In truth, though, when stacked against all the Arcam’s many audio virtues, this could be just as easily described as ‘trait’ rather than as a ‘shortcoming’. It makes the SA30 fractionally less compelling than it otherwise would be – but in sonic and connectivity terms, it nevertheless makes an impressively strong and complete case for itself when judged against the likes of the NAD M10 or Naim Uniti Atom.

Arcam carries a heavy burden in the time of streaming. It has to appeal to its extremely traditional core audience while having to move its products forward. That’s an almost impossible balancing act (in many ways: the use of a basic display, vs. the hi-tech benefits of Dirac, for example), but one at which Arcam performs well. While such a balancing act could conceivably take the gloss off the Arcam SA30 experience – there’s plenty of gloss on it in the first place. 

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Amplifier section

Type: Class G

Analogue inputs: One MM phono input (via RCA jacks), one MC phono input (via RCA jacks), four line-level inputs (three via RCA jacks, one via 3.5mm input)

Digital inputs: Four S/PDIF (two coaxial, two optical), one USB Type A port, one ARC/eARC HDMI input, one Ethernet port

Analogue outputs: One pre-out (via RCA jacks),  RS232 power control

Supported sample rates: up to 32bit/192kHz

Output impedance (preamp): 240Ohms

Headphone Loads: 16Ohms–2kOhms

Power Output: 120WPC @ 8 Ohms

Bandwidth: 20Hz–20kHz

Harmonic distortion (80% power, 8Ohms @ 1kHz): 0.002%

Signal to Noise Ratio: Not specified

Phono stage(s)

Phono inputs: two pair single-ended (MM and MC, via RCA jacks)

DAC

Type: ESS9038K2M

Digital inputs: two coaxial, two optical toslink, one USB Type A, one ARC/eARC HDMI

DAC resolution: 32bit/192kHz

Supported sample rates (kHz) (coaxial): 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96

Supported sample rates (kHz) (optical): 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192

Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz +/- 0.1dB

Distortion (THD + Noise): 0.0007%

Dimensions (H×W×D): 100 × 433 × 323mm

Weight: 10.7kg

Price: £1,995

Manufacturer: Arcam

URL: arcam.co.uk

Tel: +44(0)1220 203200