Arcam Solo Mini Output ?

[admin_exported]

I'm thinking of getting Solo Mini but, I, not knowing a great deal about hifi think it might be underpowered even for a medium sized room or am I wrong ? even the cheaper Denon m 37 has more output but I'm guessing the Arcam is a better sounding unit.

Also, what speakers would compliment the Solo Mini ?

Any advice would be very welcome

 

[chebby]

Solo-Mini is great with high quality, efficient loudspeakers* in smaller - medium sized rooms at reasonable - but not blasting - levels of volume.

*90dB should do it.

 

[d_a_n1979]

What kind of music do you listn to?

Also; how loud would you be using the system, on average etc...?

IMO the best speakers i've heard with the Arcam Solo Mini are the MA BR2's on decent mass loaded stands and the Rega R3's which have now been replaced with the RS3's.

 

[Anonymous]

Just got the Solo Mini and would say the output is fine. My lounge is approx 6m x 4m and the volume is plenty at about '40' on the Solo's scale which goes up to 72. This is subjective of course but let's say that much beyond 45 most (normal!) people would be wanting you to turn it down a little. Between 50-60 would be good enough to host a dance party in this size of room.

This is all through the B&W 685 speakers (so it has no problems driving these). The pairing of these with the Solo Mini has been the debate of a couple of other threads I started on this and the MA BR2s were the other ones I was seriously considering. The volume of both in the shop was about the same for the same volume on the Solo Mini so not a great difference there and, as I say, beyond about 50 anyway you'd be reaching pretty high sound levels. It was a tough decision between these two and I'd probably have been happy with either in the end to be honest. The BR2s sounded a little more open to me but my girlfriend swayed me when she said the 685s sounded a lot better (and they are built well and technically the much better as you'd expect from the higher price).

Hope that helps - the Solo Mini can drive these things and give you a good enough output; end of the day it's what you like the sound of most when you try them.

 

[chebby]

I take my Solo-Mini volume up to about 38 for internet radio and iTunes (via the DAC) and about 45 with vinyl replay and anywhere from 40 - 49 when routing DVD sound through the Solo-Mini (optical digital audio via DAC again) depending on the DVD.

Freeview radio (DVD recorder --> Optical --> DAC --. Solo-Mini) only needs 40 max.

Glad you are happy with the sound. Despite great reviews and those (few) of us here who sing it's praises, a lot of people assume those 25 watts per channel are never going to be enough. I suspect Arcam are conservative on it's quoted power (and some reviews have confirmed as much) and with suitably efficient speakers it really is quite impressive within it's 'envelope' so long as you don't want to use it for recreating nightclub sound levels.

 

[manicm]

Jarnesque - you really thought the BR2s were a bit more open? Hmm maybe I should have auditioned the RS1s...