About the Arcam SA10
Hear every detail
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.
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
- MFR # ARC-SA10-US
What's in the box:
- Integrated Amplifier
- 6.5' AC power cord
- Remote control
- 2 "AAA" batteries
- Handbook Manual
- "Thank You" Letter
Customer reviews for Arcam SA10
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More details on the Arcam SA10
Features & specs
| Performance Specs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Watts RMS per Channel (8-ohms) | 50 | |
| Watts RMS per Channel (6-ohms) | Not given | |
| Watts RMS per Channel (4-ohms) | 85 | |
| Frequency Bandwidth | 20-20k | |
| THD | 0.5% | |
| Minimum Impedance | 4 ohms | |
| Amplifier Class | AB | |
| Signal to Noise Ratio | 106 | |
| DAC Bit Depth | 32-bit | |
| DAC Sample Rate | 192 kHz | |
| Features | ||
| Built-in DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) | Yes | |
| Bluetooth | No | |
| Wi-Fi | N/A | |
| Built-in Radio Tuner | None | |
| Room Correction | No | |
| Connections | ||
| RCA Line-level Inputs | 3 | |
| XLR Line-level Inputs | No | |
| Phono Input | Yes | |
| Optical Digital Inputs | 1 | |
| Coaxial Digital Inputs | 2 | |
| USB Input | No | |
| HDMI Inputs | 0 | |
| Stereo Preamp Outputs | Yes | |
| Subwoofer Outputs | No | |
| Recording Output | No | |
| HDMI Output | 0 | |
| Home Theater Bypass | Selectable | |
| Pre-out/Main-in Loop | No | |
| Headphone Output | 3.5mm | |
| Removable Power Cord | IEC 2-prong | |
| Streaming Compatibility | ||
| Apple AirPlay | No | |
| Apple AirPlay 2 | No | |
| DTS Play-Fi | No | |
| Chromecast built-in | No | |
| Roon | No | |
| HEOS | No | |
| BluOS | No | |
| Dimensions and Warranty | ||
| Width (inches) | 17-1/16 | |
| Height (inches) | 3-7/16 | |
| Depth (inches) | 13-13/16 | |
| Weight (pounds) | 18.5 | |
| Parts Warranty | 5 Years | |
| Labor Warranty | 5 Years | |
Product Research
Features
50W x 2Ch Integrated Amplifier: Drawing on the many years of amplifier design experience at Arcam, the SA10 integrated amplifier uses the best quality components and engineering practice to produce class leading sound quality for the best reproduction of your music. The ARCAM SA10 utilizes a Class A/B amplifier design rated at 50 watts x 2 channel (into 8Ω, @ 20-20kHz, with 0.5% THD).
32-Bit ESS Sabre DAC: The ARCAM SA10 integrated amplifier utilizes a 32-bit ESS Sabre DAC (ESS9016K2M) with support for 2ch PCM audio files up to 24-bit/192kHz.
Digital Filters: The SA10 lets you choose between a number of digital filters for use with the coaxial and optical digital inputs. These digital filters are required to minimize unwanted distortion in the audio band. You can choose between the following digital filters - Minimum Phase Fast Roll Off (MinP Fast), Linear Phase Slow Roll Off (LinP Slow), or Linear Phase Fast Roll Off (LinP Fast).
Optical & Coaxial Digital Inputs: The ARCAM SA10 offers one optical (toslink) digital input and two coaxial (RCA) digital inputs for connection of a Blu-ray player, TV, or game console. The digital inputs support 2ch PCM only (not compatible with Dolby Digital or DTS). The optical digital input supports 32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, and 96kHz sampling frequencies; while the coaxial digital inputs support 32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, and 192kHz sampling frequencies.
Analog Line-Level Inputs: The SA10 integrated amplifier is equipped with three line-level, analog RCA inputs for connection of CD player, tape-deck and AM/FM tuner. The RCA inputs are gold-plated for excellent audio signal transfer.
Phono (MM) Input: The ARCAM SA10 integrated amplifier is equipped with a Phono (MM) input for connection of a turntable with an MM cartridge. The Phono input is gold-plated for excellent audio signal transfer.
Front-Panel Aux Input: A front-panel 3.5mm Aux input provides convenient connection of a portable audio player, smartphone, or tablet with a headphone jack output.
Processor Mode: Processor mode can be assigned to any one input. In this mode, the SA10 is set to a fixed level. You can specify the required volume level for the processor mode input.
Binding-Post Speaker Terminals: The ARCAM SA10 integrated amplifier is outfitted with a set of binding-post terminals to connect a pair of loudspeakers. These binding-post terminals will accept bare wire (up to 10AWG), pin-connectors, spade-lugs, and banana plugs (single only). You will need to remove the plastic inserts from the binding-post terminals to use banana plugs. The binding-post terminals are gold-plated for excellent audio signal transfer.
1/8" Headphone Jack: There is a 1/8" (3.5mm) headphone jack on the front-panel which allows connection of a set of headphones so you can enjoy listening to your music privately. The unit supports headphones with an impedance rating between 16Ω and 2kΩ, Connecting a set of headphones will automatically mute the integrated amplifier's speaker outputs and pre-outs (you can turn this feature off).
Pre-Amplifier Output: The unit has a set of stereo RCA pre-out that let you use the SA10 as a dedicated pre-amplifier or as part of a bi-amplified system.
Front-Panel Display: The front-panel display indicates source selection and menu settings. You can adjust the brightness level the front-panel display to "Full", "Dim", or "Off".
IR Remote: The included IR remote is pre-programmed to operate the SA10 integrated amplifier and an Arcam CD player.
MusicLife App: The MusicLife app (for Apple iOS 11.0+ and Android OS 5.0+) lets you remotely control the ARCAM integrated amplifier using your compatible Apple iOS or Android device. Connect using your home network, providing feedback from your device and eliminating any line-of-sight issues present with an infrared remote control.
IP & RS-232 Control: The SA10 integrated amplifier is equipped with a Ethernet (RJ45) port and RS-232 port. The RS-232 port allows for remote control from a 3rd-party home automation system or computer, while the Ethernet (RJ45) port provides network (IP) control and is Control 4 certified.
USB Port (Software Upgrades Only): The ARCAM SA10 features a rear-panel USB (type-A) port used for firmware & software updates only.
Auto Standby: This unit is designed to enter a low power standby mode if no user interaction and no audio input signal are detected for an extended period of time (30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, or Off).
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Customer Q&A
7 questions already asked
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This is a great entry level audiophile integrated in my opinion. It pairs well with neutral speakers. It's especially good at 6 Ohm and lower speakers. Not to say it doesn't power 8 ohm speakers well too. I'm very happy with this amp and looking to pick up some Klipsch Heresy's to pair with it.
Tony from Westfield, IN