Arcam AVR 300 or Rotel 1066 / 1075 in terms of sound quality

[RobertK]

I currently own a Rotel RSP1066 and 1075 and am reasonably happy with it but I am always on the lookout for an upgrade.

I have been offered the opportunity to swap my rotel for an Arcam 300.

I know the Arcam has more processing modes etc than the Rotel but my question is this...

purely based upon sound quality in a 5.1 and 2 ch (not 6.1/7.1) environment - can anyone offer a comparison of the two ?

I would be using the Arcam in 5.1 mode which would enable me to biamp my Monitor Audio Silver fronts (I understand this offers a big stereo improvement?)

Any advice / guidance would be really appreciated...

Thanks

 

[RobertK]

any help or views ?

Thanks

 

[dts_boy]

personally i think your current rotel setup would offer better performance in music to a integrated amp, even against the big beasts like top end denons and the like. i went from a denon a1se (in the old days) to a pre/power combo and haven't looked back since. sure, integrated options offer more functionality but ask yourself if you need it - i don't so will stay with the pre-power route until there is a true single box equivalent and having tried a lexicon rv8 recently my parasound pre/power still sounded better with music

 

[RobertK]

Thanks for that....it's pretty much what I thought, but some Arcam fans led me to believe the arcam biamped for stereo was a match for some highly regarded stereo only amps......

 

[RobertK]

Any more views please ?

 

[skinnyfat]

Any more views please ?

My personal opinion - Stick with the Rotel. Nothing wrong with the Arcam just that although the rotel doesn't have as many processing modes it is a better processor and the power amp of the Rotel is IMO a bit better than the Arcam's, better enough to nullify the bi-amping idea

 

[RobertK]

Does anybody have any experience of using a stereo preamp in a home cinema pre / power setup ? I am thinking maybe routing the home cinema channels through the pre amp.

 

[RobertK]

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