These reviews are so honest and good! Being US based, I find most local reviews say as much as they can while trying not to to say anything at all so they don't offend viewers and manufacturers. The result is reviews of limited value and comparisons that are often objectively worthless. The channel deserves more subs and support for sure!
Thank you for the thorough review. There's literally not much info/review on this Amp. I just got mine yesterday and will be hooking everything up today
I’m one of the few folks who likes the old-school look of the Arcam SA20 (and the sound is so good with my KLH Model 3’s). The Arcam house sound is awesome and the A15 will be perfect for newer audiophiles. Nice video and congrats on 500 subscribers!
Been a comparison (on Y/T) by someone who has/had both the SA20 and the newer A25 and the conclusion was there was little difference in SQ at low to moderate SPLs on analogue inputs but perhaps the little more additional power might carry it better at slightly higher SPLs. The newer dac is perhaps better, or at least different but if if have the SA20, it's not so outclassed that it would be a worthwhile move unless someone really wanted the latest and greatest without having issue with spending more for it. Even the discounted price of the outgoing model makes it an easy choice for most. Although the reviewer is really happy he has the new model.
@@nc3419I think I’ve seen that video. My thoughts: the increase in power (90 to 100 watts) and new DAC (ESS Pro) in the A25 Radia are noteworthy. I listen at 65-80 db and I like ESS9038 DAC in the SA20. Both SA20 and A25 Radia are great options; perhaps go with the Radia if you listen loud. The SA20 at $999 USD is a steal. Happy listening!
@andrewgorenc One thing i can say is that sa20 is great, and with radia series it is going to be more and more discounted. So it's value is going to rise with time. And thank you a lot for being with me o this journey so far it means a lot.
Unfortunately i could buy only one model, so i chose a15. I am not certain how a5/25 sound on long run, or with more in depth listening. Sa20 is gonna be discounted even more as time goes bye, and it's value will grow even more. To me it is sound flavour differences that distinguish this two devices. Sa20 is more weightier and fuller sound to a15, while a15 is more clear ans balanced. It is nothing bad one way or other it is all in preferences. @nc3419
@@HIFIDaydreaming I think the A15 was a good choice for your review. Price point and performance are excellent. I like this middle option between the A5 and A25. My only gripe with the A15 - they should have used a newer DAC than the ESS9018; it’s been out for a while. But this is a small complaint and the 9018 is very good. Bottom line - we have so many good options at this price range!
I listened CXA81, when I compared and did review for CXA61. I had limited time, I think one week of listening, but decent enough to know pros and cons of device. Especially for comparison purpose. I also used this amp as comparison, when I used to review previous devices, back in time. But time has passed, and I don't remember so vividly how exactly it sounded. As I have not spend that much time with it as much I did with CXA61. And I don't want to be wrong, as it is a super popular device, and say something that might not be true. Something that might be recency bias or looking in past with rose googles. I actually have written a passage about comparison to CXA81 but ultimately in the end decided to remove that.
What most reviewers fail to do is to describe the sound characteristics of a product. Whether it is bright/forward, neutral, or warm or dark/laid back.....but you do get to that point. That's why I like your style. Getting to that SIMPLE point helps me decide how it generally pairs with my system. The others are mostly full of sht.
Thanks James, i think in review itself there is a comparison to m3si, it starts at 13:50. Regarding m2si this is more closer to a5. It is just not comparable as a15 is much more expensive, and it has more detailed treble/mids with larger scope. But m3si is giving it a fight, but it is all to preferences what somebody like.
Hi there. Thanks for this review. I am more interested in the denon pma 1700 ne. Can You do an indepth review on that one with comparisons to audiolab 7000a.
I listened both denon and audiolab at different locations and at friends. I have general idea od sound quality, but never had it with me for prolonged period of time to create full review. If i ever acquire denon pma 1700 i will review it 100%. I love denon devices and would love to review them. But i buy everything i review, and that makes things much much harder for me. 😅 But I recently acquired audiolab 6000/9000 including this arcam, so expect reviews of those two audiolabs soon.
Great review as always, man! So What Hifi just dethroned Cambridge Audio Cxa81 in favor of this Radia A15. What are your thoughts? How would you compare this 2? Thanks
It is hard to tell without demoing them side by side. As far as I can tell CA is a little bit more treble rich. But keyword being little bit, while Radia offers little bit more clarity, separation and weighty low end. Regarding Soundstage both did great, I don't remember who honestly did better. But what ever you choose those are two awesome amps.
Great descriptive reviews! I'm tossing up between the Arcam and a Rega Elex Mk4. Wonder if you have heard it? It will be paired with Acoustic Energy AE500 speakers.
You can watch my review of Roksan K3, in that one there is a small comparison to Rega Elex. Honestly Arcam and Elex are really different sound wise, it is best if you could demo them to see which one is for you. Main differences are Rega is more Expensive, Rega is have really defined and detailed treble, which creates very dynamic and uped sound. But in that way it also creates lot of texture so you can hear, a lot of information. But it might be too informative, as the sound fatigue can creep up fast. Especially if it is not paired correctly. Arcam is more balanced. It is not as detailed as Rega, but it allows more clarity in midrange, and more defined bass. Also imaging is more in Arcams court, while soundstage is even honestly. But that will depend how you pair either of this two. Unfortunately I dont have experience with Acoustic Energy so I can not comment on pairing and synergy. But thanks for watching, it is appreciated.
@@HIFIDaydreaming Great. Thanks for your reply. Very helpful for those of us who can't demo products. I think I'll go for the Arcam as I've had problems with listener fatigue before especially with the Bowers & Wilkins 603 S2 speakers which I have just sold. Thanks again.
Hi, r700 are a bit power hungry speakers so i might recommend a25 to drive tham completely. But they have a decent power efficiency. As far as a15 goes, it's synergy should work great, as bit upper registry of polk is nicely gonna be complimented by balanced a bit weighty presentation of Arcam. Just little bit rephrase my previous statement, I also think a15 ia a great combo for polk, and it is going to sound marvelous, but to get max out of the dispursion it is good to have a stronger amp. Like a25 is more than enough. But than again a15 does 85-90% of the job and is probably more than enough for many more other speakers. You can use polks and a15 and upgrade down the road. That is my opinion, and maybe in your room a15 would be more than enough as our listening rooms very a lot. But if you can please demo them at your local reseller.
Arcam are cutting corners on these new amps. The A5 and A15 have a cheaper display compared to the A25. They also don't have backlit controls like the A25. No need for this cost cutting!
I have not experimented with eq, but I did with synergy. What i realised, was that speakers that have more open treble are working best for them. So dalis, bowers and wilkins some new q acoustics. Try some if this brands together and they fit nicely.
This one yes, absolutely. If we took example of 7000 which is price closest to Arcam, I can tell you that there is more verve in Arcam and agility. More in bass and treble presence. It is also a great amp to separate layers, and track instruments. But Audiolab is better, in imaging, soundstage and precision, so Arcam is good, but that is a playing field of Audiolab. It is not night and day, but while comparing it it was obvious. But the speakers are almost always the main culprit when it comes to imaging, I think amp helps solidify it and making it more focused, but your speakers needs to image well. Amp rarely helps messy speakers to be significantly better.
@@HIFIDaydreaming hmmm.. interesting. I've been considering the Arcam A25 or Audiolab 9000A as my next amp and am curious about the Arcam vs Audiolab "sound". How would you say the two you just mentioned compare in overall tonality? I guess you did say the Arcam has more bass and treble energy.. so a bit v-shaped relative to the Audiolab? More "pop" to the sound? But is it more that the Arcam is a bit lively, or that the Audiolab is a bit polite?
So I never listened to Arcam A25, I could only buy them but not demo them. And as I love middle child's in HIFI I chose Arcam a15 to buy. But Audiolab 9000a is currently in my listening room, I bought it recently and review should come eventually. I can not compare them, as only what I can pit them together is how sonic characteristic they represented over the years. I love Audiolab, I love Arcam. But in reality they are two distinguish different amps. Audiolab is always a tad more richer around mids, but is airy in reproduction, but throws a big soundstage and imaging. Some people would kill for that sound. Some hate how there is no presence in bass and treble. They can`t easily push that "fun" sound, that rich treble sound. You really need to think about synergy, in order to push out that kind of sound out of them. Arcam on other hand, is known for their more weightier presence. Now this new Radia series in A15 changed that to, have more balanced dialog. But still you definitely see dynamic scale being tipped and colored in bot direction. In that regard the production is more live and upbeat, with more body to the sound and more explode on treble. For some it creates fun and great combination, especially who dabbles maybe in some move watching with this amp. I am sorry that even after this long text, I can not answer you question. But in reality you have to know yourself, you have to know to what kind of sound you gravitate and that will decide which one is for you. It could be best if you could demo this with your own speakers, as that will be the key deciding factor. And yeah thanks for watching my review! It is appricaited. @@tpn8402
If you have time check my review of audiolab 6000a play. There is a short review of 7000n there. But in short, arcam a15 is device that have more balanced approach with more details, while 7000n have this more weightier warmer sound. To me unless you need all in one, arcam is a better device. ruclips.net/video/d8h1ddwncZ0/видео.html
It does greatly, I think even in review you can see that I tested it with Arias. It`s neutrality and a bit weighty muscular sound will work really great with Focals. Giving them more weight and grounding them a little bit.
These reviews are so honest and good! Being US based, I find most local reviews say as much as they can while trying not to to say anything at all so they don't offend viewers and manufacturers. The result is reviews of limited value and comparisons that are often objectively worthless. The channel deserves more subs and support for sure!
Really thanks for this kind words, it is appriciated.
Thank you for the thorough review. There's literally not much info/review on this Amp. I just got mine yesterday and will be hooking everything up today
I’m one of the few folks who likes the old-school look of the Arcam SA20 (and the sound is so good with my KLH Model 3’s).
The Arcam house sound is awesome and the A15 will be perfect for newer audiophiles. Nice video and congrats on 500 subscribers!
Been a comparison (on Y/T) by someone who has/had both the SA20 and the newer A25 and the conclusion was there was little difference in SQ at low to moderate SPLs on analogue inputs but perhaps the little more additional power might carry it better at slightly higher SPLs. The newer dac is perhaps better, or at least different but if if have the SA20, it's not so outclassed that it would be a worthwhile move unless someone really wanted the latest and greatest without having issue with spending more for it. Even the discounted price of the outgoing model makes it an easy choice for most. Although the reviewer is really happy he has the new model.
@@nc3419I think I’ve seen that video. My thoughts: the increase in power (90 to 100 watts) and new DAC (ESS Pro) in the A25 Radia are noteworthy.
I listen at 65-80 db and I like ESS9038 DAC in the SA20.
Both SA20 and A25 Radia are great options; perhaps go with the Radia if you listen loud. The SA20 at $999 USD is a steal. Happy listening!
@andrewgorenc One thing i can say is that sa20 is great, and with radia series it is going to be more and more discounted. So it's value is going to rise with time. And thank you a lot for being with me o this journey so far it means a lot.
Unfortunately i could buy only one model, so i chose a15. I am not certain how a5/25 sound on long run, or with more in depth listening. Sa20 is gonna be discounted even more as time goes bye, and it's value will grow even more. To me it is sound flavour differences that distinguish this two devices. Sa20 is more weightier and fuller sound to a15, while a15 is more clear ans balanced. It is nothing bad one way or other it is all in preferences. @nc3419
@@HIFIDaydreaming I think the A15 was a good choice for your review. Price point and performance are excellent. I like this middle option between the A5 and A25. My only gripe with the A15 - they should have used a newer DAC than the ESS9018; it’s been out for a while. But this is a small complaint and the 9018 is very good. Bottom line - we have so many good options at this price range!
Thanks for your great review. Just one question, why didn t you include the cambridge cxa81 in your comparison list? Thanks again
I listened CXA81, when I compared and did review for CXA61. I had limited time, I think one week of listening, but decent enough to know pros and cons of device. Especially for comparison purpose. I also used this amp as comparison, when I used to review previous devices, back in time. But time has passed, and I don't remember so vividly how exactly it sounded. As I have not spend that much time with it as much I did with CXA61. And I don't want to be wrong, as it is a super popular device, and say something that might not be true. Something that might be recency bias or looking in past with rose googles. I actually have written a passage about comparison to CXA81 but ultimately in the end decided to remove that.
What most reviewers fail to do is to describe the sound characteristics of a product. Whether it is bright/forward, neutral, or warm or dark/laid back.....but you do get to that point. That's why I like your style. Getting to that SIMPLE point helps me decide how it generally pairs with my system. The others are mostly full of sht.
Thank you for this words and for watching my review!
Great review. How does this compare with the other one you liked very much - MF M3si? M2si?
Thanks James, i think in review itself there is a comparison to m3si, it starts at 13:50. Regarding m2si this is more closer to a5. It is just not comparable as a15 is much more expensive, and it has more detailed treble/mids with larger scope. But m3si is giving it a fight, but it is all to preferences what somebody like.
Hi there. Thanks for this review. I am more interested in the denon pma 1700 ne. Can You do an indepth review on that one with comparisons to audiolab 7000a.
I listened both denon and audiolab at different locations and at friends. I have general idea od sound quality, but never had it with me for prolonged period of time to create full review. If i ever acquire denon pma 1700 i will review it 100%. I love denon devices and would love to review them. But i buy everything i review, and that makes things much much harder for me. 😅 But I recently acquired audiolab 6000/9000 including this arcam, so expect reviews of those two audiolabs soon.
Great review as always, man! So What Hifi just dethroned Cambridge Audio Cxa81 in favor of this Radia A15. What are your thoughts? How would you compare this 2? Thanks
It is hard to tell without demoing them side by side. As far as I can tell CA is a little bit more treble rich. But keyword being little bit, while Radia offers little bit more clarity, separation and weighty low end. Regarding Soundstage both did great, I don't remember who honestly did better. But what ever you choose those are two awesome amps.
@@HIFIDaydreaming Hey thanks! Glad to read your response
Great descriptive reviews! I'm tossing up between the Arcam and a Rega Elex Mk4. Wonder if you have heard it? It will be paired with Acoustic Energy AE500 speakers.
You can watch my review of Roksan K3, in that one there is a small comparison to Rega Elex. Honestly Arcam and Elex are really different sound wise, it is best if you could demo them to see which one is for you. Main differences are Rega is more Expensive, Rega is have really defined and detailed treble, which creates very dynamic and uped sound. But in that way it also creates lot of texture so you can hear, a lot of information. But it might be too informative, as the sound fatigue can creep up fast. Especially if it is not paired correctly. Arcam is more balanced. It is not as detailed as Rega, but it allows more clarity in midrange, and more defined bass. Also imaging is more in Arcams court, while soundstage is even honestly. But that will depend how you pair either of this two.
Unfortunately I dont have experience with Acoustic Energy so I can not comment on pairing and synergy. But thanks for watching, it is appreciated.
@@HIFIDaydreaming Great. Thanks for your reply. Very helpful for those of us who can't demo products. I think I'll go for the Arcam as I've had problems with listener fatigue before especially with the Bowers & Wilkins 603 S2 speakers which I have just sold. Thanks again.
@@HIFIDaydreaming
Thanks for review! Maybe you have an experience with Polk Audio Reserve R700. Would be this arcam A15 good choice for R700?
Hi, r700 are a bit power hungry speakers so i might recommend a25 to drive tham completely. But they have a decent power efficiency. As far as a15 goes, it's synergy should work great, as bit upper registry of polk is nicely gonna be complimented by balanced a bit weighty presentation of Arcam. Just little bit rephrase my previous statement, I also think a15 ia a great combo for polk, and it is going to sound marvelous, but to get max out of the dispursion it is good to have a stronger amp. Like a25 is more than enough. But than again a15 does 85-90% of the job and is probably more than enough for many more other speakers. You can use polks and a15 and upgrade down the road. That is my opinion, and maybe in your room a15 would be more than enough as our listening rooms very a lot. But if you can please demo them at your local reseller.
@@HIFIDaydreaming Thank you for your kind reply!
Arcam are cutting corners on these new amps. The A5 and A15 have a cheaper display compared to the A25. They also don't have backlit controls like the A25. No need for this cost cutting!
I raised that concerne even in my video, some backlit illumination should be great.
Have you ever experimented with EQ? I just cant find the right combination of speakers.
I have not experimented with eq, but I did with synergy. What i realised, was that speakers that have more open treble are working best for them. So dalis, bowers and wilkins some new q acoustics. Try some if this brands together and they fit nicely.
would you say arcam can compete with audiolab in imaging, precision of locating instruments, precision ?
This one yes, absolutely. If we took example of 7000 which is price closest to Arcam, I can tell you that there is more verve in Arcam and agility. More in bass and treble presence. It is also a great amp to separate layers, and track instruments. But Audiolab is better, in imaging, soundstage and precision, so Arcam is good, but that is a playing field of Audiolab. It is not night and day, but while comparing it it was obvious. But the speakers are almost always the main culprit when it comes to imaging, I think amp helps solidify it and making it more focused, but your speakers needs to image well. Amp rarely helps messy speakers to be significantly better.
@@HIFIDaydreaming Thank you for very informative answer. I am using kef ls50 meta. Yes imaging is audiolabs teritory thats for sure.
@@HIFIDaydreaming hmmm.. interesting. I've been considering the Arcam A25 or Audiolab 9000A as my next amp and am curious about the Arcam vs Audiolab "sound". How would you say the two you just mentioned compare in overall tonality?
I guess you did say the Arcam has more bass and treble energy.. so a bit v-shaped relative to the Audiolab? More "pop" to the sound? But is it more that the Arcam is a bit lively, or that the Audiolab is a bit polite?
So I never listened to Arcam A25, I could only buy them but not demo them. And as I love middle child's in HIFI I chose Arcam a15 to buy. But Audiolab 9000a is currently in my listening room, I bought it recently and review should come eventually.
I can not compare them, as only what I can pit them together is how sonic characteristic they represented over the years. I love Audiolab, I love Arcam. But in reality they are two distinguish different amps. Audiolab is always a tad more richer around mids, but is airy in reproduction, but throws a big soundstage and imaging. Some people would kill for that sound. Some hate how there is no presence in bass and treble. They can`t easily push that "fun" sound, that rich treble sound. You really need to think about synergy, in order to push out that kind of sound out of them.
Arcam on other hand, is known for their more weightier presence. Now this new Radia series in A15 changed that to, have more balanced dialog. But still you definitely see dynamic scale being tipped and colored in bot direction. In that regard the production is more live and upbeat, with more body to the sound and more explode on treble. For some it creates fun and great combination, especially who dabbles maybe in some move watching with this amp.
I am sorry that even after this long text, I can not answer you question. But in reality you have to know yourself, you have to know to what kind of sound you gravitate and that will decide which one is for you. It could be best if you could demo this with your own speakers, as that will be the key deciding factor.
And yeah thanks for watching my review! It is appricaited.
@@tpn8402
what diffs between marantz pm7000n and arcam a 15, cannot decide
If you have time check my review of audiolab 6000a play. There is a short review of 7000n there. But in short, arcam a15 is device that have more balanced approach with more details, while 7000n have this more weightier warmer sound. To me unless you need all in one, arcam is a better device. ruclips.net/video/d8h1ddwncZ0/видео.html
hi, does it match with focal 906? thanks
It does greatly, I think even in review you can see that I tested it with Arias. It`s neutrality and a bit weighty muscular sound will work really great with Focals. Giving them more weight and grounding them a little bit.
Thanks, and mayby you can compare a15 to roksan attesa(they cost simmilar). And combo a15 with q5020 vs roksan attesa with q5020.
Would u plz recommend a very punchy and rythmic amp under$1000
Yes my friend, Rega Brio. There is no punchier and rhythmic amp than this in this price range. ruclips.net/video/vHJSbCKvdGI/видео.html
Plz review the new Cambridge Audio cxa81 mk2
Would love to do it, but unfortunately currently outyof my budget. But probably in some near future. 🙂