Arcam SA20 vs Arcam SA30 Detailed Comparison

Arcam SA20 vs Arcam SA30

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Arcam SA20

Integrated Amplifier | 90 watts RMS into 8-ohms

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Arcam SA30

Integrated Amplifier | 130 watts RMS into 8-ohms

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Arcam SA20

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Arcam SA30

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Arcam SA20

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Arcam SA30

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Arcam SA20 vs Arcam SA30 Integrated Amplifier Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of amplifiers by Arcam. Arcam SA20 is a Integrated Amplifier with built-in DAC speaker whereas the SA30 is a Streaming Integrated Amplifier speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Arcam SA20 and Arcam SA30 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Arcam SA20	Arcam SA30
Power	90 watts x 2 channels into 8 ohms and 150 watts x 2 channels into 4 ohms	130 watts x 2 channels into 8 ohms and 200 watts x 2 channels into 4 ohms
Amplifier class	Class G	Class G
Built-in DAC	Yes	Yes
Phono input	Yes	Yes
Headphone output	3.5mm	3.5mm
Bluetooth	No	No
Weight	9.18kg / 20.2lbs	12.00kg / 26.4lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	3-7/16" x 17-1/16" x 14-5/16" 88.0mm x 434.0mm x 364.0mm	3-15/16" x 17-1/16" x 14-13/16" 101.0mm x 434.0mm x 377.0mm

What size room are the Arcam SA20 and Arcam SA30 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 SA20	Arcam SA30
Near-field	Poor	Poor
Small Room	Average	Poor
Mid-size Room	Good	Good
Large Room	Average	Good
Very Large Room	Poor	Average

SA20 and SA30 are members of Arcam's SA series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

Arcam SA Series History

Model	Watts RMS (8-ohms)	Minimum Impedance	Built-in DAC
Arcam SA30	130 watts	4-ohms	Yes
Arcam SA20	90 watts	4-ohms	Yes
Arcam SA10	50 watts	4-ohms	Yes
Arcam SA35	120 watts	4-ohms	Yes
Arcam SA45	180 watts	4-ohms	Yes

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 SA20 over Arcam SA30

MSRP Price(*)	1,249USD vs 2,699USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)
Base Surface Area	1579.8cm²/ 244.9inch² vs 1636.2cm²/ 253.6inch²	takes less space in your room
Height	88mm vs 101mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces

Reasons to choose Arcam SA30 over Arcam SA20

Built-in Room Correction	Yes vs No	Adjusts audio output to compensate for acoustic anomalies in a listening space
Watts into 8-ohms	130 watts vs 90 watts	Delivers higher power into 8-ohms speakers
Watts into 4-ohms	200 watts vs 150 watts	Delivers higher power into 4-ohms speakers
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)	0.002% vs 0.5%	Less Harmonic Distortion
Signal to Noise Ratio	112 dB vs 106 dB	Higher ratings results in cleaner sound
Optical Digital Inputs	2 vs 1	More options for connecting Digital sources
USB Input	Yes vs No	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
Built-in Chromecast	Yes vs No	Compatible with Chromecast Streaming
Roon	Ready vs No	Roon Compatibility
Built-in Chromecast	Yes vs No	Compatible with Chromecast Streaming

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 SA20 and Arcam SA30 differs from each other.

Arcam SA20 Inputs

Total Number of Analog Inputs: 4
Phono Input
1 Optical Digital Input
2 Coaxial Digital Input

Arcam SA30 Inputs

Total Number of Analog Inputs: 4
Phono Input
2 Optical Digital Input
2 Coaxial Digital Input
USB Input:
HDMI eARC
Ethernet Port

Arcam SA20 Back View (Click the image for the larger version)

Outputs

Stereo RCA Preamp Outputs
3.5mm Headphone Output

Outputs

Stereo RCA Preamp Outputs
3.5mm Headphone Output

Arcam SA30 Back View (Click the image for the larger version)

What's in the Box of Arcam SA20?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of SA20:

Integrated Amplifier
6.5-feet AC power cord
Remote control
2 AAA batteries
Handbook Manual
Thank you Letter

What's in the Box of Arcam SA30?

Here are the items that come with the SA30:

Integrated Amplifier
6.5-feet AC power cord
Remote control
2 AAA batteries
2 WiFi antennas
Setup microphone
6.5-feet miniUSB-to-USB cable
Handbook Manual
Thank you Letter