Recently we pitted two contenders for "best all-in-one streaming amplifier" against each other...
We catalogued their respective inputs and features. Toyed with their mobile apps. Judged them harshly for looks (at the expense of their self-esteem). Hell, we even had a seasoned professional "bench press" each unit to see which one sounded better—cause everyone knows heavier products are better, right?
And of course, of course...we listened with careful ears and discussed the sound signature differences. That way we could point the right listener towards the better unit for their maximum enjoyment.
Those units, as revealed in the title above, are the Arcam SA45 and Hegel H400 streaming amplifiers...
And we documented everything in a new review video that's now up on our YouTube channel:
This is one of our longer attempts at a review that blends useful information, candid sound quality discussion, and a bit of tongue-in-cheek. (Cause why not have fun with it, right?) I think you'll find it entertaining and insightful!
In the video you'll discover...
- The key differences in sound signature between the SA45 and H400
- Why more power isn't always everything
- Whether our resident transport man Sam can operate these units blindfolded
- And more...
Enjoy!
...
Now, for those who prefer to read the review…
If you’re in the market for a high-performance amplifier, but you also like to keep things compact and convenient where possible…the Arcam SA45 and Hegel H400 streaming amps should be near the top of your list.
This category combines the network streamer, DAC and integrated amplifier into one unit. Given that electronics generate heat and EMFs (which cause signal distortion in nearby components), combining them into one unit isn’t “classically” the best approach. That’s why separates are so loved.
Still, the combined streaming amplifier principle is a step away from a the “all in one” wireless speaker system, where everything is housed inside the speakers. The theory there being, the engineers got a brief stating “it all has to fit into the speakers,” and then built the product with that significant constraint. They didn’t have the same liberty to control the acoustic properties of the speakers. And in addition to the heat and EMF problem…speakers generate mechanical vibrations, which also cause signal distortion in the electronics.
That’s a worry as old as rock and roll itself. So on that note…
Taking that step from “wireless speaker” to “streaming amplifier”—separating the components just a little more—takes you pretty damn far in terms of performance.
Enter the latest top-of-the-line streaming amplifiers from Arcam and Hegel. Both can be controlled with the convenient “second brain,” AKA the smartphone. Both save space and certainly save our homes from having a rat’s nest of cabling. Both pull digital info from the internet and string it together into beautiful music. And both deliver a solid amount of power…
…though they do have their difference on paper. The SA45 sports a promising 180W into 8Ω, which is nice. But the H400 offers 250W into 8…and that’s nothing to sneeze at.
That’s why David and I kicked off the listening tests with the H400.
Hegel was founded by the leader of a Norwegian rock band of the same name...and it maintains the kind of power you’d expect from such an act. But unlike a rock show, in the amplifier world, power is less about energy bursting from the stage... and more about energy exerting grace and control. It takes power to keep an audio signal in line.
As proper A/B split tests go, only one variable should change: the unit you’re auditioning. This is easy enough with streaming amplifiers. For the rest of the system we used the KEF R3 Meta speakers on stands, and hooked everything up with some Nordost cables we had handy. We also used ethernet for both units, in part, because the Hegel doesn’t have Wi-Fi on board. (It’s still a network streamer, it just has to be wired into the network.) Finally, we used a iPhone app decibel meter to keep the volume levels as close to matched as possible.
In my opinion, the best approach is to listen to at least 60–90 seconds of a track (usually through to a certain point in the song, say, after the first chorus). This gives you enough time to soak in what you’re hearing, while not giving you so much that you can’t remember what you heard.
The first track we listening to was Ratchets, by Hedegaard. It’s been making the rounds at the showroom because it’s great for showing bass extension and control.
Starting with the H400, that really came to light. Bass synths reached way down and stayed in full control…while different sounds (like fingers snapping) were immaculately separated and well placed around the room. There was also a post-production echo effect that gave the song an artificial “hall” feel despite how controlled everything seemed to be. David found the track gave him “dark, smoky club vibes,” which is to say the system seemed to let the track do what it was meant to do.
Switching to the SA45, right away the track took on more of a room-filling quality. For me, things sounded a bit softer and more laid back. The echo effect seemed more pronounced—perhaps inflated. Not a bad sound by any means—the fidelity was still striking—but not as exciting and forward a sound as Ratchets seems to ask for.
David differed here, finding that somewhere in the percussion range the sound was more reactive and noticeable. He could feel the rhythm more, especially with a line of sixteenths leading into the drops. Switching back to the H400, he no longer got the same “club feel.” The SA45 made him want to keep pace…and the H400 made him want to dance out of rhythm.
One track never tells the full story…so we lined up something more relaxed and acoustic.
Just A Little Lovin’ by Shelby Lynne is a tidy, natural recording with clean vocals and percussion, on top of a rich bass guitar track. It’s more of a tune that, when played through a good system, feels like a personal live performance in your lounge room.
For me this one showed how power isn’t always everything. Dr. Bose (long before his company went full “lifestyle”) famously claimed that hi-fi should replicate the atmosphere of a live performance—and not of a stuffy, clinical recording studio. That kind of captures the distinction I felt here.
The H400 had incredible fidelity and showed everything the recording had to offer. I always enjoy this for how fascinating it is to hear excellent sound reproduction; though switching to the S45, things felt more natural. It felt more like I was present in an actual jazz club rather than a studio. More fluid, more ambient. It was a balance of fidelity and atmosphere, and it made for a really nice listen. David more or less echoed my sentiment on this one.
To explore this difference further—where the Hegel seemed to do “aggressive and forward” better, the Arcam “natural and ambient”—I selected something with more balance between post-production and acoustic recording.
Tonight, by David Bowie, is the title track off of my favorite album of his. It feels like an intersection of rock and pop, with other styles blended in—in this case, Tonight has a reggae undertone.
David started the conversation on this one, pointing out that during this era and “movement” of recording, artists like Bowie and Talking Heads and Fleetwood Mac produced music that was more abrasive. He referred to the drums being mic’d too close to the skins, and felt the Arcam really showed this in a way that literally made him wince. (Though he noted that, if you were listening to an actual percussive group in an indoor space, you’d wince too—suggesting that the Arcam’s performance here could be an artifact of fidelity after all.) He found the Hegel smoothed this out, making the track easier to listen to while still showing the dynamics and tone of the drums.
My take was similar but less sophisticated: I found the Arcam softened and spread the song around the room, perhaps making it ideal for listening during a party, or having in the background while attending to something else. Yet at the same time, the vocal and percussion range stood out and, at the loud volume we were using, I wondered if that would be fatiguing. Contrasted to the Hegel I found everything sounded a bit tighter, and more centred in the room. I really liked how it showed the detail of the steel drums. Yet somehow, the forwardness of the vocal and percussion range was less fatiguing.
On balance it might seem like the Arcam was in fact the underdog…unless you’re focused on jazz or purely acoustic recordings. But I think there’s a flavor profile to consider here. I mean, the Hegel brought a lot of fun to each song…but that could be exhausting for some. The Arcam was sweeter and smoother in most regards, with that forward vocal and percussion range creating a sense of presence and rhythm. That begs a question about listening volume—perhaps a lower-level demo sesh would’ve coaxed a different set of opinions out of us.
There’s also a question of whether the KEF R3 Meta had synergy with one or the other amplifier. This is an important point to consider, actually.
Judging two amplifiers with a “listen and give opinion” session relies on the speakers to “read” the amplifier’s output to you. So the sound signature of the speakers is a controlled variable in this case. But from the perspective of someone who’s looking at getting one of these streaming amps, the speakers colour the sound you hear.
That’s why, when looking for a new amplifier, it’s best to demo 2–3 options through your existing speakers. And if you’re starting from scratch, focus on finding a pair of speakers you like first (by demo’ing through the same amplifier). It’s important not to get too worked up or confused by this synergy issue. Chances are you don’t buy a pair of speakers you don’t really like today because you plan on making them sound better with a different amp later. No, you’d rather focus on one component at a time and pick one that sounds good to you now.
If fidelity is about reproducing music as accurately as possible, shouldn’t one of these streaming amps be the better sounding option?
That’s often true, but the reality is that even the human experience of live music is subject to interpretation.
For instance, imagine two artists painting the same sunset view. Would both of their paintings be exactly the same? No chance. Because the view is infinitely complex to the human eye. So they’ll each attend more or less to different parts of that view.
One might be inspired more by the colours of the sky. The other might get lost in a line of trees reflected in a lake. Whatever it is that accounts for that difference...the same phenomenon exists for the team of artisans and engineers who test and create hi-fi products.
Yes, there’s a sliding scale of better or worse in terms of overall fidelity. But there’s also subjective differences, sound signatures, flavour profiles. With these two streaming amplifiers we’re really seeing the difference play out in that subjective space; both do what they do quite well.
Looks-wise, there’s a pretty big difference…
If you like the “all in one radio” look, that’s what Arcam has kind of done here. There’s a big, colorful screen across the front. You get cover art, which is nice. The unit is less wide compared to standard hi-fi boxes. Nice big knobs.
Contrast that to the classic hi-fi footprint of the Hegel. But with a clean, minimalist look. They designed the screen to show only what you need to know—volume, input, and that’s about it. Spot on, knowing that you’d use your mobile to control it.
Input-wise we’re cutting it close again, with a few noteworthy exceptions.
The Arcam unit has a phono stage built in, compatible with both moving magnet and moving coil cartridges. So if you’ve had enough of the cold, clinical world of digital music, and want to caress your media before you press play...then the Arcam grants your wish. Plug in any worthwhile turntable, and off you go.
The Arcam has an HDMI input as well, so you can listen to whatever is playing on your TV or projector through your hi-fi system. That’s good news if you like movies, because a quality stereo pair blows a soundbar out of the water every time.
The Hegel doesn’t have a phono stage or HDMI input…but it does have a USB-B input. Which is standard for streaming audio directly from a computer or laptop.
The Hegel also features a BNC connector for the coax fans. In some circles, coaxial is preferred for a digital audio signal because optical requires the signal to be translated from electricity into light, and back. Coax is all electric, all the time, baby. And with BNC, there’s a nice, secure locking mechanism, that just feels nice. They also have more stringent manufacturing standards to ensure ideal impedance.
One important thing (which I noted above) is while the SA45 has Wi-Fi built in, the H400 does not. It has network streaming built-in, but requires an ethernet connection. (Purists prefer ethernet anyway, as the data signal doesn’t have to pass through a wireless send-receive process, and you never have to deal with Wi-Fi dropouts.)
All up, Arcam and Hegel have done an incredible job on these products…
…and hopefully now you have a good idea on how they differ, and why you might choose one over the other.
See you next time!
