Equivalent to Arcam AVR 500 Stereo Sound - HiFi Suggestions

[WishTree]

Hi, I have done an audtion today with Arcam AVR 500 with B&W CM9 speakers in Stereo mode and it is the best I have heard till now. I also tried Musical Fidelity M6i Integrated Stereo amp with CM9s but they did not quite make the impact.

Are there any other stereo amps that I can consider which sound similar / close to the Arcam AVR 500? I am not familiar with Arcam HiFi range. Any advice on the possible better choice for B&W CM9 would be of great help.

Kindly let me know..

(Budget around 2000 pounds if there is a builtin DAC otherwise 1500 Pounds for both pre+power or the integrated. I listen to Rock, charts, little bit Jazz)

 

[matthewpiano]

Arcam A38 + Arcam rDAC and you're done, slightly under budget as well. The A38 is a fabulous amplifier and will have plenty of power for those CM9s.

 

[WishTree]

Thanks Mathew. I am just wondering why WHF rating is a mere 3 star for Arcam A38.

 

[matthewpiano]

WHF ratings are just another opinion. Like most of us who have heard a lot of kit, I sometimes agree with the mag's rating and sometimes feel quite differently. This is why the magazine have always encouraged readers to audition equipment before buying it. It may be that there are other amps out there at a similar price point that WHF feel represent more performance per pound and it would, of course, be worth seeking those out. However, as you seem to like the Arcam sound, it has to be worth giving the A38 a listen and making your own mind up.

The things about hi-fi is, it is very personal. I went round the Manchester Sound & Vision Show on Sunday and found that I didn't get on with some of the highly lauded stuff. The Monitor Audio BX2s, for example, have done nothing for me either in an audition at my dealer or at the show, and I found electronics by Naim and Chord very disappointing (amongst others).

I like hi-fi that focuses on creating atmosphere, establishing a convincing soundstage, re-creating the tonal quality of instruments and voices accurately, and communicating the emotional content of the music. Consequently I like brands like Arcam, KEF, Unison Research, Dali, Opera, Focal et al that seem to share these priorities.

You might be different so do audition the A38 and some of its competitors.

 

[WishTree]

Thanks alot Mathew for your insight. I am completely with you on the selection being personal. Today's demo was a door opener for me. When I told the dealer that I did not find much difference between Denon 4310 AVR vs M6i in sound, I thought I would be slaughtered but he was kind enough to make alternative suggestions based on the music that I was auditioning.

Regarding what you said about your focus on " on creating atmosphere, establishing a convincing soundstage, re-creating the tonal quality of instruments and voices accurately, and communicating the emotional content of the music" is something that I am look for but I did not realize till the time you put it so well.

I will check out the A38 and if I am open for speaker suggestions, preferably floor standers, do you have any suggestions from KEF as KEF reference is highly regarded in the shop that I auditioned.

 

[JoelSim]

The A38 is a very well regarded amp, a rival magazine rates it extremely highly.

 

[matthewpiano]

WishTree, I am not familiar with the more expensive KEFs so you would need to seek some advice from others here or your dealer. On paper the bigger floorstanders in the new Q series look very interesting and certainly sounded very good in the demonstration on Sunday. I would certainly also audition the new Dali Ikon 6 Mk2 which sounded excellent when I heard them on the end of some Quad electronics at the show on Sunday. JoelSim used to use the original Ikon 6s with his Arcam A85/P85 combination and spoke very highly of them too. I'd also be tempted to try and hear some of the Vienna Acoustics range.