Arcam AVR30 : Is it still worth it?

[christo976]

Hello,

Due to lack of space, I would like to replace my Primare stereo amp and my Yamaha Home Theater amp by a single amp.

For those who say that an amp has no impact on sound... well, I can assure you that I hate the sound of stereo music on my Yamaha. The Primare, on the other hand, sounds great.

Because there is a new the Arcam AVR11/21/31 range, I've been offered an Arcam AVR30 with a nice discount. As the store is 3 hours' drive from my home, I'd first like to have the opinion of the lucky or unlucky Arcam AVR owners.

Is this amp still worth it, in your opinion? Frankly, I have heard it all:
- great sound but full of bugs (is it better now?)
- some find the sound very soft, while others find it analytical
- some find the Anthem is more "alive"
- on the audio science review forum, another Arcam AVR model (AVR10) was tested and found to be poor in terms of distortion, etc...

But I still hear a lot of positive opinions about the sound.

For those who have or have had an AVR10/20/30, what do you think? Is it worth buying an AVR30 today for half the price of an AVR31?

Thanks in advance

Chris

 

[lovinthehd]

May take thousands of different combinations to achieve that "synergy" you have experienced with the Primare amp I'd think. Mostly I wouldn't even worry about it and just get one based on spec/testing. I don't listen to amps, that's sort of a silly exercise compared to other gear/speakers/rooms....

 

[christo976]

Thanks for the advice

 

[lovinthehd]

Thanks for the advice

FWIW when you just call it an "amp" it means generally a power amp (no pre-amp/switching functions like an integrated amp or receiver would have). A good quality amp should not have a sound of its own, so if you keep to well regarded/measured amps you likely will not have an issue in this regard. Might use this to estimate your amp needs for your particular speakers and your distance from them. http://www.hometheaterengineering.com/splcalculator.html

The latest class d amps based on modules from Hypex and Purifi are great ways to go for small/light but potent amps.

 

[PENG]

For those who say that an amp has no impact on sound...

"those" must be just a few, I do not recall anyone making such general statement. Of course,
an amp has impact on "sound". I suspect many of "those" you might be referring to, said so under some specific conditions.

Is this amp still worth it, in your opinion? Frankly, I have heard it all:
- great sound but full of bugs (is it better now?)
- some find the sound very soft, while others find it analytical
- some find the Anthem is more "alive"
- on the audio science review forum, another Arcam AVR model (AVR10) was tested and found to be poor in terms of distortion, etc...

If all of the major bugs that will "bug" you, then it is worth it, depending how "nice" the discount is. I would ignore those subjective claims on the sound being soft, analytical etc., I heard Arcam AVRs before, and they sounded transparent, also supported by their specs and bench measurements. If used within their limits, their avrs, amps etc., should not have a "sound" of it's own, but people says whatever they want, based on whatever they think they heard. Just ignore those, stick with specs and measurements, otherwise you wouldn't know who to believe anyway and you will have to hear it for yourself. And in that case, you would have to hear a ton of different AVRs in order to know (or just think you know) which one sounds best to you.

For those who have or have had an AVR10/20/30, what do you think? Is it worth buying an AVR30 today for half the price of an AVR31?

I would say yes, if both are brand new with full warranty, unless there is a feature or two on the AVR31 that you must have, and are not on the 30.

 

[christo976]

Hi [mention]PENG [/mention],

Thanks for your answer.

Which Arcam model do you have experience with?

 

[PENG]

Hi [mention]PENG [/mention],

Thanks for your answer.

Which Arcam model do you have experience with?

The first one I was impressed with was the AVR-300 many years ago. I ended up getting the Denon AVR-3805 to save a few hundred dollars. After that, I never paid attention to the model numbers, as I was sure Arcam makes amps that are transparent, not for colored sound. The newer models may be buggy, but I am sure their sound quality won't be an issue.