John Darko
One of the highlights of the Munich High-End Show 2024 was a new streaming powerhouse from Arcam. The SA45 is a super-integrated whose streaming technology has been pulled from the new ST25 streaming DAC (€1799) to sit at the top of the British company’s yellow-accented Radia series. Your choice of Ethernet or wi-fi.
The internal streaming platform has been freshly developed for this new range of products. That means Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, Google Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2 and Roon Readiness, all fronted by a glass-bonded TFT display whose GPU is built into the streaming engine. But no, it’s not a touchscreen. Menu system control comes from the volume and source selectors that straddle the SA45’s 8.8″ screen.
On hard-wired inputs, the rear panel serves up quite the selection: 2 x TOSLINK, 2 x coaxial and the all-important HDMI eARC (which was missing from the first three more affordable Radia models). D/A conversion comes from a “multichannel DAC”. Also on the back panel sit three single-ended line-level inputs, one set of balanced inputs plus a choice of MM or MC inputs (for turntablists). The SA45’s two subwoofer outputs run independently to show up as single-ended and balanced variants.
Arcam rates the SA45’s 5th Generation Class G loudspeaker amplifier circuit as capable of 180wpc into 8 Ohms and 300wpc into 4 Ohms.
Class G? From Arcam’s explainer .pdf:
“Like a hybrid car engine, Class G implements multiple power supplies rather than just a single supply. If a dynamic signal is received that goes beyond the capability of this first power supply, the secondary supply is gradually brought in up to full rated power output as required. This gives a very efficient design as additional power is only used when required, much like a turbo-charger. Modern high-speed silicon allows us the make this switch faster that would ever be required, even way beyond the audio bandwidth, so there is no “turbo lag”.
“The first power supply is of lower power and within this region we run in pure Class A, which has no crossover distortion. As the secondary supply is only used when required, extreme levels of power are possible because very little energy is wasted in the amplifier as heat when it is not being used. Without control this power would be ill-used, so like high-performance car tyres, multiple output devices within the amplifier keep a tight grip on the loudspeaker at all times, ensuring your listening experience never “leaves the road”.”
The SA45’s analogue signal path is balanced from front to back with a brand-new power supply design running the internals. Two-way aptX Bluetooth and Dirac Live Room Correction with Bass Control are also part of the feature set — a room measurement microphone ships inside the box.
As is common for products debuting in Munich, Arcam’s announcement is just a tease. The SA45 won’t land in dealers until October 2024 when it will be priced at €4999. If that’s too much amplifier for your needs or you need your Arcam fix in September, the €3499 SA35 – also debuting at Munich High-End 2024 – promises a similar feature set but with a smaller (6.5″) screen and lower power output: 120wpc into 8 Ohms, 220wpc into 4 Ohms.
Further information: Arcam
