Thanks guys. And Aaron, thanks for taking the time for such an extensive response.
My only exposure to Arcam components was an audition of an all-Arcam home theater electronics set-up, but it was enough to indicate it was probably what I was after.
It's crucial to me that the very front end of the chain extracts the maximum amount of information (in all senses) from the source, that it has a high degree of transparency, and it gets the details right without being clinical.
It's unlikely I'll hear any of these components before I buy, but I was curious whether the Sony had a suave touch to go along with what most Sonys seem to have, a dynamic presentation.
I did notice a trace of hardness at volume in the lower mids/upper bass in the Arcam system I heard, but was unfamiliar enough with the components to identify where the problem was.
My only exposure to Arcam components was an audition of an all-Arcam home theater electronics set-up, but it was enough to indicate it was probably what I was after.
It's crucial to me that the very front end of the chain extracts the maximum amount of information (in all senses) from the source, that it has a high degree of transparency, and it gets the details right without being clinical.
It's unlikely I'll hear any of these components before I buy, but I was curious whether the Sony had a suave touch to go along with what most Sonys seem to have, a dynamic presentation.
I did notice a trace of hardness at volume in the lower mids/upper bass in the Arcam system I heard, but was unfamiliar enough with the components to identify where the problem was.