I’ve had a good few years away from Arcam but have missed the sound, my last being the AVR600 so started to look into them again after new year.
Anyway similar dilemma to you. Buy an exdemo 850 for a substantial reduction (£2.4k), buy a new 550 for a great price but not class G but otherwise an amazing AVR, OR go for the latest HDA range?
After thinking long and hard I ended up with the 850 and I’m sooooo glad I did. I’d forgotten just how good the Arcam sound is!
My personal reasoning was this, the HDA is a new product and one thing Arcam can’t seem to get right is new product launches. If you look around you’ll see a lot of disgruntled new owners that are beta testers with loads of issues with a product that isn’t fit for release yet according to many. Though dealers continue to sell them.
I got caught out like this when I purchased the 600.
I have no doubt that with time and firmware updates, they will get it right and it will undoubtedly be an awesome product.
I decided that I just want an easy life and amazing sound so went for the 850 being a mature product (4 years I think) knowing that most of its quirks are now well ironed out - a few still remain even now but don’t impact me.
Having purchased at a great price, I plan to keep a close eye on the HDA range and if it’s leaps and bounds above the FMJ, once the majority of bugs are squished, which may take a long time, I’ll flip the 850 and trade up but by then, to a mature product!
If I hadn’t found this clearance product I would have gone for the 550.
So that’s my logic. I guess you have to weigh things up for you. There’s nothing like having the latest and greatest but only if it works remotely like It should. Do you need or crave any of the new bells and whistles of the new HDA? I didn’t.
Personally I’d sit it out unless you like tweaking and updating firmware as some people do enjoy that. Just not me.