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| …with CDs: The onboard CD player performance was a different ball game. The CD-only Wolfson silicon (MP3 or any other file formats aren’t supported) offered involving, seamless and potent play which should compete favourably with stand-alone decks up to €1.000. I thought it great how hard and cracking the British Fink ripped into his guitar strings on "Pretty Little Thing" and how sharply present his voice rose in the middle of the room. |
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This paved the ground for heavier fare à la Theory of a Deadman. The ex roadies of Canadian rock band Nickelback work in the same genre but are more raw and unpolished, thundering with monster riffs and brutal drum loops. This became sweaty business but enormously impressive by how effortlessly present and truly bone-dry such utterly non-audiophile stuff hung in.
A personal favorite in this unapproved genre of weaponry is 2006’s 10.000 Days by Tool. These threateningly dim-lit metal epics approach occasional explosions. This quite challenges amplification devices. Despite its modest power output, the Solo Neo never faltered. Even the smallest details came off without getting buried but the core focus was on the forest over the leaves as a quality that should wear well over the long haul.
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… via network streaming: Accounting for sonic influences of different file formats, Ethernet wiring or wireless and general power delivery, I can recommend the Solo Neo as network player without hesitation. The sonics followed the CD player precedent in overall balance, flow, precise timing and a dry foundation with real growl. Merely the depiction of virtual space didn’t match the silver discs.
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…as tuner: A radio is a radio is a radio. How important do you find it? Are you chasing classic stations with the utmost transparency? Then the built-in tuner won’t suffice. Reception was clean, station capture solid and the sound pleasant enough for not just background fill but more ambitious sessions - no more and no less to seem perfectly adequate for daily use.
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Conclusion: With its Solo Neo, Arcam has set up shop on the top floor of the all-in-one genre. Where arch competitor Naim ruled there all alone until recently with its top functionality, fool-proof interfaces and immaculate sonics, there’s now an equally valid competitor. Arcam’s newest covers the same bases nearly as well but saves almost €800. The CD player is a real highlight and only the optional irDock is somewhat disappointing.
Arcam’s Solo Neo is...
A well-balanced fluid performer
dry and substantial in the bass,
realistic and warm in the mids,
finely detailed on top without bite or glassiness,
easy to work despite a flood of functions,
nicely built and finished,
elegantly styled to suit all decors,
no muscle amp to prefer higher-efficiency speakers
and sonically a late bloomer which comes around after a few weeks of duty.
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redaktion @ fairaudio.de
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Facts:
Genre: All-in-one-CD-receiver (radio, CD, network player, Internet radio, DAB/FM-Tuner, streaming via LAN or WLAN, USB socket for sticks or hard drives), Apple iPod dock optional
Finish: Silver
Dimensions & weight: 430 x 350 x 79mm (WxDxH), 7.75kg
Power consumption: Standby 1 watt, idle 50 watts, max 400 watts
Output power: 2 x 50 watts into 8 ohms
I/o ports: 4 line-level inputs including tape loop, Ethernet, USB, iPod dock, Toslink out, 2 preouts, speaker terminals
Other: remote control, handles all popular file formats, optional irDock (€250)
Warranty: 2 years
Website
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