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Hear every detail

High-quality amplification isn't just about making your speakers play loud — it's also about reproducing detail and dynamics. The efficient Class A/B amplifier inside Arcam's SA10 lets you hear each note a finger-picking guitarist plucks, and every nuance of a trained singer's voice. Put it between your favorite music source and your favorite pair of speakers, and let 'er rip.

Yes, that's plenty of power

We know 50 watts per channel might not sound like a lot on paper, but this cleverly designed amplifier delivers that power when and where it's needed, and that's what's important. The high-performance ESS9016K2M Sabre DAC and a low noise floor also help that seemingly modest power budget go a long way.

Convenient connections

The SA10 gives you plenty of options for connecting music sources. There's a Toslink optical connector and two digital coaxial inputs on the back of the chassis, along with three stereo analog RCA inputs. For vinyl enthusiasts, there's a dedicated phono input for turntables with moving magnet phono cartridges.

My hands-on experience with the SA10

Some of my colleagues like to set up demonstrations at HQ, so we can all experience how various gear setups perform. To that end, a couple of them set up the SA10 in our training room to drive a pair of Monitor Audio Studio bookshelf speakers. A Bluesound Node 2i was connected via the digital coaxial input on the back of the amp to serve as a streaming source. 

The setup sounded pretty good as I poked around a playlist filled with classic rock tunes — I especially liked hearing some extra nuances in Van Morrison's voice — but I wanted to find something that would really command the space. Our training room is a converted three-door car installation bay, so it takes a lot of filling. I finally found what I was looking for, and began jamming to a Summer BBQ playlist filled with Outkast, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, and Beyonce. The SA10 provided 85 watts per channel to the 4-ohm Monitor Audio speakers, so things got lively. The speakers, even without a subwoofer, put out a convincing, danceable amount of bass.

Music lovers rest assured. The Arcam SA10 is an excellent centerpiece for a solid two-channel system.

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Product highlights:

• 50 watts x 2 channels into 8 ohms (20-20,000 Hz) at .5% THD

• efficient Class A/B amplifier

• THD: 0.003% (80% power, 8 ohms at 1kHz)

• built-in high-performance ESS9016K2M Sabre DAC

• toroidal power transformer for low noise and high-current output

• Processor Mode lets you connect to a surround sound receiver or pre/pro and use the SA10 as a power amp

• remote control included

Inputs:

• 1 optical and 2 coaxial digital audio inputs

• 3 stereo RCA audio inputs

• stereo RCA phono input for moving magnet phono cartridges

• Ethernet port for connecting to a home network

  • enables wireless control with your mobile device using Arcam's free control app

• RS-232 port for use with third-party control systems

• Type-A USB for firmware updates

Outputs:

• 1 stereo RCA preamp output

• L/R speaker outputs with binding-post connectors

Dimensions and Warranty:

• 17-1/16"W x 3-7/16"H x 12-1/4"D

• weight: 18.5 lbs.

• warranty: 5 years

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