ARCAM

This year ARCAM is pushing back the frontiers of home theater and digital music playback performance with two new AV receivers, the AVR550 at $3400 and the AVR850 at $6000, a 2-channel AV receiver, the SR250 at $3600, three all-in-one AV receiver/disk player combos, the Solo Music at $2250, the Solo Movie 2.1 at $2500, and the Solo Movie 5.1 at $3000, and the irDAC II USB DAC at $800.

Both the AVR550 and AVR850 are Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 and video 4K compatible, have built-in Dirac Live room correction, have Spotify Connect already enabled, can access world wide Internet radio stations via their Ethernet ports, and can be remotely controlled via these same Ethernet ports using the free MusicLife iOS control app. The AVR550 delivers 90 watts/channel in Class-AB mode with all seven channels driven while the AVR850 delivers 100 watts/channel of Class-G power, again with all seven channels driven. Higher output levels are obtained when fewer channels are being used.

As one of the very few audio specialists in the world to design AV receivers, Arcam has developed a reputation for balancing finely-honed technical specifications with world class audio performance. The AVR550 and AVR850 are the highest performing AV receivers Arcam has ever made. Offering a level of sound quality that is far above competing receivers, these models are audiophile products by any measure. Equally at home with high resolution surround sound or two-channel music, they deliver stunning realism with everything from heavy-weight blockbusters to your favorite concert video.

The SR250 is designed for those who want all of the advanced features and sound quality of the AVR850, but who want a stereo setup instead of a 7-channel system. This receiver delivers two channels of Class-G amplification at 120 watts/channel.

The Solo Music is an advanced 2-channel playback system for those who want a very convenient solution that also includes the latest connectivity options. It has a built-in CD/SACD player, has Bluetooth with aptX streaming technology, uses very high end circuitry and components for the best possible sound, has ARCAM's most advanced Class-G amplification, has an Ethernet connection for Wi-Fi connectivity, and has four HDMI inputs so it can connect directly to video sources and displays. It delivers 80 watts/channel into an 8-ohm loudspeaker load.

The Solo Movie 5.1 is very similar to the Solo Music except that it has a built-in Blue-ray player instead of the CD/SACD drive of the Solo Music. The other main difference is that it delivers 60 watts/channel of Class-G power with all five channels driven. It's the perfect solution for those wanting a very convenient, all-in-one, multi-channel movie/music product. Finally,for those who want the home theater features but only need two channels instead of five, the Solo Movie 2.1 has all of the same great features as the 5.1 except that it's designed to run just two front loudspeakers and an optional subwoofer.

The irDAC II replaces the previous irDAC and adds both improved sound quality and many new features. It uses the very advanced ESS ES9016K2M chip as the heart of its digital-to-analog conversion, has a built-in headphone circuit taken from ARCAM's most advanced integrated amplifier, the A49, includes Bluetooth connectivity, has DSD128 support for the highest purity audio files, gives you both fixed and variable outputs, and has an IR remote. All of the inputs and the volume at the variable outputs can be controlled viathat IR remote. That's a whole lot of sonic performance and control capability for only $800!