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have been considering the arcam cd73(£300) or the arcam cd 192(£500) and the arcam FMJ A32 (£700) . i could get the A90 for £500 but most people on here are not enthusiastic about it . any views on the above would be most welcome . particularly if the CD 73 would go well with the FMJ amp. also what floor speakers with this system (budget around £500). many thansks
 

drummerman

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Rega R3's as speakers but why are you just considering arcam? 700 quid for the A32 is no doubt a very good price if you like the sound it makes. But you should also hear some other options incl. Cyrus'es 8 series. IMO superior to the Arcams though of different tonality/presentation.
 

d_a_n1979

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Please igniore Drummerman... He has a dislike to Arcam and Monitor Audio and alot of other 'more common makes'... Haha :)

With regards to the Arcam A90, i'd leave well alone. I feel that although it has power in abundance, its hollow sounding and lacks in bass weight and midrange smoothness. The What hifi review has it down to a tee.

The Arcam FMJ A32 is a superb amp and really shows its class compared to the A90. Bags of power, sublime bass weight which is well controlled with great midrange and crisp/clear treble.

I'd defiintly consider partnering that with the Arcam CD192 or the CD92. Both superb CDP's.

With regards to other amps you coulc consider the Roksan Kandy LIII integrated or the Cyrus 8v2 amp. Both would go well with the Arcam CDPs as well as the Cyrus 8 CDP and the Rega Apollo CDP.

As for speakers i would heartyly recemmend the Monitor Audio RS6's the RS8s and the GS20's. Also worth considering would be the B&W 683's, B&W CM7's, B&W 704's and the B&W 705's.

Depends on your budget but i feel that if your going for the pricey Arcam separates, you'd be better off spending more than £500 on speakers. Out of the above, i'd definitly go for the B&W CM7s, the M/A RS6's and the M/A GS20's.
 
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Anonymous

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thanks for your thoughts . very helpful. would it sensible to buy the cheaper cd player (the CD73) and lob the £200 saving into the speaker pot ? ie. the FMJ A32 , CD 73 and up to £700 for speakers or FMJ A32 , CD192 and £500 for speakers ? thanks in advance
 

d_a_n1979

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Id say if youre going for the FMJ A32 then i'd invest in the Arcam CD192 or CD92 CDP's.

The CD73 would be a good choice but i feel that it'd be better to invest in the upper range of Arcam CDP's.

Are you looking to buy everything new or will you consider 2nd hand as you can always find some great deals on Ebay and on http://www.adverts.hififorsale.com/public.asp for separates and speakers.
 
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Anonymous

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[quote user="lacky"]thanks for your thoughts . very helpful. would it sensible to buy the cheaper cd player (the CD73) and lob the £200 saving into the speaker pot ? ie. the FMJ A32 , CD 73 and up to £700 for speakers or FMJ A32 , CD192 and £500 for speakers ? thanks in advance[/quote]
Personally, I'd say this approach is spot on. It's the speakers that will ultimately make the most difference. The FMJ A32 and CD73 are very good pieces of kit and will benefit from the best speakers you can afford to throw at them. Although the CD192 would give more detail, I'd aim to 'reveal' what the other pairing has to offer. I have a £500 amp, £650 CDP and £1100 speakers. The sound is truly superb and considerably better than when I had £350 speakers. I can always change the amp, etc, later.

If you have £700 for speakers, def audition the Rega R5s or R3s as they're very good for the money and a much better balance than MA offerings.
 

drummerman

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[quote user="d_a_n1979"]Please igniore Drummerman... He has a dislike to Arcam and Monitor Audio and alot of other 'more common makes'... Haha :) [/quote]

Does he really? Its a very good deal for the arcam amp. The reason I dont like (some) of their stuff, mostly amplifiers, is that they sounds very hifi to these ears. Yes, they do the bass, treble and mids nice in a relatively neutral sort of way (at least the A32) but thats just it, they are nice in a flat, boring and mildly lifeless sort of way which just happens not to appeal to me but I can see people that had harsh systems falling for that sort of product. I dont expect you to agree with me, it would be very boring if we all like the same things.

Nothing to do with 'common makes' d_a_n1979.
 

drummerman

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[quote user="igglebert"]If you have £700 for speakers, def audition the Rega R5s or R3s as they're very good for the money and a much better balance than MA offerings.[/quote]

Absolutely agree, there's no comparison.
 
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Anonymous

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thanks for replying . i will consider the cyrus , but the arcam do appear good value and quality .
 

crusaderlord

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I have a similar choice. I do like Arcam products and have an FMJ A32 amplifier and FMJ CD36 player (very recently upgraded from a CD73 last week).

I would say the CD36 is definately a better quality player than the CD73 - you get more body to the sound and detail and piano for instance sounds ever more realistic. However the CD73 was £450 and the FMJ 36 was £1100 not long ago so the mark up was a big difference. If you pick up the CD36 for £700 (it is possible at the moment) then i would say this is a good upgrade. But to be honest the CD73 is excellent for the price and you may be best going for speakers first. (For your info i also auditioned the CD 192 but found the jump to the FMJ 36 was a better proposition given the relative price gaps).

So i have a similar choice now i have both FMJ upgrades as i have Epos M5 speakers which i love - but their value of £350 is well short of the original FMJ's £1000+ level. I am limited to bookshelf ones with a 280mm depth and close to the wall too so has anyone got any recommendations ? Epos are great close to the wall which is why i am so fond of them.

The B&W CM1 is one option - or i wondered if Spendor, Rega or Focus were good options or will i really get little added benefit given the position limitations my family put on my kit !
 

drummerman

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[quote user="crusaderlord"]
The B&W CM1 is one option - or i wondered if Spendor, Rega or Focus were good options or will i really get little added benefit given the position limitations my family put on my kit !

[/quote]

I think you will get to much bass with the B&W's. They need free space around them and also have a warm, full midrange which could perhaps a bit to much of a good thing with your amp. Your Epos'es are great speakers and if you like them, why change but if you need a bit more of everything, try the 12.2 i's or Rega's R3 or 5 depending on room size. The latter are front ported so easier to site but like all speakers really need a little bit of space behind/to the sides.
 

JoelSim

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[quote user="crusaderlord"]
I have a similar choice. I do like Arcam products and have an FMJ A32 amplifier and FMJ CD36 player (very recently upgraded from a CD73 last week).

I would say the CD36 is definately a better quality player than the CD73 - you get more body to the sound and detail and piano for instance sounds ever more realistic. However the CD73 was £450 and the FMJ 36 was £1100 not long ago so the mark up was a big difference. If you pick up the CD36 for £700 (it is possible at the moment) then i would say this is a good upgrade. But to be honest the CD73 is excellent for the price and you may be best going for speakers first. (For your info i also auditioned the CD 192 but found the jump to the FMJ 36 was a better proposition given the relative price gaps).

So i have a similar choice now i have both FMJ upgrades as i have Epos M5 speakers which i love - but their value of £350 is well short of the original FMJ's £1000+ level. I am limited to bookshelf ones with a 280mm depth and close to the wall too so has anyone got any recommendations ? Epos are great close to the wall which is why i am so fond of them.

The B&W CM1 is one option - or i wondered if Spendor, Rega or Focus were good options or will i really get little added benefit given the position limitations my family put on my kit !
[/quote]

ProAc Tablette Reference 8 Signatures. Great with Arcam kit and tiny to boot!
 

JoelSim

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[quote user="lacky"]thanks for replying . i will consider the cyrus , but the arcam do appear good value and quality .[/quote]

If you want your music to sound like it should then Arcam are a good bet.
 

drummerman

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[quote user="JoelSim"]If you want your music to sound like it should then Arcam are a good bet.[/quote]

Agree that my view of Arcam (amps) are not shared by everyone but thats a bit of an odd statement
emotion-40.gif
 
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Anonymous

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The good thing about the A32 (and many Arcam amps) is that it doesn't add anything to the source being fed to it, so the sound you get it reliant on the source and the speakers and so you can keep the amplifier for many years without need to upgrade. I have one, and it doesn't do anything wrong at all - however it's an amp which sounds it's best when being pushed, rather than at "late night volumes". I can thoroughly recommend it! I also have the CD73T which I am very impressed with - it's just like the amp so that it doesn't add anything irrelevent to the music...and it really doesn't take anything away from the bass which is superbly tunefull and very on its toes.
 

drummerman

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[quote user="Hughes123"]it's just like the amp so that it doesn't add anything irrelevent to the music...[/quote]

... like verve, dynamics and a bit of get up and go even at quieter volumes?

Joking. Like I said I can fully understand why people like them and they are built well and look nicer than cyrus.
 
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Anonymous

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I don't know how the Cyrus sounds, I only heard one at the Bristol Show 08 when they had the cinema setup...seemed to go loud for tiny little boxes though!
 
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Anonymous

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[quote user="fr0g"]

She loves me, she loves me not, she loves me...;)[/quote]

However, I don't like the sound! I prefer something which gives dynamics to music...
 

drummerman

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[quote user="Hughes123"][quote user="fr0g"] She loves me, she loves me not, she loves me...;)[/quote]
However, I don't like the sound! I prefer something which gives dynamics to music...

[/quote]

Are you talking about cyrus?!
 
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Anonymous

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[quote user="crusaderlord"]
I have a similar choice. I do like Arcam products and have an FMJ A32 amplifier and FMJ CD36 player (very recently upgraded from a CD73 last week).

I would say the CD36 is definately a better quality player than the CD73 - you get more body to the sound and detail and piano for instance sounds ever more realistic. However the CD73 was £450 and the FMJ 36 was £1100 not long ago so the mark up was a big difference. If you pick up the CD36 for £700 (it is possible at the moment) then i would say this is a good upgrade. But to be honest the CD73 is excellent for the price and you may be best going for speakers first. (For your info i also auditioned the CD 192 but found the jump to the FMJ 36 was a better proposition given the relative price gaps).

So i have a similar choice now i have both FMJ upgrades as i have Epos M5 speakers which i love - but their value of £350 is well short of the original FMJ's £1000+ level. I am limited to bookshelf ones with a 280mm depth and close to the wall too so has anyone got any recommendations ? Epos are great close to the wall which is why i am so fond of them.

The B&W CM1 is one option - or i wondered if Spendor, Rega or Focus were good options or will i really get little added benefit given the position limitations my family put on my kit !
[/quote]
Def try the little Proac Tablette Reference 8 Signatures, but also try the new Spendor SA1 at the same time. No idea which will float your boat, but the SA1 is a stunner. Sealed box too so you can place anywhere!
 
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Anonymous

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[quote user="fr0g"][quote user="Hughes123"][quote user="fr0g"]

She loves me, she loves me not, she loves me...;)[/quote]

However, I don't like the sound! I prefer something which gives dynamics to music...[/quote]

You should audition my Lyngdorf :) Chalk and cheese.

And while I am in quoting mood...

"It will tear your soul apart"

Hellraiser---Pinhead--C10040177.jpeg

[/quote]
I prefer it that my hifi doesn't rip out my soul and condemn me to the 7th level of hell...but that's just me...

Another Cenobite quote makes me think of Arcam...
"Explorers in the further regions of experience. Demons to some. Angels to others."
 

crusaderlord

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Where my Arcam A70 amplifier was great with Epos, being detailed and fast and had good timing, my FMJ amplifier has really boosted the M5 speakers to another level adding in a more bass depth to the sound which is excellent news. So i am may be happy to continue for the moment with these.

Lacky - the FMJ A32 is a great amplifier and as i had the A70 i can directly compare. It is certainly worth the extra money at £700 if you can stretch as you will notice the extra drive power and bass addition. I also auditioned the A90 and it is still good but better to save for the FMJ i think.

Thanks for those tips - i have never heard of the Proac Tablette Reference 8 Signatures but a bit of searching has left me quite interested in these. I will keep my eye on the Proac and try and demo one when i can.

Can anyone else recommend them from experience - they are not covered too much in any magazines ive looked at. I have no real idea how much better they would be to Epos M5's.
 

DeimosNZ

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[quote user="igglebert"][quote user="fr0g"][quote user="Hughes123"][quote user="fr0g"]

She loves me, she loves me not, she loves me...;)[/quote]

However, I don't like the sound! I prefer something which gives dynamics to music...[/quote]

You should audition my Lyngdorf :) Chalk and cheese.

And while I am in quoting mood...

"It will tear your soul apart"

Hellraiser---Pinhead--C10040177.jpeg


[/quote]
I prefer it that my hifi doesn't rip out my soul and condemn me to the 7th level of hell...but that's just me...

Another Cenobite quote makes me think of Arcam...
"Explorers in the further regions of experience. Demons to some. Angels to others."[/quote]

One for the disbelievers Trick us again, child, and your suffering will be legendary even in Hell
 

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