Arcam vs. B&K

Turk,

Thank you so much for your detailed explanation. It really helps.

Oh yea, one other thing I didn't think of. You can use a spectrum analyzer to get your room's response. But these machines run about $1200 I think. If you have a friend with one, it would greatly cut down on your time. Being a college student with no access to that kind of money or equipment, it didn't occur to me, then again, not everyone on here is in my situation. Hope this helps.

Dave

If music is really important to you then I would definitely recommend the Arcam. I have the AVR300 and love it (using it with Nola speakers). I prefer it with an aftermarket power cord, which doesn't have to be an expensive noe BTW.

I've had a couple B&K amps and listened to their receivers. B&K do make a very nice product.

But for me, the transparency, body, dynamics and overall sophistication of the Arcams are great not just for movies but also for music - and much closer to the sonics I'm used to with my high end audio system. I don't want to give those virtues up in my second/HT system. I want it all, sound quality and convenience, and that's why I'm a big fan of the Arcam receivers.

Depends on what your priorites are. If music is more important I would recommend the Arcam, but if HT is more important I would probably get the B&K.

Overall I would recommend the Arcam. Features, looks, music performance, resale, etc.

I have the Arcam AVR350 and can tell you the sound reproduction is stunning. It is feeding a pair of maggies (1.6QRs)and is truely the most musical receiver I have ever heard even with mediocre sources. Add a quailty source and is pure magic.