Arcam A15 vs Bluesound POWERNODE Detailed Comparison

Arcam A15 vs Bluesound POWERNODE

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Arcam A15

Integrated Amplifier | 80 watts RMS into 8-ohms

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Bluesound POWERNODE

Integrated Amplifier | 80 watts RMS into 8-ohms

Check price atAmazon›

Arcam A15

Check price atAmazon›

Bluesound POWERNODE

Check price atAmazon›

Arcam A15

See at AMAZON

Bluesound POWERNODE

See at AMAZON

Arcam A15 vs Bluesound POWERNODE Integrated Amplifier Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of amplifiers. Arcam A15 is a Integrated Amplifier with built-in DAC speaker whereas the POWERNODE is a Streaming Integrated Amplifier speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Arcam A15 and Bluesound POWERNODE first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Arcam A15	Bluesound POWERNODE
Power	80 watts x 2 channels into 8 ohms and 120 watts x 2 channels into 4 ohms	80 watts x 2 channels into 8 ohms
Amplifier class	Class A/B	Class D
Built-in DAC	Yes	Yes
Phono input	Yes	No
Headphone output	3.5mm	3.5mm
Bluetooth	Yes	Yes
App control	—	Yes
Weight	10.02kg / 22lbs	1.72kg / 3.8lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	3-3/4" x 17-1/16" x 14-5/16" 96.0mm x 434.0mm x 364.0mm	2.75" x 8.6875" x 7.5" 69.9mm x 220.7mm x 190.5mm

What size room are the Arcam A15 and Bluesound POWERNODE Amplifiers good for?

The size of the room in which you are planning to use these amplifiers is an important decision factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their max power parameters:

Listening Environment	Arcam A15	Bluesound POWERNODE
Near-field	Poor	Poor
Small Room	Average	Average
Mid-size Room	Good	Good
Large Room	Average	Average
Very Large Room	Poor	Poor

The sections below take each area in turn: power output, inputs and outputs, features and physical size.

**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Arcam A15 over Bluesound POWERNODE

Handheld Remote	Yes vs No	Control the amplifier by the included RC
Signal to Noise Ratio	106 dB vs 100 dB	Higher ratings results in cleaner sound
Bluetooth Version	v5.2 vs v5.0	Higher transfer rate and range
Total Analog Inputs	3 vs 2	More options for connecting Analog sources
PhonoInput	Yes vs No	Connect a turntable directly to your amp
Coaxial Digital Inputs	2 vs No	More options for connecting Digital sources

Reasons to choose Bluesound POWERNODE over Arcam A15

MSRP Price(*)	949USD vs 999USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)
App-Based Control	Yes vs None	Control the amplifier via an app
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)	0.008% vs 0.5%	Less Harmonic Distortion
Optical Digital Inputs	2 vs 1	More options for connecting Digital sources
Coaxial Digital Inputs	No vs 2	More options for connecting Digital sources
USB Input	Yes vs Service only	Connect Sources via USB
Apple AirPlay	Yes vs No	Compatible with Apple Devices with AirPlay
Apple AirPlay 2	Yes vs No	Compatible with Apple Devices with AirPlay 2
Roon	Ready vs No	Roon Compatibility
BluOS	Yes vs No	Compatible with BluOS Wireless Ecosystem
Max Bit Depth	32-bit vs 24-bit	Play higher resolution range media
Max Sample Rate	384kHz vs 192kHz	Play higher resolution media
Base Surface Area	418.0cm²/ 64.8inch² vs 1579.8cm²/ 244.9inch²	takes less space in your room
Height	69mm vs 96mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces

Inputs and Outputs

The input and output selections that are offered is an important factor when comparing two amplifiers. Here you can find how the I/O selections of the Arcam A15 and Bluesound POWERNODE differs from each other.

Arcam A15 Inputs

Total Number of Analog Inputs: 3
Phono Input
1 Optical Digital Input
2 Coaxial Digital Input

Bluesound POWERNODE Inputs

Total Number of Analog Inputs: 2
2 Optical Digital Input
USB Input:
- USB-A(playing files from a thumb drive or external hard drive)
Ethernet Port

Arcam A15 Back View (Click the image for the larger version)

Outputs

Stereo RCA Preamp Outputs
3.5mm Headphone Output

Outputs

Mono-RCA(Sub) Preamp Outputs
3.5mm Headphone Output
Subwoofer Output

Bluesound POWERNODE Back View (Click the image for the larger version)

What's in the Box of Arcam A15?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of A15:

Integrated amplifier
68-inch AC power cord
Remote control
2 -inchAAA-inch batteries
Quick Start Guide
Important Safety Instructions

What's in the Box of Bluesound POWERNODE?

Here are the items that come with the POWERNODE:

Wireless music streaming amplifier
6-feet AC power cord
58-inch Ethernet cable
2 Optical-to-3.5mm adapters
Quick Setup Guide
Warranty Information
License Agreement