Arcam AVR Receivers

It is most likely Black Friday sales. Last year at this time, I picked up

an Arcam AVR30 at Best Buy for 1299.00 new in the box. It was 

reduced from 6600.00. That was also the end of this model's run.

It works and sounds great.

My local ARCAM dealers have been running 20%+ promotional sales for quite some time this year.

Add on the seasonal Black Friday price cut frenzy, and especially on a further AVR30 model discontinuance by ARCAM that predicates a NOS product dump .,, voila!

https://www.arcam.co.uk/product,hda,av-receivers,avr30.htm

I really like the sound of ARCAM in general. 

I really like Arcam sound too. Im wondering if I should upgrade from AVR30 to AVR31 in terms of sound and video 60 vs 120hz ?

@ajones82

I doubt you will meet a price vs performance value uptick. I don’t see any quantum leap in design or build.

Anecdotally, a local AV dealer invoked a similar upgrade comparison to the current very top model SONY OLED fiat panel TV; versus its predecessor very top model from two - three years ago. Practically, the actual audio/video performances uptick was minimal at about 5% and Fuhgeddaboud all the schmoozy marketing crap thst the latest and greater is a must-have upgrade = Coughing up the not insignificant cash for a nominal 5% odd performance quotient.( minimal in any case)

Vis-A-Vis AVR’s, in short, recent year over year model upgrades fail IMO in the price vs performance because the current models are not needle movers over recent prior year similar build models. ….mostly it is a bells and whistles differences only.

I’d wait until ( if and when) ARCAM makes a significant build upgrade published in external reviews …AND …yiu stress-test it via a personal store audition before I’d shell out the cash from an AVR30 to an AVR31.

ARCAM is arguably already the very best AVR brand out there .

I see you had trouble with an Arcam 850.

Perhaps define your actual use/needs, and seek suggestions for alternate brands to accomplish .......

Thanks everyone for your thoughts.

@akg_ca thanks, yeah I do like the way it sounds. 

@elliottbnewcombjr yeah I did but I do love the way it sounds. I was thinking maybe switch over to Luxman but that will be much more expensive (they don't have AV receivers either so I would need AV processor for going this route). Or I was thinking maybe get a separate Arcam AV41 and their 7-channel PA720. I don't know. Decisions decisions. 

setup, unified remotes are a strong consideration!

I compared Arcam directly to Yamaha Aventage and thought the Yammy sounded much better.  Clearer with better imaging and 3D soundstage, and this was with B&W 805 D3 speakers.  I was very surprised.  And they’re much more reliable.  No brainer in my book.  FWIW.