Volumio Motivo: A Versatile, High-Performance Streamer

Volumio initially began as a Hi-Res playback app that could be downloaded and installed on a computer or mini-computers like the Raspberry Pi. It gained great success, accumulating tens of thousands of users worldwide. The app operates a freemium model, with additional paid features to be unlocked.

Later, Volumio decided to offer ready-to-use network players. They recently expanded the lineup, adding the Rivo bridge, the Primo player with DAC, and the Integro amplified player. This year, they are joined by the Motivo, a player with a DAC and headphone amp, equipped with a large touchscreen for fully autonomous operation.

General Overview of the Volumio Motivo

The Motivo is a square block 5 cm thick. The controls and display are on top rather than in front. Additionally, the top is sloped to make for a better viewing angle when the Motivo is placed upright. It’s uncommon in high-fidelity systems but already not unprecedented generally, with people often rigging their home appliances this way for more tactile control.

The touchscreen has a 20 cm diameter, similar to a small wireless tablet like the iPad mini, which is very comfortable for navigating large formats. The only physical button is a flat, anodized red knob, which isn’t always easy to manipulate because it is somewhat excessively flat. It controls the volume and mute function. Everything else is managed through the touchscreen, offering navigation identical to the Motivo app.

The rear face is slightly inclined. It features both digital and analog outputs, allowing the Motivo to be used as a primary controller or paired with a DAC. In this case, four digital connections are available: coaxial and optical SPDIF, I2S via HDMI connector, and USB audio. The second USB port is for connecting a USB stick or external hard drive to play audio files directly. The antenna-less Wi-Fi and Ethernet for networking are complemented by Bluetooth.

The dual asymmetric and symmetric output is actually triple. On one side, there are the classic RCA connectors; on the other, XLR connectors. However, XLR outputs are typically male connectors into which female-plugged cables are inserted. On the Motivo, the outputs are female XLR. This is due to their dual purpose, as these jacks also serve as dual headphone outputs. And a headphone plug is necessarily male. By reversing the XLR connector type and deviating from the norm, Volumio is obliged to provide male/male XLR cables for traditional use.

As usual with its physical products, Volumio has selected high-end components. The conversion chip is an ESS Sabre ES9038, while the headphone amplification circuit is a Texas Instruments TPA6120A2 paired with a dual-rail linear power supply. In this regard, the two outputs are distinct depending on the type of headphones, whether low or high impedance. As for the XLR output, it delivers 4 volts to properly power modern power amplifiers.

Using the Volumio Motivo

The presence of this large touchscreen on the Motivo allows for displaying the Volumio application as we know it on tablets or computers. It’s an exact replica because, in reality, there’s a computer inside this streamer: a Raspberry mini-board. This is evident when the device is powered on, which takes a while. You can briefly see various screens and specific displays confirming that a computer is at the helm. Of course, it’s entirely dedicated to high-resolution music playback, paired with dedicated components as we’ve seen before.

Creating a Volumio account is not mandatory unless you have a Volumio Premium subscription of course. By logging in, you’ll enjoy additional features: AI powered advanced search, multi-room playback and control, CD ripping, editorial content, and, in our case, access to integrated Qobuz. Otherwise, you can enjoy playback via UPnP, AirPlay, and Roon, as well as web radios and your local music file library.

The vertical menu, which you can toggle via a small icon at the top left of the screen, provides access to the main functions. The first provides access to the various sources. The next lists output options, allowing you to choose between purely digital use or headphone and analogue outputs. Then, you enter network settings and device specific configurations, such as its name, language, auto-standby, etc. And then there are the plug-ins. These are additional functions provided for you to add streaming services or different tools like FusionDsp for advanced audio settings. For example, you’ll find specific equalization curves for a large number of headphones.

Qobuz is integrated with full access to the discovery section, including new releases, selections, and playlists. In the “My Music” section, you’ll find your favourite albums, tracks, and artists, as well as your playlists and purchases. During playback, the large display area lets you view album covers comfortably in large format, sometimes displaying the artist’s biography on the right half of the screen (but not always, it depends on the album). However, the full breadth of Qobuz’s editorial content is not available. Playlist management is also not provided. Everything that is saved will be stored in the Motivo and not in your Qobuz account.

The Motivo interface can be mirrored on a computer by searching the player’s IP address on an internet browser. Everything is fully synchronized. Additionally, you can remote control the Motivo like any other streamer via the Motivo mobile app for smartphones and tablets. Again, everything that you do on the app is mirrored directly on the Motivo’s screen, and vice versa. However, the stream is primarily intended for installation on a desk or coffee table for immediate manipulation in the context of headphone listening.

Listening Experience

For our tests, we used the Volumio Motivo as a headphone amplifier for various models, and as a preamplifier in front of an SPL power amplifier and our usual Dynaudio speakers. In both cases, this places it at the centre of a compact connected system.

From the first notes the Motivo ran through our reference headphones, the first word that came to mind was “elegance.” The Motivo offers a fine and detailed sound across the entire spectrum. Without forcing the issue, without overemphasizing any particular range, it brought all our headphones to life; even those with a penchant for the snooze button. It does this at any sound level without needing to push hard. But it doesn’t breach the super seductive, suave roundness that some tube headphone amplifiers are able to obtain. The Motivo is true to its design.

Listening to the album Anaconga by the group Citrus Sun, everything is well-placed, and each instrument remains easily discernible. The voice is positioned at the center of a musical cocoon, effortlessly finding space, even at very low volume. Our closed-back Focal headphones disappear, leaving a soundstage that easily exceeds their physical boundaries. The Brahms’ Symphonies by the Chamber Orchestra of Europe are a pleasure to listen to, thanks to the Motivo’s fine analytical capabilities, presenting an orchestra both expansive and coherent, in both width and depth.

We then moved on to speakers. It’s worth noting that the minimal volume on the XLR output is too high. The difference between the volume levels 0 and 1 doesn’t leave much room for low-volume listening. To fully enjoy the Motivo, we had to turn the volume well beyond 1, which fortunately was rewarded with a beautiful overall sound signature that emphasized precision and presence. Listening to X-Ray Ted’s funk on the album Moving On offered an impressive sense of realism, thanks to a solid bass foundation and plenty of space between the instruments. We experienced a bass tension that is not often encountered. The sub-bass that shakes the walls in the electronic sounds of Pulsar by L’Impératrice was not overshadowed; quite the opposite. The Motivo is generous in this area, adeptly driving both speakers and headphones with great control.