Arcam AV8 / AV9 Surround Processor - Awards

Never before, in the history of hi-fi and home theater, has one product by one company received this unprecedented level of critical acclaim:

AV Controller of the Year  •  The Perfect Vision (Nov/Dec 2003)
Best AV Processor  •   Hi-Fi News (Annual Industry Awards, Jan 2004)
Multichannel Product of the Year  •   Hi-Fi Choice (Jan 2004)
Processor of the Year  •  Home Cinema (May 2003)
Finalist, TechTV’s Best of CES  •  Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas

And Widescreen Review and International Audio/Video Review proclaimed that the AV8 processor and DV27A DVD player...

"...have literally transformed our horizons
of what home entertainment can be as an experience,
and how it can move and affect you."

Arcam AV8 Surround Processor & DV27A DVD Player - Widescreen Review

Here's what Peter Moncrief had to say about the AV8 in the January 2004 issue:

They say that the ultimate goal of a home theater surround sound system is realized when you have achieved the Wow! factor. They are wrong. Thanks to the Arcam AV8 preamp processor and DV27A DVD player, we have discovered and explored a whole new higher plateau in surround sound. This higher plateau goes way beyond Wow! You don’t say Wow. You don’t say anything. You can’t say anything. You don’t move. You can’t move. You sit there, immersed, enthralled, captivated, transfixed. There’s an instantly recognizable sonic difference between this system with these Arcam units and every other surround system we’ve heard. It’s a dramatic difference, so even ordinary non-audiophile listeners instantly hear it. And it’s a powerful difference...

Download the Entire Review - PDF

This review appeared in both Widescreen Review and in the web-based International Audio Video Review.  The Widescreen review was edited due to space considerations.  The downloadable PDF contains the entire, unedited, review.

Arcam AV8 Surround Processor - The Perfect Vision

Here's what The Perfect Vision had to say about the AV8 in December 2003 as they awarded it "AV Controller of the Year":

Arcam spent a million bucks developing the AV8 controller, and it sounds like it. Sonically, the AV8 has the kind of dynamics that can throw you right back in your chair, but it also draws out subtler inner details of soundtracks with a delicacy on a par with high-end audio components. In addition, the AV8 is a very respectable analog preamp, with analog multichannel inputs that are good enough to let you hear what’s so special about SACD and DVD-A. You can spend a lot more money on a controller, but until you get into the $15k+ range, you’re not likely to find anything that outperforms the AV8 by a substantial margin, if at all. Apparently that million bucks was well spent.

They also did a full review of the AV8 in the May/June Issue. 

Download the Entire Review - PDF

Arcam AV8 Surround Processor & P7 Power Amplifier - Stereophile Guide to Home Theater

Here's what Stereohile had to say about the AV8 in the December 2003 issue:

The AV8 processor…clearly demonstrated an audiophile pedigree. No A/V receiver I’ve reviewed matches or even comes close to the AV8’s overwhelming transparency… And cranking up the volume in no way diminished the AV8’s superb sound. In fact, doing so highlighted both the unit’s thundering macrodynamic capabilities and its facility for delineating the small, micordynamic shifts in between that allow music to breathe naturally. That ability, more than any other, spells the difference between mechanical and believable sound reproduction… The P7 power amplifier was yet more proof that great sound can come in a multichannel package… Together, for less that $10,000, these impressive products will give audio/video-philes a sonic ride to savor for many years to come. It wouldn’t be overstating the case to say they sound like a million bucks”.

Arcam AV8 Surround Processor & P7 Power Amplifier - What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision

In the December 2002 issue:

."When you win the lottery and begin to plan your ultimate home cinema system, there are two brands you’ll probably be steered towards: Lexicon, from the U.S. and Meridian, from dear old Blighty. And there’s good reason why: these two brands have consistently pushed the home cinema boundaries further, and for longer than any rival. …trying to gain membership to this particularly prestigious private club is hard with a huge H."

"There’s no point beating about the bush: we reckon that Arcam’s cracked it. The AV8/P7 pairing is very, very special indeed.   …there’s only one word to describe the resulting sound: sensational… It was sheer sonic force, outright air-shifting, sofa-shaking muscle. And that’s quite something, especially because the Arcam manages to generate such amazing levels of force and drive while remaining utterly smooth, composed and refined. In short, it makes everything you play sound good, and with the best-quality soundtracks, it elevates the home cinema experience on to a truly cinematic plane."

"We’ll leave you with this: this Arcam is one of the most impressive products we’ve heard this year… And that exclusive Lexicon-Meridian private-club we mentioned? It might well have just acquired a new member."

"Verdict: Astonishing sonic performance; outstanding specifications, flexibility and build. Oh, and it looks nice too. Truly brilliant in every sense. One of the products of the year."

Download the Entire Review - PDF

Arcam AV8 Surround Processor - Home Theater

From the December 2002 issue:

Music, dialogue, and the wide array of sound effects are critical thematic and emotional elements to the film.  You need accuracy, detail, and impeccable timing to fully exploit them, and the AV8 delivered all three...   So here it is, the AV8 sounds great, looks great, is loaded with features, and is easy to use.  ...I can guarantee that you won't find many more audio products that have more effort, more knowledge, and more attention to detail put into them than this one.

Arcam AV8 Surround Processor - Hi-Fi News & Record Review

With Arcam's AV8 at the helm, the large B&W 802s melted away to reveal an expansive acoustic occupied by very positive, even enthusiastic-sounding performers.  Percussion has a great sense of attack without sounding hard or relentless, brassy instruments are richly detailed and voices possess that 'breathy' quality that brings more than a hint of realism to the image of a performer standing in front of you.  Turn up the volume and the sound just gets bigger, rather than confused or harsh....  At the time of this writing the Arcam AV8 offers every bell and whistle bar DTS 96/24 with a sound to rival the best in two, let alone multi-channel, digital gear.  Hesitate no longer, for the future of audio is digital, multi-channel, and on your doorstep.