arcam delta 90

smuggs

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Feb 19, 2009
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i have a denon1909 and have my cd player into it, my mate has a arcam detla 90 stereo amp for free but he lives in newcastle which will cost me 45-50 pound fuel is it worth getting i think its 23 years old but its in mint condition.
 

smuggs

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i might get him to,

few questions how much better will it sound than my av amp (denon1909),with CA 640 cd player and MA br5's

How much was it in its day?

how much do i need to spend on a av amp to improve the sound that my av amp gives?
 

John Duncan

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Well it depends what you mean - for music or movies? Because certain price points bring you high def sound or 7.1 or whatever. But Clare said recently that an AV amp is about as good as a stereo amp a third of the price.

The delta range was the FMJ of its day I suppose - the 'premium' range compared to the Alpha - though I think it didn't last long and they just made bigger and bigger Alphas. Fairly sure it was 300-and-something when I got my Alpha 2 for £200 (or a third of a month's wages) back in '88.

And it's difficult to say whether it'll be beter - the idea of 'good' back in those days was often related to how good the phono stage was...but for nothing, it's worth a go!
 

smuggs

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just music thanks alot im visiting him near xmas i might just hang on and gab it then just got exicted thought it might of been miles better and then i could of put br1's at the front and my my tdl's as rears. But like you said i cant see it beating the denon even though mines an av amp, a third i about £130 so i guess the arcam wont be better than £150 stereo amp now.
 
T

the record spot

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I wouldn't be so quick to write it off; the Delta was a decent range, as John says, the next step up from the Alpha. If it's in mint condition, I'd certainly be getting my hands on it to give it a go.
 

Dan Turner

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I've just bought a Delta 290 (which I think was the next model up from the 90 back in the day) for a second system based on an ipod - I've just replaced a marantz PM 4001 (which I think is/was about £150 at full price), going into MA BR2s, and it's safe to say that the 290 absolutely blows it away, so I'm sure that if the '90 is in full working order which it sounds like it is, it will very easily outperform your Denon.

Where it comes to amps, despite what the manufacturers would like you to think when they introduce a new model with a big fanfare and loads of claimed improvements, changes are very small and incremental, so a good amp from 20 years ago, is absolutely still a good amp today.
 
JohnDuncan:Well it depends what you mean - for music or movies? Because certain price points bring you high def sound or 7.1 or whatever. But Clare said recently that an AV amp is about as good as a stereo amp a third of the price. The delta range was the FMJ of its day I suppose - the 'premium' range compared to the Alpha - though I think it didn't last long and they just made bigger and bigger Alphas. Fairly sure it was 300-and-something when I got my Alpha 2 for £200 (or a third of a month's wages) back in '88. And it's difficult to say whether it'll be beter - the idea of 'good' back in those days was often related to how good the phono stage was...but for nothing, it's worth a go!

Also depends on the size of room it's being used in as well. I know with my Arc in my smallish living room, playing a good quality DVD you get ample 'virtual surround sound.' It's also (probably) aided by the MA speakers.
 
A

Anonymous

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Hi there i had a delta 90 but developed an annoying buzz through the speakers [EDITED BY MODS - no trading please]
 

Albert Bennett

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I have had my Delta 90 from new some 23 years ago and it has given me so much pleasure over the years it has been well worth the £300 + spent . it was so much better than the Revox amp I borrowed from a friend at the time so I think that says something for it , snap it up I say
 

Rethep

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In those years back then, i listened to an Arcam Delta, i think it was the Delta 290. It disappointed me by sounding only 1-dimensional with my Epos ES 11's.
 

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