Customer Ratings & Reviews

I got a good deal at an introductory price during pre-order. My main usage is 80% music and 20% TV/Movies, so audio quality needs to be decent for music. I started off with an Arcam SA10 integrated amp which is probably the best sound you can buy for under $800. However, I do feel more power is needed to really push the B&W speakers at high volumes so I upgraded to a SA20 Class G amp which creates a 3D holographic sound which is surprising good for the price. Then, several weeks later I thought I could do better and after watching multiple videos of YTubers boasting about how great the Hegel H120 is, at almost twice the price of a SA20, I went to get one and did an AB test. I can tell you that the Hegel H120 has a smoother mid-range but sound stage, dynamic and bass are no match for the SA20. Well, how did I end up with the AVR5? I needed an one box solution that has a clean setup, which means the DAC, power, streaming must all be decent quality. Can the AVR5 beat the SA20 in sound quality? No it cannot, but at least it is 90% of it. Guess what? It has Roon Ready and native MQA which non of the others mentioned above have. You save $550 alone just on the streamer if you were going to for the Bluenode sound(which I had before). It does UPNP via MusicLife app, Chromecast, Tidal Connect, Bluetooth, Spotify. You can also control volume with Google Home app. I personally tried every solution and Roon is the best music app for streaming. If you don't want to pay subscription, just use the UPnP or Tidal Connect or Chromecast. For the Cons, I do feel the setup can be done better, everything is manual on the little screen of the receiver. If you didn't know, spec-wise the AVR5 is basically a AVR10 without Dirac. So yeah, you save $750 to do some manual work. The second issue I found out there are HDMI handshake issues. Sometimes the sound doesn't switch over. I had many receivers before so HDMI handshake is quite a common issue. It is a complicated issue that you cannot blame the receiver alone, because the TV is also part of the handshake. I don't switch that often so this is just a minor nuisance. The Hegel H120 which is $3K and not Roon Ready and no MQA compared to AVR5 which is $2K. I am talking about an one box solution, therefore AVR5 is a choice to consider. Let me summarize the Pros and Cons for the lazy. Pros: 1. Roon Ready and works seamlessly 2. Native MQA 3. Arcam rich and musical sound (only stereo evaluated) 4. Airplay 2, Chromecast, Tidal Connect, Spotify, Bluetooth and etc. Cons: 1. Setup require some manual work 2. HDMI handshake issues 3. Power up time/ Network connection time (only on startup) 4. Huge and heavy (also a PRO?) 5. MusicLife app is really primitive

The Arcam line of AVR's are amazing. For the price point, they have outstanding sound processing, as well as an industry-leading DAC for an A/V device. The sound is wonderful, and these are engineered to be a high-quality 2-channel music amplifier as well.

Havent had this unit for a year yet & having internal failure issues. Now dealing with total tech as to the resolution which should be total replacement of unit. We’ll see how it goes. For a $2,000.00 piece of electronic equipment I believe it should be cut n dry. Out with the old. In with the new. Will rate in follow up review. Salesman/Manager is Hassan in Arlington Tx and so far has been PHENOMENAL in his position. A++ in professionalism, knowledge, business ethics, communication as well as friendly & reliable in a customer satisfaction aspect of his overall responsibilities and beyond. . Very reputable individual.

My Marantz unit went out right as i finshed my home theater reconfigure, with a 7.2.4 atmos setup and a 9' acoustically transparent screen. Had read about Arcam with diracLive. Sale price of 1670. Bought it. Could not be happier. After running diracLive and setting the room curve i was blown away. My wife who mostly smiles and says "yes that sounds good" when i ask her was very impressed with the difference in the sound. I had a 7.2.4 systen with a regular screen, so LCR speakers were exposed and not at the same level. Thats the only ascoustic change. Dirac is a little complex, so watch a few youtube vids and you will be good to go.

Arcam is awesome! It does everything and then some! Thank you Anthony at Magnolia West Los Angeles!

The sound from this thing is amazing. Very glad Bao told us to go with this device. It's extremely easy to set up if you follow the quick start guide with apple or google setup. The wifi sets up automatically and the rest can be done from the musiflife app. READ THE MANUAL AND ENTER YOUR SPEAKER TYPES. I had no sound and realized it was set up incorrectly for speaker types and levels. If you don't know about crossover for subs and your speaker types, etc. get someone to install it or do the research. I think this goes for all higher end sound products. Also, use the MusicLife app for setup. It's a little strange, but it works great and for complicated products; it's actually fairly common as far as interfaces go. Tidal Connect included. Use the Tidal app and you can stream 192 sample rate direct to the device and control it from any Tidal device. Apple Music also works easily and streams CD quality (44 or so). Don't know about the other options. Streaming music is very easy and works seamlessly. Now that I understand some basics, it's very easy to use and sounds AWESOME. Using a Firestick: Remember to authorize CEC for the input if you want to control the volume from Firestick remote. Firestick plugs into any HDMI, the TV must be on the eARC for the volume to work WITH CEC on and also turned on for TV. This is the same for all eARC products for my TV, so that's the same anyway whether it's basic soundbar or Amazon studio. Basic setup, if you know how to input the speaker types, can use apple airplay to discover the device when you first fire it up, and can use the musiclife app to input speaker types, turn on CEC, etc, was extremely easy. It's just a lot of a learning curve if you've never messed with these things before like I had not. It took me about a week because I hadn't read the entire manual for setting speaker types. For the sound we get now, I'm very happy we bought a good receiver with all of the options. For modes, I just stick with Dolby Surround for everything. It generally seems to sound best for all uses.

The Arcam AVR5 is not your typical mainstream Receiver/Amp. I had an Onkyo Integra for 15 years. And once I had to get the chip on the HDMI board. Well it happened again. Denon had the same problem. I refused to get it fixed again. I did some research on a replacement to fit my needs. None of them had the feature I needed. A record out which in the new generation AVR's don't have. There is a work around but a pain. With that in mind, I was looking at the Marantz with their decades of quality. Walking down the line, I found the Marantz with its small display it hard to view. Albert pointed out the Arcam AVR5........huge. Does it have Record out? Yes he says. I need that for my recording equipment. When setting up the Arcam, you need years owning HiFi gear to get what sound you like. It does not come with a calibration mike or built in software. You need a seperate DIRAC Live ($750). It took me about 5 days to understand this monster, And I am still scratching the full potential of the Arcam. All I can say, If you got the patients and this is your hobby and gig.......WOW!!! This thing is awesome. Crisp clean highs. Butter smooth mids. And the bass a deep smooth thunderous tone. And movies....... Get it. You won't be disappointed.

Had been using a Marantz SR5010 for AV in our small reading room 2.1 set up for about 4 years. Center channel began getting flakey so we were on the hunt for something new. I am familiar with Arcam from their many years of making fantastic CD players. Began reading about their AV receivers and I was hooked. As others mentioned, they might be a little daunting to set up for the uninitiated-no advanced GUI-based easy setup routines with this receiver. If you have set up AV components before you won't have any issue. The web browser interface is fantastic for configuring. We are huge Roon/Tidal fans-have it all over the house. The fact that this receiver was Roon Ready sealed the deal. I was able to remove a network endpoint, it's power supply, and a DAC out of our media closet by getting this Arcam. The sound with hi-rez and MQA material is just fantastic. Wonderful warm-sounding DAC chips in this unit. Loads of clean, effortless power. It handles video duties very well also. It's an expensive receiver for sure, but very well worth the cost. Highly recommended.

This entry level version of Atcam, it has all same harware as other higher power model from Arcam, no dirac live included i have two channel paraound HALO amp so i was ok with power on avr5, i have an older lexicon RV6 which is also an Arcam product, my avr connected to B&W 600 series bookshelf and center channel, for me setting it up without manual was ok, everything setup using ipad safari browser, the only couple of annoying parts, firtst it was updaing software which requires usb disk, took very long time and multiple steps. Almost two hours. Another one is setting smart tv audio to avr using earc, it requires some setting searching both in tv and avr, Avr has to be in display input and hdmi cec enable in tv snd avr, it works now. It is all worth due to excellent sound both in movies snd 2 channel music where there is no comparison even own ARcam 2 channel integrated amps cost above $ 1500. Some people says remote is annoying, i am used to it as lexicon remote is exact copy of it, once you know the reason it make sense. I might not use dirac live as i have used app to dial down the speaker levels and soumd is pretty good already, Amazon music and spotify works no issues, it is best to read and watch video before setting it up, if one is new to avr setup be patient with quirks, it is worthwhile in end. I had a marantz slime connected before, it has renergized the system, i got open box which it looks like returned with everything in like new only outside box open. 5 y warranty it comes with. I would recommend to buy basel model arcam and add external amp for power it.

This is a pretty good sounding AVR. Trust me, I've probably demo'd over a dozen avr's since covid and this Arcam is definitely a hidden gem. Its better than any sub $2000 AVR from marantz, denon, onkyo, emotiva, yamaha. The Arcam avr5 just sounds right. Its quirky in its setup and menu navigation; you may jave to do a few google searches to figure some things out. The wifi connection is is a little wonky, but no issues after connecting via ethernet cable. Wifi issues are often resolved by unplugging the unit for 5 seconds and then reconnecting. I liked the Arcam Avr5 so much that I upgraded to the Arcam avr21 (refurbished with 5 year warranty, dirac included). The extra power of the Avr21 definitely sounds a little better. The avr5 has great clarity, good bass presentation. Its a great match for Bowers and Wilkins 706 bookshelf speakers.

Last week I bought the Arcam AVR5 (after auditioning the AVR10 but it was out of my budget. AVR5 is the same as the AVR10 without the included Dirac and Auro3D). NOTE: Auro3D is a moot point because it's not available in the U.S. and the upmix is wrong if it places the voice in the height speakers. For music: Wow the Arcam AVR5 (even though it's in the family room that's open to the kitchen) sounds so much better than my Denon X3700H (even in preamp mode with 100% external Denon amplifiers, in an enclosed room with the same speakers). My Denon sucked at music so I rarely listen to Spotify on it. FOR MOVIES: Yesterday I upgraded my family room's Denon S760H (no Auro3d) for an Arcam AVR5 (no Auro3d) and wow...the clarity and channel separation are as good as my guest bedroom with the Denon X3700H in preamp mode + 100% external amplification. Both rooms have the same speakers, except that the family room is a 5.2.2 setup and the guest bedroom is a 7.2.4. I prefer the Arcam AVR5's sound better than my Denon X3700H because it sounded fuller (like I got better speakers). With the Arcam AVR5, I am pleasantly surprised to hear sounds from a scene in "Need for Speed" and "Malificent mistress of evil" that I haven't heard even with my Denon X3700H in preamp mode with 100% external amplification... and this was just via streaming, because physical media disc would reveal more sounds. DAC: The ESS website doesn't even list the best DAC that Denon X8500HA uses ES9010, whereas the Arcam does (ESS 9026PRO audiophile DACs) I'm not hearing a placebo effect that the base Arcam AVR5 sounds better than the Denon. I've just discovered that the basic Arcam AVR5 uses a DAC with a S/N ratio of 128 dB, whereas Denon X3700H S/N ratio is 112 dB; even a $4k Denon A110 S/N ratio is just 120 dB. Also, the Denon S760H receiver's CEC on/off never worked correctly with the AppleTV4k and 75 in SONY tv. Whereas the Arcam AVR5 works. FOR 2-CHANNELS MUSIC: 2 weeks ago, I auditioned 2 speaker music systems that costs $90k, $200k, and $1m with Wilson Audio speakers and Burmester amps, and I noticed that they're able to create a phantom center channel as if the vocalist was standing on stage singing. My Arcam AVR5 created the phantom vocalist, whereas my Denon X3700H could not. Also the saxaphone, snare, and guitar have never sounded so realistic on my speakers . Although my Denon X3700H (in preamp mode with 100% external amplification) is great for movies (5+ speakers), it sucked at 2 channels music. 2 channels music is good for testing out a system because it's harder to sound good than a home theater playing a movie with 5+ speakers.

I bought this as an upgrade from my Denon 1700h and was blown away by the difference in quality and how it fills the space in my home theater. The lower wattage per channel isn't noticeable and the AVR5 has just enough features to get the Job Done. On the other hand, this receiver feels like certain features like HDMI 2.1 and HDR10+ could have been easily included based on when it was released and is a let down to not have it. Sure the price for the audio you get is more than worth it but it may be worth getting the AVR11 if you need them. Another Con is the built in music streaming which is atrociously slow, best to stream music from an external device instead. All cons aside I'm super happy with my purchase!

Disclosure: I am a seasonal Best Buy employee, this review comes from my personally purchased ARCAM. For the past decade+ I have been using solely Marantz, which is a great company, and make very good AV receivers. I have typically upgraded every 3-4 years, and have been pleased with each upgrade. This year I decided to go big with my AV receiver, and rather than a $2,000 Marantz I opted for the ARCAM. I am not disappointed. It “woke” my current speakers up and took them up a notch. Seriously, I just saved $2,500 on the upgraded speakers I no longer intend to buy. The clarity is purposeful. The way it handles movies is very impressive. I have listened to my typical music and video demos on the ARCAM and have been consistently impressed with the results. Best part of what I have heard thus far is I have not yet even calibrated the ARCAM, other than setting speaker sizes and distances. Overall I am extremely pleased. This may be ARCAM’s “entey-level” AVR, but it sounds nothing like one. Marantz and Denon are still good, but the ARCAM is simpky great!

[Employee of bestbuy] I bought the Arcam AVR5 a while ago to complement my AVR31, which runs my home theater. The idea was to use the AVR5 for the zone above my pool table — same brand, same family, so I expected the same reliability. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case. • Settings Don’t Save: Every time the AVR5 powers off, it forgets my bass management and subwoofer settings. Having to redo levels and crossovers each time gets old fast. • Subwoofer Cable Issue: If I unplug a sub cable, it kills all pre-outs until I do a full factory reset. That’s an absurd amount of hassle for something as simple as disconnecting a cable. • AirPlay & Network Bugs: If the unit stays on for a while and connected to Wi-Fi, AirPlay stops working, and sometimes even other sources fail to play until I power-cycle the receiver. • No AirPlay Power-On: Unlike my AVR31, the AVR5 can’t be powered on via AirPlay from my iPhone — I have to manually turn it on first, which completely kills the convenience. • Overall Experience: It’s frustrating because the AVR31 is rock solid — I can AirPlay to it instantly and it just works every time. The AVR5, on the other hand, constantly needs restarts or resets, which defeats the purpose of a “smart” AVR. It sounds good when it works, but the reliability and software polish are nowhere near what I expected from Arcam at this price point. Unless these bugs are fixed in a firmware update, I’d recommend spending a bit more for a higher-tier model like the AVR11 or AVR31 — they’re in a different league for stability.

I'm torn on how to rate this - the sound is truly high end, best I've heard from ANY AVR. That said, it is astoundly buggy. I've had it just over two weeks, and I'm on my second factory reset (ALL settings lost) that ARCAM support directed me to do to fix I/O issues. I'm on my third "restore backup" to fix random display and control issues. Even when everything is "working", at least three times a day it drops audio when I simply change the cable channel, requiring me to turn it off and on to fix it. I value sound quality above all else, but I doubt I can live with all the issues over the long term

I have been with Yamaha RXA’s for many years. This Arcam AVR5 with my Paradigm 11v7 Front, C3V Center, KF26 Klipsch Rear, NS-IC600 Overhead. This unit just replaced my Yamaha RXA2A that I only had 2 months, and before that was my RXA2020, & RXA1080. The Yamaha`s are rated at around 100-140 watts. The Arcam is rated at 60/85 watts with all channels driven. But compared to the Yamaha’s. Arcam power, sound stage, clarity and purity is truly amazing, to me it is like well over 150watts or more, and sounds it. After setting this unit up manually to play my surround sound setup, I am Truly Amazed. The sound is so clear and feels completely full. So much that you can’t even tell what speaker is playing. You’re just surrounded with pure sound!!! After all the settings- it doesn’t matter what brand speaker you attach to it. It all just blends together to make one true sound!

A really great receiver that unfortunately, I had to return, and oh how I agonized over it!! It’s a sort of bargain version over the AVR 10 this is the AVR 5. THE AVR 5 is priced at 1999.99 and the AVR 10 AT 2799.99. They both use the DIRAC eq system and tempted to push towards the AVR 10, but if you want the DIRAC EQ and Microphone you’re going to need to spend more money the AVR 10. The AVR 5 sounds great without the eq but would be even better with room calibration. Overall highly recommended!

I guess I don't need to praise the sound quality of this machine. Its amp part is the same as the AVR10. All the differences are in digital processing. The AVR5 doesn't decode iMAX or Auro-3D. So you won't be able to experience the excitement brought by these two advanced audio formats. The AVR5 doesn't come with a microphone, nor does it process recorded signals from the mic. You have to provide your own mic (and a tripod if you are going to make a serious Dirac measurement) and purchase the license for using Dirac Live app (at a 50% discount). All the computation will be made on your computer (desktop or notebook only). My room is not acoustically friendly, so I need a Dirac filter to correct the sound energy distribution. The measurement was repeated a few times. There was a learning curve. The setup took much less time (but still not straightforward). I did it by connecting the machine to the local network with an Ethernet cable and going through the setup menu on my notebook.

Superb sound quality for both music and movies. Still have my Denon 4300h but with that receiver I was never that happy with the music quality but did like it a lot for movies. I had my separate pre-amp and amp connected in the chain with the Denon that it didn't matter the Music quality as much. But I compared this Arcam to the separate pre-amp and amp I have, and while it doesn't beat it. It sure comes close. Enough that I am considering selling my Vincent Pre-amp and Schitt Amp and using this alone. One thing of note is I still haven't purchased the Dirac Live and to set it up out of the box you will need a SPL meter. Unless you played before with manual calibration this AVR5 receiver may not be the model for you.

The sound from this amplifier is awesome. This is all you need for my movie theater room. The speakers were great.