Arcam DAB Tuner at Hi-Fi Corner

This product has now been deleted. Info below for reference only.

Not all Digital Tuners sound the same, the Arcam is one of the finest in the market. Below is information from Arcam on their tuner.

The experience of a digital broadcast of a live symphony orchestra concert is astonishing. The sound quality can transport you to the event without having to leave the comfort of your favourite armchair - truly the best seat in the house.

The technology behind Digital Radio has been developed by a consortium of European broadcasters and started life as the Eureka 147 Project back in 1987. Their specification was approved as a world standard in 1995. Arcam have kept an interested eye on developments and early in 1998 we decided to develop the Arcam Alpha 10 Digital Radio, based on a sophisticated receiver module developed by another UK company, Roke Manor Research. This makes the Alpha 10 tuner the first of a new generation of digital radios which will revolutionise radio in the 21st century. In Autumn 1999, just a year after it was launched, the Alpha 10 DRT was awarded Millennium Product status by the Design Council and a prestigious What Hi-Fi? Best Buy in their 1999 awards.

We believe that this technology will transform the way we listen to radio. Anyone with a keen interest in music, sport or current affairs will be delighted to see and hear the new services available now and in the near future from state run and private broadcast companies. For the audiophile one major advantage of this technique is its immunity from interference and fading caused by changes in atmospheric conditions or multipath reception from nearby buildings. With Digital Radio, the listener can concentrate on the performance, knowing the sound quality will never vary.

After the decoding of the digital radio multiplex signal, which typically carries eight different programmes simultaneously, the digital to analogue conversion in the Alpha 10 Tuner is carried out by a Crystal Semiconductor DAC feeding high quality analogue output stages.

The tuner incorporates a sophisticated power supply system which incorporates a power transformer with separate windings for analogue and digital circuits. No less than eight separately regulated power supplies are utilised to minimise interaction between the different parts of the tuner.

Two pairs of fixed level, gold plated analogue outputs are provided, which makes it useful in a multi room setup, plus an audio input for an external FM tuner. A 'bypass' switch allows this to be routed through the Alpha 10 Tuner when required.

A high quality headphones amplifier is fitted, complete with front panel volume control. Coaxial and optical (Toslink) 48 kHz SPDIF outputs are provided for use with an external DAC or digital recorder. A Toslink Radio Interface (RDI) allows for further expansion.

A large rotary selector knob, plus preset buttons for favourite stations and an easy to read display, make the Alpha 10 tuner very easy to use. In addition, the tuner has a set-up mode which can display technical parameters associated with each multiplex. These modes include transmitter ID, data rates and signal strength. The latter is useful in areas of weak signal strength in determining the optimum aerial alignment. The introduction of digital gives a new dimension to the listening experience. Radio has always been an intimate medium and an important part of many people's lives. It is far less intrusive than television and far more captivating. Listening to a radio play becomes a compelling and dramatic experience, the last night of the proms will leave you both shaken and stirred, whilst live opera will quite possibly leave you in floods of tears. Prepare to be moved and experience radio for the 21st century - today.

"...the vote must go to Digital. I am buying the Arcam." Gramophone, July 1999

"If you're a radio fan, then, the Alpha 10 makes huge amounts of sense..." T3, June 1999

"For most users, the Arcam will give better sound than even a very good FM tuner can manage..." What Hi-Fi? July 1999

"...for music, digital is the radio of one's dreams." Sunday Telegraph, May 2 1999