Test results as promised!!
Finally I managed to get around to testing the AV's i wanted and I have some pretty surprising results, well may not be that surprising to some, but they certainly were for me.
The speaker package of choice was the CM8 fronts, CMC Center, CM1 rears and PV1 sub.
First up was the AVR500, this AV looked beastly and I had read some decent reviews on it, the dealers wanted me to buy this above all of them and even went as far as telling me that it was 50% better than the Pioneer (also it was an ex demo priced at £1400, bargain!). As you can imagine I was eager to hear this perform. The movie of choice was The Dark Knight (tumbler scene sampled). The details was very warm and the sound effects relatively clear, however it sounded dull to my ears, there was nothing really special that was thrilling me, i remember sitting there and thinking my old 18 year old system at home sounds better!. Then of course the AVR500 does not have certain features like an Ethernet card (£450 add on) and no ability to take 1.4 HDMI (again an upgrade coming soon) However i was willing to overlook all of this, even the overheating issues and technical glitches this AV had if it were to just perform to my liking. Sadly it did not and i was left feeling somewhat disappointed in part, but generally quite relieved. Musically this AV was outstanding and Arcams solid reputation for Music was well justified when I listen to some Jazz and Rock! In fact this AV was the best out the lot for Music and produced sound that any music lover would be proud of!
AVR400 - Nothing new to report here, it was the same dull sound that came from the AVR500 to my ears, this receiver was more or less an AVR500 repackaged with the overheating issues removed and had the Ethernet card added with 1.4 HDMI capabilities. I should probably elaborate on what I mean by 'dull'. The movie, whilst sounding warm just lacked detail in some of the scenes, like the tumbler crashing through the wall and the subsequent flying particles of brick. There was nothing, no punch, no thrill, no desire to make me look over my shoulder in case something sis crash behind me. It just did not have the ability to utilise the CM8 packaged and make those speakers sing.
Musically, this sounded probably just as good for me as the AVR500; however i felt that the 500 brought out more detail in the sound tracks and just piped it. I would choose the AVR400 if it was a choice out of the two! Don’t get me wrong you may like that sound, but for me it was rather dull and lacklustre. I guess they are correct when they say it "you are either an Arcam lover or not" I am certainly in the ‘not' category.
Pioneer LX83 - This AV had it all the features, the looks and the power on paper to boast. Then watching the movie, it all just suddenly came to life, particles flying everywhere, it was an assault on my senses from all directions...I probably even had a tear roll down one side of my cheek from the sheer brutality of this system and assault on my senses. I was sold on this 100% at this point, much to the dismay of the dealer who probably hoped i would walk away with the AVR500!This receiver just gave the speakers that extra grunt and at 190W per channel you could feel it when the Rocket hit the truck and the tumbler crashed through a wall. This AV was far more detailed and the bright highs were to my liking.
Musically it was not too shabby, it was good, but the AVR400 and 500 easily won here and deliver more detail with their warm feel. The Pioneer is generally quite bright and this brightness does not suit everyone’s taste, especially with Music. However, having said this movies and music are still pretty thrilling.
So i plumped for the Pioneer and now it’s ordered, the deed is done and i'm waiting on my delivery. Incidentally I ordered the DS3's for my house.
I hope that was not too boring for you guys, I tried to be as blunt and straight to the point as humanly possible there.
Finally I managed to get around to testing the AV's i wanted and I have some pretty surprising results, well may not be that surprising to some, but they certainly were for me.
The speaker package of choice was the CM8 fronts, CMC Center, CM1 rears and PV1 sub.
First up was the AVR500, this AV looked beastly and I had read some decent reviews on it, the dealers wanted me to buy this above all of them and even went as far as telling me that it was 50% better than the Pioneer (also it was an ex demo priced at £1400, bargain!). As you can imagine I was eager to hear this perform. The movie of choice was The Dark Knight (tumbler scene sampled). The details was very warm and the sound effects relatively clear, however it sounded dull to my ears, there was nothing really special that was thrilling me, i remember sitting there and thinking my old 18 year old system at home sounds better!. Then of course the AVR500 does not have certain features like an Ethernet card (£450 add on) and no ability to take 1.4 HDMI (again an upgrade coming soon) However i was willing to overlook all of this, even the overheating issues and technical glitches this AV had if it were to just perform to my liking. Sadly it did not and i was left feeling somewhat disappointed in part, but generally quite relieved. Musically this AV was outstanding and Arcams solid reputation for Music was well justified when I listen to some Jazz and Rock! In fact this AV was the best out the lot for Music and produced sound that any music lover would be proud of!
AVR400 - Nothing new to report here, it was the same dull sound that came from the AVR500 to my ears, this receiver was more or less an AVR500 repackaged with the overheating issues removed and had the Ethernet card added with 1.4 HDMI capabilities. I should probably elaborate on what I mean by 'dull'. The movie, whilst sounding warm just lacked detail in some of the scenes, like the tumbler crashing through the wall and the subsequent flying particles of brick. There was nothing, no punch, no thrill, no desire to make me look over my shoulder in case something sis crash behind me. It just did not have the ability to utilise the CM8 packaged and make those speakers sing.
Musically, this sounded probably just as good for me as the AVR500; however i felt that the 500 brought out more detail in the sound tracks and just piped it. I would choose the AVR400 if it was a choice out of the two! Don’t get me wrong you may like that sound, but for me it was rather dull and lacklustre. I guess they are correct when they say it "you are either an Arcam lover or not" I am certainly in the ‘not' category.
Pioneer LX83 - This AV had it all the features, the looks and the power on paper to boast. Then watching the movie, it all just suddenly came to life, particles flying everywhere, it was an assault on my senses from all directions...I probably even had a tear roll down one side of my cheek from the sheer brutality of this system and assault on my senses. I was sold on this 100% at this point, much to the dismay of the dealer who probably hoped i would walk away with the AVR500!This receiver just gave the speakers that extra grunt and at 190W per channel you could feel it when the Rocket hit the truck and the tumbler crashed through a wall. This AV was far more detailed and the bright highs were to my liking.
Musically it was not too shabby, it was good, but the AVR400 and 500 easily won here and deliver more detail with their warm feel. The Pioneer is generally quite bright and this brightness does not suit everyone’s taste, especially with Music. However, having said this movies and music are still pretty thrilling.
So i plumped for the Pioneer and now it’s ordered, the deed is done and i'm waiting on my delivery. Incidentally I ordered the DS3's for my house.
I hope that was not too boring for you guys, I tried to be as blunt and straight to the point as humanly possible there.
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