Arcam AVR390 / AVR550 / AVR850 including Dirac Live® Part 2.

You can Just buy the harmony hub and use the app on a smartphone or tablet as the remote.
That solution is really horrible in real world use though, if you want to grab the remote quickly to hit pause, you don't want to have to fiddle around with your phone first to get there! The hub with the companion remote is okay though, and not much more money than the hub on it's own.
 
That solution is really horrible in real world use though, if you want to grab the remote quickly to hit pause, you don't want to have to fiddle around with your phone first to get there! The hub with the companion remote is okay though, and not much more money than the hub on it's own.
I was think more of using a no longer used old phone or tablet as a dedicated remote.
 
I was think more of using a no longer used old phone or tablet as a dedicated remote.
Okay. I have tried that and although it does work, the lack of physical buttons does make it inconvenient.

I suppose you could use it for activities on and off, and advanced functions and just use the original remote for basic functions. I don't know about you, but I tend to stop / play / pause, change volume etc whilst still looking at the TV screen and not at the remote!
 
This is exactly the issue I used to have with the older Philips / Marantz Pronto remotes, pre Logitech..
 
When I changed from my old Yamaha receiver to the AVR390 and setup Dirac it was clear that what I had been listening to prior was an unholy incoherent mess. So was really pleased with the night & day improvements.

Now I want to change from 5.1 to 2-channel stereo only. As it happens the particular speakers I'm considering are 4ohm and whilst the 390 might manage with its 8ohm impendence I'd rather just move to a new Amp that is designed for and supports 4ohm That's neither here nor there for now.

My room is difficult and clearly Dirac has compensated for that to a large extent but I wonder too did Dirac also sort out my speakers (in Sig below) regardless of the room? In other words, if I had a 'perfect' room then the assumption would be that Dirac would have made little or no difference. Right? As it happens my current setup with Dirac presents much improved imaging and sound stage. If I switch off EQ the sound quality suffers (but still so much better than the Yamaha ever was).

So the point of this post. If I go down the route of a new Amp (have this in mind) am I destined to revert to poor quality without Dirac? Or will the [excellent] Amp itself make up for some part of that (not the room issues per se) but overall sound quality.

I'm just conscious that reviewers talks about how great a particular amp is - do we assume their listening rooms are treated to the Nth degree therefore and what they hear is as good as it gets?

Or is it a case that my sound quality issue are 95% a result of a poor room. I think I've just answered my own question.

Glad to hear other views.
 
When I changed from my old Yamaha receiver to the AVR390 and setup Dirac it was clear that what I had been listening to prior was an unholy incoherent mess. So was really pleased with the night & day improvements.

Now I want to change from 5.1 to 2-channel stereo only. As it happens the particular speakers I'm considering are 4ohm and whilst the 390 might manage with its 8ohm impendence I'd rather just move to a new Amp that is designed for and supports 4ohm That's neither here nor there for now.

My room is difficult and clearly Dirac has compensated for that to a large extent but I wonder too did Dirac also sort out my speakers (in Sig below) regardless of the room? In other words, if I had a 'perfect' room then the assumption would be that Dirac would have made little or no difference. Right? As it happens my current setup with Dirac presents much improved imaging and sound stage. If I switch off EQ the sound quality suffers (but still so much better than the Yamaha ever was).

So the point of this post. If I go down the route of a new Amp (have this in mind) am I destined to revert to poor quality without Dirac? Or will the [excellent] Amp itself make up for some part of that (not the room issues per se) but overall sound quality.

I'm just conscious that reviewers talks about how great a particular amp is - do we assume their listening rooms are treated to the Nth degree therefore and what they hear is as good as it gets?

Or is a case that my sound quality issue are 95% a result of a poor room. I think I've just answered my own question.

Glad to hear other views.

What's your budget for a stereo amp? Are you planning to run stereo speakers only or speakers plus sub? What make and model are you looking at for speakers (and sub if you have one)?
 
I’d get the speakers and try them with the 390 first. If you’re only using 2 channels it may be fine. Even if you do want to swap, at least you’ll be able to try stereo with and without Dirac to see it’s effect.
 
Steve - gear is linked in post above. 2.0 only (nice to have option for sub too but amp listed above ain't got that - so additional separates prob required.

Cynar - that's what I'm considering - if 8 V 4 ohms do works out then I'm golden! But I need to be ready to change amps.
 
Steve - gear is linked in post above
Cynar - that's what I'm considering - if 8 V 4 ohms do works out then I'm golden! But I need to be ready to change amps.

Maybe I missed it, but what speakers are you planning on changing to? Budget?
 

The Arcam SR250 is probably a good choice at the lower end of the price bracket. At your budget, you could also look at the NAD stereo amps. These are all Dirac capable.

I'm biased as I have one, but Lyngdorf would also be an option at that budget. For me, Lyngdorf's RoomPerfect works much better than Dirac. Might be worth getting a home loan/demo when you get the new speakers.
 
8ohm - essentially no benefit over the 390.
Arcam.jpg


 
If the move to stereo is definitely permanent then you could probably swap to the SR250 for no cost, selling the AV390. As @Steve356 said, class G, 210W & a better transformer would make it a no brainer. Especially retaining all the HDMI connectivity of the AVR.

But if the budget will stretch to Lyngdorf then certainly worth a demo.
 
My AVR550 is a Tv stand which is open from all sides except the Top. There is a 1.5 - 2" inch gap from the Top shelf & the rest of the sides are all open. I noticed the unit gets warm on the center & top right after it was on for 1.5-2hrs. Is this normal for the AVR550 or should i get some slim exhaust fans to put on top of the Unit?

Thanks.
 
I have an ac infinity aircom unit, think it’s T9 rear vented. Bought it for marantz avr but kept it when I switched. The fans sit okay on the vents and it seems to do the job. I have a smaller unit without the display on my SA30. The 550 can be on for hours and if i check the temperature on the aircom it’s usually a degree or 2 under 34/35 which is where it’s programmed to come on. The sides are close to the unit so vents mainly from the top.
 
You can get ac infinity units that you fit to the side of the tv unit assuming it has a side. Needs a bit of cutting out but the one I have seems to do a good job so I’m sure those modular ones would be okay.
 
AC Infinity AIRPLATE T8, Quiet Cooling Dual-Fan System 6" (16 cm) with Thermostat Control, for Home Theater AV Cabinets Amazon product ASIN B075VFFMFL
 
Does anyone else use headphones with their AVR850? I'm lucky enough to recently bought a pair Sennheiser HD-800S headphones and they sound amazing plugged into the 850 using stereo direct, but you always wonder if a "proper" headphone amp would be better?

I also presume it's better to use stereo direct with headphones rather than leaving Dirac on?
 
Hi , just been doing some tests last few Days whith my set up and yes Amp running on Edge of power when all Monitor Audio Gold are conected . Testing on really demanding movies like ,,Tenent ,, Amp Does switch off on very first scene whith russian guy when train passing by. I tweak that a Little bit on Dirac , roll of base and turn down a Little bit front speakers in amp menu (decresse speaker Level abaut -1db) but I don't think I will go far whithout external amp at least for front speakers . Tweeking that is descrete menu is really safe for amp? I didn't done that yet but if that will be switching off all the time I will need to consider that .
 

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Hi , just been doing some tests last few Days whith my set up and yes Amp running on Edge of power when all Monitor Audio Gold are conected . Testing on really demanding movies like ,,Tenent ,, Amp Does switch off on very first scene whith russian guy when train passing by. I tweak that a Little bit on Dirac , roll of base and turn down a Little bit front speakers in amp menu (decresse speaker Level abaut -1db) but I don't think I will go far whithout external amp at least for front speakers . Tweeking that is descrete menu is really safe for amp? I didn't done that yet but if that will be switching off all the time I will need to consider that .
Hi, it might be a ventilation issue, see below for a clip from the manual where Arcam want 12 inches clearance all the way round.

Can you temporarily get the unit out of the cabinet (put it on top) and repeat the test with Tenet and see if it still shuts down. Might help to narrow down your options for dealing with the issue

Capture.PNG
 

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