Acram AVR350

stephen_

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Sell it too me please ? :D
 
Does it support HDMI 1.3? HD-DD/HD-DTS?
 
I do not own an Arcam AVR350 but I am pretty sure it does not support the new HD sound formats ( i.e. HD-DD and HD-DTS). The same applies to HDMI 1.3.

It will be at least a year till Arcam makes products with these specs as they would want to do it properly and well. Even the new ARCAM DV137 has only HDMI 1.1. Japanese manufacturers will release products with HDMI 1.3 and HD sound formats many months before ARCAM do.
 
Also to note Arcam ( on the 350 at least ) dont transmit sound over hdmi as they dont believe that is the ideal route for sound.
 
stephen_ said:
Sell it too me please ? :D

Have a good read of the reviews in the September issues of Home Cinema Choice and Hi-Fi Choice. To quote Hi-Fi Choices conclusion:

"The frugal gadget count notwithstanding, the AVR350 is not only Arcam's best sounding multichannel receiver to date, but the best sounding multichannel receiver on the market, full stop."
 
Crustyloafer said:
Have a good read of the reviews in the September issues of Home Cinema Choice and Hi-Fi Choice. To quote Hi-Fi Choices conclusion:

"The frugal gadget count notwithstanding, the AVR350 is not only Arcam's best sounding multichannel receiver to date, but the best sounding multichannel receiver on the market, full stop."
they should have added "in this price range".
It's a very good receiver but when reviewers make statements like these I always get the shivers
 
Hifi addict said:
they should have added "in this price range".
It's a very good receiver but when reviewers make statements like these I always get the shivers

True, but you have to bear in mind that there are very few integrated receivers above that price point, let alone any that would be noticeably better. Most AV amplification above the £1500 mark are separate processor and power amp combinations.
 
Crustyloafer said:
Have a good read of the reviews in the September issues of Home Cinema Choice and Hi-Fi Choice. To quote Hi-Fi Choices conclusion:

"The frugal gadget count notwithstanding, the AVR350 is not only Arcam's best sounding multichannel receiver to date, but the best sounding multichannel receiver on the market, full stop."

Both reviews are by one Richard Stevenson, a new name to me. But it's pretty obvious that both reviews were therefore going to reach similar conclusions - are'nt HFC & HCC both Future publications now?
 
To be honest I hadn't noticed who had written the reviews. I am just glad to see that both Richard Stevenson from Hi-Fi Choice and the other guy who is also called Richard Stevenson from Home Cinema Choice reached the same conclusion as me, and that was that the AVR350 is a superb machine and pretty much unrivalled for sound quality at its price.

I wonder if the two Richards have ever met each other? ;)
 
avlava said:
Also to note Arcam ( on the 350 at least ) dont transmit sound over hdmi as they dont believe that is the ideal route for sound.

Oh-ohhhh, is this true?

I was hoping that this unit would process the sound de-coded from a HD/BR DVD (DD/DTS)...

So which amps can process decoded HD sound formats?
 
There currently aren't any amps that can decode the new sound formats - probably be mid to end of next year - but any amp with 7.1 inputs should be able to handle as all the decoding is done onboard the HD-DVD/B-Ray Player.:smashin:
 
Most of the newer Denon/Pioneer/Yamaha amps can take 5.1 PCM from HD-DVD or Blu-Ray via HDMI 1.1. This is involves the HD-DVD BluRay player decoding the Dolby/DTS sound to PCM.

miceri said:
Oh-ohhhh, is this true?

I was hoping that this unit would process the sound de-coded from a HD/BR DVD (DD/DTS)...

So which amps can process decoded HD sound formats?
 
There would be no difference in quality between a Denon picking up HDMI audio and an Arcam using electrical coax to do the same thing. Well except that the Arcam will do the sound far better justice once it has received it :devil: The only advantage is one cable instead of two.

When it comes to HD Audio (TrueHD, DTS-HD) no current product can accept it because no current product does it yet and HDMI1.3 chips don't yet exist. So it's a level playing field since all manufacturers can accept it fine via 8ch analogue the same as they do now with SACD and HD-DVD.

Future own both mags so I guess Richard and Richard are both just Richard!!!! But he is right, and at any price. IMO the only reason the Denon A1 is four grand is audysey, HDMI license cost, having 10 amps, and having 20 gazillion video inputs/outputs with a Faroudja chip in there. To my ears memory (haven't heard A1 in a few months now) the Arcam will put up one helluva fight. Primare SPA21 has a distinct sound that might catch the Arcam out on a few things, but even still I'm not so sure you would go straight to the Primare as a fav. I think the only integrated that ever sticks in my mind is the Yamaha Z9.
 
Sell it too me please ?


Listen to it. Then you will buy it
 
Liam @ Prog AV said:
There would be no difference in quality between a Denon picking up HDMI audio and an Arcam using electrical coax to do the same thing.

From what I understand though is that Arcam's reasons for not implememting audio decoding over HDMI is for quality issues, particularly relating to excessive jitter.
 
That's pretty much how I understood it too Crusty. Just wanted to make the point clear that you don't NEED audio via HDMI since DD and DTS will be equally delivered via coax. It is only advantageous to deliver SACD and DVD-A without the need for conversion to analogue (and even then you need a device that has implemented DSD or DVD-A output via HDMI, and an implementation that actually works....)
 

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