Arcam vs. B&K

I can only vouch for the 307.Have had it for 4 yrs now and still don't feel a need to upgrade.Sounds great,powerfull,and the level of adjustments rival and sometimes betters seperates.

The B&K 507 S2 has a second zone which even allows you to play a completely different (or the same if you want) source than in zone one (all at the same time).

It does not have HDMI or video upconverting, but again not sure what the benefit of this is? If your DVD has HDMI out why take the video signal through the receiver? Just another step for it to get stepped on.

Also, not so sure that HDMI is the end all. Lots of different opinions on this and seems like there is not a finalized standard - lots of different implementations on different brands of equipment.

Arcam's also have a great reputation. I don't think you can go wrong with either. Try to listen and compare. At the price of the used 507 S2 you can buy it and test it and then sell it for the same price if you are not fully satisfied. If you can buy used at good prices, you can usually get 100% or close to it of your money back if you decide not to keep it.

guys, thank you all for your replies. It really helps!

I don't really cared about any video processing in a receiver either. Like Ckoffend said, it's just one more step for the signals to travel through and very possibly got degraded in the process. I will just connect all my video outputs to the monitor, be it a TV or a projecter. I am also not very sure what HDMI's benefit will be in this time. The standard is just unconvincing even with the 1.3 version.

And one more question, what's the difference between B&K 507 S1 and S2? Is this only a software upgrade or is there any hardware upgrade as well? I just couldn't find any info on their website.

Thank you all again!

Fans, give a ring to a B&K dealer and ask them what the difference is. Tell 'em you have a S1 and a friend with an S2 and by listening you can't tell any difference but wanted to know if an upgrade is likely in your purchasing future. I believe the differences are minimal.

By the way, since our back and forth yesterday, I remember seeing an S1 being advertised somewhere for about $1400. I think it was even a dealer demo. BOL

Ckoffend, thank you for all the responses. You are very kind. I will probably go with a 507 S2 since someone is offering it for $1929(just within my budget) on eBay, plus shipping. Shipping is a big cost factor for me because of where I live. I'm praying for a smooth transaction since this is really the first time I am buying online.