Please help- Arcam AVR-300 or B&K AVR507

I think they are both great choices. Having owned the Denon 3804, B&K 307 and 507, (Classe SSP30,Classe SSP60)- both driven with Legacy/Coda amps, I would have to go with the Arcam AVR 300. For music 2 channel and music concert DVDs it is the best sounding receiver I have ever heard. Very open sound stadge and good definition and localization of all instruments and voices. In fact,the sound stadge it really is not too far of a drop in quality from the SSP-60

The AVR-300 is the closets thing that I have heard to separates. Actually it smokes the Outlaw Pre/Pro with the Codas. To me the B&K was a nice step up from the Denon, but it did not sound as musical as the Arcam AVR300.

The 300 is great reciever if you are into music and music videos. It's great for movies as well, but I'm not sure you would hear as much diffence between the AVR300 and the B&K watching movies? Its been a while since I did an A/B comparison. But, needless to say I now use the AVR-300 in my system.

If a receiver is what you want, I think the Arcam is in another league from the B&K.

If music is at all important to you, I'd definitely go for the Arcam. It has the best sound quality - open, dynamic, airy - of any HT receiver I've ever heard. The pre-pro section is excellent, so even if you eventually acquire insanely power hungry speakers down the road, the AVR300 will be still be an excellent processor and you can get a separate amp.

You'd have to spend mucho dinero for separates to equal or better the the Arcam's performance.

The B&K is nice enough for the $$ but you'll end up replacing it much sooner.

I Have to chime in again. I now have BOTH the AVR507 and the AVR300 in house. I am an unbiased dealer for B&K. I Own a Arcam dv78 player and have the 79 in route-thus I really enjoy the Arcam stuff and found a dealer friend selling his demo avr300 very cheap and bought it to see for myself.
Here is the REAL DEAL...With both in house on the same system, not just a bunch of retorical opinions by people that have not heard both side by side....The rest of my system consists of Monitor Gold ref20's mains, GRC center, GRfx inceiling rears, Martin Logan Depth sub, Arcam dv78 dvd player, Monster hts5000, all M-ser monster, Signal cable, or Shunyata power,ic's, and speakers wire. System has dedicated lines as well-just trying to set the stage, as I work in the industry and have played with all...I also have recently had the BAT VK60 tube amp running off the MAIN out of the b&k reciever and STUNNED 3 different hi fi nuts with this system recently-including myself....But on with the thread.
1. The B&K is built better-MUCH nicer binding post-one can actually biwire with something larger than 14quage without wanting to throw the (ARCAM) arcoss the room..It also weighs in at 52 lbs. The Arcam weighs 35lbs. BOTH are rated conservativly at 150wattsx7(B$K) and 100wattsx7(ACM)(BOTH AT 1KHZ) The b&K has 28 AMPS peak to peak current available, no such ratings ANYWHERE for the Arcam, as they dont want to go there...This rating is really reseved for comparing standalone amplifiers....OH, one thing that I always thought was catchy by the b&k sales reps, is that they call them AMP-lifiers NOT WATTifiers.....For a reason...:) GO FIGURE....try and get some "amp" ratings...from anyone...OR even dampining factor for that matter...150+ for the avr507...
2.The wife HATES the ARCAM remote-especially after having the B&K's mx700 TWEEKED by a pro-ME.....:) The Arcam learns, NOT WELL, and is NOT intuitive at all-It took me two days to finally get it, and I still mess up trying to switch inputs-this should not be hard, but is with ARCAM and NAD-the ENGLISH have some warped thinking....AND there remotes STINK!!!
3.The B&K sounds like it has 50% more power-as it does.
Even when biamping the front channels, the arcam couldn't quite catch up, it still was slightly more "thin, dry, bright, and overall just lacked puch and rythmic drive as compared to the avr507.
5.The bass managment is better on the b&k(HANDS DOWN) though I do like the +10db setting on the arcam for DVDA-as it is the first prepro that adresses this VERY messed up reality of no bass on high res dvda....IS this not one reason we buy "high res"? to get dynamics?
6.The 507 non s2 does not video transcode...a bitch if you dont have or cant program a macroed remote, but no problem with the b&k's supplied mx700 from universal($350)
7. The "steller" video transcoding on the Arcam had red shift and gerneral color blooming on all transcoded inputs.
8. To be fair, My dads AVR507S@ that transcodes softens the picture ever so much, but it is less, and BEST to run DIRECT anyway...IF you have macro capability.

7.The Arcam gets the closest (in terms of being able to tweek a good system )as the B&K-they both are as good or BETTER than MOST any seperates I have heard.
The b&K, Like some have said, makes for an awsome prepro, as does the Arcam, as I drove a BAT VK60 for about a week off of it and fell in LOVE!!!
The B&K lets you customise WAY further than the Arcam-though the arcam is not bad in this respect.
If you like dry, foward,overly neutral,bass shy/flat and anylitical,super detailed and fast, the Arcam is for you....I love tubes! The b&k is mosfet w/class a predriver and leans more toward warmth and punch. I would say that the Arcam has maybe a touch more speed but is more fatiging to listen to and certainly has less bass weight and warmth. It took me three days to tune the Arcam to my Monitors to make them "sing" and make the "majic" start, I was finally able to grasp the virtues of the Arcam, but still will move it to my fathers 3rd system. (He has a b&k AVR307s2 in system #2) So, yes the ARCAM stays in the family, but gets demoted to less use in our ears...but all ears are differant, and the b&k has no equals in the reciever market all in all...as its price reflects...More to come if need be...Scott

Agree with most of what Scott said. If you have even remotely demanding speakers I feel the 507 is the better choice. All of the bells and whistles on these top end receivers seem neat until you realize you'll rarely use any of them. Put your money toward the amp stage, and B&K leads the pack on that.