While mixing and matching electronics brands often brings the best results sonically, I think there is something neat and tidy (blame my OCD) about looking at a kit rack where everything matches up.
Indeed, when I joined What Hi-Fi? more than two decades ago, one of the annual highlights was a one-make systems test where we paired a brand’s electronics together and then asked the manufacturer in question for a speaker recommendation to go with them.
I have a slightly different slant with this article, but the general concept remains. Here is a one-make system recommendation which features Arcam electronics as its main building blocks. We have reviewed each product individually and also know exactly how they perform together, so we can guarantee that they complement each other beautifully.
The only difference here is that the speakers aren’t a recommendation from Arcam, they are more the result of our in-house testing. But we are confident the Q Acoustics 5040 are the perfect match for the five-star Arcam pairing of the CD5 CD player and A5 stereo amplifier. All the products mentioned here are also 2024 What Hi-Fi? Award winners and benchmarks at their respective price points.
It gets even better. Each one of these products has received a discount for Black Friday and, as we enter the final few hours of Cyber Monday, I am pleased to report that these prices are still holding firm.
Arcam CD5: was £749 £639 (save £110)
Arcam A5: was £699 £629 (save £70)
Q Acoustics 5040: was £999 £879 (save £120)
Total system price: was £2447 £2147 (save £300)
Arcam CD5
The first building block of this brilliant system is Arcam’s exceptional CD5 CD player. That’s right, dust off your CD collection and get those discs spinning through this superb machine. It looks the part thanks to its sleek and minimalist design and feels well built too. The all-black aluminium body and subtle yellow accents give it a modern yet understated look.
And as for the sound? In our Arcam CD5 review, we describe this player as “tremendously entertaining”, saying it “flows with an assured fluidity and composure that has us hooked”. If we want to have this system sounding good from the off, then the Arcam is a fantastic (and obvious) place to start.
Arcam A5
Not only does this amp match up with the CD5’s aesthetics, but its insightful character makes it the perfect glue to hold this system together. In our Arcam A5 review we wax lyrical about its abilities, describing it as a “superbly rounded performer”. We note that “larger-scale dynamic swings are rendered with conviction and there is a good dose of scale on show too.” During testing, we thought the Arcam actually delivers the kind of performance that we would expect from a much more expensive amplifier which gives you an idea of its breadth of abilities.
The Arcam A5 offers three line-level inputs, plus a moving-magnet phono stage for your record player. On the digital front you get a pair of coaxial inputs and a single optical input, all capable of accepting music streams of up to 24-bit/192kHz thanks to an ESS ES9018 DAC chip. Bluetooth 5.2 with aptX Adaptive is also part of this attractive package.
Q Acoustics 5040
While testing the Arcam we also noted that despite its relatively modest claimed power output of 50W per channel, it should haven’t any problems driving a wide range of speakers, including these five-star floorstanders. Their even-handed delivery will allow your music to shine through, with their expressive and insightful sound the perfect match for the Arcam pairing.
In our Q Acoustics 5040 review it’s fair to say we were impressed, saying “low-frequency notes come and go with little overhang yet lack nothing when it comes to punch and authority. We like the way these towers always sound composed and controlled, and that sense of organisation doesn’t falter when the music becomes demanding.” We weren’t expecting to see a deal on these speakers so soon, so we would strike now before the price goes back up.
