Arcam hits all the right notes

Advantages: Great stylish looks, wide soundstage, powerful but crisply detailed
Disadvantages: Quite an expensive amplifier

...Arcam have built a reputation founded on quality, reliability and are synonymous with producing affordable amplifiers which target those who are looking for an extremely smooth sounding component for their hi fi. This amplifier is part of a range also known as DIVA and though this might sound like a strange name with reference to a woman, it stands for digitally integrated video audio. The main advantage of this feature or so Arcam claim, is it allows them to achieve extreme low distortion levels. The exterior has a very elegant, stylish modern look and in the silver colour, will surely suit any room and become a part of the furniture. A feature I look for in any good amplifier is a direct direct button which bypasses the tone controls and allows for the shortest signal path and thankfully this amplifier has this option. There are...

grandchamp 25.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Arcam A 85

Arcam CD82 Compa -what!? What a mouthful!

Advantages: Slender design
Disadvantages: Kind of expensive/ Not upgradable like some Arcam products

...The silver slender looking Arcam CD82 Compact Disc Player is a mid-range CD player that has been designed and built to act as the ideal half-way point between the CD72 and CD92 in the Diva range. My brother has owned one for a fair while now and the CD82 is an extremely capable CD player. The box to the CD player informs us that state of the art audiophile design techniques are incorporated. Apparently, these are commonly found on players which would normally cost consumers thousands of pounds to purchase. The helpful instruction manual that comes with it informs us that the CD player utilizes very high quality Burr Brown op-amps in the output stage. Included is a high-stability Class 1 crystal oscillator in the DAC module. The player also utilizes two 24-bit 192 kHz Wolfson DACs, which is in a dual-mode configuration. One...

benraiben 14.06.2004 (16.07.2004) · Read review
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Review of Arcam CD 82 Compact Disc Player

Slim, attractive - and a money grabber!?

Advantages: Allows Good Sounding Music
Disadvantages: Very expensive brand new!

...My brother's friend owns an electronics shop, and so my household often gets a variety of goods coming through it. One such product was the Arcam CD 93 Compact Disc Player. The CD 93 Compact Disc Player replaces the CD 92 player previously released, and does a better job than it I feel. The player itself is slim, quite light weight wise and quite attractive looking, and would look perfect in any modern home. To be honest, it looks like many other players in the range, and does not really look at all that distinctive. Our version of the player is a silver colour, although it is also available in black. It comes in a box, along with a helpful instruction manual, which instructs the owner how to set this up (actually an easy task), as well as informing you on the player?s features. The player, as I mentioned, is pretty much...

benraiben 16.07.2004 · Read review
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Review of Arcam CD 93

This is the plus version.

Advantages: Has the plus version
Disadvantages: Cost

...Have e-mailed ciao and they said that this is the correct entry position. Arcam A75+ I believe that good sound quality is vital to the real enjoyment of music and should not just be solely the concern of hi-fi enthusiasts. You don't have to be a gourmet to appreciate fine cooking, but many music-lovers settle for the convenience of a packaged system, hi-fi's equivalent to tasteless food, and miss out badly when it comes to realistic music reproduction. Arcam has used its design expertise gained over more than twenty-seven years to provide high performance solutions for people who demand the best from music. The DiVA (Digitally integrated Video and Audio) series, will transform the way you listen to your favourite sounds. The price and quality or the Arcam systems are class as being in the middle of the price and quality range...

mark1961 08.10.2004 · Read review
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Review of Arcam A75

Better than the best Japan can offer

Advantages: Brilliant sound quality, nice styling
Disadvantages: no optical out, just coax and phono

...I changed to the Arcam after having a Sony CDP 797e for a while. Sony are very good at CD players in my experience and I find them to be very easy to use and full of features. This Sony was the best sounding CD player I had heard. Then I got the Arcam. It blew the Sony away. I have usually been sceptical about how much difference the CD can make to sound quality (it's digital after all, shouldn't they all be perfect?). It must be the laser or the Digital to Analogue Converter (DAC) but it really did make a big, noticable difference, I couldn't beleive it. I was sitting there listening to stuff I'd had for ages and virtually knew off by heart (I remember the Manics Everything Must Go for one). I heard all these noises I hadn't noticed and there was so much more detail, the sound was simply pesented much better. It does look a bit...

almillar 29.03.2001 · Read review
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Review of Arcam Alpha 5

Alpha equals A for quality

Advantages: Quality 'Arcam' sound - full, powerful. Remote control, phono stage, twin speaker outputs, gold-plated connections.
Disadvantages: Soon to be discontinued model, remote only controls volume, perhaps lacking detail compared to 'high end' amps

...I recently bought an Arcam Alhpa 8R to replace my Alpha One. The remote control is the first most noticeable addition - it's cute (controls just volume up, down and mute) and not having to get up to change the volume is a definite plus. Inside an uprated power supply and beefier transformer ((50W) you notice - the amp is certainly heavier) make for a very likeable sound. I didn't think it could make that much difference over the Alpha One, but the bass is heavier and faster and stereo imaging and detailed seems improved also. Generally the sound is more alive. It brings back that "Oh my God!" feeling when you first move to a separates system. Other benefits include quality durable gold-plated connections, two sets of speaker outputs (not that I use them, but useful for mutli-rooms setups or bi-wiring), a 'processor' option that sets...

iangrant 30.12.2000 · Read review
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Review of Arcam Alpha 8R

Not a bad little amp

Advantages: Smooth sounding all rounder with no problems in a powerful performance
Disadvantages: no remote control

...The Arcam Alpha One Amplifier for is price (around £200) seems to work very well with anything that you might want to put with it. Although it power rating is only 35W it seems to handle dynamic swings in music movement as well as any amp in its class I have heard. In its ambience it seems to be a half way house between something like a warm sounding Rotel and a sharp sounding Yamaha. It versatile enough, in that it has five line inputs, a tape loop and a headphone socket. In general it’s a bit of an all rounder and I feel it performs very well in all departments. Baring the fact that it does not come with a remote control, its really a very safe bet and I have been very pleased with the Alpha One's performance. I do not think there is much better for the price....

ncostall 19.08.2001 · Read review
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Review of Arcam Alpha One

Smooth and refined, but lacking pace.

Advantages: Warm and smooth sounding
Disadvantages: Lacking in pace and drive

...I owned and used an Arcam Alpha 8 for a couple of years, and had mixed opinions. This amp is very warm sounding,and as my CD player at the time was somewhat forward and harsh, so the Arcam was a welcome partner to it, but it really lacked slam and pace to it. Alternatively there was quite a good soundstage, and although it was a little two dimensional, it was very broad, often extending beyond the boundaries of the speakers. Detail was a little hazy, but this meant the amp could be listened to all day, without any of the fatigue commonly associated with modern solid state amplification. One very useful feature was the fixed gain switch on the back. This allowed the volume to be controlled by an external source, for instance an AV decoder. This means that when using the amp as part of an AV setup, you don't have to worry about...

smileandnod 11.10.2004 · Read review
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Review of Arcam Alpha 8

Definately a sensible midrange buy.

Advantages: Build, sound, upgrades and price.
Disadvantages: The 73T is now available.

...--PRICE-- £450 at the full retail price, but I've seen them significantly lower. --STYLE-- There are mixed opinions on this one, but I personaly love the style of the DIVA range. They're available in either an expensive looking silver or black finsh, (silver shown above) the black models maintaining the little buttons in silver. Noteworthy is the style of the CD draw. Most Machines have a slight lip or edging to the draw, so that when it shuts, it completely seals the entrance to inside the player. In Arcam's Diva range however, when the draw is shut, there's a small gap around the edge of it which allows you to see into the machine. I know some people who dont like this, but I think it looks smart. --BUILD-- This machine is extremly well built. It feels rock solid and compact, being made from metal I imagine it's as durable as...

MusicSam 14.02.2004 · Read review
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Review of ARCAM DIVA CD72T

Beauty on the inside

Advantages: Good sound, features and flexibility
Disadvantages: Feel of front panel and controls

...The Arcam 9 is a solid, well-rounded amp that will do mor then enough for most people. It's British made and designed. It sounds good and matches a wide range of components. Listening, it's rich and a little warm but invutes you in to listen more. It has a good set of features that includes two switchable speaker outputs, a processor loop, full featured remote control (inc source and volume) and record selector so you can record one source while listening to another. It's powrful enough for most too with a 70 watt per channel output, backed up with a beefy power supply that gives over 20 amps current. You can also esily bi-amp with the Arcam 9P. I've not heard it but it's supposed to give you a clearer sound. A phono stage is an optional extra. On the downside it feels plasticy compared even to some fairly cheap Japanese...

kingbing 04.12.2000 (29.11.2000) · Read review
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Review of Arcam Aplha 9