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Arcam AVR5 Class AB AV Receiver – The New AV Receiver in the Arcam HDA Range

The English hi-fi manufacturer A & R Cambridge Ltd. is expanding its product range in the field of AV receivers with a new model in the entry-level range. Nevertheless, the new Arcam AVR5 Class AB AV receiver has all the features of a modern AV receiver.

The Arcam AVR5 Class AB AV Receiver is the latest addition to the Arcam HDA range, whereby the English specialist A & R Cambridge Ltd. is clearly targeting price-sensitive home cinema enthusiasts with this Arcam brand solution. The new Arcam AVR5 Class AB AV receiver rounds off the Arcam HDA range.

Nevertheless, and this is the exciting thing, the new Arcam AVR5 Class AB AV receiver is supposed to stand out with all the features that a modern AV receiver has to offer.

This means that 12-channel signal processing is just as much part of the basic equipment as support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, it is prepared for DIRAC Live and, of course, also features all the possibilities of a modern streaming solution.

Arcam AVR5 Class AB AV Receiver as a flexible entry point

Solutions like those AV receivers from A&R Cambridge Ltd. offer a decisive advantage: the developers rely on high-quality concepts that have proven themselves in the stereo segment and are used here for surround. The quality of such AV receivers is therefore superior to many others on the market. Furthermore, A & R Cambridge Ltd. is one of those manufacturers whose solutions are characterised by a high stability of value over a comparatively long period of time; especially in the AV segment, one generation replaces the next after only a few months…

With the new Arcam AVR5 Class AB AV receiver, all this should also be available for more price-sensitive users, whereby, as already indicated, the equipment leaves hardly anything to be desired, especially in the entry-level segment.

Arcam AVR5 Class AB AV Receiver as a 7-channel system

The new Arcam AVR5 Class AB AV receiver is designed as a 7-channel AV receiver, although it should be noted that it offers 12-channel signal processing.

The Arcam AVR5 Class AB AV receiver is, of course, capable of supporting all relevant surround formats, up to and including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X with 7.1.4-channel decoding.

Signal processing is handled by high-quality D/A converters from specialists ESS Technology Ltd. in the form of the ESS 9026PRO DAC.

Unlike its bigger brothers, the new Arcam AVR5 Class AB AV receiver does not come with DIRAC Live Room Correction ex works, but it is equipped for it, so this option for optimal measurements based on individual room conditions can be optionally expanded. The manufacturer refers to this as Dirac Ready.

Seven HDMI inputs and two HDMI outputs are available here, all of which comply with HDMI 2.0b and thus support content in 4K Ultra HD and Dolby Vision as well as HDCP 2.2. Of course, the HDMI outputs not only support ARC (Audio Return Channel), but also eARC, i.e. an enhanced Audio Return Channel for signal transmission of current surround formats from the TV to the AV receiver.

  • Foto © A & R Cambridge Ltd. | Arcam AVR5 Class AB AV Receiver
  • Foto © A & R Cambridge Ltd. | Arcam AVR5 Class AB AV Receiver

Class AB amplifier

The new model in the Arcam HDA range uses Class AB amplifiers, as the name suggests, and the manufacturer states that it uses the same amplifier technology that is used in selected stereo components from the company.

The Arcam AVR5 Class AB AV receiver delivers 60 watts per channel to speaker systems with an impedance of 8 ohms, or 85 watts to speaker systems with an impedance of just 4 ohms.

The decisive factor here is in the detail. The above actually applies to the simultaneous operation of all seven channels of the AV receiver. Many manufacturers use data that show only two or even only one active channel.

That’s why A & R Cambridge also lists this data, with a power output of 85 watts on speaker systems with an impedance of 8 ohms, and 120 watts on speakers with an impedance of 4 ohms, for two active channels.

The new Arcam AVR5 Class AB AV receiver also has four coaxial S/PDIF inputs, two optical S/PDIF inputs and one optical S/PDIF output.

For analogue sources, there are six inputs on the rear plus one on the front, and the Arcam AVR5 Class AB AV receiver has an integrated FM and DAB+ tuner.

Bluetooth including aptX and aptX HD support is also available, and there’s a headphone jack right on the front.

Extensive streaming functionality

The new Arcam AVR5 Class AB AV receiver can be connected to the network either by cable via an RJ45 Ethernet interface or the integrated WiFi module. On the network, it acts as a flexible dlna-certified UPnP streaming client and can process audio data up to hi-res audio at up to 24-bit and 192 kHz. Contents in MQA are also processed.

The MusicLife app, which is available for Apple iOS and Google Android and also forms the central control of all other streaming systems from the English company, is the main control here.

In addition, the new Arcam AVR5 Class AB AV receiver is designated as Roon Ready and can therefore be used directly via the media management and multi-room hi-res audio streaming software from Roon Labs LLC.

As if that wasn’t enough, the new Arcam AVR5 Class AB AV receiver also supports Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast, so that you can also play music directly via smartphones and a wide variety of apps using this solution.

Based on these key data, it can be stated that A&R Cambridge Ltd. equips the new Arcam AVR5 Class AB AV Receiver with exactly the same latest-generation streaming platform that can also be found in the company’s hi-fi solutions.

Integration with Custom Installation Solutions

It wouldn’t be A & R Cambridge Ltd. if the new Arcam AVR5 Class AB AV receiver wasn’t optimally equipped for integration into custom installation solutions. Not only are there numerous trigger connections on the rear panel, but also an RS232 interface.

Getting to the point

With the new Arcam AVR5 Class AB AV Receiver, A & R Cambridge Ltd. once again expands the Arcam HDA range, namely with a network AV receiver that represents the entry into the product line at the Arcam brand. Nevertheless, this solution is well equipped to perform well above conventional solutions in the classic entry-level segment.

PRODUCTARCAM AVR5 CLASS AB AV RECEIVER
Price£ 1.999,-
BrandARCAM
ManufacturerA & R Cambridge Ltd.
Distribution AustriaR.M.S. State of the Art Audiovisual Products
Distribution GermanyGP Acoustics GmbH
Distribution SwitzerlandGP Acoustics GmbH
More about this manufacturer at HiFi BLOG
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Michael Holzinger

Michael Holzinger, founder and editor-in-chief of HiFi BLOG and sempre-audio.at, has been working for years as a journalist in the fields of IT, photography, telecommunications and consumer electronics.

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