Audiophilepure

https://www.soundandvision.com/content/arcam-a25-and-st5-stereo-system-review

When connected digitally, there is just a single volume control displayed on the A25; when using the analog connection from the ST5, each device has independent volume controls. As such, it was possible to overload the inputs to the A25 by maxing out the volume from the ST5 while the volume on the A25 was low. The slight distortion vanishes after balancing the gain between these units, and using the TOSLINK or digital coax connection completely eliminates it. I found no reason to use the analog connection, especially considering the ST5 uses a high-quality ESS ES9018K2M high-resolution DAC. This same DAC is used in the A25.

I prefer to stream Tidal, especially for sound quality evaluations. I queued up Norah Jones’ latest release, “Staring at the Wall”, a delightful collaboration with Leon Michels. The ST5 and A25 captured every nuance of this upbeat and insanely catchy song. Jones’s tripled vocals with lead and harmony were distinct, and even the slightly detuned piano was conveyed transparently. The overall mix has a raw, garage-studio quality, and all of the imperfections of the performance are captured.

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