Arcam FMJ AVR500 7.1 Receiver: Pre-Release Thread

[recruit]

The Arcam AVR500 sits just below the multi award winning Arcam AVR600 and delivers a new level of performance to this market. This means Arcam’s AVR500 will also be taking on the might of Onkyo, Denon and Marantz with its new av receiver – amplifier!

Using 7 x 100 watt per channel and all of Arcam’s technical ability the AVR500 will rise to the challenge and we are sure will also steal some sales from it’s big brother the Arcam AVR600.

With movies, the AVR500 like the AVR600 is a perfectly tuned piece of audio engineering. Its perfectly timed beats and wonderfully balanced harmonies helps the AVR500 nurtured the perfect movie sounds, which lets your emotions flow.

For the traditionalist the AVR500 also includes all the finesse of the AVR600, delivering a truly uncomplicated yet accomplished hifi audio sound, which easily leave many true two channel stereo amplifiers in the shade.

The Arcam AVR500 has some qualities that also separate it from the AVR600, which simplifies the operational functions, making it ideal for the user who does not require the extra component included in the AVR600.

This unit is coming in at appox £2500 which would equate to roughly $3500 compared to its bigger brother which comes in at a cool $5000

Technical Specifications

• Ultra High Performance AV Pre-amp Processor
• Ultra-clean audio signal path
• 100w per channel ultra low distortion power amplifier
• HDMI 1.3a dual output video switching
• Video trans-coding from component to HDMI
• High precision decoding for HD audio formats
• Dolby Volume* gain processing
• 2 zone outputs
• Optional Ethernet/USB audio playback / Internet radio
• FM/AM Radio tuner with 100 presets
• Optional DAB Radio module (Market Dependant)
• IR and full duplex RS232 control
• Superlative audio & video performance

[Jungle Jack]

Hello,
It is excellent to see that Arcam has released a less costly version of the amazing FMJ-AVR600.
If the AVR500 is 75% as good as the 600 is, this is going to be a special Receiver.

Given the AVR500 shares much of the in house developed programming code from the AVR600/AV888, I would imagine this is going to be a pretty sweet AVR. I greatly appreciate the fact that Arcam pays great attention to keeping jitter as low as possible.

Though it seems primarily the European Press that pays attention to HDMI jitter levels, I do believe it to be an important consideration for achieving the best possible sound. Pioneer has also done an excellent job in respect to keeping jitter levels quite low and offering a solution when using PQLS with a partnering Blu Ray Player.
Cheers,
JJ

[Lordoftherings]

The Arcam AVR600 is truly an excellent A/V Receiver (expensive though at $4,995 list).

* I just read an excellent review on it. The 'Sound', it's all about the Sound.

[recruit]

Hi JJ,

Yes Arcam have paid a lot of attention to the levels of jitter that there new receivers and processor have over HDMI, I can certainly say that both the AVR600 and AV888 sound amazing and it seems that the new AVR500 is just a scaled sown version of the 600 which is good news for those that cannot stretch to the $5000 that its bigger brother is asking.

It only loses a little on the power side but it does omit pre outs which for some maybe a big deal, but I am sure it will sell well all the same...

Jungle Jack wrote:

Hello,
It is excellent to see that Arcam has released a less costly version of the amazing FMJ-AVR600.
If the AVR500 is 75% as good as the 600 is, this is going to be a special Receiver.

Given the AVR500 shares much of the in house developed programming code from the AVR600/AV888, I would imagine this is going to be a pretty sweet AVR. I greatly appreciate the fact that Arcam pays great attention to keeping jitter as low as possible.

Though it seems primarily the European Press that pays attention to HDMI jitter levels, I do believe it to be an important consideration for achieving the best possible sound. Pioneer has also done an excellent job in respect to keeping jitter levels quite low and offering a solution when using PQLS with a partnering Blu Ray Player.
Cheers,
JJ

[recruit]

Lordoftherings wrote:

The Arcam AVR600 is truly an excellent A/V Receiver (expensive though at $4,995 list).

* I just read an excellent review on it. The 'Sound', it's all about the Sound.

Yes the SQ is amazing on the AVR600, I had one on loan for approx 1 month before I took delivery of the AV888, so if the AVR500 has more of the same it will be very good indeed..