The A38 is a vital part of the Arcam FMJ range which, in our opinion and from an ergonomic point of view, is still the tops when it comes to hi-fi choice!

The informative display, traditionally straight-forward control of basic functions and general layout are excellent. If we wanted to be really fussy, we'd request slightly bigger text on the buttons in recognition of the more myopic user.

But, it's what's under the hood that really interests us. Just to recap, an integrated amplifier is basically a power amp and a preamp in a single case (the preamp may, of course, be little more than a selector switch and volume control). The power section in the A38 is quite similar to that of the A32, while the pre is derived from Arcam's C31 standalone preamp.

Extra features

As reviewed, the preamp section is line-only, though a phono stage is available as a welcome factory-fitted option.

Conceptually, the preamp section is little more than a selector and volume control, though it does have some gain and offers a few extra features. It doesn't have the tone controls of the old A32, but it does preserve balance control and input level trims.

These are built in at no extra cost in terms of sound quality, since the volume control is an electronic attenuator and, thanks to the microprocessor that controls everything, balance and trim are achieved simply by adjusting the settings.

This is the kind of thing where electronic control adds undoubted benefits - three mechanical controls (input trim, volume, balance) in series is no-one's recipe for reliable high-quality sound!

Build oddities

We were intrigued to find a little piece of what looks like ferrite glued on to the volume control chip. Damping material on chips is common enough, but we haven't seen this one before; presumably it provides some degree of magnetic screening, while the resilient glue that's been used will also contribute to mechanical damping.

There's more conventional squishy plastic stuck to the input selector relays which handle main source switching (the issue of which switching device to use - mechanical, relay or electronic - is one of the many vexed questions facing designers).

But good-quality sealed reed relays, like those used here, are probably near ideal for their combination of good sound, high overload level, reliability and near-silent operation.

Inside Arcam's amp

Before the signal even gets to those relays it's buffered by separate op-amps for each input, making the amp particularly easy for source components to drive - although not many these days are short of output 'oomph'.

Then, having been selected and boosted (attenuated) to the right level, it leaves the preamp board on short jumper wires that connect to the physically separate power amp section.

A rear-panel switch selects integrated or power-amp mode (allowing for future upgrades with a separate preamp) and passes the signal to a discrete-transistor circuit that ends up with a pair per channel of Sanken output transistors, carefully configured to minimise thermal modulation effects.

There's been a lot of discussion about thermal effects in amplifiers. On the whole, however, most amps are not affected by temperature change, but there are some whose performance varies quite noticeably as the output transistors heat up. This is inevitable, even when bolted to a substantial heatsink like the one in the A38.

Sure enough, performance here seems to be consistent, whether it's just started playing music or well warmed-up by several minutes of loud rock'n'roll.

Careful construction

Throughout the A38, Arcam's construction and component selection steers a careful course between fussy and cost-effective.

Most components are surface-mounted and the circuit boards are quite complex multi-layer affairs, but connectors, for instance, are nothing fancy and there are no 'brand name' passive components. Despite that, the capacitors and, perhaps, the most important component in any amplifier - the mains transformer - is of a good quality.

Volume control steps can be set to 2dB, 1dB or 0.5dB, to suit your own tastes in precision versus convenience. Arcam also supplies the A38 with a new remote control (the CR90), which is a universal device capable of controlling practically everything - always assuming you can be bothered to follow the necessary steps to set it up. After all, anything that can reduce the proliferation of remotes in the average household is welcome!

Energetic sound

One of the most common questions put to the us is: "how does my old high-end gear compare to mid-price up-to-date equipment"?

It's not always straightforward to answer with audio technology's moderate progression, so it was, therefore, fascinating to be able to compare this amp with a well-regarded pre/power combination from the late 1980s that was on hand around after a recent service. Said combo cost considerably more than £1,200 in its day, never mind inflation.