The Arcam AVR30 has landed...

nooshinjohn

I am still in the process of getting it set up, but it is immediately clear that the Arcam AVR30 is a game-changer in my rig. It will easily do the job of my Pass Labs X0.2, The DAC in the Arcam is also sounding better than the PS Audio... More to come as I play with this some more, but be on the lookout for some more stuff being listed in the flea market...

Gerres26

I know that Arcam is a pricey pre/pro but that’s surprising that it’ll compare favorably to that Pass pre if you’re talking purely 2 channel listening.

Toolfan66

Seems you’re downsizing a little John, but trying to do so without compromising much in quality of sound. Nothing wrong with change. Have fun!!

tonyb

You'd be surprised at just how good some of these high end pre pros can sound for 2 channel. Most have some higher quality parts/dacs in them and with an abundant amount of connections.

I've always suggested , on the cheap, some older SS high end pre pros make excellent 2 channel listening. Anthem AVM 20- Cary cinema 11 or 12, Classe, and a bunch others.

John, listen for a few weeks, then put the old stuff back in and see what ya see. Sometimes we construe the sound as "better" when it just may be "different". Regardless, comes down to what tickles your fancy. Good luck playing

nooshinjohn

Gerres26 wrote: »

I know that Arcam is a pricey pre/pro but that’s surprising that it’ll compare favorably to that Pass pre if you’re talking purely 2 channel listening.

I would not have thought it possible before I tried it either, but the differences are extremely small. I think it comes down to there being fewer steps in the chain from source to speaker, and keeping things in the digital realm longer before going through a DAC. Also, the Arcam has 15 years of advances over the Pass, and the DAC section is ten years newer than the PS Audio.

The AVR30 takes two channel audio over HDMI from my computer without anything else in the signal path, and does the same for two channel coming from the Oppo.

Toolfan66 wrote: »

Seems you’re downsizing a little John, but trying to do so without compromising much in quality of sound. Nothing wrong with change. Have fun!!

You are correct. I am trying to get rid of as much extra gear as possible while maintaining a very high level of performance. The Arcam takes an overcrowded system and reduces it down to just two boxes, plus my computer, and a spiderweb of cables down to just two HDMI runs and two power cables.

tonyb

Funny you should mention a "spiderweb of cables". That is the single complaint, well main complaint, the wife has about higher end audio....alll the frickin' cables.

Milito

Yea, my wife hates the cables too.

VR3

Congrats on the change John!

tonyb

Just curious John, what made you want to make this change anyway ? Just to shake things up or the old gear wasn't a good match for the new speakers ? New year new you and all that ?

nooshinjohn

tonyb wrote: »

Just curious John, what made you want to make this change anyway ? Just to shake things up or the old gear wasn't a good match for the new speakers ? New year new you and all that ?

I have too much gear in my stack of stuff. Things were just getting way over complicated and cumbersome to use. The other benefit of making these changes is that I am able to put a large chunk of money away to pay off debt. After moving some of the gear that’s no longer needed, I will be in a better position to be able to get a new vehicle for my family. It’s also fun to be able to try new gear from time to time.

The L 800s also appear to like the change. I expected that would be the case because the L 800s are designed to be used in a Hi-Rez system.

nooshinjohn

....and the Arcam experiment is dead. It lost communication with the DSP board, which in turn, feeds the HDMI pathways. Basically it is a brick, and Best Buy will not replace it with a new one.

Back to the drawing boards.

Clipdat

Time to get a full refund and try something else. Sorry bro.

maxward

What WILL Best Buy do?

nooshinjohn

maxward wrote: »

What WILL Best Buy do?

Send it back to Arcam, and I can wait three months...

Clipdat

Ridiculous. More like WorstBuy.

nooshinjohn

Clipdat wrote: »

Time to get a full refund and try something else. Sorry bro.

I am more than a bit bummed out by this. The Arcam was doing an exceptional job as a two channel pre when it went down. I had not been able to run Dirac yet, and I think that is where it would have really pulled ahead for both HT and two channel use.

Clipdat

Is there an equivalent product from a competing manufacturer? Anthem? Rotel? JBL Synthesis?

DaveHo

Return & re-buy? Or did you get it at an exceptional price?

nooshinjohn

DaveHo wrote: »

Return & re-buy? Or did you get it at an exceptional price?

$2600.00 off

nooshinjohn

Clipdat wrote: »

Is there an equivalent product from a competing manufacturer? Anthem? Rotel? JBL Synthesis?

The JBL Synthesis is the same thing with an added Dirac sub management program, and a 9k retail price... Rotel is an option but is not quite there with two channel.

tonyb

Call Arcam direct, see if they can swap it out.

Toolfan66

Sorry to hear that John, take Tony’s advice, call them direct..

nooshinjohn

tonyb wrote: »

Call Arcam direct, see if they can swap it out.

Arcam CS only operates through Email, unless I want to call the UK on my dime for a company that is headquartered 10 miles from me...

Best Buy's solution was to give me their functioning store demo for now, so I am back up and running. Everything is working like it should.

rooftop59

nooshinjohn wrote: »

tonyb wrote: »

Call Arcam direct, see if they can swap it out.

Arcam CS only operates through Email, unless I want to call the UK on my dime for a company that is headquartered 10 miles from me...

Best Buy's solution was to give me their functioning store demo for now, so I am back up and running. Everything is working like it should.

I called and talked to arcam CS with no charge fwiw…

nooshinjohn

rooftop59 wrote: »

I called and talked to arcam CS with no charge fwiw…

I will look for their number...

F1nut

Arcam reliability has always been a problem.

F1nut

The L 800s also appear to like the change. I expected that would be the case because the L 800s are designed to be used in a Hi-Rez system.

Sorry John, but LOL.

nooshinjohn

F1nut wrote: »

The L 800s also appear to like the change. I expected that would be the case because the L 800s are designed to be used in a Hi-Rez system.

Sorry John, but LOL.

No offense taken Jesse... the Arcam is sounding better than the Pass Labs right now., and I have yet to run Dirac. I am leaning towards getting the extended warranty from Best Buy, because at least then my investment will be protected at replacement value for 5 years, rather than waiting on factory repairs.

Emlyn

If the extended warranty is a standard Best Buy Geek Squad one they may not really do anything for repairs other than sending it for a factory repair as long as the 5 year factory warranty is in place from Arcam. Their warranties are supplemental insurance coverage for things like power surges.

I used to get their four year extended warranties for big screen TVs that only had a one or two year factory warranty. Worked out well for me a couple times!

tonyb

F1nut wrote: »

Arcam reliability has always been a problem.

yep, and has kept me away from buying even used gear from them. Things could change though, one hopes, but Johns experience says otherwise.

Best buy sucks, and I'm being nice. If they go out of business tomorrow nobody would shed a tear. I just went through a whole thing with them over a new TV . I got my coin back though, even though it wasn't their policy to do so.

nooshinjohn

So far, the Arcam continues to impress, and as a side benefit, I have managed to remove a huge portion of my cabling that no longer serves any purpose.