ARCAM (RDAC WIRELESS)

PRICE: $775

★★★★★

For a while, Arcam had the “affordable-DAC-by-a-venerable-hi-fi-brand” sector all to itself with its 2010 rDAC. As this test shows, it’s now under pressure, but it’s a measure of just how right Arcam got the original that this wireless variant is still up there.

This sturdy little box features the most important connections: optical and coaxial digital and asynchronous USB inputs, plus stereo RCA output. Wireless connection requires an rWave or rWand streaming dongle. Build quality is impeccable.

Hard-wired preference

The wireless aspect will appeal, but there’s no denying the rDAC sounds its most effective when hard-wired to a source. We used a MacBook for the bulk of our listening and for every genre of music, at every file size, the Arcam proved an adaptable and likeable device.

A 24/192 file of REM’s Country Feedback reveals everything that’s admirable about the rDAC. It’s a punchy, dynamic listen, with an emphasis on excitement. That’s not to suggest it’s short on detail, but its real strengths concern scale, soundstaging and separation.

Listening to the other units, however, highlights the rDAC’s relative lack of low-frequency finesse. Extension is impressive, and there’s admirable tonal variation, but where the leading edge of bass notes is concerned the...