A&R Cambridge Ltd (ARCAM)

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A&R Cambridge Ltd (ARCAM) is a British manufacturer of hi-fi equipment, which is based in Cambridge, England, UK. It was formally established in 1976 by science and engineering students from the University of Cambridge. John Dawson, one of the Cambridge graduates, is still with ARCAM.

A&R Cambridge’s first product was the A&R Cambridge A60 integrated amplifier, released in 1976.

In the 1980s, the formal company name of A&R Cambridge Ltd was shortened on the products themselves to “ARCAM”, although the company name remained A&R Cambridge Ltd.

The range of products includes hi-fi separates (CD players, amplifiers, etc.) and AV equipment such as DVD players and AV receivers. The "Delta" series of the late 1980s and early 1990s (amplifiers, CD players and a tape deck) was followed by the "Alpha" series.

A product known as the ARCAM Solo was introduced in 2005 that effectively places hi-fi quality separates into a one-box enclosure no larger than, say, a separate CD player. This product also has provision, by way of the rLead cable, for interaction with the Apple iPod.

Unlike many similar manufacturers, ARCAM still manufactures many of its products in the UK, with some models (most notably ARCAM FM/AM tuners) being made in the Far East. The engineering and design side of their products is still managed in-house in the UK.

ARCAM’s competitors include, amongst others, NAD, Naim, Meridian, Audiolab (TAG Mclaren), Denon, Marantz and Cambridge Audio.