Launched in the summer of 1998, the revolutionary Arcam Alpha 9 CD uses a patented 24-bit DAC architecture developed by Arcam and dCS, a British professional audio manufacturer of international repute.

The dCS Ring DAC has very low distortion and near perfect DNL (differential non-linearity) leading to a sound that is pure, detailed, dynamic and as near to the original recording as you are ever likely to get. Coupled with painstakingly designed analogue and power supply circuitry, the Ring DAC helps the Alpha 9 outperform competitiors costing many times more. The Alpha 9 also automatically decodes HDCD (High Definition Compatible Digital) recordings. HDCD is the patented Pacific Microsonics mastering and playback technology, which extends the perceived dynamic range of an encoded 16 bit CD.

In its July/August 1998 issue Hi-Fi Choice magazine described the revolutionary chip design of the Alpha 9, as delivering 'the best ever sound under £1,000' and 'the most ambitious and inspired digital product ever to emerge from Arcam'. We can only agree.
"...this Arcam represents astonishing value and must be heard." Hi Fi News, September 1998
"The Arcam Alpha 9 is an absolutely superb CD player. I wouold be hard-pressed to justify buying a more expensive CD (-only) player". Stereophile (USA) January 1999
"...the Alpha 9 sounds sophisticated, yet disarmingly undemonstrative, precise and detailed." BBC Music Magazine, October 1998
"...a very potent and impressive music making machine." Gramophone, Decmber 1998

Review from the Audio Ideas Guide (Canada) Almanac 99