When a press release from Volumio, an Italian streaming company, landed in my inbox last week, I couldn't help but stare at its new Motivo product and think to myself "that's like a high-end iPod for audiophiles".
Sure, there's no affiliation whatsoever between Volumio and Apple, but the idea that an 8-inch tablet-like product with a giant red control knob sat above it could be a new and exciting product in 2024 was unusually refreshing.
Motivo is described as a "streamer, transport and headphone amplifier" that blends "beautiful Italian craft with true audio innovation". It's not often that you see the best streamers appear with full touchscreens in their build, giving the Motivo an attractive edge over its mainstay competitors.
Check out the gallery of images below for a closer look at what this streamer, amp and DAC rolled into one has to offer. On the digital-to-analogue conversion side there's no shying away from best-of-best behind the scenes: a Sabre ES9038 sees to that.
If you're looking to plug in a pair of the best wired headphones there's no shortfall there either: the Volumio Motivo has a dual output analogue XLR (balanced) and RCA (unbalanced) outputs. Not that you have to plug in, as over-the-air support is strong, with potify, Tidal, Tidal Connect, Qobuz, Roon Ready, YouTube, Bandcamp, Pandora and Fusion DSD all catered for by Volumio Premium software.
Sonos users will love that High-Res Audio can be sent to their multiroom systems, there's Google Cast and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity too. File-wise the support for high-end formats such as DSD, WAV and FLAC, with support up to 384kHz/24bit files (769kHz/32bit if you're using a capable additional DAC via USB).
Of course my iPod-like analogy comes short with the realisation that there's no on-board storage here. You'll need to have one of the best NAS drives full of files to help with that, if streaming services aren't your first choice. And, sure, it's not like this 8-incher - which measures 19.7cm square by 5.4cm tall - will fit on your pocket, but it'll no doubt look grand next to your favourite turntable, audio system or Sonos setup.
The Volumio Motivo will be priced at £1,499 / $1,849 when it goes on sale. Hardly pocket change, but compared to many of its streamer competitors there's a lot on offer here - in particular that large touchscreen and integrated control knob mechanism, to deliver a product unlike anything else out there. I want one already.
