AVR600 alternative?

I have had my Arcam AVR600 for a couple of years now and have never been 100% happy with it, it sounds wonderful but with it's quirks it has never felt like it was worth what it cost me.

I have been thinking about chopping it in against something newer and more feature rich, Is there anything new on the horizon that might bit the bill between the 2000-3000 mark?

This is what I have been looking it:

Anthem - not the most beautiful looking amp

Onkyo 3009/5009 - again not the best looking but well priced and decent spec

Pioneer LX85 - Probably too harsh sounding with my Monitor Audio GR20's

Denon 4312 - ???????? Will it ever be.....

Yamaha RX-A3010 - looks a bit cheap compared with some of their older kit, I used to have an AX1 and that was built like a tank!

Is there anything else that will be comparable and will be decent for music and movies, I know that I will probably lose some quality by going for something else but if they just work without weird quirks then it's a compromise I can live with.

All suggestions welcome, maybe CES will have something to show.

 

To tell you the truth, I don't think there is anything worth shouting about right now. I'd probably stick it out with the Arcam and see if anything else becomes available next year. The manufacturers just aren't investing in this end of the market right now because sales of the flagship models are so low.

 

Have you looked at the Denon AVC-A1HDA as an alternative to the AVR4312? You'll need another grand though, more if you want the 3D upgrade too!

 

Yeah that is what I have been doing for the moment as there does not appear to be anything that really comes close to what I want, I think the Onkyo 5009 is probably the closest at the moment but I'm not 100 sold on it.

I was hoping there may have been some new products emerging that I had not heard about but like you say it's all been very quiet in this sector recently.

 

There are two interesting options that will not lose you any quality.
- one of the Anthems, as you mention
- the Rotel RSP-1572 plus a separate power amp, not necessarily from Rotel. The additional cost of separates is balanced by the technical longevity of the power amp.

 

The market is not very inspiring right now. The Anthems would have been interesting but use it's room correction sysymtem you not only have to install a program on a PC, but you'll also need to find a USB-to-serial connector. Osbcure and hard to use peripherals are never fun. Not sure whose bright idea that was for a consumer product.

 

The Rotel certainly looks interesting and I like the idea of only having to swap out the processor when tech moves on.

Not so keen on it's styling but in terms of what it gives you it seems to tick a lot of boxes so I will certainly look into them some more.

 

Canti1982 if you replaced the 600 with the Rotel I'd be interested in the details and the difference in SQ you experienced.

Thanks,
JB

 

I have been told the 2012 onkyo line up is good and what i have seen they look nicer than the 2011 model.

God the anthem could win a price for the most ugly av receiver and it looks like something you would of bought in the 90's but again the canadians have never had good design tastes. Somebody said to me its not the looks what count but the sound but to me the looks help especially if you are looking at the darn thing everyday.

 

What about a Denon AVC-A1HDA? But you'll obviously want the 3D upgrade too, not to mention a second mortgage.

 

They look good if mounted by mounties riding them through the Rockies