Arcam
SOLO -
Stereophile
Home Theater November 2005
The Absolute Sound October 2005
Arcam
SOLO -
Boy's Toys
From the September 2005 issue:
They said it couldn't be done - but those clever bods at Arcam have not only done it, they've done it with knobs on. What are we talking about? Oh, just the simple matter of somehow squeezing all the high-end quality of a top-notch, no compromise component hi-fi system into one astoundingly slender single box solution.
We guess it is just about possible to put together a carefully matched £1,000 [$1,800] separates system that might marginally outperform the Solo. But you'd have to work pretty darned hard to do it, and even if you did, you'd be kind of missing the Solo's point. Which is that it makes true high-end hi-fi convenient, compact, and devilishly handsome all at the same time, for the first time ever.
Arcam
SOLO -
Stereophile
From the July 2005 issue:
If Apple made amps and CD players, the ARCAM SOLO is what they'd look like...
You can imagine how surprised I was that the Solo sound decent. Very decent, in fact. Even straight out of the box, before being run in or warmed up the Solo was musically capable and expressive... And it got better within minutes. Minutes, I tell you.
Build quality and attention to detail are all superb... ...refined sonics and consistently involving musical performance. Strongly Recommended.
Arcam SOLO - Hi-Fi Choice
From the July 2005 issue:
It's when it comes to performance that the Solo really manages to distance itself from it's 'system' tag and proves to be considerably more that the sum of its single, very good looking part. In action, Solo is a genuine heavyweight performer that betters all the lifestyle competition we've heard previously by some considerable margin - and that includes the impressive Linn Classik...
Arcam
SOLO -
Hi-Fi News
From the June 2005 issue:
My immediate impression of the Solo was of my jaw dropping to the floor...
the Solo could handle subtle recordings with the sort of grace you don't expect from all-in-one units... But there's one other sound I associate with the Arcam Solo. And that's the wailing and gnashing of teeth in Glasgow. I think this thing is gonna kick some serious Linn butt...
To me, it looks like we've already found the winning Budget Product of 2005.
Arcam SOLO - T3
From the May 2005 review:
Arcam may have just single-handedly saved the British hi-fi industry. The company has always been keen to move with the times, as its highly impressive range of home cinema kit - including the flagship AV8 processor - demonstrates. Now, it's dipping its toe in the one-box systems market with the Solo...
Part of the reason it sounds so impressive is that Arcam has managed to squeeze its award-winning CD73 CD player into the Solo. The flipside to this is that it can’t play CD-Rs of MP3 tracks. However, a handy mini-jack on the front enables you to hook up a personal MP3 player, and with an iPod sitting in a cradle it sounded excellent.
The only thing left to do is admit that we got it wrong at the start of this review. The Solo isn’t a one-box system at all: it’s serious hi-fi in disguise.
Arcam SOLO - AV Review
From the May 2005 review:
I had a great time playing all manner of stuff from Missy Elliott to Frank Zappa. The overall quality is way above that found in the better marketed brands in this sector (ie Bang & Olufsen and Bose), and it has a degree of integrity which is clearly related to the Arcam’s separates heritage. ...there’s plenty of energy and drive with a sympathetic speaker and compared to a standalone budget amplifier the onboard power is impressively clean and relaxed.
The Solo combines more than just CD, radio and amplifier functions in one box; it also combines great sound for a CD receiver with good looks and ease of use that is second to none.
Arcam
SOLO -
What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision
From the March 2005 issue:
CD performance is great. Just as impressive as the engineering ingredients suggest... the solo picks out a good deal of detail, arranging it into a cohesive and musical whole. It doesn't become flustered when things start to get busy, producing as spacious a soundstage as we've heard from a unit of this type... the Solo responds with a generous dose of drive and surefooted timing.
Arcam has struck a skillful balance that's easy to listen to without ever edging towards blandness. The result is that the Solo is capable enough to reveal the intricacies of a CD's production, but polite enough never to sound rude no matter how sub-standard the recordings. Sit back, listen, and enjoy — that's what the Solo is about.
Arcam SOLO - EnjoyTheMusic.com - Phil Gold Design Awards
From their coverage of the The International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas 2005:
One of the "ten best looking products at CES 2005"
Arcam introduced the petite Solo to an enthusiastic reception, and word has it this all-in-one unit sounds far better than it has any right to sound. Solo consists of an audiophile CD player, a 50wpc amplifier combined with a DAB digital radio and a high quality FM tuner all in a low profile box. Arcam shed their ugly ducking image some years ago, but for my money, this is the best looking product they have brought to market.