My personal review and experience with Arcam AVR 550 with Dirac Live

Hi Nicks25, 
Sorry for the really really late post and response to your question. 
I had a rotel RSP 1572 paired with Rotel RMB 1075 5ch amp. I sold my Rotel 1572 but kept the amp. Currently I am running the AVR 550 as a preamp since it's amp is not as beefy as its big brother avr850. 

Difference in movies: Due to its room correction and support for latest formats the movies (blu ray) do sound more open and better with the Arcam. With the room correction turned on the dialogue is more clear. Rotel was pretty good but Arcam has the edge. 

Music: Very close! Its a matter of preference. Both Arcam and Rotel have open dynamic sound however Arcam is a bit warmer. 

Loving my Arcam!

Thanks for the response.
I ended up purchasing an Arcam AV 860 to replace a Rotel RSP-1580 so we have followed similar paths.  I also had a miniDSP DDRC88A with the Rotel.  I sold both and am very happy with the Arcam.  I  also wanted to add Atmos speakers and the Arcam supports that as well.  I also have a slight preference for the Aram sound,

The only thing missing from the Arcam is the ability to store more than 1 Dirac project and switch between them.
 
Good luck with your system.

Glad you’re enjoying your AVR550! Out of all the brands that we carry, Arcam is one of our best sellers - their current lineup with Dirac Live is tough to beat. Let me know if you need any support with your unit or if you would like to add more Arcam components to your system - we carry their full line and are very competitive on price.

Best regards,

David Campbell
President - Southern A/V Direct, LLC

@nicks25 how are you liking the amp section of the AV860? 

@danimaz - the AV860 is a pre-pro so there is no amp section.

I am using a 7channel Sunfire (L/R/C/Surrounds/Rear Surrounds) and a 5 channel Emotiva (4 Atmos speakers) in my set up.