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Motivo pairs the high-performance ESS Sabre 9038 DAC with a bespoke connection that we co-developed with Amanero Technologies.
This combination potentially results in the best assembly of components, expertly orchestrated by our Volumio OS customizations, to extract the finest sound from Motivo’s analog outputs.
The result is an analog streamer that will astonish you with its sound quality and detail.
Motivo integrates the same technology transport technology found inside Rivo, and improves it.
Thanks to a mix of dedicated reclocking, galvanic isolation and separate PSU rails for each digital output, Motivo has been designed to extract the maximum performance from any DAC.
It also features I2S over HDMI output, and it’s the only transport on the market that supports all protocols and pinouts.If you want to experience the best your DAC has to offer, Motivo is its perfect companion.
Motivo features a no-compromise headphone section, designed to excel with any headphone setup.
The onboard TPA6120A2 headphone amplifier from Texas Instruments is powered by a dual-rail linear regulators and features two output connectors: one designed for high-impedance headphones and one for low-impedance headphones.
The combination of state-of-the-art streaming and a no-compromise headphone amp will deliver memorable listening sessions.
"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. "
Mike Lowe
"The Motivo is a streamer and headphone amplifier made with audiophiles in mind."
Mark Sparrow
Motivo combines striking visuals with intuitive interaction, rekindling your connection with music in a tactile, engaging way. With a simple swipe or tap, navigate your music library as if flipping through vinyl records or CDs. For versatility, seamlessly integrate Motivo with our mobile apps and web browser for easy control how and when you want.
All the analog and digital connections you need for outstanding sound
Motivo's design serves a dual purpose. It fits seamlessly onto your main gear's rack with its angled touchscreen display. It's also perfect for desktop Hi-Fi setups, functioning either as an integrated headphone setup or as a driver for active loudspeakers.
Getting started just takes a couple of minutes with the Volumio official iOS and Android apps
All Volumio products are proudly designed and assembled in Florence Italy
All Volumio products are Roon Ready certified by Roon Labs. allowing seamless integration with Roon
* Certification expected Q3 2024
There’s little if nothing the Motivo can’t play. Motivo lets you stream your favorite music services, internet radios, hi-res files, CDs and more.
Motivo requires no additional subscriptions to enjoy the full goodies of Volumio Premium, as all premium features are already included.
With it's AI-powered DJ you can ask Motivo what you want to listen to and Volumio will take you off on a musical tangent: your own personal radio station.
Multi-room capabilities, CD Playback and Ripping, Play to SONOS and Chromecast and advanced music metadata.
Analog Balanced and Unbalanced Output
RCA: 2V RMS up to PCM 384kHz/24bit and DSD256
XLR: 4V RMS up to PCM 384kHz/24bit and DSD256
USB DAC Port
USB Audio Output: up to PCM 768kHz/32 bit and DSD256 (USB DAC required)
Coaxial and Optical S/PDIF
Digital Output: up to PCM 192kHz/24 bit
Headphones
Stereo Headphone Amplifier, dual output optimized for High and Low impedance Headphones: up to PCM 384kHz/24bit and DSD256
I2S over HDMI Output
Digital Output: up to PCM 384kHz/24bit and DSD256
USB DAC Port
2x USB 2.0 current up to 900mA per port
LAN
Gigabit 10/100/1000M
Wireless
Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4G and 5G)
Bluetooth
5.0
Supported Formats
DSD, WAV, FLAC, Alac, Aac, Vorbis, Cue, Mp3 and others
UPNP DLNA
Renderer with Open Home support
Supported Services
Airplay via Shairport Sync, Spotify & Spotify Connect, TIDAL & TIDAL Connect, QOBUZ
Available Plugins
Youtube, Squeezelite, Radio Paradise, Podcasts, Pandora, Fusion DSP, Roon Bridge, Soundcloud, Mixcloud
CPU
Broadcom BCM2711, Quad Core 1.5 GHz
RAM
2 GB DDR4
Internal Storage
16 GB EMMC
Power Supply
9V, 4A
Designer
Design Narratives Ltd.
Weight
2.5 kg
Dimensions
19.5x19.5x5.5 cm
Downlod Volumio Motivo User Manual Below:
Access the Volumio Quick Start Guide Below:
We wanted Motivo to offer unmatched sound quality and functionality. For its analog section, we chose the high-performance ESS Sabre 9038 DAC, paired with a bespoke connection co-developed with Amanero Technologies. Every detail of this implementation has been tweaked to deliver the best possible performance: Motivo features a main linear regulator for the analog section, the same type used in high-end linear power supplies. With this architectural choice, there is no need to use an external linear power supply for the device, because the clean 6V supply voltage is generated internally. Every subsection of the analog part is powered by a dedicated low-noise, low-dropout regulator, connected in cascade with the 6V linear regulator, to achieve the cleanest supply and the lowest noise for each element.
Additionally, the I2S and DSD signals required to feed the DAC are generated by Amanero, another Italian technology highly esteemed in the audiophile world. Thanks to the close cooperation between Volumio and Amanero, a custom version of the USB bridge has been implemented. This version, a combination of hardware and firmware, performs the re-clocking of the I2S and DSD signals to achieve even lower jitter compared to the standard version of Amanero.
Volumio OS has been equally and extensively tweaked to enable the combination of hardware and software to extract every bit of performance from the system.
This combination ensures that Motivo extracts the utmost quality from its analog outputs, making it a superior choice for streamers seeking audiophile-grade sound reproduction.
Motivo excels as a transport. We have incorporated an improved version of the digital section from our award-winning Rivo transport, making it our best-sounding digital transport to date.
It features advanced reclocking, galvanic isolation, and separate PSU rails for each digital output. The S/PDIF coaxial and optical digital outputs are generated by the WM8804 transceiver from Wolfson/Cirrus, which is connected directly to the I2S bus of the System-on-Module. The coaxial output includes galvanic isolation, implemented with a high-bandwidth transformer from the Japanese company Murata. Both the external USB ports and the internal USB port required by Amanero are connected to a USB hub from Microchip, which uses proprietary technology to reconstruct the USB digital signal for improved signal integrity.
Motivo also supports I2S/DSD over HDMI, allowing it to pair with the finest DACs out there. It is the only transport on the market that supports all I2S protocols and pinouts: simply select your DAC model from a dropdown menu, and Motivo will configure its I2S transmission protocol to match your DAC's requirements.
Motivo features a no-compromise headphone section that includes the flagship class-AB TPA6120A2 amplifier from Texas Instruments. The headphone amplifier is connected differentially to the Sabre DAC ES9038 to minimize common-mode noise. The output stage of the headphone amplifier has been fine-tuned for both high-impedance and low-impedance headphones, with two dedicated outputs.
Thanks to these optimizations and the clean, high-headroom supply voltage for the amplifier, it is possible to drive any kind of headphones, even the most demanding ones, with astonishing performance across the entire frequency spectrum.
This setup ensures that every listener can experience music with clarity, depth, and precision, regardless of their headphone choice.
Motivo can be operated via the multitouch display, Volumio mobile apps (available for Android and iOS), or any browser by simply typing motivo.local.
All three operational methods are equivalent and can be used simultaneously.
The Raspberry PI is a generalized platform which can serve various purposes, including audio projects. However, it lacks the specialized, high-quality components and audio-specific optimizations that are integral to Motivo.
To match the features of Motivo, a Raspberry Pi user would need to buy and configure multiple additional components such as:
- Raspberry PI
- Touch Display
- USB Recklocker unit
- Digital outputs Hat
- ESS 9038 I2S Hat
- I2S to HDMI converter hat
- Galvanic isolation hat
- 6X Linear regulators
- 2X Headphone amplifiers
This not only potentially makes this solution more expensive than Motivo but also adds complexity in setup and operation. Not to mention that it will not include Volumio Premium features, which cost 70 euros\year.
Motivo is instead a premium, high-end audio device specifically designed for audiophiles and ready to play. Volumio OS is highly optimized for enhanced audio performance and user experience. Crucially, Motivo includes all its premium features without requiring any subscription, offering full functionality immediately upon purchase.
So, in short, the level of optimizations, overall value for money and sound quality of Motivo cannot be matched with a Raspberry PI based setup.
We wanted Motivo to be the best possible Volumio experience yet. This is why Volumio OS has been tweaked extensively to maximize Motivo's sound quality and usability.
Some notable features of the custom Volumio OS you will find on Motivo:
DAC Filter selection: The Sabre 9038 offers a selection of 6 digital filters to tweak slightly its sound features. Select the one that better fits your tastes.
Selective standby function: you can decide Motivo's standby behaviour. By default, Motivo will go into power-saving mode after 10 minutes of idling. You can configure this to your liking.
Auto Power-On: in case of power outages, you can have Motivo to turn on automatically shall you want it to.
HDMI I2S Mode: I2s over HDMI is a standard that each DAC manufacturer implements in a slightly different way. With Motivo you will be able to select the appropriate protocol for your DAC.
Status LED and Display brightness: Tune the brightness of the 8'' Display and the Status LED to your liking.
Motivo requires no additional subscriptions to enjoy the full goodies of Volumio Premium, as all premium features are already included. There’s little if nothing the Motivo can’t play, which puts it above many rivals - including more expensive ones. Native DSD support is included and makes the most of the format. Logging into Qobuz, TIDAL and Spotify is a breeze, and these are as easy to navigate as your own digital music library (if you have one).
Its lovely display makes it a joy to select and browse music - bringing up artist and album info, and giving you jump-off points to discover more. It’s easy to go down a musical rabbit hole, and if you like what you discover it’s simple to create playlists and add favourites.
And there's more:
Motivo supports all major streaming services: TIDAL, QOBUZ, Spotify, Radio Paradise, and all file types. ROON Ready certification is expected to land soon.
With our AI-powered Supersearch, you can ask Motivo what you want to listen to, for example, "A Playlist for a Party", "Artists similar to Tame Impala", "Jazz with Female voices" , and it will create a playlist for you.
Infinity Play: Hit the infinity symbol when you’re playing a track and Volumio will take you off on a musical tangent: your own personal radio station.
CD Playback and Ripping: connect a USB CD Drive and you can listen and copy your CDs.
Play to Sonos and Chromecast: want to listen to your soundbar in another room? With Motivo you can cast your music to any SONOS or Chromecast endpoint.
No. Motivo already includes all premium features without the need for a subscription. A MyVolumio free account is however required to install plugins.
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