In the OVATION Line traditionally the most complex and costly AVM units are to be found. Consequently the focus is on the perfect sound reproduction. Just like the musicians intended their compositions to sound like in the original. Reaching this simply phrased goal is a difficult task which requires an enormous amount of musical sensitivity, and exactly this can be found at AVM already since its foundation in 1986. The brand has put their engineering art and creativity to use in order to design and implement this into the components made for music reproduction in your home.
The AVM OVATION MA 8.2 and SA 8.2 power-amps rank amongst the very best power amplifiers already since many years. This made it easy to phrase the expectations against a matching OVATION Line pre-amplifier. Starting the realization of the second generation OVATION pre-amp, the focus of AVM was not only on defending reference titles and to rank amongst the best of the best. Numerous new technologies and components have become available in recent years as well as new circuit designs and architectures were tried out in series of prototypes: Now these concepts were matured to the degree to be ready to be deployed in a reference pre-amp going to regular production. All this followed just one uncompromised path: the best of the best is just good enough.
To push it even further to the extreme, AVM intended to create a pre-amp that will be versatile in order to keep up with the rapidly advancing ‘computer-audio’. This pre-amp should be able to grow with rising demands in future years. Having this goal in mind, the PA 8.2 sparks a completely new, fully modular design. Similar to it’s predecessor, this modular concept allows additions, exchange and upgrades according to personal likings and changing preferences. The appearance of the PA 8.2 is matching exactly with the power amps of the OVATION Line.
New functions and features of the PA 8.2 in comparison to its predecessor
Technologically the main unit is a completely new development and differs visually only slightly from its predecessor enhancing the typical OVATION Line look. Most noticeable is the glass window in the massive aluminum top cover and the headphone output on the right side of the front panel with its own headphone amp. The PA 8.2 grew 10mm in depth and arrives now in the OVATION line flight case. The new power supply section now shows the correct AC mains phasing with a control LED on the back panel. The architecture of the PA 8.2 main unit is clearly separated in two sections: In the area behind the front panel the power supplies are to be found. Two proprietary 35VA special torodial transformers supply the positive and negative voltages for all audio circuitries of the PA 8.2. These power supplies are two-fold stabilized. These largely oversized linear power supplies are the biggest change in comparison to the PA 8 of the first generation. For an AC mains independent generation of the high voltages for the tube modules, an independent power supply is well visibly positioned on the top PCB. The area in the back of the unit houses the slots for the modules. Modules can easily be mounted from the back.
The modular concept of the PA 8.2
The AVM Ovation PA 8.2 consists of two main parts: the base unit and the separately available Plug-In Cards which may be arranged in any combination the customer chooses. The base unit features a massive and fully linear power supply which is a complete redevelopment by AVM and provides alone three vigorous power feeds in total for the analog (+/-) and digital domains of the audiophile masterpiece. The base unit is also equipped with a smart control unit to manage both the entire device and all functions of the available plug-in cards. The base unit automatically detects which module is plugged in at which slot and adapts its menu functions automatically. For example, menu functions for the FM tuner are only shown if a respective FM Tuner Module is plugged in. This way, changing or adding modules on the rear side of the PA 8.2 could not be easier and is done in no time at all – even by the customer himself. We offer a pre-configured PA 8.2 with one Input card (Tone control+XLR+RCA) and the tube outputstage (XLR+RCA) which is called ‘Best buy option’. The PA 8.2 now also features an outstanding high-performance Class-A headphone amplifier that drives even the world’s most high-end headphones to new heights.
All-new OVATION Plug-In Cards
Their all-new OVATION Plug-In Cards have thoroughly been re-engineered to perfect the unprecedented concept of offering a fully customizable high-end preamplifier with practically no limitations when it comes to combining all different kinds of AVM OVATION In & Output Cards the audiophile connoisseur really wants and needs. All OVATION Plug-In Cards are provided with individual voltage supplies ensuring not only rock-solid operating conditions but also eliminate unwanted interferences with all amplifier stages at any time. An entirely new operating mode of the base unit provides 100% undisturbed listening pleasure by automatically muting non-operating OVATION Plug-In Cards on the fly. This way, even a Digital Card may be placed right next to a highly sensitive Phono Card without experiencing even the faintest disturbance. While all OVATION Plug-In Cards have entirely been re-developed to perfectly play in tune with the all-new base unit of the PA 8.2, owners of the first generation of the OVATION preamplifier will be delighted to hear all brand-new Plug-In Cards are fully backwards-compatible and thus can be used to considerably upgrade an existing PA 8 base unit with the latest audiophile masterpiece technology from AVM!
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