Many test-takers are hardly remembered shortly after the publication of his report. On the other hand there are receivers such as the Arcam AVR 600, which the author of this test with some colleagues listened for a good hour after Messeschluss at last year’s high-end trade fair in Munich in the KEF lounge – just for fun , Comparatively compact and affordable device with five sophisticated KEF Reference 207/2 sound transducers and a subwoofer that caused tremendous space to tremble and was effortless and natural, remained a long-lasting.
Arcam AVR 500: Picture vs. Sound
So it was almost a reflex, immediately after the announcement of the little brother, who celebrates the premiere at the scene show in Munich, in May, to order the fine British to the test for the editorship.
Arcam AVR 500: For adults only
Once there, the AVR 500 split the workforce into audio lovers and image-obsessed. The reason: Arcam implemented in the 3.200 euro device not the last HDMI standard. Only with version 1.4 is the beautiful new 3D world open to a receiver.
Arcam AVR 500: Special materials
However, the small European and American Noble brands, with their long development periods and comparatively limited resources, are the rule rather than the exception of adapting to trends as quickly as Denon, Yamaha or Onkyo, who are in a tough competition >
Arcam AVR 500: hearing test
Responding to the issue, Product Manager Sven Schlicher from GP Acoustics said Arcam was able to deliver new standards by modular design. For anyone who can be animated to the home cinema without 3D animation, the Arcam shows a messy profile.
It fills the gap between technically sophisticated equipment, but mechanically restrained by the red pen, and the exorbitantly expensive pre-amp / power amp combinations of the exotic manufacturers.
The receiver has all the ingredients that feature high-end, high-end stereo amplifiers, combined with seven channels, and those features from the AV area that promise understandable benefits. And above all, he can be used intuitively. In other words, a device that more mature people would like to get into with home cinema.
After all, not only in many living rooms but also small dramas are played out during the commissioning of a new "Kinostar". Sometimes you would also find scenes for the hidden camera in the relevant editorial offices if, for example, the editors were desperate because the AV control center had no sound.
Smaller manufacturers in particular are often unable to make the effortlessly integrated technical overkill accessible to average customers.
The on-screen menus, which are also available via HDMI, are logically structured and professionally implemented in such a way that large providers can take an example. Also practical is the equipment that includes five HDMI inputs and two outputs.
For the video inputs, the option is to convert the image signals and scale them up to 1080p. High-resolution formats like Dolby TrueHD or DTS Master Audio can be decoded on board.
Optionally, a network board with USB and LAN connection can be integrated for 500 euros. Then the receiver not only dominates audio streaming of NAS hard disks or USB sticks, but also Web radio. A DAB tuner option for 300 Euros as well as an iPod Dock for 250 Euros can also be found in the list.
The Arcam receiver has a modular interior design that recognizes the care in the material selection and detailing solutions that high-quality stereo amplifiers from the island appreciate. The receiver has a huge ring-core transformer, which is valued by low-frequency tweeters because of its low noise.
Durable Receiver - Refurbishment
In addition, the British have resisted decisively against resonances. The antimagnetic housing is made of a special composite material of aluminum and sorbothane, a plastic with special damping properties. Sorbothane pads on electrical components such as switching relays and "Damping Rings" made of polymer plastic on capacitors should suppress the resonance that affects the sound Code>
The developers use ferrite plates on the ICs and shield the cover from the aerospace by means of a conductive "stealth mat" fabric, to counteract electromagnetic interference that is particularly present in today's AV receivers with their digital image and sound processing >
Conclusion
How the receiver turned the theory into practice was breathtaking. The realism and the feeling of sitting in the middle of the event shaped the performance so much that you can do without the usual sound descriptions and examples. The sound colors and the timing were in tune and reminded of very good high-end audio amplifiers or preamplifiers / combinations.
What distinguishes the Arcam receiver in this price range especially from the crowd like Dom Perignon from an ordinary selection of champagne is its hardly surpassing figure and the extremely crisp, rich bass.
These virtues lead on the one hand to the fact that the entire listening stage grows in all axes and one has the feeling to sit before the performers. Whether it is music in two- or multi-channel mode, or movies, it does not matter.
The Arcam not only belongs to the small circle of the AV components where the author stood up to convince himself that the center did not go with Madonna (Warner) with the appropriately selected album "Something to Remember".
In this case, he would have even bets a € 100 Euro bottle of Dom Perignon that the middle B & W Nautilus 801 was responsible for the extremely stable and precise positioning of the popdiva (luck, no one betting against it). The performance was sensational in terms of plastic and bass-foundation. The difference between the Arcam AVR 600 and the 1,400 euro more expensive Arcam AVR 600 was surprisingly small, and it was actually only in slightly larger reserves and an idea more information from the original recording space.
The processing and design of the Arcam AVR 500 is aimed at a long-lasting use. If you spend over 3,000 euros on a receiver, the small, fine brand from England can be confident that future innovations can be retrofitted.
For example, the video processors are mounted on a separate board (photo) and can be easily replaced when the technology reaches a new level. Also equipment options such as a network connection or DAB tuner can be integrated later on.
With the very practical AVR 500, Arcam has surpassed itself and most of the competitors' solutions when authentic sound quality and intuitive handling come first. Whether these strengths compensate for the temporary renouncement of 3D-image compatible HDMI jacks, everyone has to decide for themselves. At the same time, the Briton offers a 3D sound, even with stereo, which is unmatched.
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