Arcam A18, Cambridge 650A, Or Rotel 04SE

jasonmiddleton

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I know this sound like a silly question to some people but my 20 year old Sony amp (yes 20 years old) is starting to sound like it needs to be replaced and I've been looking into a range of options. The first is a CA 650a (or a 550a) with a photo pre amp. The 650a with phono amp will cost £400. The second option is a Rotel RA-04SE, which will be £300 and the third option is an Arcam A18, which is £470 if I trade in my old Sony amp. My source is lossless files with a DACMagic and my speakers are a pair of Tanoy Mercury F4s. I listen to a very wide range of music from Coldplay, 80s pop, through to classical. I know that I need to listen to the amps and compare them but this is going to be difficult as I can't take my speakers and DAC into a shop to try them and the 650a is not in the same shop as the Arcam or Rotel. The room I use is just 3m deep and the speakers are next to the wall so I need to pair the amp with care. People's thoughts and help please. Oh the connection cables are Chord Crimson II's. Cheers.
 

matthewpiano

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This depends on the sort of sound you want to achieve. The Arcam is a class above the other two and significantly better IMO, but if you want the fast, bright, unsubtle sort of sound it won't be for you. Of the other two the Rotel is much the better all-rounder IMO and is a fabulous amp for the money. The Cambridge can lean towards the clinical side.
 

jasonmiddleton

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So would the Arcam give more detail? I've heard that the 650 shows up flaws in recordings, is that because it's too honest a sound of on the harsh side?
 

matthewpiano

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The Arcam combines detail with a touch of warmth very nicely. It is also superb at soundstaging and creating atmosphere. If you want something more overtly detailed and dynamic then the Rotel might suit you better. Don't be either without a proper audition.

The 650A is a good amp but it is open sounding at the extreme and does expose less decent recordings ruthlessly and in quite a clinical way. Paired badly it can sound harsh but I doubt you would have problems with your Tannoys.
 

jasonmiddleton

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Thanks for your help. I'm hoping to try and A18 and RA-04SE tommorow, but I'm not sure if the dealer will keen the price at £470 if I decide to wait. Maybe I could buy a 650a and take it with me to test. lol.
 
Matthew is so right - all the amps have their own talents, likewise it's which one you can live with the most. For me, a huge Arcam fan, believe the A18 will be far better for long listening sessions. It treads a fine line between slightly languid and excitment - and succeeds.
 

Gerrardasnails

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jasonmiddleton:
I know this sound like a silly question to some people but my 20 year old Sony amp (yes 20 years old) is starting to sound like it needs to be replaced and I've been looking into a range of options. The first is a CA 650a (or a 550a) with a photo pre amp. The 650a with phono amp will cost £400. The second option is a Rotel RA-04SE, which will be £300 and the third option is an Arcam A18, which is £470 if I trade in my old Sony amp. My source is lossless files with a DACMagic and my speakers are a pair of Tanoy Mercury F4s. I listen to a very wide range of music from Coldplay, 80s pop, through to classical. I know that I need to listen to the amps and compare them but this is going to be difficult as I can't take my speakers and DAC into a shop to try them and the 650a is not in the same shop as the Arcam or Rotel. The room I use is just 3m deep and the speakers are next to the wall so I need to pair the amp with care. People's thoughts and help please. Oh the connection cables are Chord Crimson II's. Cheers.

I have to agree with my learned posters. I will add that I think that the Arcam is also far better built and would be a notch above the Rotel and Cambridge.
 
A

Anonymous

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Go the Arcam. At great all rounder and a lovely sound leaning on the warm side of neutral. Cambridge gear can sound great but requires more careful component matching. Having not heard your speakers before I would suggest demoing to see if it works out or not. I'm not a fan of Rotel so I can't make comment there.

Arcam are easy to pair which also leaves you open to a larger choice of future upgrade paths, if thats interesting to you at all?
 
jasonmiddleton:
I know this sound like a silly question to some people but my 20 year old Sony amp (yes 20 years old) is starting to sound like it needs to be replaced and I've been looking into a range of options. The first is a CA 650a (or a 550a) with a photo pre amp. The 650a with phono amp will cost £400. The second option is a Rotel RA-04SE, which will be £300 and the third option is an Arcam A18, which is £470 if I trade in my old Sony amp. My source is lossless files with a DACMagic and my speakers are a pair of Tanoy Mercury F4s. I listen to a very wide range of music from Coldplay, 80s pop, through to classical. I know that I need to listen to the amps and compare them but this is going to be difficult as I can't take my speakers and DAC into a shop to try them and the 650a is not in the same shop as the Arcam or Rotel. The room I use is just 3m deep and the speakers are next to the wall so I need to pair the amp with care. People's thoughts and help please. Oh the connection cables are Chord Crimson II's. Cheers.

Hi jasonmiddleton

I would also suggest Yamaha's new A-S500. The A-S500 is well featured, built, finished, powerful and i feel its performance is an eye opener.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft
 
jasonmiddleton:Do any of them sound like the PM6003? I've tried one of those and I thought it lacked a little detail.

As pointed out yesterday, the Arcam has excellent detail. Used to own the A65+ and detail was very impressive for the money, allied to their wonderful mid-range it's a class above the others you mentioned.
 

jasonmiddleton

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At lunchtime today I went to my local hifi shop and tested the Arcam A18 against the Rotel 04se. The Rotel was very impressive and made my old Sony amp sound very bland. However, the Arcam blew my mind away. The detail in the music was out of this world and it was obvious that the Rotal was no competition. I've scrapped the idea of the Cambridge 650a as The amp would cost £350 for the amp + £50 for a phono amp and another £50 for a decent set of cables between the phono amp and the 650a. That's £450. Therefore, I've traded in my old amp and paid £479 for a shiny black Arcam A18. The clinching element was that the A18 is made in Cambridge and as I live in Norfolk you can't get more local than that (doing my bit for the economy and all that).

Who thought my Sony amp would be worth more now than I paid for it 20 years ago.

A big thank you to everyone who has given me help and advice on this forum. Here's to another 20 years!

Jason
 

Blackdawn

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Hope you enjoy your new Arcam amp Jason. :) What sort of computer are you using as your source (desktop, Mac, Laptop) and how are you connecting to the Dacmagic? Did you audition any NAD amps?
 

Blackdawn

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The Yamaha models sound interesting. Musicraft do you find the Yam AS500 just a cut down version of the bigger brothers or are they very different sounding? For example, is the AS-500 as safe sounding as the 700 or have Yamha sorted this out?
 
jasonmiddleton:

At lunchtime today I went to my local hifi shop and tested the Arcam A18 against the Rotel 04se. The Rotel was very impressive and made my old Sony amp sound very bland. However, the Arcam blew my mind away. The detail in the music was out of this world and it was obvious that the Rotal was no competition. I've scrapped the idea of the Cambridge 650a as The amp would cost £350 for the amp + £50 for a phono amp and another £50 for a decent set of cables between the phono amp and the 650a. That's £450. Therefore, I've traded in my old amp and paid £479 for a shiny black Arcam A18. The clinching element was that the A18 is made in Cambridge and as I live in Norfolk you can't get more local than that (doing my bit for the economy and all that).

Who thought my Sony amp would be worth more now than I paid for it 20 years ago.

A big thank you to everyone who has given me help and advice on this forum. Here's to another 20 years!

Jason

Congrats - of course, the other bonus is upgrading with a power amp, as and when, improves the SQ substantially more.
 

matthewpiano

Well-known member
plastic penguin:
matthewpiano:Welcome to the A18 owners club!! I'm sure you'll thoroughly enjoy it. Mine is playing 'Desperado' by Eagles now and sounds superb.

Sounds rather good with Rotel? mine certainly did...

Yes. I didn't feel like the Marantz CD player was really allowing the amp and speakers to do their best. The Rotel (which I already had knocking about) matches so much better. It sounds fantastic. I'd forgotten what a great CD player the '965BX is.
 
matthewpiano:plastic penguin:

matthewpiano:Welcome to the A18 owners club!! I'm sure you'll thoroughly enjoy it. Mine is playing 'Desperado' by Eagles now and sounds superb.

Sounds rather good with Rotel? mine certainly did...

Yes. I didn't feel like the Marantz CD player was really allowing the amp and speakers to do their best. The Rotel (which I already had knocking about) matches so much better. It sounds fantastic. I'd forgotten what a great CD player the '965BX is.

emotion-21.gif
 

jasonmiddleton

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I'm using a near silent desktop I built myself about three months ago and an optical link to the DACMagic. It works a treat, so well the clock in my study had to be removed as it's ticking was all you could hear.
 
matthewpiano:plastic penguin:
matthewpiano:Welcome to the A18 owners club!! I'm sure you'll thoroughly enjoy it. Mine is playing 'Desperado' by Eagles now and sounds superb.

Sounds rather good with Rotel? mine certainly did...

Yes. I didn't feel like the Marantz CD player was really allowing the amp and speakers to do their best. The Rotel (which I already had knocking about) matches so much better. It sounds fantastic. I'd forgotten what a great CD player the '965BX is.

Hi Matt

The RCD965BX is indeed an excellent cdp. The RCD965BX is imo one of the finest cd players ever made and is also the finest overall cdp Rotel have produced to date.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft
 
MUSICRAFT:matthewpiano:plastic penguin:

matthewpiano:Welcome to the A18 owners club!! I'm sure you'll thoroughly enjoy it. Mine is playing 'Desperado' by Eagles now and sounds superb.

Sounds rather good with Rotel? mine certainly did...

Yes. I didn't feel like the Marantz CD player was really allowing the amp and speakers to do their best. The Rotel (which I already had knocking about) matches so much better. It sounds fantastic. I'd forgotten what a great CD player the '965BX is.

Hi Matt

The RCD965BX is indeed an excellent cdp. The RCD965BX is imo one of the finest cd players ever made and is also the finest overall cdp Rotel have produced to date.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

Not heard the 965BX, mine is the 975 which is a cracking CDP. Sounds very good with the Leema, although the mid-range with the Pulse is a little thin.
 

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