The craftsmanship that goes into the construction of the A5.2 is impeccable.

First of all, the A5.2 never lost its composure even when it was pushed to a high volume level, a testament to the quality of its onboard amplifier. The A5.2 always presented the music with a high degree of clarity and transparency. It was very resolving in its conveyance of details without being bright. The sonic character of the A5.2 was as neutral as it could be.

The A5.2 was also a standout in imaging. In my system, it was able to image effortlessly and portrayed a highly palpable musical stage. In fact, the palpability of its musical presentation was among the best that I had ever experienced in my system.

When I listened to the track Seven Years by Norah Jones from her Come Away With Me (2002) album through the A5.2, I was awestruck by how palpable the whole presentation was. Norah Jones’ vocal sounded very natural with just the right amount of sibilance. The spatial rendering of the musical soundstage was realistic and about the best I had listened to in my system. There was no smearing of the image of each instrument; everything was painted clearly and with the right focus in its own space in the musical stage.

The airiness of the A5.2 presentation was among the best I had ever encountered, creating a clear and spacious separation among various instruments in the music. Listening to the various tracks in this album further confirmed the rigor of the amplifier in conveying the rhythm and pace in the music, bringing more emotion into the whole listening experience.

If you are a headphone aficionado, you would be happy to know that the headphone function of the A5.2 is not just a feature of convenience. Vocal naturalness was excellent with just the right amount of sibilance. Music sounded full-bodied and airy with great conveyance of details. The ability of the A5.2 to convey attacks as well as textures in the music through its headphone output was nothing short of excellent. In fact, I could say that the sound quality from its headphone output was among the best I have heard from the various components that have gone through my review bench.

Everything about the Evolution A5.2 integrated amplifier screams quality, from its elegant look to its excellent build quality and finish. But knowing that it was not packed with features and given its price tag, I approached the review with high expectations of its sonic performance. I was ready to accept the outcome either way, but I am glad to report that the sonic performance of the A5.2 convincingly exceeded my high expectations. The A5.2 produced natural and detailed sound, and its ability to present the musical stage with a high degree of palpability was second to none. It is very adept in expressing the musical rhythm and pace that could indulge listeners vividly in the emotion of the music. If the AVM 5.2 is within your budget, I highly recommend giving it a listen, especially if you are looking for a high-end integrated amplifier that can potentially offer you music listening bliss.

Yongki Go, Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity, October 2021

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