AV8003 compared to Arcam AVR600

I currently own a Marantz AV8003 driving a Halo A21 and Cinepro. Running Legacy speakers with Focus HDs in front. Have ordered the Arcam AVR600 to use only as a Pre/pro maybe for a long time or until the AV888 is released. The Marantz is fantastic but falls a tad short on two channel compared to my old AV9. I am hoping the Preamp section of the AVR600 brings it back up. Any thoughts?
Has anyone compared the Pre section of the AVR600 to the Marantz or others?

Figures! But even so and even with the fact I work for an Arcam dealer and buy below dealer cost I will give the AVR600 a try first. If it fits the bill I will hold on to it and hold on to the extra $ the AV888 would have cost. The Rep from Arcam told me another 3 weeks on the AV888 just three days ago when I ordered the AVR600 but maybe he meant before their warehouse had them or maybe he was just wrong. My AVR will be here Tues and I will follow with a report. If it doesnt reach my expectations then the AV888 will follow.

I built this room with treatments mostly using bass traps and first reflection panels. I didn't use any internal treatments and of course the AV9 doesn't have Audyssey and even though my past NAD and AV8003 has it I personally dont like it and dont use it. That's with the upgraded Audyssey kit also. My center has two 12''s and the Audyssey made it sound like it was in a barrell.
I do plan on using the EQ set up in the AVR600 as I have heard it is good but will try with and without.

Got her hooked up last night and somewhat pleased. Its one thing to never have had a feature but once you have a receiver or pre/pro that has many features its easy to miss them when they are gone. First thing I noticed was the lack of features compared to my AV8003. Cant assign digital inputs. Cant toggle between digital and analog on any given source input. No individual speaker EQ manual settings. No HD radio or XM. No true internal video processor real pass through. Note I know that if the Arcam is set to 1080p and auto with all picture setting set to neutral it supposed to be a bypass but its really not because the video signal is still run through the video processor. Ok now that's out of the way. Sound quality is superb. I am running a Halo A21 for fronts and a Cinepro for my other 5 channels. What a big difference sound between my AV8003 and the Pre/pro section of the AVR600. My bass has tightened up and is not boomy. Extended highs and upper end detail are better. However I actually preferred the mids in my AV8003. I have Legacy Focus HDs and they sound great if tamed right.
The two channel is fine but I prefer running through my PS Audio DAC compared to the Dacs of the AVR600. I will say with the Arcam AVR600 that I haven't had such a detailed nice listening experience since my old AV9.
I will also say that compared to my AV8003 that their might be an advantage in the sound of the Pre/Pro section in the AVR600 but its not a bad vs good but a different sound and that speaks highly of the AV8003 along with its many more set up and operational features.
Surround modes and movie watching is where the AVR600 really stands out.
The punch, detail (comes with better upper end detail) and dynamics are very nice. Compared to the AV8003 it had better detail but again the AV8003 was and is no slouch. Im still getting use to it and just the sound difference. Also break in hasn't occurred. At this point I think it will stay in place but I do see a switch over to the AV888.

I can only speak from my personal opinion but definitely the AVR600 has the edge. Now in saying that. The Marantz is a great piece and offers balanced outs and such things as HD radio and individual EQ per speaker. It also sounds very good in two channel. Was not impressed with its Audyssey set up. HT was also great on the AV8003.

The Arcam on my speakers is better detailed and a much better upper end detail range for both HT and two channel audio. Also the new Dolby Volume feature is fantastic for surround or HT listening and once set up right is hard to live without. I expect you will start seeing that feature on many up and coming Pre/Pros and receivers. So my answer is the Arcam and that's before break in complete. Either choice though would be fine. One note. There are several AV8003s out there that seem to have an imaging issue in stereo mode. Direct mode works fine. I was lucky that mine had great imaging and didn't suffer from this bug. My friends did as well as many others. Also with music and please keep in mind i have Focus HD speakers that are hard to tame. The Marantz produced lower bass ranges that almost approached boomy on my speakers. The Arcam tightened the bass back up and now sounds great. Also in my humble opinion the auto mic setup does 10 times better than the Audyssey set up on the Marantz. I had the outboard installer only Audyssey kit and it was horrible as it compressed the sound. The Arcam comes with a heavy duty set up mic and the Auto EQ is the best I have heard. Hope this helped.

Dolby Volume Benefits: Maintains the same volume level across all content, programs, and audio/video sources. Reproduces sound that's true to the original recording—at any volume level. Customizable to suit your personal preferences and listening conditions. Improves surround perception, even at low volume levels. Produces clear audio, with no unwanted noise. It seems to work as advertised on my Arcam.