Фонокорректоры — AVM Ovation PH 8.3

The Ovation PH 8.3 is a modular phono preamplifier, handling moving magnet and moving coil cartridges, from the German company AVM. It is built as a base unit with slots for up to four plug-in input modules, and its output stage is a separate tube module. AVM lists the base unit at EUR 7,000, a minimum configuration able to take a moving coil cartridge at EUR 8,000 and a fully equipped four-module unit at EUR 11,000.

Key specs that matter

Three input cards are offered. The MC RCA and MC XLR modules, EUR 990 each, have sensitivity settings of 55, 100, 170, 315 and 550 microvolts, load choices of 1,000, 500, 300, 100, 50 and 30 ohms, an overload point of 2.5 mV at 1 kHz and a noise figure of 73 dB or 77 dB(A). The MM RCA card, EUR 690, accepts 0.5, 0.9, 1.6, 2.8 or 5 mV cartridges, offers capacitance steps from 50 to 400 pF, overloads at 25 mV and reaches 79 dB or 85 dB(A). Output impedance is 50 ohms on RCA and 100 ohms on XLR, with maximum output levels of 7 V and 14 V respectively.

Engineering and use context

Beyond the per-module settings, overall sensitivity can be trimmed in 5 dB steps between -10 and +10 dB. A subsonic filter at 30 Hz with a 12 dB per octave slope can be switched in, and a mono mode with phase inversion is available. Six equalisation curves are stored - RIAA, TELDEC, NARTB, EMI, COLUMBIA and DECCA - each defined by its own set of turnover frequencies, so older discs mastered to a non-RIAA curve can be matched. Settings appear on an OLED display and can be changed from the listening position with the aluminium RC PH remote, which carries dedicated mono and subsonic buttons. The mains input accepts 100 to 240 V at 50 or 60 Hz. Maximum consumption is 25 W, standby draw is 0.45 W and the off position takes 0 W. The chassis measures 431 mm wide, 130 mm high and 390 mm deep, and the unit weighs 12 kg.

Pairing

A galvanically isolated 15 V, 1.5 A supply output on the rear can power a turntable directly, which suits decks from AVM's own Rotation range. AVM describes its later PH 3.3 and PH 5.3 models as carrying the DNA of the Ovation PH 8.3. With one balanced and three single-ended inputs possible, a system can keep two or more arms or turntables connected at once, and the high-level XLR output matches preamplifiers and integrated amplifiers that accept balanced line inputs.

Alternatives

The AVM PH 5.3 is a smaller phono stage with a valve output stage, one rear module slot and a European price of EUR 5,990.