Arcam P1000 sound quality

Obviously a 7 channel power amp will cost around 3.5 times as much as an equivalent 2 channel amp. The only way you can answer your question on relative performance in your context is - as I keep trying to tell you - to go and listen for yourself. Any serious dealer will let you do this.
 
Hi,

Sorry, I pop in this post a little late.
I have had the AVP700/P1000 combo in my home for 3 days on demo from a local dealer.
I also borrowed the P7 from him to listen to it combined with my AV8.

I must say that I am convinced that Arcam does the best price/quality sources and control devices. I'm also really less convinced by the quality of their palyback parts (power amps).

To clarify things :
- if you're looking for a multichannel amp to have a good HT experience and do not care too much about stereo, then the P7 and P1000 are options to consider. They have the power to let you think that rocket launch really happens in your room
- if you're main concern is stereo, then the P1000 and the P7 will, IMHO simply not do

So what now ? I think you're still puzzled at what to do. My advice would be following in your case :
- if you're looking for HT exclusively or consider it as the most important aspect, the AVR350 is a good option
- if you're lokking for a good stereo sound also, I would get the AVR350 and then, when bank account allows, add a really good 2 channel power amp to drive the front speakers. YOu can find some really stunning ones on the S/H market for a decent price (I am personally happy with my Linn/Arcam combination and the Linn power amps are to be found for fair prices).

Regards.

PenguinHiFi
 
Hi,

Sorry, I pop in this post a little late.
I have had the AVP700/P1000 combo in my home for 3 days on demo from a local dealer.
I also borrowed the P7 from him to listen to it combined with my AV8.

I must say that I am convinced that Arcam does the best price/quality sources and control devices. I'm also really less convinced by the quality of their palyback parts (power amps).

To clarify things :
- if you're looking for a multichannel amp to have a good HT experience and do not care too much about stereo, then the P7 and P1000 are options to consider. They have the power to let you think that rocket launch really happens in your room
- if you're main concern is stereo, then the P1000 and the P7 will, IMHO simply not do

So what now ? I think you're still puzzled at what to do. My advice would be following in your case :
- if you're looking for HT exclusively or consider it as the most important aspect, the AVR350 is a good option
- if you're lokking for a good stereo sound also, I would get the AVR350 and then, when bank account allows, add a really good 2 channel power amp to drive the front speakers. YOu can find some really stunning ones on the S/H market for a decent price (I am personally happy with my Linn/Arcam combination and the Linn power amps are to be found for fair prices).

Regards.

PenguinHiFi

Hi, Your info interests me. What are the limitations for P1000 or P7 when it comes to good stereo sound? My concern is actually stereo but have a P1000 - not unpacked yet since other projects have been prioritized.
 
Well, I went ahead and just bought the p1000 brand new on ebay for 790 pounds. I'll let you guys know my thoughts on it whenever it arrives.
 
Well, I went ahead and just bought the p1000 brand new on ebay for 790 pounds. I'll let you guys know my thoughts on it whenever it arrives.

I believe a good choice. :clap:. An independent poweramp is more versatile.
 
Just an update for those that are interested!

My p1000 arrived a few days ago and I'm very pleased with the improvement, though it has thrown up a couple of problems.

Firstly the good stuff! It's incredibly punchy - drums and bass kicks sound awsome and it has that classy hifi sound I was always craving. The midrange is extremely crisp and detailed, voices and instruments like pianos and acoustic guitars cut through my room like a razor, yet sound completely natural and not at all harsh. Bass seems a bit more powerful and with much more control and an added warmth, though maybe not as much I originally hoped for.

Now the problems! The "in your face" midrange can be quite hard on the ears after a while, and the treble can sound very harsh with low quality sources. Which is a bit of a problem for me since 90% of my usage is for watching digital tv, which is very compressed and tinny. The fact that I have quite bright sounding speakers doesn't help at all! I also find myself craving a bit more bass, and often end up ignoring pure direct mode and reaching for the tone controls on my denon. The amp also seems to be buzzing slightly. Maybe this is normal, but worryingly the tweeters and mid/bass drivers also have a quiet buzz when silent - my denon never used to do this. Also one of the speakers is buzzing slightly louder than the other. I re-wired the amp and speakers and it improved slightly, but it's still there.

Overall I'm pleased with the increase in sound quality for the money, but I now have a much bigger urge to sort out the pre amp stage with a decent processor and some decent DACs. I'll definately do some demoing soon to see how much of an improvement this will give me.
 
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interesting statement as one of my main issues with my new AVR350 - is with some sources- most noteably normal digital TV - it sounds rather lispy for speech - and this is with warm speakers - Tannoys ! - amazed that an Arcam product sounds bright !
 
The "buzz" - could you please try to describe it; for example is this a 50Hz hum, which would most likely indicate a ground loop? OTOH, you wouldn't hear a 50Hz hum through the tweeters. If it is a ground loop hum, please open a new thread (as it's a different problem) and we'll solve it there. In any case, this is not normal and needs resolving.
 
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I'm not a great sound expert so I couldn't tell you if the buzz was around 50hz or not. It's more of a low pitched hum than a high frequency, however the bass drivers are completely silent, no buzzing at all. Its only the mid/bass and tweeters which buzz.

edit- I just had another quick listen and I'm sure the frequency is much higher than 50hz. It sounds more like it's in the lower midrange.
 
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I'm not a great sound expert so I couldn't tell you if the buzz was around 50hz or not. It's more of a low pitched hum than a high frequency, however the bass drivers are completely silent, no buzzing at all. Its only the mid/bass and tweeters which buzz.

edit- I just had another quick listen and I'm sure the frequency is much higher than 50hz. It sounds more like it's in the lower midrange.

I have recently bought a P1000 and am also getting 'Buzzing' from all of my speakers! I have e-mailed Arcam twice now, but still no reply.
Have you sorted your 'Buzzing' yet?
Rob
 
Rob, is your "buzzing" the same as motile rod's (which is not a ground loop and probably needs a service technician), or do you have a 50Hz hum, which would indicate a ground loop that we can diagnose and resolve?
 
Hi,
I was getting a bad humming from all drivers (Not just the woofers) and a loud humming from the unit itself. I did a little rummaging around the wires and I found that there were two problems. 1st my sub cable (high level) wasn't connected properly 2nd I was getting interference from my plasma. I solved this by (of course) connecting the subwoofer cable in properly & secondly, connecting the Plasma to a different mains outlet - Problem now solved!
I am very happy with what I'm hearing now - only I suspect the neighbours arn't! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: No, seriously, I do respect my neighbours as I suspect you all do too!
Rob
 
I've tried unplugging each component from the mains, one at a time and it made no difference. As rewiring the speaker connections seemed to help a bit, maybe investing in some banana plugs will help?

Incidentally, the sound quality of the amp has really grown on me and I'm surprised at how good it sounds at high volumes. Really pleased with the purchase!
 
Are you using unbalanced or unbalanced interconnects?

Your buzz is apparently not 50Hz and is therefore unlikely to be a ground loop. To verify it's the P1000, remove all of the interconnects from the P1000 and plug the P1000 into the power. If it still shows the problem, send it in for repair.

If not, you may have a lead with a bad or broken connection. Disconnect all leads (only exception, power) into the pre-amp and connect one interconnect at a time from the pre-amp to the amp, make sure each one is properly seated at both ends by pressing hard. Repeat, then move on to the source components and TV - one lead at a time, starting with a completely bare component.
 
Just an update for those that are interested!

My p1000 arrived a few days ago and I'm very pleased with the improvement, though it has thrown up a couple of problems.

Firstly the good stuff! It's incredibly punchy - drums and bass kicks sound awsome and it has that classy hifi sound I was always craving. The midrange is extremely crisp and detailed, voices and instruments like pianos and acoustic guitars cut through my room like a razor, yet sound completely natural and not at all harsh. Bass seems a bit more powerful and with much more control and an added warmth, though maybe not as much I originally hoped for.

Now the problems! The "in your face" midrange can be quite hard on the ears after a while, and the treble can sound very harsh with low quality sources. Which is a bit of a problem for me since 90% of my usage is for watching digital tv, which is very compressed and tinny. The fact that I have quite bright sounding speakers doesn't help at all! I also find myself craving a bit more bass, and often end up ignoring pure direct mode and reaching for the tone controls on my denon. The amp also seems to be buzzing slightly. Maybe this is normal, but worryingly the tweeters and mid/bass drivers also have a quiet buzz when silent - my denon never used to do this. Also one of the speakers is buzzing slightly louder than the other. I re-wired the amp and speakers and it improved slightly, but it's still there.

Overall I'm pleased with the increase in sound quality for the money, but I now have a much bigger urge to sort out the pre amp stage with a decent processor and some decent DACs. I'll definately do some demoing soon to see how much of an improvement this will give me.

I did listen to the P1000 and IMO it is a little brighter and harder in the midrange than some (although more amps than you would think suffer from mid hardness IMO) You would probably benefit from a little experimentation with dare I say it cables. I'm not talking expensive stuff, quite the reverse. Try running the fronts and center with some 2.5 mains cable as an alternative, if you can hear some differences try and live with it for 2-3 days (Don't bother with a neat installation at this point) Then go back you will recognise the differences more readily when you return.

If you think the mains (non stranded solid core) was an improvement I can make a few cheap cable suggestions, again I would only bother with the front 3 channels. Additionally some intreconnects can be prone to exaggerating the mid hardness, in some systems this gives the 'impression' of sounding more dynamic. I don't want to get into a cable debate so please don't shoot me, most expensive stuff is overpriced guff IMO :suicide:

But I am trying to help for a minimal outlay.

If the mid hardness cannot be addressed for a small outlay then I think it's either warmer spaekers or a different power amp
 
Bought a P1000 secondhand relatively cheap, and am chuffed to bits with it.
Seeing that someone here uses ESL-63s with it had me a bit surprised. Timeless and excellent speakers that I'd probably give my left nut for if I was more of an audiophile. :)

I currently run a pair of KEF Q300 and a KEF Q200c on mine. I bought the P1000 in part because I want enough power on tap as I add more speakers, and in part because when it's time to upgrade my receiver, I'll get a preamp processor instead (and a second power amp if I need more than 7 channels).
 

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