Arcam Solo Neo combo hi-fi

Audiophile hub gets Internet upgrade

Solo performance

And you’ll need to like the sound, since there are only limited tweaking options on board, with an on-screen slider each for bass and treble and a bass correction setting that beefs up the low end for smaller speakers – though it’s perfectly capable of handling larger floorstanders too.

Looks good and sounds good too

CD playback was generally excellent, yet when testing with music played directly from a USB memory stick, I found that the same tracks sounded considerably better when played back from an iPhone connected to the irDock. Unsurprisingly, the quality of Internet radio was very dependent on the bit rate of its source.

Verdict

The Arcam Solo Neo is a great looking piece of kit and a neat way of incorporating virtually all of your stereo needs. The transparency of the sound will appeal to audiophiles but the navigation system could be easier to use. If you’re serious about streaming you’d be better off with a system from Sonos or Raumfeld – and the Neo costs considerably less than the £2k+ Naim Uniti – but if you’re serious about sound, and still want access to Internet and networked audio, the Arcam Neo may be just what you need. ®

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