Arcam's miniBlink streaming DAC now available to buy in the UK

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"This level of sound quality doesn’t come easy to products like this, which makes the miniBlink’s abilities all the more special" – that was our opinion on the Arcam miniBlink earlier this year, and now you'll be able to find out for yourself.

Arcam has finally confirmed that the "high-definition Bluetooth micro-format streaming DAC" is now available to buy in the UK after a brief delay. This dinky device will let you play music from "almost any device" and can be yours for £89.

A small, compact unit, the miniBlink is based on its bigger brother – the rBlink – and includes the company's re-engineered BluetoothHD with aptX codec. Arcam is confident that you can transform any "form of audio" to stream your music.

MORE: Arcam miniBlink review

The miniBlink supposedly offers 30db extra headroom over normal Bluetooth, as well as lower distortion. It has also been "engineered as high-end hi-fi" and has a signal that is reclocked and dejittered before being fed into the high-end DAC.

An internal aerial and a 3.5mm output jack can be found as part of the pebble-like unit, while power is supplied via a micro USB cable from the mains or a compatible socket on a computer, as well as the rCube sound dock's own USB socket.

Arcam MD Charlie Brennan said: "Simply put, the miniBlink sounds better than any other Bluetooth streamer made, apart from our own £160 rBlink. The quality is so good, that in demos, most listeners are convinced they are hearing a CD player."

MORE: Best DACs to buy in 2014

Pete Hayman

Pete was content editor on What Hi-Fi?, overseeing production and publication of digital content. In creating and curating feature articles for web and print consumption, he provided digital and editorial expertise and support to help reposition What Hi-Fi? as a ‘digital-first’ title; reflecting the contemporary media trends. He is now a senior content strategist.