Advice needed please

[Tregati]

I’ve currently got a elderly Denon DF10 system, that I think is slowly dying unfortunately, I’ve had it from new, so it’s about 30 years old, I’m running it with a pair of Mission 751 Mk1s, at the time I also bought good interconnects and bi wire speaker cable etc
I’ve looked at the Marantz PM6007 and the CD6007, these are both new designs I think, 2023?
But…
I’ve had the offer of a Arcam SA10 for £400 ish, I’ve had a Quick Look online and this is about right price, it’s a new unit boxed etc, just the design and the DAC are now about a 4 year old design….
I’d initially be running it with the missions and a WiiM pro plus, and using the optical out from the UCD F10, the cd player, then looking at a new CD player, or a transport like the Audiolab 6000 CDT when funds allow
I don’t think a Hi Fi specialist would think much of me if I asked could I bring in my 751s to demo with…
Thoughts please
Thank you for you time

 

[Dom]

Welcome to the forum.

Someone with guidance will help you.

 

[jjbomber]

I’ve currently got a elderly Denon DF10 system, that I think is slowly dying unfortunately, I’ve had it from new, so it’s about 30 years old, I’m running it with a pair of Mission 751 Mk1s, at the time I also bought good interconnects and bi wire speaker cable etc
I’ve looked at the Marantz PM6007 and the CD6007, these are both new designs I think, 2023?
But…
I’ve had the offer of a Arcam SA10 for £400 ish, I’ve had a Quick Look online and this is about right price, it’s a new unit boxed etc, just the design and the DAC are now about a 4 year old design….
I’d initially be running it with the missions and a WiiM pro plus, and using the optical out from the UCD F10, the cd player, then looking at a new CD player, or a transport like the Audiolab 6000 CDT when funds allow
I don’t think a Hi Fi specialist would think much of me if I asked could I bring in my 751s to demo with…
Thoughts please
Thank you for you time

You could always ask the Hi Fi Specialist if you can take one of the options home to try out. Normally they take a swipe of your credit card in case you don't return it. You not only get to hear them with your Mission 751s, but also in your room.

 

[Deleted member 201267]

You could always ask the Hi Fi Specialist if you can take one of the options home to try out. Normally they take a swipe of your credit card in case you don't return it. You not only get to hear them with your Mission 751s, but also in your room.

This is the best advice you will get.

 

[Al ears]

This is the best advice you will get.

I would agree. Sensible advice as opposed to biased opinion.

 

[Fandango Andy]

This is the best advice you will get.

They probably wouldn't mind you taking your speakers in. I have never done it personally, but I remember going with my dad when he was looking at a new amp, he took his old Harbeth speakers to a shop to audition the amp.

Having said that, the other advice is spot on, ot would be far better if you can listen to it in your home where you will be using it.

 

[Stuart83]

You could always ask the Hi Fi Specialist if you can take one of the options home to try out. Normally they take a swipe of your credit card in case you don't return it. You not only get to hear them with your Mission 751s, but also in your room.

Spot on........
Richer sounds do home demoes (pick up in store or post out) so you can demo the equipment in your own room with your own ancillaries.

 

[nopiano]

I’ve had the offer of a Arcam SA10 for £400 ish, I’ve had a Quick Look online and this is about right price, it’s a new unit boxed etc, just the design and the DAC are now about a 4 year old design….

Nobody has commented on this. Personally, and based only on forum chatter and user feedback, I think this series of Arcam aren’t their finest. That’s being polite; they seemed to be riddled with quirks and seemed underdeveloped to release. No surprise, they’ve been replaced, but the CD was sold before it was fully updated. (If you want Arcam, look at the FMJ A39, still worth more than the SA series)

A four year old design is almost meaningless in Hifi. Most amplifier designs were created decades ago. What you have now is increasingly lean manufacturing processes to reduce costs and keep retail prices affordable, but not great leaps in performance. DACs change regularly, but to no meaningful extent.

As the owner of several Marantz products,(including with Mission speakers, as it happens) now and in the past I’d prefer the 6007 duo by some distance. They must be be a couple of years old now, so expect 6008 models in 2024/5, or more likely something like the CD60 with their newer look. No great changes since the 6005 and 6006 either, just tweaks to keep the designs fresh, and generate more press reviews. (I’m unsure if you can use the Marantz PM6007 DAC for your Wiim though. But is it’s own DAC no good?)

Lastly, any Hifi dealer who doesn’t welcome you bringing your speakers, doesn’t deserve your custom. But as above, hearing it at home is far better.

 

[jjbomber]

This is the best advice you will get.

Still only got one like though

 

[Deleted member 201267]

They probably wouldn't mind you taking your speakers in. I have never done it personally, but I remember going with my dad when he was looking at a new amp, he took his old Harbeth speakers to a shop to audition the amp.

Having said that, the other advice is spot on, ot would be far better if you can listen to it in your home where you will be using it.

A home audition is the only way to judge how an item will sound...in your home !

 

[Fandango Andy]

Nobody has commented on this. Personally, and based only on forum chatter and user feedback, I think this series of Arcam aren’t their finest. That’s being polite; they seemed to be riddled with quirks and seemed underdeveloped to release. No surprise, they’ve been replaced, but the CD was sold before it was fully updated. (If you want Arcam, look at the FMJ A39, still worth more than the SA series)

A four year old design is almost meaningless in Hifi. Most amplifier designs were created decades ago. What you have now is increasingly lean manufacturing processes to reduce costs and keep retail prices affordable, but not great leaps in performance. DACs change regularly, but to no meaningful extent.

As the owner of several Marantz products,(including with Mission speakers, as it happens) now and in the past I’d prefer the 6007 duo by some distance. They must be be a couple of years old now, so expect 6008 models in 2024/5, or more likely something like the CD60 with their newer look. No great changes since the 6005 and 6006 either, just tweaks to keep the designs fresh, and generate more press reviews. (I’m unsure if you can use the Marantz PM6007 DAC for your Wiim though. But is it’s own DAC no good?)

Lastly, any Hifi dealer who doesn’t welcome you bringing your speakers, doesn’t deserve your custom. But as above, hearing it at home is far better.

Nobody has commented on this. Personally, and based only on forum chatter and user feedback, I think this series of Arcam aren’t their finest. That’s being polite; they seemed to be riddled with quirks and seemed underdeveloped to release. No surprise, they’ve been replaced, but the CD was sold before it was fully updated. (If you want Arcam, look at the FMJ A39, still worth more than the SA series)

A four year old design is almost meaningless in Hifi. Most amplifier designs were created decades ago. What you have now is increasingly lean manufacturing processes to reduce costs and keep retail prices affordable, but not great leaps in performance. DACs change regularly, but to no meaningful extent.

As the owner of several Marantz products,(including with Mission speakers, as it happens) now and in the past I’d prefer the 6007 duo by some distance. They must be be a couple of years old now, so expect 6008 models in 2024/5, or more likely something like the CD60 with their newer look. No great changes since the 6005 and 6006 either, just tweaks to keep the designs fresh, and generate more press reviews. (I’m unsure if you can use the Marantz PM6007 DAC for your Wiim though. But is it’s own DAC no good?)

Lastly, any Hifi dealer who doesn’t welcome you bringing your speakers, doesn’t deserve your custom. But as above, hearing it at home is far better.

I have never heard a Wiim Pro (I purchased a Wiim Mini just before the pro came out and use it with an SMSL SU-1 DAC), but by reputation the DAC in the Pro is good.

 

[Tregati]

Thank you for your time and advice!
I’ll ask my local Hi Fi dealer if I can take my 751s in and listen to probably lots of stuff and become even more confused!
I’ve also now just found the SA20 for £500…
I think I need to set my budget and STICK TO IT!🤔🤣

 

[Stuart83]

Thank you for your time and advice!
I’ll ask my local Hi Fi dealer if I can take my 751s in and listen to probably lots of stuff and become even more confused!
I’ve also now just found the SA20 for £500…
I think I need to set my budget and STICK TO IT!🤔🤣

Acrams sa20 is a nice amp it's known for getting a tad messy at high volumes but if it's like the newer Sa30 I wouldn't worry.
The hick up with the early software bugs mean the SA30 had gone down in price but an update and sorted it out.

I held off from getting one after demoing a few amps at the time because of the bugs despite it sounding very very good in line with the reviews for once and in view of the various awards it claimed.
I instead came home with a roskan k3 (new version without Bluetooth nor standbye) and it went faulty within the week, so did the replacement.
Richer sounds understood me not wanting to replace it with a third.

Once the firmware was sorted on the sa30 I bought one immediately as it was the clear winner for me.
That's the thing with updatable software it's exactly that and having a known reliable brand such as roskan go bad twice I saw no reason not to take the sa30.

I did demo the a 15 radia when I visited hifi sound Stockton to look at the sa30 again but didn't like it in comparison, it lacked the punch of the sa30.
It's been faultless and used daily, the firmware is seamless now and arcams haste to release the sa30 on beta software early means an amp that was north of 2000 £ can be had for half or even less if second hand.

I can't speak of the exact sound of the sa20 but if it's anything like the sa30 I can tell you it sounds good with mission mx3's which I've had run through it once.
I've had a few mission speakers and understand why you would want to hang onto them.