No, no Arcam AVR600 is going to take the place of anyone's high end audio separates, to driver their speaker system! Yes, it's a nice receiver, with newer AV processing, including higher end digital Dac's than what even older ultra high end digital front ends offered 15 years ago, sure. And yet, it's still not driving full range speakers with authority, or full bodied refinement or control, purity, and so on. As a receiver goes, it's good product for driving some small monitor speakers, and an assisted sub. I grant anyone that. Is it better than older receivers, sure, that too.
I have to laugh when people get behind ANY AV receiver, flagship or otherwise, and think they have something super special, world beater, all audiophile equipment equiped and so forth! I laugh! And my exerperience is that if you simply put any descent even Parasound, Adcom,B&K, Emotiva, and even Rotel outboard power amp at the end of any AV pre/pro or receiver, and you already beat up sonically on what is capable from the all in on receiver units on their own merit! All things considered, of course. The receiver or processor needs to be current digital technology, that posseses descent enough audio pass through direct for analog dubties, if applicable. But, at very least, you cannot compare any older digital process vs newer, when it comes to detail and resolution, compared to older products. So, in that respect, yes, even newer AV receivers surpass older products on both sides of the board, sure.
Problems with AV receivers- still can' tbe avoided, and which degrade things compared to separates systems, is electronic interference between power sections and delicate pre/pro sections, affecting signal to noise, channel separation and so on. Separate the power amp from the preamp and you get strong noticable bennefits.
Also, dediated power amps, as I stated, offer current delivery and quality control and better parts than what you'll get from some Chinese receiver. I've simiply played with all of this stuff mostly, simply way too many hours to know otherwise. Basically, separates systems simply offer too many benefits, when combined with current digital process properties ..it's a team effort of parts.
Yes, it's simply amazing what is being offered in todays digital AV recievers and processors, I agree. I still lean towards higher audiphile grade, full range system attributes with the separates. People can swear by their receiver to be "all that" for sound, but I know otherwise. Just too many side by side comparisons and hundreds of hours of tinkering with different combos and equipment choices in this hobby to think otherwise.
I mean I see no serious AV magazine reviewer ditching their high end AV pre/pro and separates power amp combinations to think or be persuaded otherwise! And you can't get me to believe that the otherwise excellent Arcam products are going to beat out some Krell, Theta, Simm, Meridian, Macintosh, Anthem, Parasound Halo, or even Denon or Marantz separates processor and amplifier combo, all around! I think these perform at another level than just a "receiver".
that's all I'm sayin..
