Предусилители — AVM Evolution PAS 3.3 + 5.3

Evolution PAS 3.3 + 5.3 covers two streaming preamplifiers from AVM Audio Video Manufaktur in Malsch that share one aluminium chassis, one set of connections and one feature list. The PAS 5.3 adds a line stage built around 803T tubes selected and tuned for AVM, while the PAS 3.3 is the purely transistor version. Both carry AVM's own X-STREAM Engine, a Double Quad DAC, an MM and MC phono section and the RC 3 aluminium remote.

Key specs that matter

Line inputs present 50 kOhm on RCA and 40 kOhm on XLR, and the outputs have 47 ohm on RCA and 94 ohm on XLR at unity gain. Distortion is below 0.001% for the PAS 3.3 and below 0.025% for the tube PAS 5.3, and bandwidth at -3 dB extends above 100 kHz, reaching below 5 Hz on the PAS 5.3. Signal-to-noise is better than 100 dB, channel separation above 94 dB and input separation above 85 dB. The pre-out reaches 8.5 V at 1% THD and the line out gives 2.5 V. On the phono side MM gain is 40 or 50 dB and MC gain 60 or 70 dB, with RIAA accuracy of 0.3 dB from 20 Hz to 20 kHz and noise figures above 84 dB(A) for MM and 75 dB(A) for MC. The case measures 430 x 122 x 350 mm and weighs 8 kg.

Engineering and use context

A motorised potentiometer handles level control, and a separate power supply feeds the audio circuits within a fully modular construction. AVM credits its own tube circuitry with a life of around 20,000 hours for the valves. MC loading can be chosen from 100, 180, 220, 330, 660, 1k and 2k ohm, and MM capacitance from 47 to 410 pF in seven steps. A 24 ohm headphone amplifier with a gain of 2 delivers up to 7 V. The streaming engine plays PCM at up to 32 bit and 384 kHz and DSD256, supports AirPlay, Qobuz, Roon, Spotify, TIDAL Connect MAX and HighResAudio, and adds the RoomConneXion multiroom mode. Digital inputs comprise HDMI ARC and coaxial at up to 192 kHz and 24 bit and optical at up to 96 kHz, with matching coaxial and optical outputs. A rear USB 2.0 socket takes storage drives, while networking uses 100 Mbit/s LAN or dual-band WLAN with two antennas, and Bluetooth 5.0 is built in. A trigger input accepts 5 to 20 V, and two 12 V trigger outputs switch in sequence to limit inrush current. The mains section works from 100 to 240 V, draws under 0.5 W in standby, under 2 W in network standby, under 16 W at idle and 25 W at most. The RC S app gives full control from a phone or tablet.

Pairing

Thanks to XLR and RCA pre-outs plus trigger control, either version can drive AVM's stereo or mono power amplifiers or a third-party power stage.

Alternatives

In the AVM30 line AVM offers the PAS 30.3, a smaller streaming preamplifier in a 430 x 115 x 320 mm case weighing 6.7 kg.