[Falp]

The Arcam Rdock as an audiophile product should have SPDif digital out like has been proved to be possible by the new Wadia iTransport!

[SodaOat]

Speaker stands for the Musos please. In black. Thanks.

[hrotti]

I would love to have a FMJ multichannel preamp with decoding of the new audio formats, basically AV9 -videosection + hd decoding. (A9?)

I have the AV9 and although I love it's audio side I find it's video side lacking, quality is fine but very limited features. I think that the money spent on it's video would better spent towards a separate video processor, CII, VP50, lumagen etc.

[norks27]

I believe there is a growing trend for people to centralise their music collections on a NAS or computer hard drive. The days of hunting for a particular CD somehow seem old fashioned when compared to the instant access that a NAS combined with a music streaming system. Sonos and Slim Devices are the easy examples.

I wonder if Arcam would ever contimplate such a product. I'd certainly buy it. Dump the onboard hard drive and go for the Sonos approach with the aim of ensuring playback equals that of their CD players.

[Falp]

Originally Posted by norks27

I believe there is a growing trend for people to centralise their music collections on a NAS or computer hard drive. The days of hunting for a particular CD somehow seem old fashioned when compared to the instant access that a NAS combined with a music streaming system. Sonos and Slim Devices are the easy examples.

I wonder if Arcam would ever contimplate such a product. I'd certainly buy it. Dump the onboard hard drive and go for the Sonos approach with the aim of ensuring playback equals that of their CD players.

This one? http://www.arcam.co.uk/prod_fmj_MS250_intro.cfm

[norks27]

Hmmm - I've seen this unit before and to be honest what would be better would be a baby brother to the FMJ MS250. Dump the hard drive and provide a wireless link which would communicate with a NAS or indeed your own PC. So I guess a Diva version of the MS250.

Another important factor which I don't think the MS250 solves very easily is wireless multiroom. Multiroom set up with the FMJ would not necessarily be easy and may require a shed load of cabling unlike other solutions available, (I'm no expert).

My impression of the Arcams music server is that it is aimed at the profession installation and not so much the home audio geek with less money, (that being me).

Could Arcam compete with the squeezebox or Sonos systems??

I would love for Arcam to take the concept of the Squeezebox or Sonos and apply their audio magic to their own version. As I say it''s just a thought but I believe that is the way forward. Sales of CDs whilst still healthy are on the decline. More and more people choose to download music, music which is hideously compressed and only useful for portable devices or in car audio. I guess the point I'm making is for Arcam to broaden their network audio solutions in readiness for the future.

[Nabs]

Originally Posted by hrotti

Or a dac just for the new hd formats, 4 hdmi in and 7.1 analog out, I'm too impatient to wait for av10

Yes Please

[Falp]

Originally Posted by Nabs

Yes Please

Amazing... I cannot even care for those new formats...
As for SACD, DVD-A... didn't even buy the cables... or for BR, DVD-HD...

[StooMonster]

Originally Posted by Nabs

Yes Please

Now that is a fine intermediate solution, I'd buy one too.

StooMonster

[StooMonster]

Originally Posted by Mark.Yudkin

The Bluray / HD DVD player with DVD an SACD should also have 7.1 analogue outputs, full on-board HD decoding (including dts HD MA), configurable lipsync and on-board bass management. For SACD, it should also support sending the 5.1 rear channels to both of the 7.1 rear speakers (-3dB).

Please please please have Region Free SD DVD though, half my collection is Region 1 and the other half Region 2 (with a spattering of other Regions too).

StooMonster

[Ian_S]

Originally Posted by hrotti

Or a dac just for the new hd formats, 4 hdmi in and 7.1 analog out, I'm too impatient to wait for av10

Been wanting something like this for a while. Don't forget though to add a 7.1 analogue input section for pass-thru so that we can connect existing DVD-A/SACD players to that, and then the DAC to our Arcam amps... All while of course you're developing your HD player with DVD-A/SACD support

[hubiedubie]

1. I'd love to see an audio only processor that decodes all audio fromats (TrueHD, DTS-MA, SACD, DVD-AUDIO etc) over HDMI. Also with one or more multichannel inputs for future formats. Surely Arcam have one in the pipeline? I know jitter is an issue but there must be a way of overcoming / ameliorating this? Yamaha have implemented some HDMI jitter reduction technology in their new flagship received AFAIK
2. A blu-ray player / transport
3. A network media streamer.
4. A high power, small footprint digital / switching amp.

[Barry928]

Owning a DV139 I am completely satisfied with DVD, CD, DVD-A, and SACD so at this stage my perfect BD player only plays Blu-Ray. This would speed load times and lower the cost. I desire excellent D/A and control over bass management, lip sync, distance...etc for the analog audio output. My perfect BD player would also have two HDMI output ports so I could use one for video and the other for audio only as an option.

[Nabs]

Originally Posted by Barry928

Owning a DV139 I am completely satisfied with DVD, CD, DVD-A, and SACD so at this stage my perfect BD player only plays Blu-Ray. This would speed load times and lower the cost. I desire excellent D/A and control over bass management, lip sync, distance...etc for the analog audio output. My perfect BD player would also have two HDMI output ports so I could use one for video and the other for audio only as an option.

I do not mind not having audio HDMI but would like 2x analogue sockets, one for switching and the other for the BD output. This will enable me to use the single analogue inputs on my AVR300 and retain the use of my DV139 SACD/ DVDA and BD player.

[ripclaw]

Originally Posted by StooMonster

Now that is a fine intermediate solution, I'd buy one too.

StooMonster

Ditto.

[8le6d4]

Originally Posted by Falp

This one? http://www.arcam.co.uk/prod_fmj_MS250_intro.cfm

Yes, seen this, for me this would apear to be over-spec'd.

Yes, it's getting some good reviews in the hi-fi mags etc which is great news now that it's becoming more generally available, but I'd still want it to be simpler...a LOT simpler.

4 pairs of outputs is beyond me - I'd want a single stereo pair output, together with digital outs.
Digital inputs would come in handy for connecting to other things
Ditch the IR inputs and triggers - does anyone use these other than in a multi-room set-up?

Keep it simple; strip out all the (imho) unnecessary features, simplify the user interface (and put some more modern colours on it please!), and also 'simplify' the pricing.

Keep the audio performance (which is remarkable when I heard it a few weeks ago) and as much else as possible, but aim for a cost that is more accessible, say £1250 - then it'd not only be a "winner" but an easy-buy.

Summer's here and 'er-indoors wants to spend the usual wheelbarrow of cash on a far-flung holiday..be great if I could "bargain" with an Arcam Music Server at a lower(er) price...."MS100 for me !!"


( )

[Gordab]

Agree - a "diva" music server would fit the bill nicely. It would save me having to start up my latop to stream my library when I don't feel like putting on one CD after another.

[Nabs]

Just reopen this request - how about a nice mutichannel external dac with hdmi audio/ video separation and switching and 7.1 analogue switching.

These days there are so many sources which potentially have 7.1 analogues and HDMI out (sacd players, home servers, HTPCs, Game Boxes etc) out and amps (esp older) do not have the capacity to accept all inputs and move to a single output. There is little currently of quality to satisfy the demands of all these. A switcher etc would therefore be usefully placed.

[rob r]

I think a version of the FMJ MS250 Music Server that could also play dvd/blue ray and also have a volume control, similar to a solo but without the internal amp and with the hard disk, then you could choose your own power amp(s). Maybe with some multiroom functionality?

[norks27]

Arcam where one of the first to release a seperate DAC, the Black Box I think it was called, someone correct me if I'm wrong. Occasionally see some on E-bay. With people increasingly using NAS drives and PCs to archive music then a seperate DAC is once again in fashion.

I read somewhere, (might have been on this forum somewhere), that Arcam would not pursue a stand alone DAC, but in light of the changes to the way we deliver music to our systems I believe the time is right for Arcam to re think this position.

If you want to unleash the potential of a Squeezebox or a Sonos then the use of a seperate DAC is considered mandatory by many. The release of Cambridge Audio's DACmagic has furthered my opinion that Arcam should get on board, with their own knowledge and expertise I would imagine it would be a top notch product.

So if Arcam do not fancy the large R&D costs of developing a streaming music server, akin to the Linn gear, (which is prohibitively expensive), then at least a stand alone DAC would keep this Arcam fan very happy. I honestly do not think the FMJ MS250 is a viable option for many of us.

[StooMonster]

I would like a DAC that consisted of one HDMI input.

No video processing, no switching, no nothing except for audio decoding of digital input to 7.1 analogue XLR and RCA outputs to feed to P7 or P777.

Audio and HD audio decoding using state of the art Analog Devices ADSP-21366 & ADSP-21367 DSPs for surround decoding and Wolfson 8471 high end 24bit 192kHz audio DACs -- so, like an AV888 but with one input and no video processing, but with bass management, delay, Dolby volume, etc built in.

The rationale for this product is that many custom installs include VPs (video processors) or scalers for processing the video; these boxes have video and audio switching built in, and typically have a single output for audio. For example, Lumagen Radiance (a £3500 VP) has two HDMI outputs: one for video, and one for audio.

If you run a VP it will do video switching, so for audio one tends to either: (a) use audio switching in VP and present single connection to pre-processor or (b) cable up video to VP and audio to pre-processor.

Therefore (a) means all switching (both video and audio) is redundant in the pre-processor or (b) means that audio processing is redundant in the VP and video processing is redundant in the pre-processor, and one has to change setting on two devices when switching an input (not family friendly).

This would also enable Arcam to create a VP product, if it so desired, that handled audio and video switching from analogue and digital sources and it would feed such a device ... as well as third party VPs.

StooMonster

[Ierieck]

I'd like to see an Arcam streaming audio (network) player too please.

It ought to have:
USB in, cardreader, iPod connectivity on the front panel preferably hidden behind a flap.
Multiple LAN, WLAN antenna's, all known populair digital inputs + wordclock, another USB in, rDock connectivity, dual analogue stereo RCA's out, (upsampled) digital out on the backpanel.
A top quality Spitzenklasse dac and a matching quality analogue stage, all separately screened and feeded ofcourse.
A big colour display fony NAC-HD1-style and/or illogicaltech Transporter-style.
This list could go on...

Arcam's in use: A38+CD17
Partnered: Dynaudio Contour S1.4+ vdHul Breeze, 2x Mainsstream, Powerblock, Integration Hybrid. Pro-Ject 6.9 + Ortofon Rondo Red + Audioquest Leopard.
Previously in use: A32+CD192

[sebcobb]

As a happy AVR 300 owner (4 years) I concur with stoomonster with regards Arcam providing an out board Audio Processor with HDMI in and multi channel analogue out, but would like to have HDMI switching on it. The reason is that the AVR only has one (multi channel) analogue in which I use for my DV137 (SACD & DVD Audio playback) so if I ever did go blu-ray I would have to buy a new receiver! ;-( The AVR 600 is WAY WAY! WAY!!! out of my price range for home cinema/multi channel audio.

[stuman]

keep it simples...

integrated amp with digital inputs instead of analogue


or at least a couple of digital.

cyrus do it, naim do it, why not arcam??

[Falp]

Originally Posted by stuman

keep it simples...

integrated amp with digital inputs instead of analogue


or at least a couple of digital.

cyrus do it, naim do it, why not arcam??

[crestron boy]

re-release of the black box dac!

with a few tweaks of course and a fancy new fmj case

[Nabs]

How about an Arcam Media player which can play video and audio formats from a dnla server and can either bitstream hd audio formats or pass lpcm via analogue audio or hdmi. Something like a dune hd but with arcam dacs

[Nabs]

I was thinking about my last post although a media player would be useful not only for my current setup but individuals could purchase more than one for different rooms in a house (unless they opt for complicated wirings and switches)....

......another solution would be to simply incorporate full DNLA video+audio in the AV amp and processor line-ups, there would be little problem with things like AACS licencing and the like for individuals who wish to create a media server in their house to stream content around.

[jgrg]

I'd like an upgrade for the AVR600/AV888 so that it can process multi channel (5.1/7.1) PCM. A lot of sources have an option to provide multi channel PCM, a common format which preserves all audio data, eg: from SACD (transcoded from DSD), Freeview HD set top boxes (decoded HE-AAC 5.1), and blu-ray players when mixing secondary audio with the Dolby TrueHD / DTS HD primary audio. It is very surprising that the Arcam boxes loose all processing capability (bass management, channel delays, downmixing of channels to absent speakers) with multi channel PCM. Although Arcam is not alone having this limitation, receivers from Denon and Pioneer process multi channel PCM like any surround format.

[ianmacd]

Originally Posted by jgrg

I'd like an upgrade for the AVR600/AV888 so that it can process multi channel (5.1/7.1) PCM. A lot of sources have an option to provide multi channel PCM, a common format which preserves all audio data, eg: from SACD (transcoded from DSD), Freeview HD set top boxes (decoded HE-AAC 5.1), and blu-ray players when mixing secondary audio with the Dolby TrueHD / DTS HD primary audio. It is very surprising that the Arcam boxes loose all processing capability (bass management, channel delays, downmixing of channels to absent speakers) with multi channel PCM. Although Arcam is not alone having this limitation, receivers from Denon and Pioneer process multi channel PCM like any surround format.

Erm, I'm sure mine already does, just not for mch input.