Settings on Arcam AVR300

Do a reset first, push both the fm/mute and preset/tune buttons at the same time. The display will say 'RESET REQ?' and you push the 'OK' button. After the 20 second reset procedure, I find that virtually all but the biggest, most expensive speakers should be set to small. The easiest way to do that is to go to screen 2 and set autop setup to 'config1' if its not there already. Then on screen 3, set the sub crossover to 60Hz or lower, whereever the bass sounds right after you finish the setup. Then go back and set your delays, etc., save and exit the setup. You should have good bass then with the sub connected to the sub pre-out. Let us know how it works out.

I purchased the Arcam 300 8 months ago as the first major upgrade to my system. I agree as my intial impression was that at times the highs were high and bright was a word I was familar. If I had to explain why, I think much of this was due to the associated equipment I was using at that time. As such, I began to look to purchase other system upgrades with a "neutral" type of sound.

I ended up replacing a Denon 2900 universal player with a modified (Upgrade Co) Marantz 9600 universal player and replacing Axiom bookshelf speakers (often labled as bright) to Dali Helicon 400 speakers.

At the time I purchased the Dali's, the dealer stressed the need to use complimentary cables. I was skeptical due to the cost$, but was allowed to demo a pair of biwired Cardas Neutral Reference cables for my mains. I'm not a cable pundit, but do believe that there was a positive difference when using these cables. Subsequently I purchased these Cardas cables as well as the main speaker interconnects.

Looking back and I may be totally off base with my choice of equipement, I think that trying to find complimentary equipement was the key to attaining a better sound.