I like your reviews. Well spoken. Respectful of lower tier gear without any of the ego. You seem like a very grounded bloke. Look forward to watching more.
Thank you David. I like to think I am well grounded. I have spent a lifetime trying to identify and illuminate my prejudiced and false assumptions. It is a lot harder than many may think 😊👍
I would like to think that Tarun is respectful because he is also pragmatic about these products. When you sample (some) expensive pieces, you become acutely aware of the difference in quality. However, it also makes you fully aware of the diminishing returns on solely cost basis, and what you may value. Many of these more cost effective pieces will get you the proverbial '90% of the way there' for significant fractions of the cost to get that last 10% It doesn't make the high cost items less relevant, but it does put some confidence in the market that can't justify very high system costs by letting them know that you CAN enter this hobby at somewhat budget levels and enjoy a fine sound reproduction experience.
Another great review Tarun. I'm still using my Arcam Alpha 9 amplifier,which I bought new in 1998 ! I've mated it with ProAc Tablette Ten Signature speakers and a Bluesound Node 2i streamer,and it still sounds fantastic all these years later. I recently had the amp cleaned and checked over,and the technician who did the work, informed me that it was performing like a brand new product ; testament to Arcam's UK (at the time) build quality.
Your carefully constructed reviews set you apart from most online reviewers. I think you touched on an important point: people want the best sound possible for their money, but often don't consider what kind of presentation they prefer. I like a more transparent and neutral presentation which suits the music I listen to just fine, but some might consider it a bit tame and unexciting.
Yyyyyeeeeyyyy thanks for your views on this love Arcam and had few amps and CD players ( second hand ) what I love is the soundstage depth you always mention about . Thanks again
I am very interested in the similarity or difference between the SA10 and SA20 with the class G (As Arcam name it) essentially class A up to 12 watts of power and hands over to A/B
@@bsmega-team9288 I haven’t listened to the SA10 but I assume they have a similar sound. Subjectively I found it to be very detailed but with a slightly warm sound which works well with my speakers. I also found the SA20 and Focal’s seem to work well at lower volumes eg late night listening. I don’t know if class G helps with this but it seems to.
Three months with the SA10 now (in part thanks to this review) and am very satisfied. This review is accurate as to the sound. The Arcam harmonizes well with my Wharfedale Denton 80th anniversary speakers and REL subwoofer. Musical with beautiful tonality.
I've had the SA10 for over 2 1/2 years, I too own the Denton 80s along with Arcam CDS27 SACD Network Streamer. I'd love to hear the Arcam setup with much more expensive speakers to hear what it can do.
@@nocturnal1970 I'm sure it would drive more expensive speakers quite well, as long as they were relatively efficient. I had thoughts at one time of purchasing some Focals to complement the Dentons with a different sound signature, but have been so satisfied with the current setup that I abandoned the idea. I purchased the Audiolab 6000cdt a year before I acquired the Arcam. It is an excellent cd transport. For streaming, I run a USB out of my desktop computer through a Topping D10s, which converts the signal and exports via a Toslink optical cable into the Arcam's dac. Works perfectly fine.
@@stephenbailey9969 You are aware that the final DAC is the SA10 internal? Which as I considered substandard in relation to external DACs feeding the line level inputs. BTW the What Hi-Fi review said the line level inputs were crap compared to the internal DAC. Let me assure you that this was nonsense, feed the SA10 with a good DAC or player like the CDS27 and you'll instantly know the difference. I did a A/B comparison with my CDS27 DAC via line level inputs and a co-axial cable from the CDS27 output feeding the SA10 DAC and trust me there is no way you would choose the SA10 internal DAC... It is akin to upgrading your entire hi-fi by a few grand 😎 The difference is immense regarding width and depth of sound stage and much more glorious bottom end through the Denton 80s. I did a lot of testing of this with a quick switch on the remote, honestly you can hear a massive difference, the CDS27 is a much unknown gem. I haven't heard the CDS 50 or ST60 streamer but it is nirvana in soundstage and luciousness. Edit: Just to verify my testing memories I am testing again with classical music and the difference is huge... Solo piano lower octaves, more 3D, more detail. The difference reminds me of going back to my first Cambridge Audio student buy in the mid 1990s. I guess it is up to you 😎 Further edit: Listening to Adagio by Strings via Tidal from this phone oh my it is beautiful, no need for CD transport or hard drives, I have extensively tested those also and no difference.
@@nocturnal1970 Thanks for the information. I've used external dacs in the past, both multibit and those based on various sigma-delta chips, including Burr Brown chips as used in the CDS27. But to get that 'Arcam tuning' I would in the future consider the CDS50 or whatever is the latest production model. No doubt that synergy is very important in selecting components.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I think Rotel a11 sits between Arcam and audiolab performace wise. Your viewers would benefit from your opinion of how those 3 affordable class A/B amps compare.
The two larger chips on the right on the heatsink are the power devices, one for each channel. They have two devices inside each one, which is why they have six pins each instead of three. The two on the left are probably driver devices, to provide the final voltage and current gain to the output devices, and as the phase splitters. The large one in the center is probably a voltage regulator, and the small one between the power devices may be a temperature sensor, to protect from overheating, overload, or a short circuit
The one component that I wish to have and was/is beyond my reach is quad 57esl loudspeakers. I remember that I heard them long long ago and I was stunned by they're clarity and natural tonality unlike anything I heard before. I wish I had a pair of them despite their limitation in the bass region. Always was a dream for me to get one pair in mint condition. Rare gem
Way back in 1997 I was at a Hi-Fi show, I was walking past some booths and I heard something which literally jerked my head around, I follow the sound to a small booth demonstrating a pair of quad 57esl. I was amazed, they sounded like nothing I've ever heard before, not much bass or high treble but the smooth richness of the mid-range puts every other type of speaker in the shade.
The one component I always wanted, but never acquired: Dalquist DQ10 speakers. I always loved those speakers, but never found my way to getting a pair. You do excellent reviews. Thanks.
Thanks for another fine review! My heart jumped a bit when you showed that old musical fidelity amp you had your eyes on. For almost a decade ive used an MF A300 which i had upgraded by musucal fidelities qa engineer of 20 years, and I still miss it a bit! I almost feel ashamed to be a Naim Atom man now, but Im loving my sound even if i have nothing to play with in terms of boxes or leads. Love your componant dives, they are definately a USP for you. This sounds like an amp I could definately learn to love. The boxing analogies were a lol, but hopefully a one off :) Keep doing what you do, its appreciated!
One of the many strengths of this review is your ability to describe with precision and without recourse to jargon what you are hearing. That mountain seems the hardest one for reviewers to climb whether solely in print or in broadcasting. Equipment on the horizon? It looks like I'm going to have to figure out streaming. Still trying to work out what equipment I need to add, how that equipment will interface with my current (and, hopefully, lifetime) amp, and the cost will be of subscriptions to streaming services that grant access to a wide range of jazz and classical music.
Thank you Mike. That is very kind. It is tricky to describe what you hear. It is also hard to keep things fresh without getting into flowery audiophile nonsense 😊👍
streaming opened up a HIgh-res world for me. I choose Qobuz because of the many 24 bit/up to 192 khz music and that made a big difference, with a good renderer, in how I hear music now. It sounds clearly much better than CD quality. Good luck on choosing your equipment for that. I bought a second hand Moon MiND 180 for that, which was a cheap but terrific upgrade for streaming. I have the old audiolab 8000a but the first thing to upgrade are my speakers, I guess.
@@smuconn Hi, well the MiND´s are so top quality, get a good DAC as well then. The MiND 180 was the first, the newer types after that are a bit more extended when upgraded, and can make use of Roon. Anyway I am happy with the quality of the 180. Tried some apps, like mconnect free version but in the end i am using the app from MiND itself. I googled the Lumin, seems a bit hard to choose between the two..... According the reviews the lumin sounds really good with its in built dac. The MiNDs are excellent renderers on its own, giving a perfect signal to the connected DAC.
A good review of an Arcam integrated amp. I remember listening to the oriiginal A60, it also being a smooth performer. System matching is an important consideration to get the best out of these units. I have heard many good products over the years but nothing that caused fatal lust. My philosophy has always been to build on a good sound with gradual refinements. With new hifi going up so much in the current crisis I am no longer even doing this as my sound is everything I wish it to be.
I just bought this amp because it was on sale for half price. I have it sitting atop my 6000A. It has more punch in the mids and bass but can't match the detail and clarity of the 6000A. A very pleasant, non-fatiguing sound. Highly recommended.
Another great review Tarun. I really appreciate the 360 degree view you take on audio equipment. It's also great to hear about equipment that might not be so well known in the US.
Thanks! The one that got away was a magnetic gimbal suspension turn table my wife dropped a plant on... It was cool in the house for a few days after that.
Hi tarun. I've had some arcam equipment back in the day,mid 80s early 90s,always great value for money, the plastic faceplates and knobs were manufactured just up the road from me,I was a fitter at derwent plastics, Stamford bridge east Yorkshire, very handy for spare parts if needed, I'm not a great fan of the new design and style, but its great to see the quality and value is still there. Thanks again for another great review.
Thanks to everyone who commented on my comment below. Of course, another big thanks to you Tarun. I learned about Arcam a couple years back but other than know about their existance ... that was it. Now since I posted (yesterday) below, I've learned a bucket-full about the bigger brother S-20. I understand Class A and now, having learned about the S 20s class G, I now know that G is another way of presenting (more?) Class A. What I have finally concluded after 2 years of serious research is that the Arcam S 20 is now at the top of my replacement wish-list. I'm not sure about the built in DAC but I have a couple of pretty good Schiit DACS. If the Arcam's DAC outperforms them then I'll be happy ... if not, perfectly happy with the Schiit (choices). Finally I can say that I am really happy about learning about Arcam and their total commitment to engineering truly great products at reasonable prices. I can honestly say I feel like Scrooge on Christmas morning ... this is the next amp I will purchase after I get Tiny Tim new crutches. Seriously .. thank you Tarun for serving as a catalyst and causing me to look further at the Arcam product line. Now, what speakers? I've got some nice Pardigms, Elacs and a small set of Keys but in time, they too shall be replaced. Since the mid 60s I have been fascinated with audio and at 72 ... still AM.👌
I remember buying my first hifi when I was 14, I bought a pair of B&W DM303s - I didn’t have the money but I demoed a second hand Arcam amp in the showroom with my speakers. That was my first and last in person experience with Arcam and still remember being blown away by the mixture of elegance and muscle compared to the amp I had (mid/high end Technics from the 80s restored by my Dad). The dealer touted the toroidal transformer and power supply section as a big differentiator. I’ve always kept an eye out for Arcam since then, we’re pretty spoilt for choice these days.
Nice review and your boxing reference brought back memories of when I spent 6 weeks with Frank Bruno and his trainer George Francis in Fountain Hills AZ at my gym in his preparation for the Mike Tyson fight. Nicest guys ever to be around. The fight was a disappointment……
I still have my Arcam Alpha 9 amp, Power Amp all connected to my Arcam Alpha 9 CD Player all still working Brilliantly cant fault them may change one day may.
Really enjoyed this review! Loved the bit of a trip down memory lane for your equipment in years past and history of older equipment. Would love to see a Quad Vena review to compare against the 6000a and Arcam one day! I don’t have anything I would say got away, just glad I never sold my Dali Menuet speakers when someone offered me close to what I paid, then I probably would have!
Excellent, even-handed review as always! I also appreciate that you only do comparisons to components you have on hand. I would think that Triangle BRO-3s would be a good match as well. Or, as you said, maybe a pair of Klipsch, like the new RP-600M Mk2. Thanks for all you do!
Excellent presentation, as always, detailed and professional, thank you While I have no intention of changing anything in my vintage system, it’s interesting to hear what new technologies are bringing us
Thanks Tarun, great review. With a recent price drop it would be interesting to see how much extra performance is achieved with the SA20 boasting Arcam’s class G amplification. Well under £1K and class A up to 12 watts before handing over to class A/B
The 20 is definitely worth the extra cash. I've had both and while the 10 sounds great the 20 has more muscle and drive. I've never heard my RA labs reference 2a speakers come alive like they do with the sa20.
The devices on the right side of the heatsink are ICs of the LM3886 type. The so called chip amp category. The device behind the large capacitors looks like a bridge rectifier. The single device between the chip amps is most likely related to thermal protection. The two on the left side are harder to guess. They might be triacs for crowbar output protection or some sort of voltage regulators (positive and negative).
Thank you, very interesting. That makes sense. I was expecting to see a pair of output transistors for each channel in a classic AB push-pull configuration.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 You're welcome! I enjoy your channel and I'm happy to help. These chip amps are usually stereo, so most likely each channel is in parallel configuration, 1 stereo IC per ch. Internally they are push-pull class AB (technically class B) indeed.
Thanks for that review… Pair the Arcam with a cheap Acoustic Energy AE100 Mk.ll, love that combination. I wish somedays i can get my hands on a pair of Quads Pre34 and 306 or Croft‘s Micro25 and Series 7 pre/power combos. Somedays…
Great review Tarun. The extra transistors will be setting the bias for the output stage. They are attached the the heatsink so that they are thermally coupled to the output transistors, therefore the bias will track temperature.
Fantastic review!!!! I got a good friend into the SA10 and he loves it! The one that got away for me was a Pass Labs XA-30.8 for well under $3800 USD in mint condition.
The amp that I always desired but could not afford in my earlier hifi years was the Marantz PM17 Ken Ishiwata Signature, along with the matching CD player. Both always got good reviews and the amp looked fantastic in gold and with the illuminated temperature dial.
I had the standard issue PM17 and CD17. They were very good, but a bit too warm for my taste and not crisp enough on top. Maybe I just needed to pair them with different speakers than what I had.
Currently, the Rotel A11 Tribute is sitting just outside my budget. I'm looking to pair it with my Schiit Modi Multibit to power my KEF Q100s. My Q100s are currently getting a GR Research No Rez upgrade. Perhaps a pair or ELAC UB52s will be in the picture when I get my hands on an A11 Tribute.
Nice review as ever Tarun. The boxing analogy was a giggle. Was a bit surprised to see an oldish DAC in the Arcam. They're part of Harman group so presumably have access to all the best components. Every product is built to a budget of course.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 yes a lot of value packed into that circa £700 price. USB input wouid be nice but it's pricey to implement as you say. I actually like an amp where you exit standby using the volume knob as it stops me from inadvertently deafening myself. On a much less budget friendly level, you should check out the Technics SU G700 mk2 (a mouthful! ) digital amp. It has a very high quality retro exterior design with up to the minute internals that gives you an awful lot their £7grand SU-R1000 for a lot less money. The mk2 is better in some respects.
The SA10 internal DAC is OK for TV, films, Xbox or UA-cam, but my favourite player and DAC I have connected is the Arcam CDS27 SACD Network streamer. This has a huge lush soundstage with more bottom end compared to SA10 DAC, Rega DAC (this had great timing and rythym though) and Ifi USB DAC Signature. I also owned the Arcam Alpha 9 CD player with the ring DAC but before I got the SA10. The SA10 DAC does not cut the mustard to get the most musicality from the SA10. It sounds anemic compared to other DACs I have and especially the CDS27. It's worth trying to pick one up on Ebay, it has Burr Brown DAC chip which I seem to prefer to the ESS Sabre. Plus the SA10 remote can control the CDS27 also which is nicer than the remote that was supplied with CDS27.
I was debating which Arcam SA-series amp to buy. Was leaning toward the SA30/20 due to Class G amp,, but went with the SA10 based on your review and the warmth of sound you mentioned. Paired with Revel M106’s, it’s the perfect combination for my small home office…great value in this SA10.
I like Arcam products and as far as the SA10 my only negitive I have are it's looks. The SA line temps me to feed it a VHS tape when I look at it. As always thanks for the review Tarun.
Nice review as always. I am currently running an Audiolab 6000 a with a pair of Magnepan SMG a .ok for now but I am saving up for a Hegel H 90 or 95. Time to move up a level or 2.
Another very well presented review Tarun. I had a Arcam A19 about 10 years ago. I think that retailed for around the same price. It sounded pretty much as you described Arcams of old. I liked it alot with my monitor audio gr10s. Warmsh amp and Bright speakers = good match. That system has long gone. My old lust that didn't happen was a meridian g57 power amp that I once demonstrated in place of my Arcam A85 & p85. With van de Hull the first interconnects with my cyrus cd7q/chord dac 64 with kimber d60 cable and b&w 805 sigs. It was a wow demo. I never managed to buy them. I moved home and started a family.... I sold all the gear and now use kef ls50 wireless. But the bug is building in me again. Watch this space.
I had the IOTA SA & PA stack driving RP600Ms. Upgraded to Willsenton R8 / Drenfrips Pontus II / Blue Sound Node2 driving Hersey IVs (controlled with a Schiit Loki Max). Super nice rig! But I’d love a pair of Fleetwood Devilles SQs… audiophilia, what can you say? It’s addictive!
@@xcvbxcvb2179 I bought some EL 34s but went back to the stock KT 88s. The EL 34s we’re a bit light in the bass for me. I’m thinking of trying some golden lion KT88s later this year. But I have to say I really do like the stock tubes now that they have had time to really burn in. (Couple hundred hours). Are you running a tube amp?
What surprised me the most going from an Audiolab 6000A to a Rega Elex-R and later Roksan K3, was the amount of detail I was missing with the Audiolab. After hearing these more expensive amps, the Audiolab sounded muffled in comparison. I very much recommend going second hand, for example Elex-R can be had for the same money as Audiolab 6000A bought as new.
My first amp was an Arcam 8R. The guys a Richer Sounds were nice enough to sell it to me for the price of the 7R, because that had sold in the few days since I listened to it.
After hearing this review with the understanding that, as usual, Tarun is going to deliver a pretty clear description of this amp's qualities - I decided to check further. I am in Canada but trying to find a local CDN dealer was disappointing but (happily) I discovered that Crutchfield (a US onliner) carries the SA10 & the SA20. First - the US price is in line with the equivalent British Pounds (and Canadian ounces) AND - considering the reviews ( on Crutchfield) ... I am a bit surprised at how affordable this amp is. ( $ 880.00 USD). Now, the SA20 was an interesting amp (class G) and had some equally positive reviews but it is a grand more. Not understanding exactly what class G is- and considering the review here and elsewhere, I'd save a "G" and just get the SA10. I do not listen to high volume ... low to mid is my cup of tea. I love ( some ) classical music but I also enjoy almost anything with a good melody (subjective) From the reviews it seems that this amp can provide a warm mid-range and some silky highs plus plus. Come the fall .. as my retirement budget permits ... I just might buy this unit. I am very intrigued and the price is🤙 ... (unfair to the competition if truth by review be told) Thanks Tarun ... Arcam definitely owes you one (or two)
The one that got away for me was a sugden 21a, i borrowed it of my dad once and now wish i bought it of him before he sold it on. The bass wasnt great but there was some thing about it i really enjoyed.
Thanks for the Arcam piece. When I was a youf I lusted after a Dual turntable with a sure cartridge and a Nad 3020. I actually had a very nice Rotel turntable and receiver which I bought second hand for peanuts frim a kindly friend of the family and looking back I don't think I knew how good the set up was.......kids, what are they like 😆
I have the Hegel h95. But wonder If the arcam sa20 might be a even better amp. Have the arcam CDS50 and like the dac/Sound quite much. So maybe the sa20 would be a even better fit?
I think that could work for you. I have the CDS50 predecessor, the CDS27 and it is creates a huge fat lush soundstage with Wharfdale Denton 80th speakers. The set up is not warm but rather silky smooth velvet lushness. 😊
I have an SA20 (Class G) partnered with a pair of Quad S2s. No complaints. The SA20 replaced an elderly NAD C320. While the Arcam is not quite as punchy as the NAD with large scale orchestral works, it is more detailed and refined and suits a wider variety of music.
Hi Tarun, the one that got away is an amp with physical knobs for tone controls both bass and treble also a physical knob for loudness, it should also has a delicated phono amp, a delicated headphones amp with a 1/4 inches jack, of course with a remote control. It is really hard to find this combo today.
I’ve got the sa30. It’s quite the amplifier, especially for the discounted price of £1450 that I managed to snatch it for. Came from the audiolab 6000a play. I’m very happy with the jump in performance however it’s the Dirac room calibration that is built in that when done properly makes a considerable difference. Sa30 has a couple of niggles though, odd volume creeping up and down after changing the volume and it’s got poor lip sync with my television. As a hifi amp though it sounds fantastic. Always enjoy your reviews Tarun. Great job.
Tarun, perhaps you can clear up some confusion for me. My priority is a warm, melodic sound (think, e.g., of many of the songs from the scores from “Out of Africa” or “”Cinema Paridiso”), and female vocals (think, e.g., Nina Simone singing “Wild is the Wind”). I’m not a fan of treble and, perhaps because of my older age, while I would want enough bass to have a full sound, I don’t need lots of bass. My confusion is this: your reviews and reviews of others say we shouldn’t get both warm speakers and a warm amplifier because it will be “too much of a good thing “. But having stated my priorities, would I be better off buying a warm speaker (such as the Wharfedale Lintons or the Buchardt S400 mk1) and a more neutral amplifier or the reverse buying a warm amplifier (such as the Arcam 10 or 20) and a more neutral pair of speakers (such as the Bucharest S 400 mk2)? Or would either of those combinations end up in the same place I want to be with a warm melodic sound? Thank you.
Hi Michael, as a reviewer we can be guilty of making generalised sweeping statements. It is something I try to avoid but can’t totally eradicate as describing sound is not straightforward. Knowing the sound characteristics you are seeking is half the job IMHO. If you are looking for a warm melancholic sound than you should try to build a system that has that tonality. Start with the speakers as that has the biggest influence on sound and needs to work in your room. Classic British monitors have the warmth you seek but not the Buchardt S400 Mk2. Then try to find out what amplifier works well with that speaker to get the best out of it and retain the tonal character you seek. If you get stuck and need some help, by all means check out my Patreon. I would be glad to help. www.patreon.com/abritishaudiophile
I always wonder about this. Which component of a system has the greatest influence over the system not turning to a confusing mess when tracks become complex. Is it a strength that the system as a whole must be shared in by all included components, or is one component?
I always had a soft spot for audio inervation equipment I had a great demo of a pair of limited edition valve mono block amplifiers back in the 80s ,at Vickers hifi york , in the end i purchased a class A sugden amplifier. Micromega CD player and haybrook speakers.
Excellent review, especially the preamble. I had an Arcam FMJ A27, it defined 'sonic mush' as you put it, and I got rid of it fairly quickly. Very open-minded to to giving Arcam another go though, especially after your comments.
Thanks for the review. Currently the Rotel A11 Tribute, Arcam SA10 or a Rega IO are available to me for the same price (good sale on the SA10). Given the choice I would be curious which you would prefer. I should clarify, that I am not concerned about features just the best sounding amp, keeping mind they are the same price.. I was debating getting an IOTAVX PA3 and use my Marantz NR1403 as a pre-amp but I suspect I would be selling myself short.
Thank you. Hopefully, I will get to review those amps in time. My current benchmark around this price is the Cambridge Audio AXA35. Link attached 😊 ua-cam.com/video/milPXGgpoJ4/v-deo.html
Great review Tarun -thanks!. This has taken me back down memory lane. I also started my audiophile journey back in the early nineties and really stuck with the ARcam Alpha amplifier ranges for many years. I am now left with the very first A&R Cambridge Alpha and a later (early 2000's) Arcam Diva 80. What is interesting is the basic Alpha has a more exiting sound but lacks the power and scale of the A80. Both are smooth sounding, but there is that smidge of excitement that keeps me going back to the basic Alpha and its great for night time listening. Back in the 90's I really wanted a pair of Monitor Audio Studio 20SE Speakers that were way beyond any students reach :-(
I have an Arcam SA20 amp, which is a bit of a different animal, being a class G amp. It's sound profile is similar though. You're right, it pairs very well with my B&W 606 S2's.
I was considering the SA10 or SA20 to drive my KLH Kendall towers. Both on sale now for $689 and 1249. Do you use the on board DAC? I’m thinking the extra power would be nice and no need to upgrade in the future as I’m entering retirement. Thx
I use the on board ESS Sabre 9038km DAC with my Cambridge 640 Azur CD player, it has more detail and warmth than the Wolfson DAC on the Cambridge.@@theedgeofbreakup5192
I really like ARCAM. My first real decent DAC I ever bought was the irDAC. Loved it, but just recently sold it this year for upgrades. Had it for 8 years. ;)
Well, oddly enough, if there was a product I have occasionally wondered about, it’s the Arcam A19. When I was buying an amp a few years ago, I ended up going for a NAD C338. The NAD is an excellent and totally transparent amplifier but to me it can sometimes sound a bit clinical. The amp I had before that was the legendary NAD 3020B, which was Class A/B, while the C338 is Class D. The Arcam was a bit more like the 3020B but it seemed like the music was playing, I don’t know, _slower_ than it did with the C338. I’ll be honest, I liked it a lot but it was quite a bit dearer and didn’t have the streaming advantages. Also, in the looks stakes, the Arcam is much nicer looking than the NAD but that was never a factor in the decision. I tried a lot of others: Denon, Marantz, Rotel, Yamaha and Schitt but the NAD and the Arcam were the two finalists. I really like the NAD. It easily has enough power to drive my Dynes with authority, despite it only being nominally 50 Watts, driving 200 Watt speakers. I auditioned the Dynes through a Moon amp and I think the NAD does a better job. But there are days when I would prefer the slightly relaxed, chilled feeling I got from the Arcam.
Thank you, Tarun for more great content. It's fun to see how your channel has grown and how the production values have increased. Can't really think of "one that got away". Maybe the Celestion SL600. The one with the honeycomb cabinet. Remarkable 3d soundstage.
Good review. Very pugilistic. I do appreciate your ability to verbally describe what you hear. The one that got away from me was the Marantz PM94. I have the PM74D and had a PM84 but the big one got-a-way. I would describe its sound as similar to how you characterized the Arcam but with a significant power difference and more refinement.
I picked one of these up new for £415 a couple of years ago to use for my tv audio and music streaming for down stairs. Nice amp, goes loud enough for movies. I use a pair of Whalfedale Denton 80th anniversary speakers with it. Seems a good match to my ears.
Interesting... Yet another SA10 Denton 80th owner 😎 I got mine for £426 from Richer near the start of covid, it had a buzzing transformer but I got a replacement.
As an ex Hi-Fi tech i can remember Arcam from it's early days with products that lacked the build quality of the Japanese brands but sounded far better. Sadly they may be designed in the UK but are made elsewhere Arcam have always had that easy on the ear sound, compared to some of the bright edgy sound that is convincing for a short time, then listening fatigue soon sets in. Audiolab were always too cool sounding for my ears, i come from the valve era, and still prefer a good valve amp to these modern "Hi-Fi" sounding ones. Excellent review, and it's good to hear that Arcam are still making desirable amps.
Great review as always Tarun. I lusted after a Pioneer A-400 but that was solely based on What Hi-Fi’s awards issue. I’d just started Uni when it came out so again it was never going to happen. I think it was referred to as a giant killer and got the overall product of the year by a unanimous decision. I’ve since read comments saying it was overrated but would still like to hear one.
Thank you for a very insightful review Tarun. Was debating getting the Arcam SA10 over the Marantz PM6007 and by the looks of it the Arcam would be a much better buy.
Excellent review Tarun, I own the SA10 paired with Dali Opticon 2 MKI speakers, 8" Magnat subwoofer, Fluance RT81 TT, Bluesound Node2i streamer. I haven't owned many setups but I'm very pleased with this one; I think the MM phono input on the SA10 is brilliant for those with vinyl collections. The DAC is of decent quality, I can't really tell the difference between it and the Node2i DAC when using the Toslink port for instance. I did feel the SA10 lacked bass, just that little bit that a very inexpensive 8" woofer was able to deliver it, considering no tone controls on the amp. I tried the AudioLab 6000A and didn't really like it at all, sounded very flat and boring on my setup, and read quite a few reviews at the time on the Ioata about their customer support that put me off. It could be that my speakers require careful matching, which to my ears, the SA10 provides.
Great review we’ll done Tarun. Judging by how the cable and track run, I’d guess that one side of the heat sink will be the rectifier bridge, and dc regulators for +ve and -ve voltage, and one the right hand side would prolly be, as other suggested, the LM3886 or similar and you won’t see PNP NPN in pairs because it’s an opamp
Way back I drooled over Audiolab 8000a and Musical fidelity A1... Then when the Arcam Delta 90 was released THAT was what I chose to pair with my ProAc Super tablets fed by Xerxes, RB300, AT05.... Fond memories... Things seemed simpler then... The Delta 90 even continued to serve well when bolstered with a Xeta II... and again even further with an imported Panasonic A310 DVD player giving me AC3 and DTS... Still got a soft spot for Arcam as a brand, yet feel I've moved on now.
Thinking further about what eluded me? ... now neither can be found or can't be serviced..ProAc EBS and then after that Ruark acoustics Excalibur... Hmmm I wonder if they'd give my current loudspeaker a run for their money? .. Perhaps! ... Though I suspect my taste in presentation has evolved from those days. Great content again Tarun 👍🏻
ARCAM was originally 'A&R Cambridge'. I had the AR 100 which made their reputation. However, I never really cottoned on to ARCAM products. I went for Quad afterwards and then settle don the Cyrus upgrade development path.
😂 I'd love to answer your question concerning the one that got away, but given the Professors Way Back machine is on the fritz I can only make a generality. Sansui Integrateds say along the lines of the AU-555 or AU-888 of course the 888 would have more power basically the ones with Midrange control or a Marantz 2275 Black Face, they are rare and ones in prestine condition are north of 3k...the stuff dreams are made of just not the price. Thanks for a great review. I might have considered the Arcam were it not for your pronouncement it doesn't play well with Rock. Which is a fair amount of my musical interest, but not exclusively. I am fond of most genres which affect me emotionally as well as get my toes tapping, from Jazz, Blues, Funk, R and B, Soul, Classical, Electronic, New Age, pretty much the gambit really, but to exclude R and R well for me it's the Achilles heel. But in all other respects it sounds, no pun intended, wonderful.
Tarun. Fresh from an evening of Thomas Arne and Thomaso Albinoni, and as you have come to expect, a fine red wine. I remember Arcam from the 80s and 90s, then methinks they went orf (as we say in Nth Cambs). They followed trends rather than the original direction they may have followed. I have a late 80s Arcam Alpha Amp (30w per channel) Remember that? as a cheap second (rather third) amp I have from ebay. The second being a similar period Creek CAS 4140, that powers the downstairs hi-fi for my superior other to listen to, (but she never bothers). Adele sounds good on an old ipod.....apparently! My question.....Having two versions of the same CD player from that period, the Arcam Alpha +, has the new amp that Arcam sell dropped way way down in audio quality, as did their CD players in the late 90s and to this day?? Hope your answer won't cost you a freebie from Acoustic Research Cambridge. Is there an equivalent in tranny amps of the Phillips Red Book CD player?
Hi Tarun. As some context for the above. The Audiolab amp you really like, does it hark back to the budget amps of the 80s/90s or the home cinema amps of the 2000s. When new to audio I liked both the Creek and Arcam sound, although the Creek was cheekier (if you know what I mean). The Arcam was warmer and safer. You place emphasis on the new Audiolab integrated amp under £1000. Remembering the sound fingerprints of the 80s and early 90s between Aracm, Mission, Creek Lynn etc, can you give a hint to where the modern Audiolab fits in? Do you know what I mean, or is it a Merlot-laden question that deserves the answer..........Ask again in the morning?
I also felt that Arcam lost their way after the Delta 290 that I owned. I bought an Arcam Diva A75 Plus without listening to it a decade later. It was an impulse purchase and seemed a good deal but I was disappointed. The magic of the Delta 290 was gone. This new SA10 reminds me of the Delta 290. By the way, I don’t solicit manufacturers to get freebies.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 hi Tarun. I don't think I meant it quite that way. I used to do a similar thing in the telescope market, and if I gave an even mildly negative review, I would not get a another product sent free from that company. Most were not like that, some were. I don't think anyone keeps stuff sent them (as far as I know), its just that some companies are sensitive to criticism and will take their ball and go home so to speak.
Great review Tarun, good to see anyone can get fantastic audio at reasonable prices, I have owned a Arcam FMJ A28 for a while with mourdaut short Mezzo 2 speakers & QED cable with a Nad cd player. I knew I could improve things so just bought a pair of B&W 606's, chord screen x cable and a Arcam FMJ CD17 wow what an improvement in dynamics, love playing all my favourite cd again 😀 cheers
Thanks! A good review. I own the Arcam CDS50 and enjoy it. I auditioned this amp but ended up going with the Cambridge CXA80. More power and features (excluding the phono preamp). I also love having tone controls the CXA80 has. Bought mine on closeout, so the pricing was similar between the two.
Tarun, love your laid back professional videos. I have a wife! That’s what’s holding back my eager to evolve and expand my hobby…. She’s the interior designer and head of the aesthetic committee. So I need a dedicated room for my hobby, expect from the garage.
Great review! One surprise was that the dac in this thing is actually very good, I assumed it was more of an afterthought. I ended up using the the digital out from my dac cause it sounded better to me that using the analog output from it.
Fantastic review as usual, thank you. I wonder if you can comment on how SA20 might compare to SA10 in terms of pure sonic qualities rather than the technical data.
Splendid review, Tarun. Much enjoyed. As regards the one that got away, I draw a blank. I assume that to know you had let it get away, you'd have had to have a) heard it, b) bought something else and c) heard it again and regretted your decision. That hasn't happened, not in my early experience of hi-fi in the period of the 70s to the early 2000's, nor on my return to the hobby in the past two or three years. I'm afraid I have my current systems, which luckily I am very happy with, and have lost a great deal of my interest in upgrading now.
Hello ! Great content as usual ! Very interesting amplifier but I just can’t get over the volume knob being on the left, It just doesn’t look right. Silly, I know.
I like your reviews. Well spoken. Respectful of lower tier gear without any of the ego. You seem like a very grounded bloke. Look forward to watching more.
Thank you David. I like to think I am well grounded. I have spent a lifetime trying to identify and illuminate my prejudiced and false assumptions. It is a lot harder than many may think 😊👍
I would like to think that Tarun is respectful because he is also pragmatic about these products. When you sample (some) expensive pieces, you become acutely aware of the difference in quality. However, it also makes you fully aware of the diminishing returns on solely cost basis, and what you may value.
Many of these more cost effective pieces will get you the proverbial '90% of the way there' for significant fractions of the cost to get that last 10%
It doesn't make the high cost items less relevant, but it does put some confidence in the market that can't justify very high system costs by letting them know that you CAN enter this hobby at somewhat budget levels and enjoy a fine sound reproduction experience.
I’ve been enjoying his videos for much the same reason.
Another great review Tarun. I'm still using my Arcam Alpha 9 amplifier,which I bought new in 1998 ! I've mated it with ProAc Tablette Ten Signature speakers and a Bluesound Node 2i streamer,and it still sounds fantastic all these years later. I recently had the amp cleaned and checked over,and the technician who did the work, informed me that it was performing like a brand new product ; testament to Arcam's UK (at the time) build quality.
Thank you. Great to learn about your experiences 😊👍
Your carefully constructed reviews set you apart from most online reviewers. I think you touched on an important point: people want the best sound possible for their money, but often don't consider what kind of presentation they prefer. I like a more transparent and neutral presentation which suits the music I listen to just fine, but some might consider it a bit tame and unexciting.
@@isayoldchap1 thank you kindly 😊👍
Thanks Tarun , I appreciate your time and effort with this channel , keep it going 🙏🏻🥂
@@petergreen-gh2hm thank you 👍
I like your reviews, always very complete, including the internal view. Thanks
Thank you Son. Much appreciated 😊👍
I love how you take your speakers out for some fresh air, some scenery
Thank you. It is nice to get out of the house sometimes. Bring an audiophile is a indoor pursuit 😎👍
Yyyyyeeeeyyyy thanks for your views on this love Arcam and had few amps and CD players ( second hand ) what I love is the soundstage depth you always mention about . Thanks again
Thank you Atri. So pleased you enjoyed it 👍
My system is an Arcam Alpha 6+ integrated and an Alpha 7 CD player, from over 25 years ago. I have never regretted buying them.
That is great 👍
Another great review, I have the SA20 with Focal Aria 926 speakers and they work perfectly together.
Thank you Paul. I suspected those two brands would work together. Always nice to have confirmation 😊
I am very interested in the similarity or difference between the SA10 and SA20 with the class G (As Arcam name it) essentially class A up to 12 watts of power and hands over to A/B
@@bsmega-team9288 I haven’t listened to the SA10 but I assume they have a similar sound. Subjectively I found it to be very detailed but with a slightly warm sound which works well with my speakers. I also found the SA20 and Focal’s seem to work well at lower volumes eg late night listening. I don’t know if class G helps with this but it seems to.
Thanks, I got Focal Chora and was looking for a good Amp to bring it. Was leaning towards SA20 and this review/comments helped!
Three months with the SA10 now (in part thanks to this review) and am very satisfied. This review is accurate as to the sound.
The Arcam harmonizes well with my Wharfedale Denton 80th anniversary speakers and REL subwoofer. Musical with beautiful tonality.
Thank you Stephen 👍
I've had the SA10 for over 2 1/2 years, I too own the Denton 80s along with Arcam CDS27 SACD Network Streamer. I'd love to hear the Arcam setup with much more expensive speakers to hear what it can do.
@@nocturnal1970 I'm sure it would drive more expensive speakers quite well, as long as they were relatively efficient. I had thoughts at one time of purchasing some Focals to complement the Dentons with a different sound signature, but have been so satisfied with the current setup that I abandoned the idea.
I purchased the Audiolab 6000cdt a year before I acquired the Arcam. It is an excellent cd transport. For streaming, I run a USB out of my desktop computer through a Topping D10s, which converts the signal and exports via a Toslink optical cable into the Arcam's dac. Works perfectly fine.
@@stephenbailey9969 You are aware that the final DAC is the SA10 internal? Which as I considered substandard in relation to external DACs feeding the line level inputs. BTW the What Hi-Fi review said the line level inputs were crap compared to the internal DAC. Let me assure you that this was nonsense, feed the SA10 with a good DAC or player like the CDS27 and you'll instantly know the difference. I did a A/B comparison with my CDS27 DAC via line level inputs and a co-axial cable from the CDS27 output feeding the SA10 DAC and trust me there is no way you would choose the SA10 internal DAC... It is akin to upgrading your entire hi-fi by a few grand 😎 The difference is immense regarding width and depth of sound stage and much more glorious bottom end through the Denton 80s.
I did a lot of testing of this with a quick switch on the remote, honestly you can hear a massive difference, the CDS27 is a much unknown gem. I haven't heard the CDS 50 or ST60 streamer but it is nirvana in soundstage and luciousness.
Edit: Just to verify my testing memories I am testing again with classical music and the difference is huge... Solo piano lower octaves, more 3D, more detail. The difference reminds me of going back to my first Cambridge Audio student buy in the mid 1990s. I guess it is up to you 😎
Further edit: Listening to Adagio by Strings via Tidal from this phone oh my it is beautiful, no need for CD transport or hard drives, I have extensively tested those also and no difference.
@@nocturnal1970 Thanks for the information. I've used external dacs in the past, both multibit and those based on various sigma-delta chips, including Burr Brown chips as used in the CDS27. But to get that 'Arcam tuning' I would in the future consider the CDS50 or whatever is the latest production model. No doubt that synergy is very important in selecting components.
Recently bought an Arcam SA20,absolutely blown away 😊❤️
Cool 😎
Tarun I recently bought an Arcam SA20 which drives my METAs very well. I love the sound this combination gives.
That is a very good combination. Regularly used by Kef in dealer and hifi show demos 😊
Exactly my feelings with sa10, after listening to it for several days.
Thank you Gökhan 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I think Rotel a11 sits between Arcam and audiolab performace wise. Your viewers would benefit from your opinion of how those 3 affordable class A/B amps compare.
The two larger chips on the right on the heatsink are the power devices, one for each channel. They have two devices inside each one, which is why they have six pins each instead of three. The two on the left are probably driver devices, to provide the final voltage and current gain to the output devices, and as the phase splitters. The large one in the center is probably a voltage regulator, and the small one between the power devices may be a temperature sensor, to protect from overheating, overload, or a short circuit
Thank you DM 😊
The one component that I wish to have and was/is beyond my reach is quad 57esl loudspeakers.
I remember that I heard them long long ago and I was stunned by they're clarity and natural tonality unlike anything I heard before. I wish I had a pair of them despite their limitation in the bass region.
Always was a dream for me to get one pair in mint condition.
Rare gem
Way back in 1997 I was at a Hi-Fi show, I was walking past some booths and I heard something which literally jerked my head around, I follow the sound to a small booth demonstrating a pair of quad 57esl. I was amazed, they sounded like nothing I've ever heard before, not much bass or high treble but the smooth richness of the mid-range puts every other type of speaker in the shade.
Thank you Kobi 😊
The one component I always wanted, but never acquired: Dalquist DQ10 speakers. I always loved those speakers, but never found my way to getting a pair. You do excellent reviews. Thanks.
Thanks for another fine review!
My heart jumped a bit when you showed that old musical fidelity amp you had your eyes on. For almost a decade ive used an MF A300 which i had upgraded by musucal fidelities qa engineer of 20 years, and I still miss it a bit! I almost feel ashamed to be a Naim Atom man now, but Im loving my sound even if i have nothing to play with in terms of boxes or leads.
Love your componant dives, they are definately a USP for you.
This sounds like an amp I could definately learn to love. The boxing analogies were a lol, but hopefully a one off :)
Keep doing what you do, its appreciated!
Thank you for my friend. Much appreciated. I might be a boxing fan but I won’t be coming another analogy for quite some time 😊👍
Great to include a comparison with the IotaVX and Audiolab!
Thank you 👍
One of the many strengths of this review is your ability to describe with precision and without recourse to jargon what you are hearing. That mountain seems the hardest one for reviewers to climb whether solely in print or in broadcasting.
Equipment on the horizon? It looks like I'm going to have to figure out streaming. Still trying to work out what equipment I need to add, how that equipment will interface with my current (and, hopefully, lifetime) amp, and the cost will be of subscriptions to streaming services that grant access to a wide range of jazz and classical music.
Thank you Mike. That is very kind. It is tricky to describe what you hear. It is also hard to keep things fresh without getting into flowery audiophile nonsense 😊👍
streaming opened up a HIgh-res world for me. I choose Qobuz because of the many 24 bit/up to 192 khz music and that made a big difference, with a good renderer, in how I hear music now. It sounds clearly much better than CD quality. Good luck on choosing your equipment for that. I bought a second hand Moon MiND 180 for that, which was a cheap but terrific upgrade for streaming. I have the old audiolab 8000a but the first thing to upgrade are my speakers, I guess.
@@thepuma2012 Thanks for pointing out the Moon MiND 180. Was considering it and the Lumin D2 on the used market. Looking at DAC's as well.
@@smuconn Hi, well the MiND´s are so top quality, get a good DAC as well then. The MiND 180 was the first, the newer types after that are a bit more extended when upgraded, and can make use of Roon. Anyway I am happy with the quality of the 180. Tried some apps, like mconnect free version but in the end i am using the app from MiND itself. I googled the Lumin, seems a bit hard to choose between the two..... According the reviews the lumin sounds really good with its in built dac. The MiNDs are excellent renderers on its own, giving a perfect signal to the connected DAC.
@@thepuma2012 Thanks for the help!
A good review of an Arcam integrated amp. I remember listening to the oriiginal A60, it also being a smooth performer. System matching is an important consideration to get the best out of these units. I have heard many good products over the years but nothing that caused fatal lust. My philosophy has always been to build on a good sound with gradual refinements. With new hifi going up so much in the current crisis I am no longer even doing this as my sound is everything I wish it to be.
Thank you John 😊
At last we see an arcam review. Thank you British Audiophile! I do have the PA240 power amp from Arcam. Did not see any review on UA-cam.
Thank you Michael. I get there in the end (hopefully) 😊
I just bought this amp because it was on sale for half price. I have it sitting atop my 6000A. It has more punch in the mids and bass but can't match the detail and clarity of the 6000A. A very pleasant, non-fatiguing sound. Highly recommended.
@@SpineTingler007 thx for sharing your experience 😊
Another great review Tarun. I really appreciate the 360 degree view you take on audio equipment. It's also great to hear about equipment that might not be so well known in the US.
Thank you Paul. Much appreciated 😊👍
My first amp was a Krell, then Prima Luna, then Cary, now Schiit and am looking at getting a Decware now.
Cool 😎 thank you for sharing 😊
Glad to see another boxing fan!
Life long 😊
Thanks! The one that got away was a magnetic gimbal suspension turn table my wife dropped a plant on... It was cool in the house for a few days after that.
Thank you Lonnie 😊
Hi tarun. I've had some arcam equipment back in the day,mid 80s early 90s,always great value for money, the plastic faceplates and knobs were manufactured just up the road from me,I was a fitter at derwent plastics, Stamford bridge east Yorkshire, very handy for spare parts if needed, I'm not a great fan of the new design and style, but its great to see the quality and value is still there. Thanks again for another great review.
Thank you Paul. That is a great anecdote 😊👍
Thanks to everyone who commented on my comment below. Of course, another
big thanks to you Tarun.
I learned about Arcam a couple years back but other than know about their existance ...
that was it. Now since I posted (yesterday) below, I've learned a bucket-full about the
bigger brother S-20. I understand Class A and now, having learned about the S 20s
class G, I now know that G is another way of presenting (more?) Class A. What I
have finally concluded after 2 years of serious research is that the Arcam S 20 is
now at the top of my replacement wish-list. I'm not sure about the built in DAC but
I have a couple of pretty good Schiit DACS. If the Arcam's DAC outperforms them
then I'll be happy ... if not, perfectly happy with the Schiit (choices). Finally I can say
that I am really happy about learning about Arcam and their total commitment to
engineering truly great products at reasonable prices. I can honestly say I feel like
Scrooge on Christmas morning ... this is the next amp I will purchase after I get Tiny
Tim new crutches. Seriously .. thank you Tarun for serving as a catalyst and causing
me to look further at the Arcam product line. Now, what speakers? I've got some
nice Pardigms, Elacs and a small set of Keys but in time, they too shall be replaced.
Since the mid 60s I have been fascinated with audio and at 72 ... still AM.👌
Thank you Charles I greatly appreciate your kind words of support 😊👍
I remember buying my first hifi when I was 14, I bought a pair of B&W DM303s - I didn’t have the money but I demoed a second hand Arcam amp in the showroom with my speakers. That was my first and last in person experience with Arcam and still remember being blown away by the mixture of elegance and muscle compared to the amp I had (mid/high end Technics from the 80s restored by my Dad). The dealer touted the toroidal transformer and power supply section as a big differentiator.
I’ve always kept an eye out for Arcam since then, we’re pretty spoilt for choice these days.
Thank you Stuart. Isn’t it great the memories evoked by certain brands and components 😊
I had an Arcam Alpha 7 paired with some 303s, and they were a great combo for a small room
Nice review and your boxing reference brought back memories of when I spent 6 weeks with Frank Bruno and his trainer George Francis in Fountain Hills AZ at my gym in his preparation for the Mike Tyson fight. Nicest guys ever to be around. The fight was a disappointment……
Thank you. It was a shame, Frank had a moment to get to Mike in that fight 😊
Hi Tarun, I think those are LM3886 power amp chips, very highly regarded
Thank you JD 👍
I still have my Arcam Alpha 9 amp, Power Amp all connected to my Arcam Alpha 9 CD Player all still working Brilliantly cant fault them may change one day may.
That is great Steve. I appreciate you sharing 😊
Really enjoyed this review! Loved the bit of a trip down memory lane for your equipment in years past and history of older equipment. Would love to see a Quad Vena review to compare against the 6000a and Arcam one day! I don’t have anything I would say got away, just glad I never sold my Dali Menuet speakers when someone offered me close to what I paid, then I probably would have!
Thank you 😊
Great review and insights, Tarum. Thank you!
Thank you José 😊
Excellent, even-handed review as always! I also appreciate that you only do comparisons to components you have on hand. I would think that Triangle BRO-3s would be a good match as well. Or, as you said, maybe a pair of Klipsch, like the new RP-600M Mk2.
Thanks for all you do!
Thank you Dan. Much appreciated. I would love to have tried it with some Triangle speakers. Great suggestion 😊👍
Excellent presentation, as always, detailed and professional, thank you
While I have no intention of changing anything in my vintage system, it’s interesting to hear what new technologies are bringing us
Thank you Damir 👍
Great review and thank you! It's nice to see a well built A/B amp in this price class. A real power supply! Current! Smooth sound!
I thought Arcam was class "G"?
Thank you Mark 👍
The bigger brothers to the SA10 are class G 😊
Thanks Tarun, great review. With a recent price drop it would be interesting to see how much extra performance is achieved with the SA20 boasting Arcam’s class G amplification. Well under £1K and class A up to 12 watts before handing over to class A/B
Thank you. I would like to review that amp 😊
The 20 is definitely worth the extra cash. I've had both and while the 10 sounds great the 20 has more muscle and drive. I've never heard my RA labs reference 2a speakers come alive like they do with the sa20.
The devices on the right side of the heatsink are ICs of the LM3886 type. The so called chip amp category.
The device behind the large capacitors looks like a bridge rectifier. The single device between the chip amps is most likely related to thermal protection. The two on the left side are harder to guess. They might be triacs for crowbar output protection or some sort of voltage regulators (positive and negative).
Thank you, very interesting. That makes sense. I was expecting to see a pair of output transistors for each channel in a classic AB push-pull configuration.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 You're welcome! I enjoy your channel and I'm happy to help. These chip amps are usually stereo, so most likely each channel is in parallel configuration, 1 stereo IC per ch. Internally they are push-pull class AB (technically class B) indeed.
@@vvr892 thank you 😊
Thanks for that review…
Pair the Arcam with a cheap Acoustic Energy AE100 Mk.ll, love that combination.
I wish somedays i can get my hands on a pair of Quads Pre34 and 306 or Croft‘s Micro25 and Series 7 pre/power combos. Somedays…
Thank you for sharing 😊
Enjoyed the new descriptor- Whistle stop. Similes of Pugilism. Good job as usual. Must be hard not attending the Munich show.
Thank you. I wish I could have got there 😊
I have an SA10 with Wharfedale Denton 80th, along with a ML Sub for my bedroom system, I love it....
That is great. Thank you for sharing 😊
Great review Tarun. The extra transistors will be setting the bias for the output stage. They are attached the the heatsink so that they are thermally coupled to the output transistors, therefore the bias will track temperature.
Thank you Dan. That is pretty cool. I imagine it should help to reduce crossover distortion. Maybe that is why it as smooth as a good class A design 😊
Fantastic review!!!! I got a good friend into the SA10 and he loves it! The one that got away for me was a Pass Labs XA-30.8 for well under $3800 USD in mint condition.
Thank you buddy 😊😂
Great review! My product? My current dream is an air tight 300. That sound won’t come off my mind…greatest thing I’ve ever heard
Thank you Felipe 😊
The amp that I always desired but could not afford in my earlier hifi years was the Marantz PM17 Ken Ishiwata Signature, along with the matching CD player. Both always got good reviews and the amp looked fantastic in gold and with the illuminated temperature dial.
Thank you James. I remember being impressed with that amp 😊
I had the standard issue PM17 and CD17. They were very good, but a bit too warm for my taste and not crisp enough on top. Maybe I just needed to pair them with different speakers than what I had.
Danke!
Danke shöen for the support Rainer. Very much appreciated 🙂👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 You're welcome! I really like your approach to HiFi.
Currently, the Rotel A11 Tribute is sitting just outside my budget. I'm looking to pair it with my Schiit Modi Multibit to power my KEF Q100s. My Q100s are currently getting a GR Research No Rez upgrade. Perhaps a pair or ELAC UB52s will be in the picture when I get my hands on an A11 Tribute.
Thank you for sharing 😊
Nice review as ever Tarun. The boxing analogy was a giggle. Was a bit surprised to see an oldish DAC in the Arcam. They're part of Harman group so presumably have access to all the best components. Every product is built to a budget of course.
Thank you. I suppose they had to keep a tight grip on the purse strings with this one 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 yes a lot of value packed into that circa £700 price. USB input wouid be nice but it's pricey to implement as you say. I actually like an amp where you exit standby using the volume knob as it stops me from inadvertently deafening myself.
On a much less budget friendly level, you should check out the Technics SU G700 mk2 (a mouthful! ) digital amp. It has a very high quality retro exterior design with up to the minute internals that gives you an awful lot their £7grand SU-R1000 for a lot less money. The mk2 is better in some respects.
The SA10 internal DAC is OK for TV, films, Xbox or UA-cam, but my favourite player and DAC I have connected is the Arcam CDS27 SACD Network streamer. This has a huge lush soundstage with more bottom end compared to SA10 DAC, Rega DAC (this had great timing and rythym though) and Ifi USB DAC Signature. I also owned the Arcam Alpha 9 CD player with the ring DAC but before I got the SA10.
The SA10 DAC does not cut the mustard to get the most musicality from the SA10. It sounds anemic compared to other DACs I have and especially the CDS27. It's worth trying to pick one up on Ebay, it has Burr Brown DAC chip which I seem to prefer to the ESS Sabre.
Plus the SA10 remote can control the CDS27 also which is nicer than the remote that was supplied with CDS27.
I was debating which Arcam SA-series amp to buy. Was leaning toward the SA30/20 due to Class G amp,, but went with the SA10 based on your review and the warmth of sound you mentioned. Paired with Revel M106’s, it’s the perfect combination for my small home office…great value in this SA10.
That is great. Thank you for sharing Robert 😊
I like Arcam products and as far as the SA10 my only negitive I have are it's looks. The SA line temps me to feed it a VHS tape when I look at it. As always thanks for the review Tarun.
@@spill_the_beans365 thx for sharing 😊
Saved up and purchased some Ex demo Mission 735 paired with a Teac amp and CD player but the ones that got away were the 753 in mahogany.
Thank you for sharing 😊
Nice review as always. I am currently running an Audiolab 6000 a with a pair of Magnepan
SMG a .ok for now but I am
saving up for a Hegel H 90 or 95. Time to move up a level or 2.
Thank you. I think the H95 will over an improvement but the H120 might be more worthwhile with those Maggies 😊
Another very well presented review Tarun. I had a Arcam A19 about 10 years ago. I think that retailed for around the same price. It sounded pretty much as you described Arcams of old. I liked it alot with my monitor audio gr10s. Warmsh amp and Bright speakers = good match. That system has long gone. My old lust that didn't happen was a meridian g57 power amp that I once demonstrated in place of my Arcam A85 & p85. With van de Hull the first interconnects with my cyrus cd7q/chord dac 64 with kimber d60 cable and b&w 805 sigs. It was a wow demo. I never managed to buy them. I moved home and started a family.... I sold all the gear and now use kef ls50 wireless. But the bug is building in me again. Watch this space.
Great anecdote. Thank you for watching and sharing Rick 😊👍
I had the IOTA SA & PA stack driving RP600Ms. Upgraded to Willsenton R8 / Drenfrips Pontus II / Blue Sound Node2 driving Hersey IVs (controlled with a Schiit Loki Max). Super nice rig! But I’d love a pair of Fleetwood Devilles SQs… audiophilia, what can you say? It’s addictive!
Thank you for sharing Bob 😊
What valves did you get for the R8? (Or tubes and not Audi...)
@@xcvbxcvb2179 I bought some EL 34s but went back to the stock KT 88s. The EL 34s we’re a bit light in the bass for me. I’m thinking of trying some golden lion KT88s later this year. But I have to say I really do like the stock tubes now that they have had time to really burn in. (Couple hundred hours). Are you running a tube amp?
@Clinton Davis I’m sure it will.
What surprised me the most going from an Audiolab 6000A to a Rega Elex-R and later Roksan K3, was the amount of detail I was missing with the Audiolab. After hearing these more expensive amps, the Audiolab sounded muffled in comparison. I very much recommend going second hand, for example Elex-R can be had for the same money as Audiolab 6000A bought as new.
I went from a Cambridge AXR100 to a Rega Elex-R and the difference was huge.
The 6000A is great value but if you can spend more you can do better 😊
My first amp was an Arcam 8R. The guys a Richer Sounds were nice enough to sell it to me for the price of the 7R, because that had sold in the few days since I listened to it.
Thank you for sharing, my friend 😊
After hearing this review with the understanding that, as usual, Tarun is going to deliver
a pretty clear description of this amp's qualities - I decided to check further. I am in Canada
but trying to find a local CDN dealer was disappointing but (happily) I discovered that Crutchfield
(a US onliner) carries the SA10 & the SA20. First - the US price is in line with the equivalent
British Pounds (and Canadian ounces) AND - considering the reviews ( on Crutchfield) ...
I am a bit surprised at how affordable this amp is. ( $ 880.00 USD). Now, the SA20 was an
interesting amp (class G) and had some equally positive reviews but it is a grand more.
Not understanding exactly what class G is- and considering the review here and elsewhere,
I'd save a "G" and just get the SA10. I do not listen to high volume ... low to mid is my cup
of tea. I love ( some ) classical music but I also enjoy almost anything with a good melody
(subjective) From the reviews it seems that this amp can provide a warm mid-range and some
silky highs plus plus. Come the fall .. as my retirement budget permits ... I just might buy
this unit. I am very intrigued and the price is🤙 ... (unfair to the competition if truth by review be told)
Thanks Tarun ... Arcam definitely owes you one (or two)
My SA10 with Wharfedale Denon 80's sound Great at low volumes....
That is great Charles. The SA10 can sound very nice with the right speakers 😊👍
Centre hifi and audioconnexion in Canada carry Arcam
Hey Charles. There's a dealer here in Montreal if ever you are still interested
@@valkyrieorion7200 Thanks, I'll check them out🤙
The one that got away for me was a sugden 21a, i borrowed it of my dad once and now wish i bought it of him before he sold it on. The bass wasnt great but there was some thing about it i really enjoyed.
I had a Sugden crush too. Never really got over it 😊
Another great review Tarun.
Thank you buddy 👍
Thanks for the Arcam piece. When I was a youf I lusted after a Dual turntable with a sure cartridge and a Nad 3020. I actually had a very nice Rotel turntable and receiver which I bought second hand for peanuts frim a kindly friend of the family and looking back I don't think I knew how good the set up was.......kids, what are they like 😆
Thank you Alex 😊
I have the Hegel h95. But wonder If the arcam sa20 might be a even better amp. Have the arcam CDS50 and like the dac/Sound quite much. So maybe the sa20 would be a even better fit?
I suspect it will be a sideways move 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 maybe the dac ist even better than the one in the Hegel...
I think that could work for you. I have the CDS50 predecessor, the CDS27 and it is creates a huge fat lush soundstage with Wharfdale Denton 80th speakers. The set up is not warm but rather silky smooth velvet lushness. 😊
I have an SA20 (Class G) partnered with a pair of Quad S2s. No complaints. The SA20 replaced an elderly NAD C320. While the Arcam is not quite as punchy as the NAD with large scale orchestral works, it is more detailed and refined and suits a wider variety of music.
Thank you for sharing Mark 😊
Hi Tarun, the one that got away is an amp with physical knobs for tone controls both bass and treble also a physical knob for loudness, it should also has a delicated phono amp, a delicated headphones amp with a 1/4 inches jack, of course with a remote control. It is really hard to find this combo today.
Thank you 😊
I’ve got the sa30. It’s quite the amplifier, especially for the discounted price of £1450 that I managed to snatch it for. Came from the audiolab 6000a play. I’m very happy with the jump in performance however it’s the Dirac room calibration that is built in that when done properly makes a considerable difference. Sa30 has a couple of niggles though, odd volume creeping up and down after changing the volume and it’s got poor lip sync with my television. As a hifi amp though it sounds fantastic. Always enjoy your reviews Tarun. Great job.
lipsync you can adjust in the settings of your tv (probably)
@@thepuma2012 it’s doesn’t need delay it’s the opposite. It just makes it worse with delay. The sa30 has delay option built in as well.
Thank you for sharing Russell 😊
Thank you Tarun, I learned so much from your channel, very much appreciated!
Thank you Muhammad. Much appreciated 😊👍
Tarun, perhaps you can clear up some confusion for me. My priority is a warm, melodic sound (think, e.g., of many of the songs from the scores from “Out of Africa” or “”Cinema Paridiso”), and female vocals (think, e.g., Nina Simone singing “Wild is the Wind”). I’m not a fan of treble and, perhaps because of my older age, while I would want enough bass to have a full sound, I don’t need lots of bass. My confusion is this: your reviews and reviews of others say we shouldn’t get both warm speakers and a warm amplifier because it will be “too much of a good thing “. But having stated my priorities, would I be better off buying a warm speaker (such as the Wharfedale Lintons or the Buchardt S400 mk1) and a more neutral amplifier or the reverse buying a warm amplifier (such as the Arcam 10 or 20) and a more neutral pair of speakers (such as the Bucharest S 400 mk2)? Or would either of those combinations end up in the same place I want to be with a warm melodic sound? Thank you.
Hi Michael, as a reviewer we can be guilty of making generalised sweeping statements. It is something I try to avoid but can’t totally eradicate as describing sound is not straightforward. Knowing the sound characteristics you are seeking is half the job IMHO. If you are looking for a warm melancholic sound than you should try to build a system that has that tonality. Start with the speakers as that has the biggest influence on sound and needs to work in your room. Classic British monitors have the warmth you seek but not the Buchardt S400 Mk2. Then try to find out what amplifier works well with that speaker to get the best out of it and retain the tonal character you seek. If you get stuck and need some help, by all means check out my Patreon. I would be glad to help. www.patreon.com/abritishaudiophile
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks, and I just did,
I always wonder about this. Which component of a system has the greatest influence over the system not turning to a confusing mess when tracks become complex. Is it a strength that the system as a whole must be shared in by all included components, or is one component?
A whole system approach is best 😊
Nice review, thank you. Thinking about getting this with a pair of floor standing Klipsch, hoping it pairs well!
That may work 😊
I always had a soft spot for audio inervation equipment I had a great demo of a pair of limited edition valve mono block amplifiers back in the 80s ,at Vickers hifi york , in the end i purchased a class A sugden amplifier. Micromega CD player and haybrook speakers.
Thank you Paul 😊
Excellent review, especially the preamble. I had an Arcam FMJ A27, it defined 'sonic mush' as you put it, and I got rid of it fairly quickly. Very open-minded to to giving Arcam another go though, especially after your comments.
Thank you Leo. I appreciate you watching and sharing 😊
Thanks for the review. Currently the Rotel A11 Tribute, Arcam SA10 or a Rega IO are available to me for the same price (good sale on the SA10). Given the choice I would be curious which you would prefer. I should clarify, that I am not concerned about features just the best sounding amp, keeping mind they are the same price.. I was debating getting an IOTAVX PA3 and use my Marantz NR1403 as a pre-amp but I suspect I would be selling myself short.
Thank you. Hopefully, I will get to review those amps in time. My current benchmark around this price is the Cambridge Audio AXA35. Link attached 😊
ua-cam.com/video/milPXGgpoJ4/v-deo.html
Great review Tarun -thanks!. This has taken me back down memory lane. I also started my audiophile journey back in the early nineties and really stuck with the ARcam Alpha amplifier ranges for many years. I am now left with the very first A&R Cambridge Alpha and a later (early 2000's) Arcam Diva 80. What is interesting is the basic Alpha has a more exiting sound but lacks the power and scale of the A80. Both are smooth sounding, but there is that smidge of excitement that keeps me going back to the basic Alpha and its great for night time listening. Back in the 90's I really wanted a pair of Monitor Audio Studio 20SE Speakers that were way beyond any students reach :-(
That is great. Thank you Chico 😊
I have an Arcam SA20 amp, which is a bit of a different animal, being a class G amp. It's sound profile is similar though. You're right, it pairs very well with my B&W 606 S2's.
That is great. Thank you for sharing Robert 😊
I was considering the SA10 or SA20 to drive my KLH Kendall towers. Both on sale now for $689 and 1249. Do you use the on board DAC? I’m thinking the extra power would be nice and no need to upgrade in the future as I’m entering retirement. Thx
I use the on board ESS Sabre 9038km DAC with my Cambridge 640 Azur CD player, it has more detail and warmth than the Wolfson DAC on the Cambridge.@@theedgeofbreakup5192
I really like ARCAM. My first real decent DAC I ever bought was the irDAC. Loved it, but just recently sold it this year for upgrades. Had it for 8 years. ;)
Thank you 😊
ive got some Arcam muso speakers and enjoy them. impressive for their size
Cool 😎
Well, oddly enough, if there was a product I have occasionally wondered about, it’s the Arcam A19. When I was buying an amp a few years ago, I ended up going for a NAD C338. The NAD is an excellent and totally transparent amplifier but to me it can sometimes sound a bit clinical. The amp I had before that was the legendary NAD 3020B, which was Class A/B, while the C338 is Class D. The Arcam was a bit more like the 3020B but it seemed like the music was playing, I don’t know, _slower_ than it did with the C338. I’ll be honest, I liked it a lot but it was quite a bit dearer and didn’t have the streaming advantages. Also, in the looks stakes, the Arcam is much nicer looking than the NAD but that was never a factor in the decision. I tried a lot of others: Denon, Marantz, Rotel, Yamaha and Schitt but the NAD and the Arcam were the two finalists.
I really like the NAD. It easily has enough power to drive my Dynes with authority, despite it only being nominally 50 Watts, driving 200 Watt speakers. I auditioned the Dynes through a Moon amp and I think the NAD does a better job. But there are days when I would prefer the slightly relaxed, chilled feeling I got from the Arcam.
Thank you for sharing 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 My pleasure.
Thank you, Tarun for more great content. It's fun to see how your channel has grown and how the production values have increased.
Can't really think of "one that got away". Maybe the Celestion SL600. The one with the honeycomb cabinet. Remarkable 3d soundstage.
Thank you buddy. I am still enjoying my Celestion 300s to this day 😊
Good review. Very pugilistic. I do appreciate your ability to verbally describe what you hear. The one that got away from me was the Marantz PM94. I have the PM74D and had a PM84 but the big one got-a-way. I would describe its sound as similar to how you characterized the Arcam but with a significant power difference and more refinement.
Thank you buddy. That was a beast on an amplifier 👍
Top notch review man.
Thank you Doug. Much appreciated 😊👍
I picked one of these up new for £415 a couple of years ago to use for my tv audio and music streaming for down stairs. Nice amp, goes loud enough for movies. I use a pair of Whalfedale Denton 80th anniversary speakers with it. Seems a good match to my ears.
Thank you for sharing 😊
Interesting... Yet another SA10 Denton 80th owner 😎 I got mine for £426 from Richer near the start of covid, it had a buzzing transformer but I got a replacement.
As an ex Hi-Fi tech i can remember Arcam from it's early days with products that lacked the build quality
of the Japanese brands but sounded far better.
Sadly they may be designed in the UK but are made elsewhere
Arcam have always had that easy on the ear sound, compared to some of the bright edgy sound that is
convincing for a short time, then listening fatigue soon sets in.
Audiolab were always too cool sounding for my ears, i come from the valve era, and still prefer a good
valve amp to these modern "Hi-Fi" sounding ones.
Excellent review, and it's good to hear that Arcam are still making desirable amps.
Thank you Allan. Great summary of the strengths and weaknesses of these two brands 😊
Great review as always Tarun. I lusted after a Pioneer A-400 but that was solely based on What Hi-Fi’s awards issue. I’d just started Uni when it came out so again it was never going to happen. I think it was referred to as a giant killer and got the overall product of the year by a unanimous decision. I’ve since read comments saying it was overrated but would still like to hear one.
That was a great amp in it’s day. It was a big seller at the hifi store where I worked in my teens 😊
Thank you for a very insightful review Tarun. Was debating getting the Arcam SA10 over the Marantz PM6007 and by the looks of it the Arcam would be a much better buy.
The SA10 is the better amp 😊
Excellent review Tarun, I own the SA10 paired with Dali Opticon 2 MKI speakers, 8" Magnat subwoofer, Fluance RT81 TT, Bluesound Node2i streamer. I haven't owned many setups but I'm very pleased with this one; I think the MM phono input on the SA10 is brilliant for those with vinyl collections. The DAC is of decent quality, I can't really tell the difference between it and the Node2i DAC when using the Toslink port for instance.
I did feel the SA10 lacked bass, just that little bit that a very inexpensive 8" woofer was able to deliver it, considering no tone controls on the amp.
I tried the AudioLab 6000A and didn't really like it at all, sounded very flat and boring on my setup, and read quite a few reviews at the time on the Ioata about their customer support that put me off. It could be that my speakers require careful matching, which to my ears, the SA10 provides.
Thank you. Great to learn about your experiences 😊
Great review we’ll done Tarun. Judging by how the cable and track run, I’d guess that one side of the heat sink will be the rectifier bridge, and dc regulators for +ve and -ve voltage, and one the right hand side would prolly be, as other suggested, the LM3886 or similar and you won’t see PNP NPN in pairs because it’s an opamp
Thank you William. Much appreciated 😊👍
Way back I drooled over Audiolab 8000a and Musical fidelity A1... Then when the Arcam Delta 90 was released THAT was what I chose to pair with my ProAc Super tablets fed by Xerxes, RB300, AT05.... Fond memories... Things seemed simpler then...
The Delta 90 even continued to serve well when bolstered with a Xeta II... and again even further with an imported Panasonic A310 DVD player giving me AC3 and DTS...
Still got a soft spot for Arcam as a brand, yet feel I've moved on now.
Thinking further about what eluded me? ...
now neither can be found or can't be serviced..ProAc EBS and then after that Ruark acoustics Excalibur... Hmmm I wonder if they'd give my current loudspeaker a run for their money? .. Perhaps! ... Though I suspect my taste in presentation has evolved from those days.
Great content again Tarun 👍🏻
Thank you Marcus 😂
congratulations for the excellent content. for jbl L890 speakers, which integrated amplifier do you recommend?
Thank you. I haven’t tried those speakers 😊
Ok
ARCAM was originally 'A&R Cambridge'. I had the AR 100 which made their reputation. However, I never really cottoned on to ARCAM products. I went for Quad afterwards and then settle don the Cyrus upgrade development path.
They should have kept the A&R Cambridge name 😊
The one that got away for me is the NAD 7020i. I was too young to own one at the time but my father’s sounded great!
Thank you for sharing Dave 👍
😂 I'd love to answer your question concerning the one that got away, but given the Professors Way Back machine is on the fritz I can only make a generality. Sansui Integrateds say along the lines of the AU-555 or AU-888 of course the 888 would have more power basically the ones with Midrange control or a Marantz 2275 Black Face, they are rare and ones in prestine condition are north of 3k...the stuff dreams are made of just not the price. Thanks for a great review. I might have considered the Arcam were it not for your pronouncement it doesn't play well with Rock. Which is a fair amount of my musical interest, but not exclusively. I am fond of most genres which affect me emotionally as well as get my toes tapping, from Jazz, Blues, Funk, R and B, Soul, Classical, Electronic, New Age, pretty much the gambit really, but to exclude R and R well for me it's the Achilles heel. But in all other respects it sounds, no pun intended, wonderful.
Great James. Thank you for sharing your experiences 😊
Tarun. Fresh from an evening of Thomas Arne and Thomaso Albinoni, and as you have come to expect, a fine red wine. I remember Arcam from the 80s and 90s, then methinks they went orf (as we say in Nth Cambs). They followed trends rather than the original direction they may have followed. I have a late 80s Arcam Alpha Amp (30w per channel) Remember that? as a cheap second (rather third) amp I have from ebay. The second being a similar period Creek CAS 4140, that powers the downstairs hi-fi for my superior other to listen to, (but she never bothers). Adele sounds good on an old ipod.....apparently! My question.....Having two versions of the same CD player from that period, the Arcam Alpha +, has the new amp that Arcam sell dropped way way down in audio quality, as did their CD players in the late 90s and to this day?? Hope your answer won't cost you a freebie from Acoustic Research Cambridge. Is there an equivalent in tranny amps of the Phillips Red Book CD player?
Hi Tarun. As some context for the above. The Audiolab amp you really like, does it hark back to the budget amps of the 80s/90s or the home cinema amps of the 2000s. When new to audio I liked both the Creek and Arcam sound, although the Creek was cheekier (if you know what I mean). The Arcam was warmer and safer. You place emphasis on the new Audiolab integrated amp under £1000. Remembering the sound fingerprints of the 80s and early 90s between Aracm, Mission, Creek Lynn etc, can you give a hint to where the modern Audiolab fits in? Do you know what I mean, or is it a Merlot-laden question that deserves the answer..........Ask again in the morning?
I also felt that Arcam lost their way after the Delta 290 that I owned. I bought an Arcam Diva A75 Plus without listening to it a decade later. It was an impulse purchase and seemed a good deal but I was disappointed. The magic of the Delta 290 was gone. This new SA10 reminds me of the Delta 290. By the way, I don’t solicit manufacturers to get freebies.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 hi Tarun. I don't think I meant it quite that way. I used to do a similar thing in the telescope market, and if I gave an even mildly negative review, I would not get a another product sent free from that company. Most were not like that, some were. I don't think anyone keeps stuff sent them (as far as I know), its just that some companies are sensitive to criticism and will take their ball and go home so to speak.
@@chrisgarvey5939 thank you for clarifying Chris 😊
Great review Tarun, good to see anyone can get fantastic audio at reasonable prices, I have owned a Arcam FMJ A28 for a while with mourdaut short Mezzo 2 speakers & QED cable with a Nad cd player. I knew I could improve things so just bought a pair of B&W 606's, chord screen x cable and a Arcam FMJ CD17 wow what an improvement in dynamics, love playing all my favourite cd again 😀 cheers
Thank you Gareth 👍
Thanks! A good review. I own the Arcam CDS50 and enjoy it. I auditioned this amp but ended up going with the Cambridge CXA80. More power and features (excluding the phono preamp). I also love having tone controls the CXA80 has. Bought mine on closeout, so the pricing was similar between the two.
But SA10 is great as preamp
Thank you for sharing your experiences Jerald 😊
The new generation CXA61 and 81 don't have tone controls, but their AXR85 and 100 receivers do.
Tarun, love your laid back professional videos. I have a wife! That’s what’s holding back my eager to evolve and expand my hobby…. She’s the interior designer and head of the aesthetic committee. So I need a dedicated room for my hobby, expect from the garage.
Thank you Rikard. I suspect you are a wise man and have your priorities right 😊
Great review! One surprise was that the dac in this thing is actually very good, I assumed it was more of an afterthought. I ended up using the the digital out from my dac cause it sounded better to me that using the analog output from it.
Thank you. Arcam have a good track record with sensibly priced DACs 😊👍
Fantastic review as usual, thank you.
I wonder if you can comment on how SA20 might compare to SA10 in terms of pure sonic qualities rather than the technical data.
Thank you kindly. I would like to get one home to be able to answer that with any authority 😊👍
Splendid review, Tarun. Much enjoyed.
As regards the one that got away, I draw a blank. I assume that to know you had let it get away, you'd have had to have a) heard it, b) bought something else and c) heard it again and regretted your decision. That hasn't happened, not in my early experience of hi-fi in the period of the 70s to the early 2000's, nor on my return to the hobby in the past two or three years. I'm afraid I have my current systems, which luckily I am very happy with, and have lost a great deal of my interest in upgrading now.
Thank you John. Much appreciated. I was not so lucky. I still regret not being able to get that MF A1000 😊👍
Hello ! Great content as usual ! Very interesting amplifier but I just can’t get over the volume knob being on the left, It just doesn’t look right. Silly, I know.
Thank you. It me some time to get used to it too 😊👍
Many thanks for this insightful review.
Thank you Simon 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 you're most welcome. You have the knack of keeping your reviews entailing and on point.