Arcam A65+ vs A19

kiwipaul

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hI all.

I REALLY need some help re the above subject. I love my A65+, but the A19 is available here in NZ at a runout price and I wonder if I should make the jump. Ancilliary equipment is Nad 565 BEE cdp, Nad 412 tuner, Wharfedale Pacific P I 40 speakers, AKG K550 headphones. I mostly listen at low/moderate levels (8-10 oclock). Music tastes are very wide ranging.

Cheerz'n'Thanx for your help
 

CnoEvil

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Hi there and welcome, from here on the other side of the world.

FWIW. Here are my thoughts:

- I have never heard the A65+, but have heard a wide variety of the older Arcam Amps and own an A60.

- The older Arcam sound was warm, musical and non-fatiguing, put could lack a little energy and life.

- With the more current models, Arcam have been addressing that, especially with their Class G (A39/A49)

- The A19 is not Class G, but should have a more lively feel to the way it sounds...but is not forward or aggressive.

- Nad make warm sounding products, so it should work fine.

- It is probably worth updating your amp anyway, as they usually need dervicing after a certain age

https://www.whathifi.com/arcam/fmj-a19/review
 
I've owned A65+ for over 7 years and loved it. Unlike the earlier Alpha ranges, the DIVAs are a little more open and crisp in presentation. It has a kinda quirky soundscape, which appeals to my err... quirky nature I suppose.

IMHO, for it's price, Arcam struggled to better it - the A65+ is still IMHO one of the best entry-level integrateds around. It isn't powerful, but unless you play at nightclub levels, that shouldn't be a problem.

I've only heard the A19 in a dem room with unfamiliar speakers, so can't give you an exact like-for-like appraisal. I would say, however, if you can't dem the A19, purchase from a dealer that offers a 28 day returns.

Apologies if my bias is heavily tilted towards the A65.
 
CnoEvil said:
Hi there and welcome, from here on the other side of the world.

FWIW. Here are my thoughts:

- I have never heard the A65+, but have heard a wide variety of the older Arcam Amps and own an A60.

- The older Arcam sound was warm, musical and non-fatiguing, put could lack a little energy and life.

- With the more current models, Arcam have been addressing that, especially with their Class G (A39/A49)

- The A19 is not Class G, but should have a more lively feel to the way it sounds...but is not forward or aggressive.

- Nad make warm sounding products, so it should work fine.

- It is probably worth updating your amp anyway, as they usually need dervicing after a certain age

https://www.whathifi.com/arcam/fmj-a19/review

Sorry Cno - the A65+ isn't warm like the older Alphas. I've obv had the A65+ with MA RS6, and dem'd it with PMC DB1i and GB1, Focal 714s Chorus. It's incredibly musical with a crisp top end and a creamy midband, so it matches with most speakers and sources.
 
D

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kiwipaul said:
hI all.

I REALLY need some help re the above subject. I love my A65+, but the A19 is available here in NZ at a runout price and I wonder if I should make the jump. Ancilliary equipment is Nad 565 BEE cdp, Nad 412 tuner, Wharfedale Pacific P I 40 speakers, AKG K550 headphones. I mostly listen at low/moderate levels (8-10 oclock). Music tastes are very wide ranging.

Cheerz'n'Thanx for your help

Paul, you might get more replies if you posted this in the main hifi forum... don't get much footfall in this turntable sub-section.

Edit: Forget that, looks like some replies are forthcoming *smile*
 

6and8

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I've lived with my A19 for a while now, while I'm not familiar with the older Arcams here's my thruppence worth.

I listen to a fairly eclectic mix of music, these days it's more likely to be jazz, blues, psych folk or classical but I still enjoy the occasional thrash of Stooges or Ramones. To keep the peace at home, and for the sake of the neighbours, I tend to listen at lower levels - around 30 with the speakers, with headphones it needs cranking up a bit more, to around 50. I've got the A19 hooked up to a pair of ancient Musical Fidelity MC4s and (to me) it sounds great - bags of everything, even at lower levels.

It's also very good with headphones. I'll spare you the usual overused superlatives but I recently loaned a high end (and expensive) headphone amp to compare with the A19's headphone output, hardly anything in it (to my ears) so I stuck with what I have.

I bought my A19 undemo-ed, it was on offer at a price I couldn't refuse and it was the last one in the sale. Never regretted it.

Hope that helps.
 

CnoEvil

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plastic penguin said:
Sorry Cno - the A65+ isn't warm like the older Alphas. I've obv had the A65+ with MA RS6, and dem'd it with PMC DB1i and GB1, Focal 714s Chorus. It's incredibly musical with a crisp top end and a creamy midband, so it matches with most speakers and sources.

You've owned it, so I can't compete with that.

I still suspect the A19 has a more "modern" sound than the 65+.....and your clever speaker matching would have helped offset any tendancy to sound a little smooth.
 
I've still got the Alpha 7R in the attic, and comparing the two the Alpha plays it a little safer than the A65. It's not bright but it does sound a little more interesting than a staid Alpha 7.

I agree the A19 should sound more involving or "modern", but guess there's not a huge chasm between the two.
 

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