I couldn't agree with JohnK more. Widescreen Review has always had a bias in their equipment reporting which still holds on to the outdated notion one must spend thousands to get superior performance. You must always remember they have their advertisers and really must not bite the hand that feeds them. The Arcam at $5000? At this price you are well in to the Pre-Pro/power amp category which will give you much more versatility and longevity. That is the why these companies never sell many of these flagship receivers. They are just NOT good value.
I have said it before and I will say it again, the internet-only companies like Axiom, Oppo, Emotiva and Outlaw, among others have blown the price/performance ratio out of the water so you no longer have to spend a ton of money to get "audiophile" performance. Publications like "Widescreen Review" and a few others, unfortunately, either refuse or are unaware of this reality.
