In total shock!!!

[admin_exported]

I have an Arcam FMJ CD37 on loan. After a few hours listening (I know needs burn in) and comparing with my Blu-ray player, I have shocking results. My Blu-ray player is a Pioneer BDP-LX91 connected to my reciever via a Van Den Hul Flat HDMI. The CD37 is connected using Van Den Hul 'The Wave' (normally used on the LX91 for CD playback). First of all- Loading times, the blu-ray players down fall. The LX91 would load a CD in about 20 seconds (closing the tray to playing) while the CD37 does it in around 10 seconds. I played a selection of different genres of music and I eventually noticed differences. With CDs the CD37 had very slightly better timing and minutely stronger mid-range. Overall these players sound virtually identical. The differences amount to the CD37 being less than 10% better (lets say 8%) at CD playback. SACD is clearly better than the CD on the LX91. Piano sounds immensly tangiable, like a grand is sitting infront of you.... The only problem is that i only own a few SACDs and the differences in CD playback dont quantify the cost for a seperate CD player.

This may throw a spanner in the works for Blu-ray player/HDMI CD playback. Most people including me would think a £1300 cd player would blow it away. It didn't!

 

[daveh75]

What receiver are you using though?

 

[Anonymous]

Yamaha DSP-Z7 so I thought the Arcams DAC would be better than the Yamaha's!

 

[JoelSim]

JTD:Yamaha DSP-Z7 so I thought the Arcams DAC would be better than the Yamaha's!

I imagine it's also connected to the shortcomings of the Yamaha as a 2 channel amp, and that with a dedicated stereo amp the differences would be amplified if you'll forgive the pun.

Running in also makes a huge difference.

 

[Anonymous]

I compared my DVD player with my CDP (in signature). The DVD lost any sense of depth and made the whole experience seem 2D. It had less bass on offer, the overall timbre was less natural and although providing loads of separation from left to right, it somehow failed to separate the instruments. Perhaps this latter point is to do with overall detail resolving ability.

What I would say is that unless you listen to the music carefully, the differences don't matter very much, i.e. background music, etc. For a critical listening session the DVD strips the soul.

 

[crusaderlord]

not really a fair comparison given its running through a surround sound amplifier rather than a dedicated quality stereo amplifier.

i would suggest the cd player is limited by the lack of run in and also the amplifier being used.

if i compare my bluray to my stereo set up then the cd wins by a country mile which shows you need to use components in the right set up to benefit.

 

[SHAXOS]

Tried a similar experiment using my PS3 as a source whilst waiting for my xray v8. I was also shocked at how close a ps3 came to the dedicated player. Before people get their panties in a twist - i did notice a difference. Eventually ended up getting rid of the cd player as i honestly could not justify the difference with the cost. Also i do most of my listening from hi bit rate mp3s as they are so convenient. I now have a ps1 as a cd player and can honestly say i dont miss the xray.

 

[Anonymous]

JoelSim:
JTD:Yamaha DSP-Z7 so I thought the Arcams DAC would be better than the Yamaha's!

I imagine it's also connected to the shortcomings of the Yamaha as a 2 channel amp, and that with a dedicated stereo amp the differences would be amplified if you'll forgive the pun.

Running in also makes a huge difference.

I am running it on 'pure audio' so everything not needed is shut off. While demo'ing the Z7 I tried several stereo amps at £1k region and this showed them up so it's not too shabby. Short of spending £2000 on a power amp I don't think the difference is huge.

 

[Anonymous]

igglebert:I compared my DVD player with my CDP (in signature). The DVD lost any sense of depth and made the whole experience seem 2D. It had less bass on offer, the overall timbre was less natural and although providing loads of separation from left to right, it somehow failed to separate the instruments. Perhaps this latter point is to do with overall detail resolving ability.

What I would say is that unless you listen to the music carefully, the differences don't matter very much, i.e. background music, etc. For a critical listening session the DVD strips the soul.

My Blu ray player is £2000 rrp (well my dealer says £2200 rrp now!) and it has pure modes etc which with analogue out, make the Pioneer and Arcam nigh on the same with my reciever (which I won't be selling for years!) I guess what you hear and what you want is personal.

 

[Craig M.]

i wasn't impressed by that cdp at all. roksan caspian is much better, imo.

 

[Anonymous]

This Arcam CD player, for the price, is actually quite lousy. So, I am not surprised.

 

[drummerman]

Garland Genoho:This Arcam CD player, for the price, is actually quite lousy. So, I am not surprised.

I certainly wouldn't call that particular Arcam player 'lousy'. Perhaps it's more a case of how capable the Pioneer BR machine is in that respect, as has been mentioned in numerous reviews/tests.

I would'nt have expected a drastic difference, bearing in mind the elevated cost of the pioneer as well as the use of similar technology/dac's and any absence of substantially different topology, such as valves or other state of the art electronics sometimes found in certain high end products.

 

[drummerman]

... but, as mentioned elsewhere here, 10% added quality can be the difference between an involving listen and something not so enjoyable, especially when used with a dedicated 2ch amp.

 

[RCduck7]

I had an early PS3 that plays SACD's and had 2 DAC's i could try on it, a high end Xindak DAC 8 and a modified DacMagic. Upsampling the fequency on the PS3 and let it play SACD's sounded much better over standard CD's. After that i was determined to look for a dedicated SACD transport. But in the meantime i could borrow someone his chinese tubed MHZS CD88E cd player which costs about 3 to 350£. It sounded a lot better over standard CD's when i compared it to the PS3/DAC combo but was also better then then SACD playing on the PS3/DAC combo. It seems when i read forums, the MHZS players has the benefit to be very easely modded for even better sound. Haven't looked back at SACD since then. I guess the transport but especially the DAC inside the MHZS cd player is very good. I bought the MHZS CD88G almost immediatly after auditioning. A fact is that the cheap entry level MHZS CD33 CD player actually technically is the 1000£ Pure Sound A8000 CD player inside! It's the same sort of scam that is raging on forums between the Oppo and Lexicon players. I might look back on the SACD thing one day if i find a DAC as good as in the MHZS player with a dedicated SACD transport.