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Arcam AVR20 vs. Denon AVR-a110 anniversary edition...

As the title suggests, I am looking for feedback on these two specific AVR’s... I currently have the Arcam, and I love it’s musicality in my setup, which is mostly used for two channel audio. I have had Pass Labs preamps in my rig with Carver Raven 350 power amps in the past, but having a family means trying to get the most out of my rig while taking up less space.

The Arcam is a great piece for that purpose, but I am currently on my 4th one in just a year. Reliability has been their downfall. I have an opportunity to trade for the Denon pretty much even on the dollar side of things, and was hoping someone here might be able to offer e bit of insight as to what the anniversary Denon sounds like. I know they are highly regarded in HT, but I am curious as th how they compare to the Arcam in stereo operation. My speakers are Polk Audio L800’s and sources are Yamaha CDS2100, streaming audio from computer, and soon a Pro-Ject P6.1 turntable that I am restoring....

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knownothing
1,571 posts
 

Curious, which Arcam model was giving you trouble?

 

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nooshinjohn OP
21 posts
 

Two AVR30's... which Arcam told my dealer to simply destroy and they would re-imburse them, and an AVR20, which went back to Arcam. I have another AVR20 in my rig now and it has been rock solid now ever since it was installed.

christianb5s4
235 posts
 

Arcam definitely had some real issues rolling out the AV line, mostly software bugs that ranged from annoying to unusable. I went through that but after latest software updates, mine has been flawless for pure AV use.

soix
9,379 posts
 

Good luck with those Arcams dudes!  Hope they’re worth it down the road.  Shoulda gone with Yamaha or Anthem that are both bulletproof and sound better than Arcam.  

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nooshinjohn OP
21 posts
 

I compared the Yamaha to the Arcam for two-channel listening and the Arcam was far superior. I was in a spot where my system needed to be downsized significantly due to having two young kids in the house. The Arcam is very nearly as good as the Pass X0.2 it replaced. Also replaced was a TOTL Pioneer Elite AVR, and for HT the Arcam beats that as well. 

One day I will go back to a separate preamp, but for my needs, the AVR20 exceeds my expectations by a long shot.

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