Hedgehog:
Thanks for your advice, both.
Igglebert, I like what you're saying but wonder whether I'll sacrifce some of the warmth that I do like in the Arcam...PP, my problem is that there is nothing in this setup that I dislike. It's just that originally I wanted to get the MF X-Ray for synergy, looks and the possibility of adding a regular amp + speakers later. However, when I needed a CDP I couldn't find an X-Ray at the right price, so I went for the Arcam. Now I've seen a few X-Rays and wonder what I'm missing...
Truth be told, I'm in a conundrum: as much as I like the MF X-Can + AKG K701s, I'd much rather have a speaker-based setup. But I'm in a temporary job away from home and don't know what my living situation will be in six months time. So, really, I shouldn't buy anything now but wait till I know about the new place. Then I'd know whether I should go for an all MF setup + speakers or, possibly, an all-Rega setup, which sounds very tempting, too. Or maybe even AVI ADM9.1s (yes, I've heard them, but not for long enough yet).
Probably should enjoy the Arcam, which is quite good, save the money and use it for the real upgrade that will be coming. -- Or am I missing something here?
Hedgehog
Understand your problem. Have you got analogue sources? if so, then active speakers probably won't be the answer; for all their practicalities, most only have 1 or 2 analogue inputs.
This is why I mentioned different interconnects: I had a similar problem. The warmth from the CDP was fine but it stiffled the other elements. When I changed to the Merlins I heard everything I expected - the best of both worlds, and at a fraction of the cost of a full-blown upgrade.
Good luck, pp