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See the complete review of the Arcam AVR550 AV Receiver

The Arcam AVR550 AV Receiver is a mid-priced model from the Full Metal Jacket series by this storied English company.

Arcam AVR550 AV Receiver

Normally when you read a review, it’s of a company’s flagship product. This is the unit that writers normally want to work with; and the unit manufacturers want to get the most publicity for. The assumption is that if the flagship product sounds good, then the less expensive models will also.

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But this isn’t necessarily so. Sometimes the lesser models can sound better than their more expensive siblings! Yes, the flagship will have more power and features, but remember the old axiom, “there’s no free lunch.” Which brings us back to the Arcam AVR550.

The $3,400 (manufacturer’s list) price point is crowded with AVR offerings from every consumer AV electronics company, including all the Japanese powerhouses. Since those marques have far greater resources and advertising budgets than Arcam, is there any way that the Brits can keep up?

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In many ways, I’m going to contend that they can! There’s much to like about the Arcam AVR550, including Dolby Atmos & DTS:X 7.1.4 decoding, 4K Ultra HD support, HDMI 2.0a inputs with HDCP 2.2 content protection, Dirac Live room correction, Spotify compatibility, and a Cirrus CS42528 audiophile DAC.

The pluses and minuses will all be on display in the upcoming review. So, prepare for a few surprises, and maybe save some money, after we see what the Arcam AVR550 has to offer.

See the complete review of the Arcam AVR550 AV Receiver

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I learned to play the guitar in high school, hoping to persuade Berma Sanchez to date me, but alas, no such luck! In the late 1970s, a neighbor who was the station engineer for the local PBS network took me under his wing and taught me the electronics of audio reproduction. Throughout college, I used that knowledge to modify Dynaco vacuum tube equipment for friends. After graduation from LSU, I took a job in the chemical manufacturing industry, learning about industrial hygiene and the mechanics of hearing. In the 1990s I learned to write, initially as the newsletter editor for my local Safety Engineering chapter. In the early 2000s, I had my first book published (I’m now working on my third). A few years ago, the Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity website issued a call for authors. I responded and was excited to be selected. Over the years, I’ve published a number of equipment reviews and am honored, in 2019, to be given the title of “Senior Editor.” But none of the above offers the “why” of my interest in home audio. My musical tastes are highly diverse, and my love of music (acquired probably in the church choir of Grace Baptist Church) has been passed on to my daughter, who got her B.S. degree in music and her M.S. in violin performance and music education before being switching gears and then going on to graduate from Harvard Law. Although the majority of my extended group of friends and family prefer hobbies such as hunting, fishing, football games, etc., I’ve found that I still greatly enjoy time with my audio system and discovering new music. At some time in the fairly near future, my hearing will decline and I’ll no longer be able to listen analytically. But so long as my audiograms show acute hearing, I’ll keep doing what I enjoy best - listening to wonderful music and sharing my thoughts and impressions with like-minded friends.

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