Network Audio Players/Servers

Next to the CS 8.3's integrated TEAC CD drive, which is a cut above PC hardware derivatives, there are enough streaming options to likely satisfy everyone. AirPlay, DLNA, Roon, Spotify Connect – with Bluetooth as a fallback option – cover a lot of bases, but there's also AVM's X-Stream Engine, controlled by its own app. This is a user-friendly affair, offering Qobuz and Tidal, Internet radio, podcasts and playback of the majority of file formats from USB or over the network. Furthermore, the app offers total control over inputs and the CD player – a good thing, as the remote handset remains an optional purchase.

Authority And Clarity
The Ovation CS 8.3 Black Edition is billed as a no-compromise all-in-one product, and that's certainly the immediate impression it made when hooked up to a pair of Sonus faber Serafino Tradition floorstanders [HFN Feb '18]. It played with authority and clarity, and with generous amounts of power on tap. The tube stage undoubtedly added an organic undertone to the precision of the Pascal modules, but it was a feather-light touch.

I haven't heard enough of Benjamin Clementine's brand-new album release And I Have Been to use it as audition material, but his debut collection At Least For Now [Barclay 4714492] from 2020 remains an enthralling benchmark. From the very beginning, portraying the impressive strength of this singer/songwriter's voice turned out to be no challenge at all for the CS 8.3 Black Edition. Clementine is a remarkable male vocalist, with the ability to hit high notes and maintain them, and listening to such highpoints in songs like 'London' or 'Winston Churchill's Boy', presented full-bodied and naturally by the AVM amplifier, revealed his outrageous talent even more.

He is also able to nimbly shift tack and inject notes of pathos and anger into his vocal performance, such as in the rapid-paced, piano-laden 'Adios'. The Ovation CS 8.3 Black Edition handled these sudden dynamic changes in volume very well, also presenting the added texture in his voice without sign of strain. It's all very effortless, and this mix of detail and power with vocals is a standout aspect of its performance.

There's also no faulting how the CS 8.3 Black Edition uncovered the dynamic differences between the fleet-footed piano of Leif Ove Andsnes and the full orchestra during Mozart's beautiful Piano Concerto No20 on MM 1785 [Sony Classical 19439742462; 96kHz/24-bit]. The grand concert hall, the image of Andsnes' confident playing – it was all there, drawing me into the recording. Admittedly, the Sonus faber speakers are well suited to music like this to start with, but the AVM amplifier driving them brought additional refinement to the table.

I got the same sense of organic but insightful playing using AVM's RC X app and Qobuz, which exposed the fascinating sounds of the cymbalom on tracks such as 'Mr. Moustafa' from the soundtrack of The Grand Budapest Hotel [ABKCO 1877181302]. Not surprisingly, if you know the visual style of Wes Anderson's films, this companion soundtrack is rich in orchestration and inventiveness. It's the kind of music you keep listening to, always discovering new details. The Ovation CS 8.3 Black Edition presented it all with style, but not in a way that tried to highlight – and perhaps over-expose – every little nuance.

Relentless Rhythms
AVM's flagship streamer left me with no doubts about the sheer control it can impose over proceedings, noticeably during Moderat's 'Eating Hooks' [III; Monkeytown Records MTR064CDJP]. Here, the wall of synthetic sound that grows in scale while supporting Sascha Ring's voice near the song's finale was awe-inspiring – in a good way – but it was the relentless, rhythmic backing to the track 'Running' which really cemented the ability of this fine, do-it-all system.

During 'Hungry Ghost' on Brad Mehldau and Mark Guiliana's Mehliana: Taming the Dragon [Nonesuch 7559-79579-5; 96kHz/24-bit], there was again that organic touch, helping to embellish the thick, warm portrayal of the organs and the synthesiser. The intricate drumming of Mark Guiliana plays a supporting role in this track, and in the first instance all my attention went to the analogue sounding organ. Yet equally it was possible to focus in on Guiliana's stick work, with a light touch of the snare drum here, and the rapid bass drum sequence there.

Sweet Treat
While it's pleasingly simple to play music through the RC X app or the Ovation CS 8.3 Black Edition's other network options, the internal disc player is very capable too and impresses even more than the streaming inputs. So CD revivalists, take note! Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio's Midnight Sugar [Three Blind Mice TBM-23], one of those audiophile favourite discs hailing from Japan, was presented exactly as it should be, with the resonance of the double bass body, the attack of the piano and the oomph of the bass drum making for a convincing, lifelike listen. It's detailed but so very nicely integrated at the same time, making for a joyous immersion in music.

Hi-Fi News Verdict
AVM's CS 8.3 Black demonstrates that an 'all-in-one' truly can do it all, while performing at a level that's commensurate with many high-end separates. There's a price to be paid for this level of accomplishment, that's true, but the combination of powerful Class D amplification, excellent streaming playback, a superb CD player and future-proof features ensures this unit is a tough act to follow, and to beat.