British audio brand Arcam has launched its first audio steamer. Arcam enters a crowded market and the new ST60 is packed with features, performance and the latest technology. The user has analogue output in cinch and XLR at his disposal and also digital output for connection to a DA converter. The ST60 also has digital inputs and can therefore in turn also serve as a DA converter for another streamer or drive. The new ST-60 will be on the market in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Arcam ST60: hi-res audio streamer
UK-based Arcam recently unveiled its first dedicated hi-res audio streamer. The ST60 is the UK brand’s first dedicated network player. As such, it seems the Cambridge-based hi-fi manufacturer is taking no chances when it comes to compatibility and performance. It has to be because the market for audio streamers is full and consumers have a lot of choice.
Under the hood of the ST60 you will find the ESS9038K2M 32-bit / 192 kHz stereo DAC from the ESS SABER line. This highly regarded chip allows the Arcam ST60 to unpack MQA and support AIFF, ALAC, FLAC and WAV along with compressed legacy formats. In addition, Arcam’s streaming premiere is Roon Ready and works as a Roon Endpoint, meaning users can control their Tidal, Qobuz and NAS audio library through Roon’s interface (mind you, Roon isn’t free).
No lack of connections. Digital input includes USB 2.0, two bit coax (up to 32-bit / 192 kHz) and two optical (up to 32-bit / 96 kHz) ports, and both wired and wireless Ethernet variants. In addition, the ST60 features balanced XLR and single-ended RCA analog outputs, as well as coaxial and optical digital outputs.
The ST60 from Arcam opens up a world of possibilities for audio streaming and naturally supports the common streaming services, including Deezer, Napster, Qobuz, Spotify and Tidal. In addition, the ST60 also plays with AirPlay 2 and Google Cast and processes UPnP sources on the network, such as a music on a laptop or NAS.
Of course there is an app and Arcam’s MusicLife app gives you control over the music stored on supported devices and network drives and is free to download from the App Store and Google Play Store.
Nick Clarke, Senior Director, Global Engineering Luxury Audio, explains, “Arcam’s experience with digital audio is deep. We’ve been making CD players for nearly thirty years, and during the ST60 design journey, the team applied this extensive experience to create a truly high-quality digital music source. Of course, Arcam is also rightly recognized for its excellent amplification, and the ST60 is the perfect partner for our amps, old and new. ”
Finally, the ST60 also delivers full IP and RS232 control, including Control4 and Crestron, making it easy to integrate the ST60 into a larger system. Don’t want to control the ST60 from your device with AirPlay, Chromecast or Arcam’s MusicLife app? Then take the supplied IR remote control.
Arcam ST60: price and delivery information
The new ST-60 is reported to be on the market in the fourth quarter of 2020. We have not yet heard any official price information for the Benelux, but – purely as an indication – we saw a price of just under 1,400 euros on a German-language website.
