Arcam P7 vs Primare A30.5

[Andbuss]

Hi there, Anyone who compared these two 5/7 channel amps? Any views on their sonic nature?

thanks

[dts_boy]

i've got the Primare a30.5 mkii and i'm bery happy with the sound. its a little laid back in comparison to the Arcam which left my speakers feeling a little flat. in comparison the primare "softened" the treble which can get a little edgy for me but has bags of punch and when played loud doesn't struggle and give up (which i felt the Arcam did).
i will say however, imo, some speakers work better with certain power amps than others.
My friend has B&W 803s with an arcam av9/p7 and he couldn't be happier with the match!
Have a listen for yourself is my advice

[IWC Dopplel]

Don't forget the biamping benefit provided by 7 channels

[Magic Beans]

Originally Posted by IWC Dopplel

Don't forget the biamping benefit provided by 7 channels

I'll second that! The P7 is mighty when used to bi-amp in a 5 channel setup!

Handy for keeping a room warm too

[dazzler9000]

I think I may bag one of these (P7) when I get my Lexicon MC12. It looks a cracking amp for the money... and once I bi-amp the fronts it should be perfect.

[Magic Beans]

Originally Posted by dazzler9000

I think I may bag one of these (P7) when I get my Lexicon MC12. It looks a cracking amp for the money... and once I bi-amp the fronts it should be perfect.

There might be one up for grabs soon

[dazzler9000]

Originally Posted by Magic Beans

There might be one up for grabs soon

Selling already, haven't you been after one of these for ages??

Sorry Andbuss for steering your thread off track.

[Magic Beans]

Originally Posted by dazzler9000

Selling already, haven't you been after one of these for ages??

Sorry Andbuss for steering your thread off track.

Check my thread for the background

OP - I'd audition them both before committing. However i can vouch for the performance of the Arcam. Not heard anything by Primare but have heard good things. However both have different sonic characters, so it's whatever your ears prefer and whatever matches your kit.

Sorry for side tracking

[lbstyling]

i heard both when i auditioned for my power amp- i was rather impressed by the primare myself- fantastic instrument separation, if you had to find fault in it -and it is a very small negative- i would say it is a tiny bit soft in the trebble, but add to some sightly bright speakers (metal tweeter maby??) and youve got the next best amp ive heared to my a51.

you may totaly disagree mind.-thats why you must audition both.

[dts_boy]

Originally Posted by lbstyling

i heard both when i auditioned for my power amp- i was rather impressed by the primare myself- fantastic instrument separation, if you had to find fault in it -and it is a very small negative- i would say it is a tiny bit soft in the trebble, but add to some sightly bright speakers (metal tweeter maby??) and youve got the next best amp ive heared to my a51.

you may totaly disagree mind.-thats why you must audition both.

i would second that!
btw - i forgot the P7 is 7 channel so if running 5.1 you can bi-amp the front speakers, great if required or just spare channels if single amp speakers like mine.

[Andbuss]

thanks to all for your comments!! Th.He interesting thing is that with my ML Vantages, even the Primare sometimes sounds bright/sharp!! If the Arcam is even brighter they are definately not for me

thanks!

[Flashgordon400]

Hello folks.
Having found this by accident I thought I'd best give you my ten penith worth, as my Nan used to say.
I have P7, AV8 and DV29. Previous system was DV27, A22 with P25.
I did the change in one hit.
The P7 sounds completely balanced and very much out of the box sound. I think they call it air. As for running out of steam, you are joking. As the reviews say, it just gets loader and louder and doesn't seem to change it's characteristics.
Now mine has finally nearly run in, I'm as pleased as punch especially after putting analogue feeds from A Sony S760 Blue-ray I had delivered Tuesday, Into the AV8. The amp is fairly polite and accurate with analogue music but this is a massive plus when I played Terminator Salvation blue-ray audio as it was a fantastic amount of detail but totally crystal clear and controlled. Jaw dropping. I am using it as 5.1, bi-amping the front speakers.
I will admit I have never heard anything from Primare, but I have had various HiFi makes back in the late 80's. Michell, Albury, musical fidelity, California Audio.
My personal opinion is that the P7 is a 7 channel HiFi sounding amp. Balanced and accurate.
I did have briefly the P1000 before this. They sound to me completely different. To my ears massively different but it was used through the A22 and not the AV8, but I can comment on the P1000 against the P25.

[robfitzp]

I have previously had a AV8/P7 and also a Primare A30.1 which is the integrated two channel amp in the same range. I much preferred the Primare for two channel duties, the P7 is one of the most overrated bits of kit I have heard and I got shot of it pretty quickly. If the A30.5 has the same sonic characteristics as the A30.1 I would go for that like a shot. Both were used with speakers with metal tweeters, at varying points Celestion A1s and B&W Nautilus 804

For the P7, having 7 channels in one chassis is at least convenient I suppose and there is a strong used market so you would not lose money on one if you disliked it.

Cheers
Rob

[lbstyling]

if it helps at all, the primare kit is basically large batch production pass labs designs for less money. look up nelson pass and youll see that the tecnology and engineering of the primare is of the highest calibre.(the design is by mr pass's previous partner) i would have to think and audition hard if offered the 5ch primare for my halo amp.

all this asside, you may find that its decided for you as one of the 2 may just not work with your speakers.

i would happily to buy blind if i was purchasing second hand- as you can just sell on if it doesnt work for you/your kit.