0:03 In front of me, I have the Arcam SA30
0:06 and the NAD M10 V2. And these are what
0:09 you might call future, to borrow a
0:11 phrase, streaming amplifiers that
0:13 feature DRA, DRA life room correction.
0:15 So, if you're looking for a streaming
0:17 amplifier around this kind of price
0:19 point that features DARK, well, then I
0:21 think these are your two main choices,
0:23 the two different products that you
0:25 might be choosing between. So, I wanted
0:27 to find out once and for all which one
0:29 out of these two is the best or maybe
0:31 which one is offering the best value
0:33 because I think the value proposition is
0:35 really very interesting here because at
0:38 the time of making this video, September
0:41 2022 here in the UK, there is a really
0:43 big price difference between these two.
0:47 with the ARMSA30 costing £1,899.
0:51 The price has come down from £2,199,
0:57 whereas the NADM10 V2 costs £2,399.
0:59 But then you'll also need to buy the DRA
1:03 4 license for about another £85. So we
1:06 are in about a £600 price difference
1:08 between these two here. That's a very
1:11 significant price difference. So is it
1:15 worth it? Is the NAD M10 V2 worth 600
1:17 more than the RCAM SA30? Well, that's
1:19 also something that I wanted to find out.
1:40 So, let's start with the Arcam SA30. and
1:42 maybe what I like and don't like about
1:44 it. Well, definitely what I do like is
1:46 what we are getting here for our money.
1:48 Let's not, I think, underappreciate the
1:50 value of these all-in-one type streaming
1:52 amplifiers because we are getting almost
1:55 a full hi-fi system built into one
1:57 chassis for one cost. And with the
1:59 Arcam, we are getting a wired and
2:02 wireless network music streamer that's
2:04 room ready and supports Tidal Connect
2:07 and Spotify Connect and AirPlay 2 and
2:10 UPMP and chcast. And we are getting an
2:14 ESS Pro Saber DACK with MQA support, a
2:17 class G integrated amplifier. We are
2:19 also getting a moving magnet and moving
2:22 coil phono stage, a headphone amplifier,
2:25 direct room correction with a decent set
2:27 of connections for feeding other analog
2:30 and digital sources into the SA30,
2:34 including ERC via HDMI. So connecting to
2:36 your TV is easy. And you know what? I
2:38 don't think we can really ask for much
2:40 more than that in this type of product
2:42 in a streaming hi-fi amplifier except of
2:44 course we can because there are a couple
2:46 of bits missing. I think one thing
2:48 that's definitely missing with the arcam
2:50 is some modern design flare. I think you
2:53 know it looks the SA30 looks very
2:56 rudimentary which is kind of fine but
2:58 also you know a bit more design flare I
2:59 think wouldn't go a miss. But the build
3:02 quality is very good with one one nigg
3:04 and one exception. The buttons on the
3:05 front, hopefully you can hear this. If I
3:14 they clunk in use, which is fine, but
3:15 then you get like a resonance that
3:17 happens, I think, through the the the
3:19 heat sink vent that's at the front.
3:22 Quickly do it again.
3:24 Ah, it's far from the end of the world,
3:26 but I don't think it it's perfect. And
3:28 then my next complaint is the screen.
3:29 And this is an interesting one because
3:32 there is nothing wrong with the screen,
3:34 but I don't think it's modern enough for
3:36 this type of product category anymore.
3:38 But don't get me wrong, you can clearly
3:40 see all of the information on this
3:42 screen sat at 12 or so feet away. So,
3:44 it's very functional. But let's be real
3:47 about it. It's quite a primitive screen
3:49 when we compare it to its main current
3:51 competition, the screen that's in the
3:54 M10 V2. Because again being honest, the
3:58 M10 V2 screen is about a thousand times
4:00 nicer and it does make a difference and
4:03 it does matter. And I think that is an
4:05 indication of one clear defining
4:08 difference between who I think NAD and
4:11 maybe ARAM are targeting or thinking who
4:13 will be their core key customer for
4:15 these products. I think ARCAM are
4:17 assuming their key customers for the
4:19 SA30 will be what I would class as you
4:21 know experienced dieh hard audio files
4:23 that have maybe been around the block 20
4:26 or so times. They may be existing or
4:29 previous ARM customers. So this design
4:31 this form factor of hi-fi amplifier is
4:33 familiar to them and it's kind of what
4:35 they expect and what they are used to.
4:38 Well as I think NAD are thinking of
4:40 their customer base being much wider
4:41 than that. thinking their customer base
4:44 might be this could be that someone's
4:46 very first ever hi-fi system or maybe
4:49 it's just someone's first ever NAD hi-fi
4:51 system and they are looking to make a
4:53 different kind of impression on that
4:55 customer. They're looking to make a
4:57 product that looks and feels more like a
4:58 smartphone, I think, in terms of just
5:01 the appearance and the way it all works.
5:03 And the NAD has real modern style to its
5:06 design, real modern thinking to how it
5:08 looks. Even the illuminated NAD logo on
5:10 the top is just very cool. And of
5:13 course, the form factor being so small
5:15 is going to appeal to many. The feature
5:17 set of the M10 V2 is very similar to
5:20 that in the SA30. So, wired and wireless
5:22 network music streaming, an ESS Pro
5:26 Saber DACK with MQA support, AirPlay 2,
5:28 Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Rune
5:30 Ready, analog and digital inputs,
5:35 including HDMI with EAC, Durac Live, and
5:37 Blue OS, which is a key difference
5:39 feature that we will talk about shortly.
5:41 And one other huge difference is the
5:44 amplifiers in the M10 V2 are digital.
5:48 They are Hypex Encore class D modules
5:51 whereas the amplifiers in the Arm SA30
5:54 are ARCAM's class G. So you know
5:55 different letters they are obviously
5:57 different completely different
5:59 technologies. So at this point I think
6:01 this comparison is pretty evenly split.
6:04 we have, you know, price in favor, price
6:07 in favor of the Archam SA30, design in
6:10 favor of the NAD M10 V2, but the spec
6:12 and and feature list is pretty
6:15 comparable across both of them. So, what
6:17 about interaction? The NAD's touchscreen
6:20 is a much nicer experience or thing to
6:24 use and visually nicer, too. Except
6:26 touchcreen means fingerprints are
6:28 inevitable. And I don't know about you,
6:49 [Music]
6:50 But I can hear you sitting at home
6:52 saying, "Terry, it's 2022. Who uses
6:54 remote controls anymore? Tell us about
6:57 the control apps." Well, for the Arcam,
6:59 you have Harmon's Music Life, which is a
7:02 very simple, very straightforward, very
7:04 functional, easy to use music control
7:06 app, but it's maybe just a little bit
7:08 basic and plain. And you can access your
7:10 music easy enough. You can have music
7:13 playing easy enough. You can access the
7:15 main controls of the SA30 to change its
7:17 volume, change its DAC filter, sound
7:19 mode. You can dim the display. You can
7:22 change inputs. You can even put the unit
7:24 into standby. And that is all fine and
7:27 works well. But for me, the bit that is
7:29 lacking is the easy building of a play
7:31 queue because you can choose from a set
7:34 of defined options for what a finger
7:36 press does. But the only way to be able
7:38 to load a full album and then maybe a
7:40 few individual tracks from other albums
7:42 is to bring up the full menu every
7:44 single time. And if there was just a
7:46 button at the top that said add album to
7:48 the queue next to where it says play
7:50 album now, then I think that would make
7:53 this whole user app experience that bit
7:56 more slick. I also think being able to
7:57 see your play queue while you're
7:59 browsing other music would be better. So
8:01 the music life app is more than okay,
8:04 totally usable and gives a very decent
8:06 experience and it plays gapless if
8:08 that's important to you. But I
8:10 definitely wouldn't say that it's class
8:11 leading. But we have to consider here
8:14 the fact that you may well use the ARM
8:16 SA30 with say Tidal Connect or Spotify
8:19 Connect or Rune. Well then if you are
8:21 then your user experience with using the
8:24 SA30 will be consistent with what those
8:26 apps offer you. So that is obviously a
8:28 completely totally different user
8:31 experience with the Arcam. Blue OS on
8:33 the other hand is more featurerich and
8:35 more visually satisfying to use and you
8:37 can do a similar set of essential tasks
8:40 such as play music, build play cues and
8:42 I like how you can see your playlist
8:43 while you're browsing other music
8:45 especially as I couldn't do this with
8:47 the music life app. Beyond this, you can
8:49 control all of the settings of the M10,
8:52 such as tone controls, useful for some,
8:55 such as 100% worth of front screen
8:57 dimming control, dimming control for the
9:00 illuminated logo on the top, and more.
9:02 This all feels nice and feels modern to
9:04 interact with, and I like the way the
9:06 options are all presented in the app. It
9:08 feels personal, customizable, and it's
9:11 just always visually satisfying. And for
9:14 me, having Blue S as part of the overall
9:16 package, as part of what you're buying
9:19 with the NAD M10 V2 is very appealing
9:20 and I think it actually forms quite a
9:22 big part of the product really or the
9:24 appeal of the product. But what if
9:25 you're in a situation where you're going
9:27 to use one of the connects, Tido or
9:29 Spotify Connect or maybe Rune? Well,
9:31 then maybe in that situation, you're
9:32 paying extra for something. You're
9:34 paying extra for that Blue OS within the
9:36 M10 V2 that you're not going to be
9:38 using. So, you're then paying for
9:39 something you're not using. And I know
9:41 I'm reaching there and I am reaching
9:43 there. But, you know, I'm trying to, you
9:45 know, ascertain the value proposition
9:47 difference between these two. One major
9:50 defining difference is the NAD allows
9:52 users to engage one or two subwoofers
9:54 and select a crossover point,
9:56 essentially sending just bass to your
9:58 subwoofers and then highpassing to the
10:01 main speakers. So, the M10 just powers
10:03 the speakers for mid-range and treble.
10:05 And this option is completely missing
10:07 from the RCAM. Yes, you have preouts to
10:09 connect line level to subwoofers, but
10:11 there is no crossover options. So, no
10:13 highpass filter option. So, the
10:16 subwoofer crossover and highpass filter
10:19 options within the M10 V2 could be great
10:21 for some audio files, of course. But
10:23 here is why I don't think it's the kind
10:26 of gamechanging home run type feature
10:28 difference. Definitely the difference
10:29 that it could be. That is because I
10:31 think there's some really important
10:33 features or things here that's not been
10:35 implemented or are missing. And the big
10:36 thing that's missing for me would be
10:40 subwoofer level control and maybe also
10:42 time delay control. Time delay would be
10:44 so that I can really fine-tune the bass,
10:47 really integrate the bass as fine-tuned
10:49 as possible. But the level control, I
10:50 actually think would be even more
10:52 important. Just think of the situation
10:54 where you could actually adjust the
10:57 subwoofer level and adjust the subwoofer
10:59 level independently for the different
11:01 inputs. So that means when you're
11:03 watching a movie, say using the HDMI E
11:05 RC, you could maybe have the subwoofer
11:07 level set hotter for more bass. Your
11:09 movies Yeah. for a bit more fun. And
11:10 maybe you want the bass to be a bit less
11:12 for your Blue OS for your music
11:14 streaming or for your turntable or
11:16 something like that. Or maybe you just
11:17 want a late night movie, your late night
11:19 TV watching mode where the bass is set
11:22 really low. And if we had subwoofer
11:25 control, subwoofer level control
11:26 independent for the inputs or maybe even
11:28 just for different profiles, that would
11:31 be the gamechanging difference. I think
11:33 the game-changing feature because of
11:35 course we can adjust the subwoofer level
11:37 on the subwoofer itself. But that's
11:38 really not easy, especially if we've got
11:41 a subwoofer with analog controls. So
11:42 it's a shame. I think that feature would
11:45 be better implemented and it would be
11:47 really good actually to see that in the
11:49 M10 V2. But let's not take away, we
11:51 don't see any of that at all in the Ram
11:54 SA30 either, which is an interesting one
11:56 because the product that the SA30
11:58 replaced, the SR250, it had all of those
12:00 features that I've just mentioned. So,
12:03 it's an interesting choice that Arm have
12:05 not included that in the SA30. And I
12:07 think in future for products like this,
12:08 if they're giving us subwoofer outputs,
12:10 if they're giving us crossovers for
12:13 subwoofers, give us level controls as
12:15 well. Now, you can do everything that
12:17 I've just mentioned using DRA. You could
12:19 do it for both of these two products,
12:21 but I don't think it's necessarily that
12:23 obvious. I could do it because I'm a
12:24 professional Durac calibrator, but for
12:26 an average person, I think they might
12:28 struggle to use Durac to do what I've
12:31 just explained. But I am very pleased to
12:33 report with both the Arcam and NAD,
12:36 Durac works flawlessly. The user
12:38 experience is excellent with both, and I
12:40 didn't see any real problems here for
12:42 this review with both the units on the
12:44 most current firmwares. One difference
12:47 is the NAD has five memory slots for
12:49 different direct profiles, whereas the
12:51 RCAM only has three. If you know what
12:52 you're doing with DARK, then you
12:54 probably only need one memory slot.
12:57 Three is definitely enough. Five is
12:59 probably wasting two. So, you're
13:01 probably starting to form a strong
13:02 opinion now about one either of these as
13:04 being maybe more suitable to you or your
13:06 preference here. Maybe the NAD for its
13:08 design, its lovely screen, maybe it's
13:11 highpass filter option, maybe the RCAM
13:13 for maybe it's phono stage or maybe its
13:15 price. But we haven't spoken about the
13:17 key thing here and that's sound quality.
13:19 Because I think all the features, all
13:21 the stylish design in the world, it
13:23 stands for nothing if the products don't
13:25 deliver the sonic goods. I'm sure you
13:28 will agree with me there. [Music]
13:40 [Music]
13:42 And I've got to say the Archam SA30
13:44 delivers a strong sonic performance for
13:47 the money in some key areas. Its sound
13:50 does change a fair bit depending on the
13:52 DAC filter mode that is applied and
13:54 apping is selected as default, but for
13:56 me it's a bit soft and squidgy sounding
13:58 with less than perfect timing. When
14:01 music gets complex, I preferred linear
14:03 fast because it's seemingly the mode
14:05 with the best timing where the sound
14:07 cuts through best for transients, but
14:09 you do lose a little warmth to the sound
14:12 as a tradeoff. And the SA30 in this DAC
14:14 mode sounds lively, still just on the
14:17 warmer side of neutral with a decent
14:19 amount of bass drive and authority. The
14:21 sound stage is tall and quite wide and
14:23 can be three-dimensional depending on
14:26 the music. And I think vocals are also
14:28 very good for size with there being some
14:31 emphasis on good tone and tombra which
14:33 is always pleasing. But it's still a
14:35 little bit of a leaner sound than I
14:37 think is ideal for vocals, especially
14:39 with the Mission speakers. But I could
14:40 easily listen to the RAM powering the
14:43 Mission 770 without the need for a
14:44 subwoofer. With the negatives of the
14:47 SA30 sound being that the timing could
14:48 be better still. Definitely could be
14:50 better still. I think the vocals there's
14:53 just a little bit of a metallic kind of
14:55 sheen to the vocals and there is just
14:57 some tension. There is kind of tension
14:59 to its overall sound. But now engaging
15:02 durac the sound will depend on how good
15:04 you are as a calibrator. It really is
15:06 that simple. and I am a professional so
15:09 I could use DRA to its full potential
15:11 and make about as big a difference as is
15:13 possible even though the missions
15:15 measure very good in my room in the main
15:17 and during
15:20 sound stage and clarity was improved
15:22 with me doing what I do I better tonally
15:24 saturated the sound especially for
15:27 vocals added more bass presence for a
15:29 warmer overall balance and tightened the
15:31 whole sound up from top to bottom and
15:33 with der engaged there was still some of
15:36 the shorter comeings of the arcam SA30
15:37 to the sound. So, still that kind of
15:39 metallic kind of sheen that is on the
15:41 vocals and still the tension in the
15:43 sound. But with the rack engaged and
15:44 everything that I did with it, it
15:46 created a much nicer, more balanced
15:48 overall sound. So, I could then listen
15:50 for longer periods of time, actually
15:53 louder as well with much less fatigue. A
15:55 huge surprise to me was the built-in
15:57 moving magnet phono stage because it
15:59 delivered a very similar standard of
16:01 sound compared to streaming digital and
16:03 it provided a really good amount of gain
16:05 to the signal. So the music from vinyl
16:07 sounded about the same volume as
16:09 streaming digital with the amplifier
16:11 being at the same overall volume level
16:13 and the signal was really rather quiet
16:16 for noise floor and pops and crackles
16:18 seem more suppressed than I am used to
16:20 and I could use my direct calibration
16:22 for the phono staging for listening to
16:24 vinyl and I know this is not something
16:26 that everyone would want to do but I did
16:28 my testing between using my direct
16:31 calibration and using the arcam in its
16:33 direct mode which is bypassing all of
16:36 the dig digital circuitry. And I think
16:38 in direct mode, the sound was slightly
16:41 cleaner, but with my calibration, the
16:53 So, how did the M10 V2 stack up for
16:55 sound quality against a pretty solid in
16:58 every area SA30?
17:00 Extremely well. And the first thing I
17:02 noticed is it sounds cleaner and clearer
17:04 in every regard. compared to the Arcanam
17:06 starting with the blackness of the
17:07 background. So, the sound stage is more
17:10 open with more defined space between the
17:12 instruments or musical elements, but I
17:14 think most people would noticed the
17:16 improved rendering of the musical
17:18 images, especially the vocals. They are
17:20 more in focus and you can hear more
17:22 inner details of music because there is
17:25 more control and resolution to
17:27 everything. And I noticed this most with
17:28 treble because it's presented more
17:31 clearly and better resolved. symbols
17:33 just sound more detailed and seem to
17:36 extend up more in frequency with more
17:38 information. And it's not brighter. It's
17:39 definitely not brighter. It's just
17:42 clearer and more welldefined, more
17:44 wellresolved treble information, the
17:47 fullness, the fullness of frequency of
17:49 the treble information. But there is
17:52 maybe just a little bit of digital sheen
17:55 glare a little bit with the treble. But
17:58 I am being ultra ultra critical there.
18:00 And vocals also have more tonality and
18:03 fullness compared to the SA30 and sound
18:05 more like a mouth singing into a
18:07 microphone because again they are more
18:10 focused and more clearly resolved. And
18:12 the sound stage is also more dramatic
18:14 compared to the RCM. You are more aware
18:16 of the difference in some music sounding
18:18 more forward into the room and other
18:20 music sounding deep like you're
18:22 listening to instruments in a space. So
18:24 I think the M10 is just resolving is
18:26 more transparent and more honest to the
18:28 music. And the bass is also extremely
18:31 impressive for being tight controlled,
18:34 really quite punchy and fast. Bass is
18:37 really fantastic for being presented as
18:40 bass notes or bass samples in space
18:42 happening in front of you. These bass
18:44 notes forming in the sound stage in
18:47 front of you. Real control, real kind of
18:49 tortness, quite a bit of impact as well.
18:51 And it's really damn impressive. really
18:53 damn impressive to have that base
18:55 presence, but also the control and
18:58 resolution of it from this package, from
19:00 the price and from this size of package.
19:02 Really very impressive. And I think that
19:05 aspect to the M10 V2, that control, the
19:07 resolution, the way everything is
19:09 organized around the sound stage is its
19:11 big strength, its big sonic
19:13 characteristic, the thing that stands
19:15 out actually the most. But if I was to
19:16 be a little critical of this because
19:19 it's so clear, wellresolved, and maybe
19:21 technically very good, it's maybe just a
19:23 little bit dry, but again, that's real
19:25 nitpicking. But it's important to
19:27 nitpick because the price difference is
19:29 so big. But let's be honest about it.
19:30 You know, the M10 is a little bit dry
19:33 sounding, but still less dry sounding
19:35 than the ARM SA30. But it's not all
19:38 gravy with the M10 V2. I did find it to
19:40 sound a little reserved at lower volumes
19:43 with the Mission 770. I can hear it's
19:46 always favoring composure and control
19:47 over excitement. But when you get the
19:50 volume up, for me it was around 65 to
19:53 70, it's a different story. The M10 now
19:55 sounded much more exciting and alive.
19:57 And it's a fine line sometimes for
20:00 composure, but even at this volume, the
20:03 M10's composure stays intact with the
20:05 benefits of just having a larger sound
20:07 stage with it being bigger and more
20:09 expansive. But I do think that maybe
20:12 more power still would be a good thing.
20:14 And then it was time to engage Durac.
20:15 And I'll be honest, I could have quite
20:18 happily listened without it until after,
20:20 of course, because once I'd engaged DRA,
20:22 Derek had done what it it does and I
20:25 done what I do.
20:29 Then things really went up several
20:31 several notches because with DARC
20:33 enabled, the M10 was able to create an
20:36 amazing overall sound. richer, bolder,
20:38 more dynamic, more lively with even more
20:41 scale and perceived dynamics, coupled
20:43 with musical images or instruments that
20:46 now have a nicer, more rounded edge to
20:48 them. And the treble was now smooth. And
20:49 that sheen that I mentioned to the
20:52 treble was gone. And that dryness I
20:54 mentioned before was totally gone. Now I
20:57 feel like this was me truly hearing
21:00 truly hearing what the M10 V2 is capable
21:03 of. And wow, what a cracking, really,
21:05 really cracky sounding unit. Excellent
21:08 in every single area. And that control
21:10 and composure when it's mixed with a
21:13 more bold and rich sound really is an
21:15 enjoyable overall sound. And I think I
21:17 could have sat 100 different audio files
21:19 in this listening room, blind blind
21:21 listened or blind tested the system to
21:23 them and they would have swore blind I
21:25 was listening to a a much more expensive
21:27 system than than the missions obviously
21:29 with the M10 V2, which is about the
21:31 highest praise that I can give to it.
21:33 Obviously, it's not totally perfect, of
21:35 course, but wow, for the money, for the
21:37 size, it really can deliver the sonic goods.
21:50 [Music]
21:53 I think it's the perfect time to wrap up
21:55 this comparison review and answer the
21:58 three important main questions. The
22:01 first one being, is the M10 V2 worth
22:05 £600 more than the Archam SA30? And I
22:07 can very easily say yes, it is. Yes, it
22:09 is. I think the package, everything
22:11 that's rolled into it, what you get, how
22:13 it looks, how you interact with it, the
22:15 remote control, the app, and the sound
22:17 quality is definitely worth the £600
22:20 more than the RAM SA30, which actually
22:22 answers the second question. You know,
22:24 the NADM10
22:26 V2 is the better. It is the best
22:29 streaming durac future fire amplifier of
22:31 the two. But what about the third
22:33 question for best value? Does that mean
22:36 the the NAD automatically wins that as
22:38 well? Well, actually, no, not at all.
22:41 Actually, I value proposition wise, I
22:43 actually feel like the Arcam could offer
22:48 better value because £600 is still £600.
22:50 It's still like a quarter or so of the
22:54 price. And I think to fully appreciate
22:56 the sonic differences between these two,
22:59 I think an audio file would need to have
23:01 very good speakers set up very well in a
23:04 room with fairly good acoustics. And if
23:06 that's not the situation, I feel like,
23:07 you know, the sonic differences between
23:09 these two could get squashed or could
23:12 get kind of blurred a little bit whereby
23:14 there is still a difference there, but
23:16 maybe a difference that some audio files
23:18 would call diminishing returns as a
23:20 difference. So then the features of the
23:22 RCAM, the phono stage and the bits that
23:25 the RCAM offers while keeping £600 still
23:27 in your pocket could easily make it the
23:28 better value proposition here could
23:31 quite easily make it the better value.
23:34 But I've got to say, if it was my money
23:36 and I was looking to buy a streaming
23:38 direct future amplifier to pair with
23:40 emissions, then I would spend the extra
23:43 on the M10 V2. I really would, given my
23:45 situation, because of what my
23:48 preferences are, where my
23:50 it ticks the important boxes for me. But
23:53 I could fully see the RAM SA30 ticking
23:54 different important boxes for someone
23:57 else. Most notably being price. But I do
23:59 think from the two, yes, it's more
24:01 expensive, but I do think it is a cut
24:03 above the AR Cam in a lot of really
24:06 important key areas. So, that's where
24:07 I'm going to finish the review. I hope
24:10 you found it useful, interesting, and if
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24:23 watching all the way to the end, and
