Have to say, I was extremely disappointed with the Arc considering the amazing reviews it has had. I bought one to replace the TV speakers for the wife when watching normal TV as the TV speakers in the Panasonic panel are really pants and A.R.C between TV and the Arcam AV860 was driving me round the bend so I had to turn it off.
Why get a sound bar you ask if I have a full 5.1.2 system? Well as I said A.R.C was so flaky I couldn't cope any more. When it stopped working, and normally happened when switching between inputs nothing I did would get sound back through the processor from the TV. Days later it would suddenly start working again. Coupled with re-introducing a separate 2 channel Pre-amp into the system, making the whole thing a bit more complicated, I just wanted a simple solution for better than TV speaker sound for everyday watching. Movies and good stuff on Netflix, prime or Apple still go full fat surround.
I am using the optical out from the TV into the Arc with the HDMI converter so don't know if that has big impact but when I first put it in I too wasn't sure if the sound was still coming from the normal TV speakers.
While I wasn't expecting it to get anyway near the performance of my surround system I was expecting it to sound more dynamic than it does and voices to be a lot clearer than the TV speakers.
if you do decide to move it on have a look at the Beosound Stage, its a great performer no sw issues, works like clockwork .Have to say, I was extremely disappointed with the Arc considering the amazing reviews it has had. I bought one to replace the TV speakers for the wife when watching normal TV as the TV speakers in the Panasonic panel are really pants and A.R.C between TV and the Arcam AV860 was driving me round the bend so I had to turn it off.
Why get a sound bar you ask if I have a full 5.1.2 system? Well as I said A.R.C was so flaky I couldn't cope any more. When it stopped working, and normally happened when switching between inputs nothing I did would get sound back through the processor from the TV. Days later it would suddenly start working again. Coupled with re-introducing a separate 2 channel Pre-amp into the system, making the whole thing a bit more complicated, I just wanted a simple solution for better than TV speaker sound for everyday watching. Movies and good stuff on Netflix, prime or Apple still go full fat surround.
I am using the optical out from the TV into the Arc with the HDMI converter so don't know if that has big impact but when I first put it in I too wasn't sure if the sound was still coming from the normal TV speakers.
While I wasn't expecting it to get anyway near the performance of my surround system I was expecting it to sound more dynamic than it does and voices to be a lot clearer than the TV speakers.
if you do decide to move it on have a look at the Beosound Stage, its a great performer no sw issues, works like clockwork .