poetry and once remarked to Dave Brubeck, when he saw a former girlfriend on the street with another man: ‘There she goes, not with a whim but a banker.’ (Referencing the lines in T.S. Eliot’s poem The Hollow Men: ‘This is the way the world ends/Not with a bang but a whimper.’) Funnily enough, I am not totally convinced by Jim Hall’s version of Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez that gives this LP its title, but all the other tracks are superb, and with a line-up that also has Chet Baker on trumpet, Roland Hanna on piano and Steve Gadd on drums, this is another must-own LP. The sound using the AVM P1.2 was again superb, this time in

particular the sound of Gadd’s kit, from kick-drum to cymbals, which I think might also be partly due to the sympathetic acoustic of Van Gelder’s Englewood Cliffs studio, where this album was recorded, which was noted for its 13-metre-high ceilings.

ConCLusionYou can certainly pay more for a phono preamp than AVM is asking for its Inspiration P1.2 phono stage, but any premium you pay will only get you a larger and more impressive chassis, a front panel full of buttons and flash-ing lights, and perhaps the ability to switch in pre-made cartridge loads, rather than having to manually fit your own. But the extra money you pay won’t buy you any more tonal accura-cy, or higher-quality sound. This is one sweet little phono stage. Aaron Perkins

Readers interested in a full technical appraisal of the performance of the AVM Inspiration P1.2 Phono Stage should continue on and read the LABORATORY REPORT published on the following pages.

contact details

Brand: AVM

model: Inspiration P1.2

Category: Phono Stage

RRp: $1,249

Warranty: Three Years

distributor: National Audio Group

address: Level 1, 585 Burwood Road

Hawthorn VIC 3142

T2: (03) 9230 2088

e: [email protected]

W: www.nationalaudiogroup.com.au

• Instruction manual

• Rear-mount controls

• Compact case

• Glorious soundstage

• MC load adjustment

The frequency response of AVM’s P1.2 pho-no stage is shown in Graph 1. As you can see, it’s outstandingly good, being almost perfectly flat across the majority of the audio band. You can see that from 50Hz to 2kHz it essentially tracks the 0dB reference: that is, 50Hz to 2kHz ±0dB (ignore the little wiggles between 50Hz and 100Hz, it’s just a little mains hum that’s crept into the measurement). Below 50Hz, the response rolls off to be just 0.08dB down at 20Hz, 0.5dB down at 9Hz and 1.75dB down at 5Hz. Above 2kHz, the response rises very gradually to be +0.17dB at 20kHz and +0.24dB at 40kHz. Overall, Newport Test Labs measured the AVM P1.2’s frequency response as 10Hz to 50kHz ± 0.7dB.

The AVM P1.2’s RIAA equalisation curve is shown in Graph 2. Despite this suppos-edly being a ‘standard’ there are actually several different versions of it, the most commonly-used one being the IEC-RIAA version proposed in 1976 (and subsequent-ly withdrawn in 2009) but it appears that AVM is using the originally proposed RIAA curve but with a little added boost below 80Hz.

Newport Test Labs measured channel separation at 1kHz as an excellent 68dB—far more than will ever be required—and channel balance was near-perfect, at just 0.02dB. Inter-channel phase error at this frequency was an outstandingly good 0.03°.

Overall THD+N was measured as being 0.05%, with a spectrum analysis of the dis-tortion spectra shown in Graph 3. You can see that the second harmonic component is at –102dB (0.0007%) and there’s a third harmonic at –115dB (0.0001%). You can see from this graph that the noise floor of the AVM P1.2 is more than 120dB down above 4kHz, and more than 100dB down across most of the audio band. It’s only at very low frequencies that the noise floor starts to diminish. However, the A-weight-ed signal-to-noise ratios measured by New-port Test Labs were excellent, with the lab-oratory reporting S/N at 78dB A-weighted for the moving-magnet input, and at 64dB A-weighted for the moving-coil input.

LaBoRaToRy TesT ResuLTs

L A B R E P O R T AVM Inspiration P1.2 Phono Stage

36 www.avhub.com.auAustralian Hi-Fi

0.00 Hz 4000.00 8000.00 12000.00 16000.00 20000.00 -140.00

-120.00

-100.00

-80.00

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-40.00

-20.00

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Graph 3: THD+N at 1kHz at an output of 500mV. [AVM P1.2 Phono Stage]

Newport Test Labs

10.00 Hz 100.00 1000.00 10000.00-30.00

-25.00

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-5.00

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Graph 2: RIAA Curve of MM input at an output of 500mV. [AVM P1.2 Phono Stage]

Newport Test Labs

10.00 Hz 100.00 1000.00 10000.00-3.00

-2.50

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-1.50

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-0.50

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Graph 1: Frequency response of MM input at an output of 500mV. [AVM P1.2 Phono Stage]

Newport Test Labs

Figure 1. Frequency response of MM input at an output of 500mV. [AVM P1.2 Phono Stage]

Figure 2. RIAA Curve of MM input at an output of 500mV. [AVM P1.2 Phono Stage]

Figure 3. THD+N at 1kHz at an output of 500mV. [AVM P1.2 Phono Stage]

These don’t quite tally with AVL’s specifi-cations (86dB for the MM input and 72dB for the MC input) but it’s likely AVL was using a higher reference voltage than Newport Test Labs, which would easily account for the discrepancy.

Input sensitivity was measured at 5mV for a 500mV output using the moving-magnet input and 0.5dB for the same output voltage using the moving-coil input, equating to gain of 40dB for the moving-magnet circuit and 60dB for the moving-coil input, exactly as specified by AVL.

aVm inspiration p1.2 phono stage — Laboratory Test Results

Test measured Result units/Comment

Frequency Response @ 1 volt o/p 20Hz – 20kHz ± 0.2dB

Frequency Response @ 1 volt o/p 10Hz – 50kHz –1.55dB

Channel Separation 68dB @ 1kHz

Channel Balance 0.02dB dB @ 1kHz

Interchannel Phase 0.29 / 0.03 / 0.31 degrees ( 20Hz / 1kHz / 20kHz)

THD+N 0.05% @ 500mV out

Signal-to-Noise – Moving Magnet 65dB / 78dB unweighted/A-weighted

Signal-to-Noise – Moving Coil 47dB / 64dB unweighted/A-weighted

Input Sensitivity – Moving Magnet 5.0mV for 500mV output

Input Sensitivity – Moving Coil 0.5mV for 500mV output

Maximum Input – Moving Magnet 62.3mV @ 1kHz

Maximum Input – Moving Coil 6.23mV @ 1kHz

Maximum Output 6.23V @ 1kHz

Voltage Gain 40dB/60dB (MM/MC)

Power Consumption 3.58 watts

Mains Voltage Variation during Test 239 – 248 Minimum – Maximum

Overload voltage was measured at 62.3mV for the moving-magnet input and 6.23mV for the moving-coil input, figures that put the AVL’s maximum output voltage at a hefty 6.23 volts. These are also excellent figures in them-selves, resulting in a phono overload margin of 22dB. Power consumption was measured at 3.58-watts, which is fractionally higher than AVM’s 3.4-watt spec, but it’s academic, because it’s ‘way too low to have any impact on your electricity bill!

Overall, the AVM Inspiration P1.2 phono stage performed perfectly on Newport Test Labs’ test bench, such that, so long as you use the correct cartridge loading plug, it will be completely compatible with all mov-ing-magnet and moving-coil cartridges, and also completely compatible with all following electronics (pre-amps or integrated amplifiers). Outstanding performance! Steve Holding

Readers should note that the results mentioned in the report, tabulated in performance charts and/or displayed using graphs and/or photographs should be construed as applying only to the specific sample tested.

One of the three pairs of loading plugs that come supplied free with the AVM Inspiration P1.2.

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HF Mar15_000 House Subs.indd 3 2/24/2016 10:03:41 AM