Arcam Alpha 8A (and Alpha 8P) is smooth, yet dynamic. Not an easy combo to achieve, especially when you push upper SPLs! Fantastic British electronics that let you fall into the music experience. Bravo!

Wish it provided bridgable capability (not just mono block setup)

I use the Arcam 8R stereo amplifier in my bedroom, I must say it turns out to be the best sounding 50w amp I've owned, paired it with a number of speakers from standmounts to floorstanders and always surprises me with the detail and transparency!! I found a perfect partner for it in Marantz cd53, I wouldn't separate these two for anything at the moment.

Dirty knobs normally affect the sound easily. Other than that the amp is truly amazing!!

This is a solid power amp and as others have said the sound is very good. I used mine in combination with an AudioLab 8000A to bi-amp some Kef 300s. The addition of the power amp gave fantastic control of the bass, although ultimately I had to let the Kefs go as the shrill high end made my ears bleed. So it was unemployed for a while, but I knew I'd find use for it. (hi-fi nuts look away now): Recently I have added body-shakers to my home cinema set up. They are rated at 4 ohms and this amp drives them well. honestly, don't knock it till you try it. I used rockwood body shakers and at 30 quid a pop it's the most cost effective upgrade for sheer immersion you're ever going to get! Does the amp deserve better? possibly, but right now i'm glad I have the reliable solid power output to give me a rumble in my seat when the Jurassic dinosaurs go bonkers or the Empire strikes back! PS Mine was cheap secondhand due to a noisy output. I replaced the internal relay (simple job) and solved the issue. Worth checking if you have this problem. The simple way is to bypass the relay with a wire jumper to see if the problem persists (make sure you know which tab is switched to which by the relay of course!

Really the only thing missing is a 12v power control to automatically turn the amp on when needed. A minor gripe, but it cost a star

I had the arcam alpha 8, 7 and 9 connected in the same room with the same speakers (spendor LS 3/5a) and I think musically the 8 is really good. But, it wasn't much different from 7. 9 had better power which was noticeable in every scenario. Also micro details were great on 9. But I had a vintage luxman l410 which bought at the same period which literally killed the arcam.

It's not out of the world.

Amazing sound quality! These amps sell used nowadays for around 250 Euro, which is very little money for such a great sound. The Alpha 8 replaced my Alpha 7 and made clear audible difference for the better. For those out in the market now for an Arcam Alpha integrated keep in mind that models 8 & 9 sound exactly the same (the 9 being more powerful off course) and are both significantly better than the 7, but sound inferior to the superb Alpha 10.
Overall the Alpha 8 is fantastic value for money to buy used, its vey versatile and will fit easily in most systems. Sound is rich, thick, a little dark in a way, warm, very forward, detailed and clear. A touch of high end for peanuts now, but mind you it was very expensive for only 50W when new.

I love this amplifier so much, for the money you can not get better

I purchased this amp a few years back (alpha 8r) and the sound quality is amazing for the price! I have It connected to a polk sub and a pair of anthony gallo nucleus speakers i have also had 2 probloms with the amp were when you blow a fuse and u go to replace it it keeps blowing the new fuse u put in .therwise great amp!

This review is for the arcam alpha 8 amp, And i must say this was prob the best money could buy with my budget of £300.oo
I had it running with a pair of Ruark Ikon speakers and an alpha 8 se cd player and what a sound i got from it, blew me away considering you could spend at least double on decent amp but still wont get as good a sound.
Its a warm sound delivers great colour and fantastic value for money.
Brilliant amplifier but what do you expect from Arcam :)

Strengths;
The longer you drive this amp the sweater it gets the sound says it all

Weakness;
Cant think of any its just so well made

Musical, flexible for mono or stereo operation and reliable design

None at this price

This review is for the Arcam 8P Amazing ! What a superb combination ( with the 8R) this has turned out to be. I was not expecting this sound quality and performance for this amount of money. The Arcam 8R is a great amplifier, but the real star of the show is the power amplifier. It has to be one of the best in it's class for the price. One of the most musical amps out there. It conveys the emotion in the music in a way that most other similarly priced amplifiers just fail to do. The sound is warm and involving but not at the expense of clarity and transparency. I preferred the 8P to the 9P. Its a gem, five stars no question.

Similar Products Used:

Quad, Cyrus and Naim

Sound of course!

Warm Up period (just make sure they are left switched on!)

The Arcam Alpha 8 Amp and Power Amp came to me as another seconhand bargain (£300 sterling with interconnects versus £700 new). At this price level there is nothing to compare, and in my opinion little at the original price too.

Apart from being particuarly sensitive to running cold, this pair of amplifiers add depth and separation to any recording. Give them 24 hours connected to the mains with the power on and the sound sharpens beyond recognition. When cold they are mushy and bass heavy, lacking in sound staging, mid and high range. When warmed up this is lost and gives way to a mobile and attacking quality of sound, seperating instruments and reproducing subtleties. Acoustic music sounds true to life, rock vividly jumps out of the system, dance pumps superbly with control and the beauty of well recorded classical music brings a tear to the eye.

Taking the time to bi-amp my speakers has also paid dividends to the extent that for the time being, they do not need replacing. Bass is present and forward, but controlled. I thought it was my speakers that were flabby but it was actually my old amp!

This pair also has the bonus of looking smart, the styling and colour a change from what appears to be the norm in many cases of the uglier the amp, the better the sound!

I would strongly recommend people audition these and the later Arcam 8 models. Just make sure they have been given them the chance to warm up!