New home theater setup

Thanks for everyone's input. This is, after all, a secondary system. My primary setup is Rotel separates w/ Ascend Acoustics. For now, I'll make do with the RX-A700 (which does have pre-outs, btw) pulling full stereo duty and the old A2070 assigned to power my pool speakers (which are over 200 feet away....lotsa resistance ) until I get carpet and furniture in the basement. Then I'll balance and reassess.

Arcam AVR 600. It beat the pants off of my all Sunfire seperate system in every way, and I really liked that set up. I had one (AVR 600) for quite some time. I ended up selling it to a customer that "had to have it" or I would still be using it. I'm currently running all Arcam seperates. (I'm a seperate guy at heart) I'm not saying it's inexpensive, but, great sound can come from an AVR. (that includes 2 channel) I'm sure there are others, I just have not had the pleasure of useing one that's better myself.

No, no Arcam AVR600 is going to take the place of anyone's high end audio separates, to driver their speaker system! Yes, it's a nice receiver, with newer AV processing, including higher end digital Dac's than what even older ultra high end digital front ends offered 15 years ago, sure. And yet, it's still not driving full range speakers with authority, or full bodied refinement or control, purity, and so on. As a receiver goes, it's good product for driving some small monitor speakers, and an assisted sub. I grant anyone that. Is it better than older receivers, sure, that too.
I have to laugh when people get behind ANY AV receiver, flagship or otherwise, and think they have something super special, world beater, all audiophile equipment equiped and so forth! I laugh! And my exerperience is that if you simply put any descent even Parasound, Adcom,B&K, Emotiva, and even Rotel outboard power amp at the end of any AV pre/pro or receiver, and you already beat up sonically on what is capable from the all in on receiver units on their own merit! All things considered, of course. The receiver or processor needs to be current digital technology, that posseses descent enough audio pass through direct for analog dubties, if applicable. But, at very least, you cannot compare any older digital process vs newer, when it comes to detail and resolution, compared to older products. So, in that respect, yes, even newer AV receivers surpass older products on both sides of the board, sure.
Problems with AV receivers- still can' tbe avoided, and which degrade things compared to separates systems, is electronic interference between power sections and delicate pre/pro sections, affecting signal to noise, channel separation and so on. Separate the power amp from the preamp and you get strong noticable bennefits.
Also, dediated power amps, as I stated, offer current delivery and quality control and better parts than what you'll get from some Chinese receiver. I've simiply played with all of this stuff mostly, simply way too many hours to know otherwise. Basically, separates systems simply offer too many benefits, when combined with current digital process properties ..it's a team effort of parts.
Yes, it's simply amazing what is being offered in todays digital AV recievers and processors, I agree. I still lean towards higher audiphile grade, full range system attributes with the separates. People can swear by their receiver to be "all that" for sound, but I know otherwise. Just too many side by side comparisons and hundreds of hours of tinkering with different combos and equipment choices in this hobby to think otherwise.
I mean I see no serious AV magazine reviewer ditching their high end AV pre/pro and separates power amp combinations to think or be persuaded otherwise! And you can't get me to believe that the otherwise excellent Arcam products are going to beat out some Krell, Theta, Simm, Meridian, Macintosh, Anthem, Parasound Halo, or even Denon or Marantz separates processor and amplifier combo, all around! I think these perform at another level than just a "receiver".
that's all I'm sayin..

Avgoround,

You are wrong. The AVR-600 WILL beat most seperates. Will it beat the Krell amp, or Anthom, I really don't know. If you care to believe what a reviewer says, yes, Peter Moncrieff, in widescreen review, said it was THE BEST sound he has ever heard, at any price. So I guess he would trade his seperates for it. He used 7 B&W 802's in his review. You are not speaking from experiance on this. I drove a pair of ProAc response 3's in my own room at home. Also drove 2 pair of Dahlquist, PSB platinum T6's, Sinclair 460T towers, and several others. (All of which are my own speakers) Your ASSUMPTION that this will only drive small monitors is totally wrong. I'm not saying this is the "holy grail" of audio. I will say that it out performed a Sunfire signature, and a Sunfire 300 for stereo, that's 2 channel, music only. (Also my own amps) We sold Sunfire for many years. When I replied to the OP, I was compairing it to the likes of his Yamaha. (I'm also a dealer for them by the way) We have sold almost everything out there. I have owned Lexicon in my own home, Sony, Yamaha, Harmon, Denon, Adcom, Parasound, NAD, Hafler, Belles, and several others. We have sold, or do sell, all of those. (along with countless others) Do I believe everything that Peter said in his review? No. My current Arcam seperate sytem at home is better than the 600 was. The big Arcam amp has a little, and I do mean little, better hold on my speakers. Mainly better bass response. (it's also twice the price) Your comments sound, and read, like someone that knows what they are talking about. I know better, because I have actually listened to them side by side. I now know you haven't. I'm not talking about the latest codecs for HT, that's a whole different thing. That's why I said 2 channel. I'm a Krell fan, as well as Classe, Theta, and many others. I can't say the 600 would beat them out, I simply don't know. As I said, I'm a seperates guy at heart. My gut feeling is I would prefer the really high end seperate system. Your comment that those cheap amps would beat out a 600 is crazy. You don't know that.(I do)I'm willing to open one up, and compare it to what you have anytime. I'd be willing to bet you can't show up here with seperates that are anywhere near the price, and beat a 600. End of rant.

Hey you don't happen to be a rep for Arcam, are you Zydo? I'm just checking
Zydo, I think that's wonderful that you enjoy(ed?) the Arcam. I sold Arcam for over 2 years from 2000-2002, in a High end Esoterica Audio Video salon, that sold 150K/pr speakers and 50K mono blocks! The Arcam makes great higher end mid-fi, entry hi-end Audio Equipment, yes. I like their products. I am also very familiar with their story, and their products, by enlarge. I also sold that Arcam line along with the likes of Aragon, Krell, Theta, Pass Labs, Audio Research, VTL, Wadia, Audible Illusions, Koda, and a lot more! The Aracam is not what your reviews are trying to sell, I am most certain! But then that comes from over 20 years with litterally 1000's of hours of hands on experience with some of the best audio equipment in the world, and from spending time with the same industry reviewers you are refering to!

".. If you care to believe what a reviewer says, yes, Peter Moncrieff, in widescreen review, said it was THE BEST sound he has ever heard, at any price. So I guess he would trade his seperates for it." *(Zydo)

Zydo, NO I do not believe what any reviewer says! And the Arcam 600 is will not replace a good separates system, accross the board. Any industry professional experienced audiophile in this industry, who knows anything, will agree with that position too! A receiver is simply an all-in-one box compromise, that's got a lot of audiophile tweaks done to the unit. It's not going to replace what better components where designed to do. I'm sorry.
REVIEWERS WRITE REVIEWS WITH AN AGENDA, AND FROM INCENTIVES FROM MANUFACTERERS..BELIEVE IT!! And if you doubt for one second that reviewers don't write OVERLY glowing reiews, because they're getting offered incentives and perks you're kidding your self! (if you owned an audio products company, and wanted to garantee a great review -to sell the most products you could - YOU MOST DEFINITELY WOULD BE TAKING CARE OF ANY REVIEWER WHO WAS WRITING YOUR REVIEW! ..that's life, and that's business).
You can say all like about how the AVR600 replaces all other audio equipment -so we can all stop looking, and all others can just go out of business now, cause Arcam is the only product to have - but I, and most every other audiophile industry person know better! And I don't have some tin ear,either! I can't tell you how many years I've read OVERLY GLOWING REVIEWS in Stereophile, Home Theater, Ultimate AV, AV Interiors, etc, where they put some $250/pr speakers in "Class B" or some AV receiver as class AAA (Ultimate AV), and I LAUGH!! Then, a year or two later that same products slips down to class C or D, and so on. IT'S ALL ABOUT SELLING PRODUCT PEOPLE! Haven't you ever noticed that Definitive Tech and Paradigm are always reviewed as the greatest loudspeakers in existence! (with reviews saying "best speakers I know of", or "you'll get no better sound than these", and so forth? Yeah, and all these years, reviewers have been trying to get us to believe that some Denon flagship AV receiver, or Bryston amps, Lexixon Processors, or Definitive Technology loud speakers were the best you could buy, Class A stereophile rated products! Well that's not been the case either, and neither is it the case with your receiver, no boubt.
When the Arcam 100, then 200, then 300, came out, those were otherwise excellent AV receiver were ALSO touted as being the greatest things sinced sliced bread too! I had them in my store, side by side with better products, and those Arcam's couldn't compete then, and they can't can't compete now. I assure you!
You cannot simply believe everything you're reading, especially when they come out and say "it's/they're the best ever!" or, "Nothing else even compares!.. so go out and buy it now!" -YOU SHOULD RUN FOR THE HILLS!! Cause they just got $100k and a free complete system, to go write those words in that review, and then they went right out and put a down payment on a house with that money! HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS BUSINESS, AND TIME AS WE KNOW IT IN THIS INDUSTRY!!!! I know far too many people, and been around too many years in this industry to know different. Sorry
Yeah, I put about as much credit on an audio review, as I do in Consumer Reports! But, hey, maybe to you it is the best. So I'm glad your happy. Just don't try to sell me on how Arcam is all I'll ever need to drive my Electa Amator's, cause i already know it can't drive em, and isn't strong enough as good separates, let alone refined enough. PPLLLLLLEEEEEASE!