Volumio is making waves this year, with design awards coming thick and fast. Their range features the RIVO digital streamer, the PRIMO networked streamer, and the INTEGRO networked amplifier. Therefore, the news of a new headphone amplifier was very exciting indeed.

Design

Volumio Motivo with 20cm touchscreen

The Volumio Motivo is a step up in desktop headphone amplification. It features a large 20cm (about 8 inches) full-colour touchscreen display, with which you can control all the music you need, including Airplay via Shairport Sync, Roon Ready, Spotify & Spotify Connect, Tidal & Tidal Connect, Qobuz, etc.

Although the Motivo is a high-quality headphone output, it can double as a streaming transport with digital output (USB, Coax, or Optical) or a streaming DAC that uses a bespoke ESS Sabre 9038 DAC (co-designed with Amanero Technologies).

Volumio Motivo

The Motivo has an angled rake to face up the display towards you.

The onboard TPA6120A2 headphone amplifier from Texas Instruments is powered by dual-rail linear regulators. It features two output connectors: one for high-impedance headphones and one for low-impedance headphones.

The unbalanced RCA Output is 2V RMS up to PCM 384kHz/24bit and DSD256; the balanced output is XLR: 4V RMS up to the same audio resolutions as the HDMI Digital Output.

USB audio output has a higher resolution, up to PCM 768kHz/32 bit, and DSD256, the Coax or optical digital output, is up to PCM 192kHz/24 bit.
According to the site, you can use Motivo to cast your music to any SONOS or Chromecast endpoint.

On the input side, there are 2 x USB 2.0 slots for an HDD or other such device, and the Motivo has Bluetooth 5.0. Streaming is built-in using Volumio’s own software.

Network connectivity is Ethernet wired at the rear, or WiFi is available.

Quality

The unit is really tactile and very nicely built. It has a solid, reassuring feel. The front screen is nicely responsive and intuitive. All the connections are at the rear and are well-spaced and solid. There’s no hint of any shortcuts in build quality.

The dimensions are (W x D x H): mm 19.5 x 19.5 x 5.5 cm. Motivo weighs in at 2.5 kg.

The Motivo is available for £1499 or €1749.

The full specification is here. A list of dealers is here.

Performance

Review Equipment

Volumio Motivo with Meze

I’ve been listening to the Motivo, mainly with the Meze Audio 109 Pro and the very comfortable Sendy Audio Peacock headphones.

Physically

The Motivo sits nicely on the desk in front of you. It is very tactile and engaging. The experience is iPad-like, though not quite as slick as an iPad. The bold red button on the front is the power button, and it acts as a volume control wheel, though I’m finding I need to lick my finger to stop it from slipping from under it.

Settings and overall control are pretty intuitive, and you do get used to the menu system after a while. However, it is not BluOS or Lightning DS.

The settings include six DAC filters and many other controls. I’m slightly over these DAC filters, but they influence the sonic output. I’ve just picked the one that sounds the best for me.

Sound Quality

Overall, the sound quality from the Motivo offers excellent detail in the 109 Pros, be that a networked server, streaming Tidal, Tidal Connect, or any of the other platforms. My reference review tracks have plenty of depth, particularly from the amazing Lady Blackbird in Slave to the Rhythm (Qobuz 24-bit, 192kHz). Of course, headphones give you that unrivalled depth and intimacy in a performance, and there’s nothing left behind here.

Naim UnitiServe

My dodgy networked Naim Server connects to the Motivo perfectly and offers a useful alternative music source if the internet is down (but the WiFi network is up).

CD Playback

Using a cheap read/write CD player connected to the USB slot at the rear, the CD buffers and plays back well, though it can drop out occasionally. However, Motivo gets the correct artwork and lists the tracks perfectly. There is a CD rip function, too, if needed.

Volumio App

Volumio Motivo with the distinctive red volume button and scrolling album info

The Volumio App is very engaging indeed. It is a development from some Raspberry Pi software. I particularly like the album suggestions; the album info the device looked up is excellent. It scrolls through the information smoothly if you’re reading it or pauses it if you prefer. The screen has been faultless in terms of touch operation.

A nice feature called ‘Infinity Play’ plays related music from an ending playlist. I have always liked these things as they bring up many excellent new tracks and artists.

The Application is not perfect, though; I would like better playlist-building and sharing options to be included, for example, or, if they are there, to be easier to access. The product, however, is very new, and I have received a couple of updates in the last month alone, which is positive for its medium-term improvement.

Installing Apps

Like the Eversolo DMP-A6, the Motivo can download Apps. This allows you to customize your needs; for example, I have downloaded Bandcamp, which gives me access to the site through the headphone amplifier and my account. The BBC Radio stations are pre-programmed in the Network Radio App, which is great with the upcoming Cricket World Cup.

Streaming DAC

As a streaming DAC, you can output analogue to another unit. Using the RCA at the rear, I have been feeding into a Schiit Vali 3 headphone amplifier for the sake of it. It is fun and perfect for that tube vibe, in this case.

Thoughts

Sonically, the Volumio Motivo is all there, in my view…

This is quite a different experience headphone-wise; it is a bit like an iPad with a headphone socket again, though it is now a premium output. Sonically, the Volumio Motivo is all there, in my view, and it will be very interesting to see how it is received.

The App is the weak link for me. Unfortunately, it is not Lightning DS (Auralic) or BluOS, but it is very intuitive after extended use, and I’m sure it can be improved. I personally would like it to be that bit slicker, and then I would be very interested.

At this price, on the desktop, the Motivo is up against the peerless Mojo 2 (£495), with a networking Poly (£395) streaming device. Still, the Motivo has a great deal more going for it than the Mojo 2, including the screen, engagement, etc.

With the balanced output (or unbalanced, for that matter), you could connect the Motivo to an integrated or power amplifier or a pair of active speakers for a very different HiFi experience.

Overall

… the Motivo is interactive, intuitive, and innovative.

Sonically, there is plenty here. The Motivo is interactive, intuitive, and innovative. Headphones are always hard to beat in value due to their complete immersive experience. If you want to couple that with this fun front end, take a listen. For the new generation of HiFi users, the Motivo is near perfect.

Specification

Full details are on the company’s site.