For $3300, the Arcam SA30 provides excellent performance as a conventional integrated amplifier-DAC. It also includes Dirac Live room correction, streaming capabilities, and high-quality phono stage and headphone output. There isn’t another product I know of at this price point that does as much, or sounds as good while doing it. Of course, you could always spend more to get slightly better performance or more luxurious build quality, but the SA30 is probably the best value for a streaming integrated amplifier-DAC available today.

The thing is though, the SA30 is not a great amp because it’s an impressive technical endeavour. It’s a great amp because at its heart, it’s a great amp. Strip away the Dirac, the networking, even the digital inputs and, at the core is an amp that consistently satisfies. To this, Arcam has added cleverness that augments the basic qualities, rather than covering for a lack of them. It’s not perfect; there’s a few wobbles to the core software and, in a benign room for someone who already owns source equipment, the Nait XS3 is a smidge better but this is an amp that does a vast swathe of things and does them brilliantly. This is everything that an Arcam should be; a clear successor to the innovative, user friendly all rounders that so appealed in the early years of my interest in the world of Hi-Fi. This tremendous return to form is therefore, an easy Best Buy.

Forward-thinking in terms of features, yet maintaining Arcam’s traditional approach to design and build, the SA30 will please both brand loyalists and newcomers. Ostensibly a step up from the SA20, it’s so much more, adding streaming compatibility to purposeful Class G power and icing the cake with game-changing room correction. Not as smart-looking as some, but smart where it counts.

If you like voices – whether in the field of jazz, pop or chanson, even if you are a fan of operatic arias – the Arcam will make some knees weak, will make the listener melt away. And its power reserves ensure that it does not ever give up; even in combination with speakers that only have moderate efficiency and if you turn it to higher volumes. Indeed, it will still unflinchingly follow its path and consistently continue.

A superb combination of Arcam amplification and modern-day music streaming