July 12, 2017

The Arcam rPlay Music Streamer

July 12, 2017/ Swansea

With the current surge in popularity for streaming music (Sonos et al) we were pleased and intrigued when Arcam announced that they were bringing to market a dedicated music streamer.
After the success and positive feedback of the streamers in their AV amps and Arcam CDS27 CD player it appears to be a natural step for such a music first company.

The Arcam rPlay allows you to add network audio streaming services and internet radio to any system using DTS PlayFi, Apple Airplay or UPnP enabled music sources such as a Network Attached Storage (NAS).

As well as a co-axial (SP/DIF) digital audio output and a fixed line level analogue output, the rPlay also features a variable analogue output which uses the same volume control as their A49 flagship amplifier. This is really handy for connecting to a power amplifier or a pair of active loudspeakers; multi-room audio aficionados also should take note. The rPlay is very nicely built out of satin black aluminium and is a visual match for the other Arcam “small r” components.

At £399 it's fifty quid more than the unit it's going to be compared to - the Sonos Connect Zoneplayer.

So how does it sound? Very good indeed! It was an obvious improvement over the Sonos Connect. 'Solid' is the term du jour; the rPlay has way more body, depth and richness. Meaty and musical. Operationally it isn't quite as slick as the Sonos, but this is just a matter of getting used to the operating system (OS). The dramatic improvement in sound quality more than makes up for it, even using just 16bit (CD quality) files. The rPlay will play back 24bit (studio quality) files, lifting its performance again. By comparison the Sonos units top out at 16bit.

If you needed any more of a testimonial, both Nic and I have bought one. It's on demonstration in our music salon as we speak. Why not come in and have a listen?

Arcam Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T:
Brentwood, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Southampton,
Swansea, Swindon

April 11, 2017

Looking For An Easter Gift For The Music Lover In Your Life? Then Arcam rPlay Is An Eggcellent Choice

April 11, 2017/ Swindon

If you love music then you are literally spoilt for choice these days with a multitude of different formats, such as vinyl, CD and streaming, which allows you to listen to your music stored locally on a hard drive or from an Internet subscription service such as Tidal, Qobuz and Spotify.

Streaming has been around for a while now and provides a great deal of convenience in how you listen to your music. When streaming music, you can choose from music stored on a computer or network attached storage device (NAS) - a hard drive accessible on your home network) - the files held on your local network can either be downloads from the Internet such as iTunes or CD rips (copies of a CD held locally on the network hard drive) or an Internet music subscription streaming service such as Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer or Spotify.

Many people want more choice and like to listen and discover new music, or listen to music that hasn't been listened to for a while. This is what Arcam's rPlay music streamer does really well and is simple to set up and use.

Let's take a closer a look at it.

The rPlay can be set up wirelessly or directly connected to the router. Once connected download the DTS PlayFi App for iOS or android. There are fixed outputs for connecting to an integrated amplifier or variable outputs if you want to connect the rPlay to a power amplifier. There is also a digital output for connecting it to a DAC - digital to analogue converter - which can further improve sound quality.

This is a where the fun begins. You first select media server from the app and it searches for the network drives with your music on. Choose the drive and play music - it's that easy. You can then select Tidal HiFi from the app and start browsing through the vast catalogue of music and you can start discovering more music than you ever dreamed of. It sounds very nice indeed and it supports high resolution (Hi-Res) high quality music files up to 24bit/192kHz.

The Arcam rPlay also allows you to stream Spotify, Deezer, Internet radio and will connect to devices with Apple AirPlay.

Another DTS PlayFi feature is multi-room playback. Put another rPlay into another room and control it through the same app, you can even name the room so you know which one you want to control, which is nice. Please have a look at the image below.

We think this little box of tricks sounds very good indeed, it is very easy to set up and use and can be integrated into any 2-channel stereo or multi-channel home cinema system.

Please come and have a listen here in our shop in Swindon and we'll make you a nice cup of tea or coffee, while you listen to a few of your favourite tunes!

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Stefan and Andy

Arcam Hi-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T:
Brentwood, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Enfield, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Southampton,
Swansea, Swindon

February 26, 2017

Arcam rPlay Music Streamer Unboxing And Set Up

February 26, 2017/ Enfield

We have taken delivery of the DTS Play-fi driven Arcam rPlay music streamer and we're going to show you all the components and tell you how it works.

The rPlay comes in a neat box with general information on the back. Everything is securely packed inside> Inside you will find the rPlay streamer, PSU (with 4 interchangeable plugs), ethernet cable, Wi-Fi antenna, stereo Interconnect, digital coaxial cable and user manual.

The styling is slick and uncomplicated, with just 2 LEDs and 2 Buttons on show.

On the back you will find a power input, power switch, Wi-Fi antenna input, ethernet input, reset button, WPS button, USB + Micro USB upgrade ports, Digital Coax output, Stereo (variable volume) output and a Stereo (fixed volume) output.

We have decided to use Chord's Clearway Analogue Interconnects with Chord's C-Stream Ethernet cable to get it connected.

Setup was very easy, just download the DTS Play-Fi App, Plug in the Arcam rPlay with ethernet cable and the device was found. The app even prompted an update, which was completed with no issues. (we would recommend restarting by switching on and off after the update has completed).

After you have selected the Arcam rPlay as the speaker, you will see the below showing the available streaming services and functions.

Tidal is neatly included into the Play-Fi app without the need to exit into the dedicated Tidal app.

Spotify Connect enables you to use the Spotify app to control your music.

Below shows the Hi-Res button engaged, which is referred to as Critical Listening Mode to enable up to 24bit/192KHz file playback.

The Arcam rPlay music streamer offers a great step up in performance (including 24bit/192khz file support) over its closest rival the Sonos Connect, with excellent control via the DTS Play-Fi app.