Arcam Solo Movie 5.1

I have been sent a lot more info on this product recently. However the document provided is primarily for consumption by retailers therefore it is unsuitable for public viewing.

However, if you have any specific questions regarding this product then please feel free to ask me and I'll do my best answer them.
 
Just having a wonder about this item........

My Denon 2805 seems to have 'broken' but has been great with Kef Eggs and a PV1 with a Denon 2910 as source but I'm just about to replace the eggs with B+W M1's and a probably a Denon 3806 for the failed 2805.

The question is..... will the Arcam be in the same league for movies and a bit of music (not as picky on music as i used to be - too much listening in the car i guess!).

From what I can see its 5x50w but I really have no idea what this means as item for item the 'w' rating can be misleading so has anyone heard this kit in anything like 'normal home listening conditions' - 4x4m room, sofa, etc.

With the sales on (probably going to use Sevenoaks Leeds) this may all be just too early to make the judgement as thr Arcam seems 6-8 weeks away and little hope of discount but can anyone offer any advice?
 
i could do with a bit a guidance too. curently have an old Yamaha E492 AV reciever that i looking to replace. i have Alpha 9 and 9p amps and FMJ 27A DVD player. my options are an AVR350 (or second hand 300) or sell the 27a and go for a Solo 5.1
 
I saw an extensive demo of this unit at the recent Arcam evening at Billy Vee HiFi. I would say it was easily a match for the far more expensive Naim N-Vi, at least in terms of picture quality (outputting at 720p into a fairly decent plasma). The sound was difficult to judge due to the source material, shape of room and unspecified in-wall speakers. It certainly went loud enough though.
 
I think my main questions will be inputs/outputs for the video upscaling, and what video processor will it use.

I love the idea of using it as a switchbox for my SKY HDMI / XBOX 360 via Component-(HDMI maybe) / PS3 HDMI / PC VIA VGAorDVIorHDMI etc etc.
(I need 2 HDMI inputs minimum, 3 would be better, 4 would be ideal!)
(A s/video input would be great for my CCTV feed)

Second, i'm not overly picky when i comes to CD playback, but do you think this system will replace a moderate hi-fi? (say a decent mini like Onkyo/Teac)

Will it come with speakers, or can you recommend a suitable setup.(bias towards music playback etc)

I assume it will be DVD playback only, ie not HD-DVD/BlueRay?

Will it play SACD/DVD-A?

Will the remote be a pronto type affair, or a solo 5.1 only job etc.

Thanks for any help!
 
I heard and saw the Solo 5.1 output yesterday for the first time and it is an incredible piece of kit, but given your choices and the fact you already have a 27A, I would go for the AVR350 and then later upgrade to DV139 or other distant-future FMJ piece. The 350 is truly an exceptional product, IMO.
i could do with a bit a guidance too. curently have an old Yamaha E492 AV reciever that i looking to replace. i have Alpha 9 and 9p amps and FMJ 27A DVD player. my options are an AVR350 (or second hand 300) or sell the 27a and go for a Solo 5.1
 
Also, any pictures? (the rear would be very useful)

edit:
just done a new yahoo search and some info is now coming through. (none a few days a go!)

Integrated disc player, radio, AV processor and 5ch amplifier
Universal disc playback (DVD-V, CD, D1VX, DVD-A & SACD)
5 x 50 WPC 8 ohms linear (non digital) amplifiers
Internal video scaler to 720p/1080i
HDMI digital output
2 x external HDMI inputs
2 x Component or SCART video switching
Internal DAB/FM or AM/FM radio tuner
Integrated iPod control via R-Lead & R Dock
CR100 8 page backlit learning remote control
2nd Zone audio output with independent volume control
Video setup "Wizard"
Full IR and RS232 serial Control
 
Here are some pics of the front and back.

118408374-L.jpg


118408391-L.jpg
 
I think my main questions will be inputs/outputs for the video upscaling, and what video processor will it use.

I believe it will only upscale when playing a DVD through it HDMI output. It will not upscale any other video sources that are connected to its HDMI inputs.

It will use the Zoran 888 chipset, the same as the DV137 and DV139.

Second, i'm not overly picky when i comes to CD playback, but do you think this system will replace a moderate hi-fi? (say a decent mini like Onkyo/Teac)

It will comfortably outperform any of the small micro systems you have mentioned and by a substantial margin. You will not be disappointed with it's audio performance.

Will it come with speakers, or can you recommend a suitable setup.(bias towards music playback etc)

It will not come supplied with and speakers. My recommendation would be the following:

Fronts PMC GB1: £1145
Centre: PMC DB1+m-C: £345
Surrounds: PMC DB1+: £675
Subwoofer: REL Storm 5: £1000

Total Speaker Price: £3165

I assume it will be DVD playback only, ie not HD-DVD/BlueRay?

It will playback CD, DVD, DVD-Audio, SACD, DiVX, VCD, SVCD, MP3, WMA

It will not playback and of the high defintion formats such as Bluray or HD-DVD.

Will it play SACD/DVD-A?

Yes

Will the remote be a pronto type affair, or a solo 5.1 only job etc.

The Solo Movie will ship with a newly designed 8 page learning CR100 handset that is both sleek and comfortable in the hand. The handset is backlit for use in dark rooms and is of logical ergonomic design. It features a huge library of pre-installed codes for other system devices such as TVs and PVRs including the UK "Sky+" system. This hadset also supports macros, "punch-through" and many other user-defined features.
 
Cheers for the pics.
How do we get component in?(scart adaptor???)
Since there is only two HDMI inputs, i would need to connect my XBOX 360 via component (HD @720p etc)
Is this even possible? (ie RGB "SD" scart only?)

I might have to connect my 360(component/VGA or HDMI) and HTPC((HDMI) direct to the screen. (kinda misses the point about it being a switcher though!)

Thanks for the speaker recommendation, put that is way to rich for my blood :D
I was more thinking in the £1000 range, excluding sub. (i already have one hanging on the ceiling!)
 
How do we get component in?(scart adaptor???)

You can order the Solo Movie in two flavours, scart or component. The component sockets are situated in place of where the scart ones are in the picture.

Since there is only two HDMI inputs, i would need to connect my XBOX 360 via component (HD @720p etc)
Is this even possible? (ie RGB "SD" scart only?)

The Xbox 360 only has component connections and not HDMI. You would need to order the component version of the Solo Movie and connect the Xbox 360 via those connections and then component from the Solo to the TV as well as HDMI. Alternatively you could just connect the XBox 360 directly to the TV via component. What else do you need to connect to the system.

Thanks for the speaker recommendation, put that is way to rich for my blood :D
I was more thinking in the £1000 to £1500 range.

I would suggest a decent sub/sat package like the Kef KHT3005 or the B&W MT20 or MT30 if budget is an issue.
 
Looks like a nice package..... bit nervous now though as I've ordered one without a listen! Just putting my trust in Arcam i guess.....its like buying a house off plan. Does anyone have a copy of the spec lists dealers have?

Anyone had a listen? Is 5x50w going to fill a living room for movies?

I was going to buy a Denon 3806 to go with my Denon 2910 but couldn't resist the arcam. Did manage to get some B+W M1's to complete my 'MT30' package.

Bad news on the arcam ....its not out 'til late jan so I've bought a £99 Sony AV amp from Richer Sounds so I can plug the speakers into something as my Denon 2805 appears dead hence this change.

Good news though is that the jump from this Sony to the Arcam will be worth the wait.
 
Does anyone have a copy of the spec lists dealers have?

Here is a copy of the flier for the Solo Movie 5.1. This should give you most of the information you need.

I cannot supply a copy of the UK Dealer Launch Information pack as it is for dealers only.
 
Shame that it's only doing 1080i (not p) according to the specs. listed above and that it has only 5 channels, not 6. Having moved to 6.1 going back to 5.1 would be a disappointment for me. Otherwise, the Solo 5.1 looks realy tempting as a one-box solution.


Clem
 
Can i just check.
If i go for the component version, it will output any resolutions (say 720p "input" from the xbox 360) via the HDMI output?
ie all input sources and resolutions can be fed via the one HDMI output etc.
 
Can i just check.
If i go for the component version, it will output any resolutions (say 720p "input" from the xbox 360) via the HDMI output?
ie all input sources and resolutions can be fed via the one HDMI output etc.

No, it will not do any conversion of analogue video sources to HDMI. If you feed your XBox 360 in via component then you will need to use the component output on the Solo Movie to connect to the display.
 
any new on when this unit is physically available? (ie. not a paper lauch, actual stock in the dealers stock rooms ready to take home)

Cheers
Dan
 
Crusty, out of interest what would you say the pro's and con's are against the Solo 5.1 and a AVR350/DV79 combo? In what situation would you recommend one path against the other. I'm looking to get a new reciever/seperates and have a short list of things but seem to change my mind hourly:devil:
 
Arcam Solo Movie 5.1

Pros: Small and compact
Cons: Performance not as good as separates

Arcam AVR350/DV79

Pros: Very good performance
Cons: Not quite so small and compact.

Simple really, I would have thought that the differences between the target of these two products would be fairly obvious.
 
is there a simple way of explaining what level of separates the solo is similar to???
 
is there a simple way of explaining what level of separates the solo is similar to???

Not until someone, including me, has heard the unit and done a proper evalution of its performance.

There is very little point is asking about its performance compared to other equipment when the product is not even out yet. When it is out then you'll have the opportunity t evaluate it for yourself and make an informed decision.
 
I expected that someone such as yourself may have had a preview by now. I expect time will tell and a listen is the way forward but thanks for the kind words.
 
Its getting close to Mid-January, does anyone know of any shop that actually has one of these available to demo, or if not of any definite dates when they will ?

Thanks
 

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