The Arcam A19 is the smaller integrated amplifier model of the highly regarded FMJ series. It may not have the muscles of its bigger brothers but it has garnered plenty of accolades over the years and is still well-received even to this day. An award-winning integrated amp such as the Arcam A19 definitely deserves matching with equally remarkable speakers but the question is which speakers are the right ones.
To find compatible and matching speakers, we must first have a better look at the Arcam A19 amp. We will need to learn more about the FMJ A19’s sonic characteristics as well as its strengths including the weaknesses if there’re any. Once we have all these details, we will then be able to share with you a list of the best speakers to match with the Arcam A19 later on. Let’s start by finding out more about this talented Arcam A19 amplifier.
Table of Contents
Sonic Characteristics and Important Specifications of Arcam A19
If you are planning to get an integrated amplifier that has a high-quality moving magnet phono stage then the Arcam A19 will be one of the top choices to look out for. This ultra-low noise MM phono stage of the A19 will provide exceptional sonic performance and breathe new life into your vinyl. There is also a premium headphone section that will drive high-quality sound through your headphones where you can enjoy an immersive private music listening experience. We love how much care the Arcam A19 has focused on these two audio components so as to provide its users with the highest possible sound quality at this price range.
The rated power output is at 50 Watts into 8 Ohms with both channels driven and goes up to 90 Watts into 4 Ohms with a single channel driven. The frequency response will be at 20Hz-20kHz which is standard. With these specs, we can safely say that the A19 can drive most bookshelf speakers except for those which are notoriously power demanding. It should be able to drive some floor-standing speakers but we would only go for the ones that are easy to drive. You can use the Preout and connect to a matching power amp to drive speakers which demand more power than the Arcam A19 can spare. The speaker prices will be one of the main factors in choosing the speakers as we will go for the ones that are closely priced to the Arcam A19.
More Details at Amazon – Arcam FMJ A19
We did not expect how big the Arcam A19 can sound and how powerful the bass performance will be. The low frequencies are delivered with weight and prominence without being loose. The tight delivery of the bass is accompanied by agility where it is well-controlled. This also contributes to the musical presence which is room-filling and permeated with rich music details. The soundstage is open and spacious, the scale of it definitely exceeded our expectations. It is quite an incredible feat for an amplifier with such modest power outputs.
The overall sound reproduction is clean and expansive, accurately presenting the music without the urge of trying to overly-impress you, but sometimes, the Arcam A19 may sound a bit too safe and a little eagerness will be nice though. The music delivery is well-balanced and the presentation may sound a bit polite which does affect the impact of the crescendos. Is like the Arcam A19 is not really releasing enough emotions into the music. Still, overall the vocals and instruments all sounded natural. When driving the A19 at high volumes, you will notice how polished the background is and the amp does not have a hint of harshness.
The Arcam A19 is quite a neutral sounding system and a tad polite but if we match the amp with lively or energetic sounding speakers, this might help improve and deliver a more exciting musical performance. All in all, you can easily listen to the Arcam A19 for hours without feeling listener fatigue as the overall sound quality is smooth, clean, and pleasant, not to mention, the bass performance is superb. We have the necessary information that we need to find and start listing the best speakers which you can go for and match with this musical-sounding Arcam A19 amplifier.
Arcam A19 Specifications
- Power Outputs: 50 Watts into 8 Ohms with both channels driven, 90 Watts into 4 Ohms with a single channel driven
- Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
- Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.5%
- Inputs: 1 MM Phono input, 6 Line Level inputs
- Outputs: Preout, 1 Record, Headphone output
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 433mm x 275mm x 85mm (17″ x 11″ x 3.3″)
- Weight: 8.5kg (18.7lbs)
Best Speakers to pair with Arcam A19
The KEF LS50 is most certainly one of the best speakers to pair with your Arcam A19. These award-winning monitors are able to provide a more energetic sonic performance with a tad better pacing, giving you a livelier music presentation. The bass performance of the LS50 is also impressive, it is able to deliver powerful and deep low frequency. The agility of the KEF LS50 allows the stand-mounter to confidently articulate the highs and mids with plenty of details to boot. This is probably the most matching speaker for the Arcam A19 and you should audition them the moment you have the chance.
More Details at Amazon – KEF LS50 Mini Monitor
The Dali Oberon 1 is another amazing pair of bookshelf speakers that provide you with an energetic musical performance and will be a suitable match for your Arcam A19 amplifier. The midrange reproduction of the Oberon 1 speaker is expressive and superb, the vocals are filled with emotion, easily hooking you into the music. The overall music presentation is lively and has plenty of snappy attacks that will keep your toes tapping throughout the song. The Arcam A19 bass performance does help to boost the bass performance of these compact bookshelf speakers by a little but low frequencies reproduction are not the Dali Oberon 1’s main strength though.
More Details at Amazon – Dali Oberon 1 Bookshelf Speakers
Wharfedale Diamond 225 has a strong delivery when it comes to bass performance, the low ends are tight and are delivered with weight which is really impressive for a bookshelf speaker. The musicality of these bookshelf speakers makes them a suitable match with your Arcam A19 and will perform really well when playing vinyl. The silky smooth music delivery with a touch of warmth is easy on the ears, allowing you to relax and just simply enjoy your favorite tunes. For an entry-level speaker, the amount of details that the Wharfedale Diamond 225 is able to dig out is astonishing but the subtle details do lack clarity when the music passage gets more sophisticated and busy.
More Info at Amazon – Wharfedale Diamond 225 Bookshelf Speakers
For musical-sounding speakers at a modest price, the Q Acoustics Concept 20 will be an excellent choice as it is very well received by both audiophiles and critics. The sonic characteristics of the Concept 20 speakers are well-match with the Arcam A19 integrated amplifier, providing a smooth and refined sound quality. The clarity and detailed sound reproduction are really incredible for a pair of bookshelf speakers at their given price range. You are getting a lot of performance and value from the Q Acoustics Concept 20 but if we were to nitpick, will be the pricing of their dedicated stands and you really can’t do without them.
More Info at Amazon – Q Acoustics Concept 20
Arcam A19 matches well with KEF speakers as some of the HiFi shows you can see them partnering up. If you find the KEF LS50 a little expensive, the KEF Q350 will be an amazing alternative. They have a high level of insights and can reveal plenty of details, along with accurate timing, the KEF Q350 can deliver a rich music listening experience. The overall sonic performance may not be on par with the KEF LS50 but the Q350 has a sweeter-sounding treble and doesn’t go overly bright. We will recommend having an audition with the KEF Q350 and if possible do a side-by-side comparison with the KEF LS50.
More Info at Amazon – KEF Q350 Bookshelf Speakers
Other speaker brands that you might be interested in will be Tannoy, Dynaudio, and Monitor Audio which can provide you with a more forward-sounding music presentation, providing that energetic performance with more emotional engagement when match with Arcam A19. For floor-standing speakers, we will suggest checking out Klipsch such as their RP-6000F which is a pair of highly efficient speakers that can be driven by the A19 amp. The bright and lively performance of the Klipsch RP-6000F will bring a more dynamic music delivery but the excitable treble might be too much for some listeners so we suggest listening to them first before deciding.
More Info at Amazon – Klipsch RP-6000F
To Conclude
The speakers which we have mentioned here are some of the best on the market and certainly worth your time to check them out. Shortlist a few of them and make an effort to hear them out by arranging auditions either at the dealers’ demo room or better yet at your own listening room. Most of the time, doing a side-by-side comparison of the speakers will provide you with a more immediate answer on which speaker is better sounding. You should also do a few rounds of auditions before making your final decision.
