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Review 1 of 2
Price Paid:
$890.00
from Music For Pleasure Summary:
This integrated is roughly 4-5 years old and currently discontinued; the sound quality is near identical to the Arcam A65, so I will speak of it as though it is an A65. The only difference is the A75 having 10 watts more power. The current replacement for the A75 is the A70 just released 2006.
I prefer the user interface w/the A65 to the A70 b/c it has a little mark on the volume control which lets you know when you get to 12 o'clock on the amp. The A70 has a readout volume display but the volume control has no mark to confirm how much you have turned up the volume. Generally I find w/integrateds you don't want to go much past 12 o'clock b/c thats when distortion and amplifier strain become more noticeable. I don't hear any sonic benefit of the A70 over the A65 despite the slight power gain (10 watts/channel) and supposed upgrades. I would recommend the A65 over the A70 and put the remaining $400 on an Arcam disc spinner.
The Arcam sound is generally even across the entire audioband. It is very smooth w/good detail and background silence. I don't think it sounds dark, on the contrary, when matched w/Arcam CD player it seems rather lively, yet not forward. "Finesse" and "subtle" are good terms to identify the general Arcam sound. I was surprised to discover stronger bass when driving speakers w/exceptional crossovers which don't drop below 4 ohms, such as the Dynaudio Audience 82's (see my review; audience 72's would work just fine too!). Driving this easy load my amp gets only barely warm and I have satisfying true full-range sound in a mid-size room.
This has excellent build quality w/rigid metal casework; it's not a tank but is sturdy and elegant looking. The lights don't irritate either. Some may prefer the A70 b/c of the electronic window (a little more of a light show; not gaudy, though). For $700 the A65 is a good value when matched to CD player of same company and the right speakers. I think the A70 might be outdone by some of the competition when you consider power and the ability to drive a speaker at the price point ($1100). Strengths:
Very smooth, detailed, and coherent sound. No part of the spectrum is emphasized over another. Easy to use and excellent build quality at the price. Weaknesses:
There are more powerful sounding amps out there even at the power rating, but most don't have the coherence and smooth sound of the Arcam. Similar Products Used:
Denon Cd Player; Dynaudio 82's
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