Arcam goes old school with rDoc Uni wired dock

Arcam has introduced the rDoc Uni, a physical dock with Lightning connector for iOS owners who would rather park their players than stream wirelessly. The newcomer replaces the drDock in the company's range and, as you'd expect, boasts high-grade circuitry. Build quality is certainly high, thanks to the substantial aluminium case, and connectivity seems versatile. Owners have the option of using the internal DAC and outputting via stereo phonos, or sending a digital signal directly to an external audiophile DAC, such as the brand's £400 irDAC or £2,200 FMJ D33.

The rDock Uni extracts pure digital audio from the connected device and processes the music via the venerable 24bit Burr-Brown/TI PCM1502 then applies Arcam's proprietary de-jittering circuitry. Total harmonic distortion and noise is rated at 0.002 per cent, with a signal-to-noise ratio of 106dB.

In addition to Lightning connectivity for iPhone 5, 5s, 5c and iPads, older devices can connect via USB.  The unti comes with a full IR remote but can also be driven by Arcam's Solo neo, Solo mini and AVRs. The benefit of using an old school dock, reminds Arcam, is that there's no wireless connectivity issues or depleted battery - indeed, the unit charges while in the dock. In addition to local music replay, the gadget can also be used to deliver Spotify, Qobuz, RDio, Deezer, and Tune-in Radio.

The rDock Uni retails for £200. For more on Arcam's extensive hi-fi and home cinema offerings, visit our partner page here.

Also read:
Arcam intros versatile, high performance irDAC
Interview: Arcam and the art of high fidelity audio
Arcam FMJ-AVR750 AV receiver review