New arcam a19

[admin_exported]

Hi fellow hi fi fanatics.

looking for some views from you all.

I bought the new a19 last week prior to to the good review that went out on Thursday so I'm a happy guy.

i have a little dilemma though, the reason I bought the a 19 was due to my faithful delta 290 giving up after 16 great years together . I ran it with a delta 290 power amp and an alpha 5 plus CD player coupled to tdl rtl 3's again 16 years old .

I was advised by arcam to go for the a19 which incidentally is great value for money but now where do I go with the CD player and the speakers, arcam say to stick with the delta 290 power amp and bi wiring until the power amp gives up but the question is what do you suggest I purchase CD player and speaker wise to compliment the new amp at the same time upgrading my system .

I have been looking around and the fmj cd17 looks a good bet , however there is an open boxed fmj cd 37 going for an good price, what's the feeling on open box equipment and would the a19 do the 37 justice ?

speakers I have liked the look of are tanoy dc6t's

any thought greatly appreciated

 

[plastic penguin]

After reading the review of the A19, it could sound too rich as the CD37 is fairly smooth. You're going to need a dem and see which makes of CDPs sound the most natural. Generally speaking, Arcam amps are usually fairly neutral, but it seems Arcam have tweaked the tonal qualities of this new offering.

 

[Anonymous]

HI

thanks for your thoughts , I'm with you on the demo idea , the slight problem is my location up in the north of Scotland where the local arcam dealer does not have a 37 in stock for demo.

my initial thoughts are agreeable with you in regards to the potential of the cd37 being overkill , I will contact Aberdeen area to see if they have kit to get a demo sorted

 

[crusaderlord]

The Arcam CD37 is so good its definately worth a demo at least. It is my favourite source so far and really should be a good choice with their amps. Whilst i would say the CD36 is slightly laid back (i used to own one), the CD37 is a different proposition and is smooth ish but detailed too and is a great cd player. It also has sacd capability which lifts another level if you can find CD's on that format. I havent heard the A19 though but i doubt its overkill to pair with a CD37 - you will still benefit from a good source.

 

[jjbomber]

I would scour the second hand market for an old Arcam DVD player. The ones that were £800-£1000 back in the day now go for less than £100, as they are not Blu-ray. They have to be one of the best bargain buys around. I know it flies in the face of conventional thinking, but they really could carry a tune. Fantastic value for money.

 

[plastic penguin]

HI

thanks for your thoughts , I'm with you on the demo idea , the slight problem is my location up in the north of Scotland where the local arcam dealer does not have a 37 in stock for demo.

my initial thoughts are agreeable with you in regards to the potential of the cd37 being overkill , I will contact Aberdeen area to see if they have kit to get a demo sorted

I don't think the CD37 will be an overkill. I'm more concerned about the tonal qualities of both products. It should be a great match, but going by the review it MAY be a little on the warm side, hence why I've suggested a dem. Unless, of course, this ex-dem one has a returns policy.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the advice regarding this one.

im going to source a demo as close as possible in the morning as the ex demo 37 is not returnable unfortunately and it's too much money if it does not compliment the new a19

will let you know how it goes

interesting thought on the DVD player also , would never has considered that option

 

[plastic penguin]

Thanks for all the advice regarding this one.

im going to source a demo as close as possible in the morning as the ex demo 37 is not returnable unfortunately and it's too much money if it does not compliment the new a19

will let you know how it goes

interesting thought on the DVD player also , would never has considered that option

Try and listen to the CD17 as well as the CD37. Might also worth listening to Rega, if they have them, and Audiolab.

Good luck.

 

[Ben K.]

Hello

I bought my cd37 ex demo and could not demo it for the same reason as you. I took a chance as it was almost half price. My thinking was I could always sell it on for very little loss so in a way I got a very long demo for a small cost. Anyway I absolutely love it. I would agree with whf's comment regarding the tonal qualities "smooth, chunky and weighty as a yorkie bar " or something along those lines.

PP has a good point (as usual) so you do need to think about the kind of presentation your after. Don't forget whf team seem to favour a detailed energetic sound which is fine but for me I prefer a slightly laid back smooth sound with plenty of detail that is subtly presented.

Maybe you could get your speakers first and then you would only need to match your source to the overall sound of your system. Unless your going to buy both at the same time of course which would be great as there would be many different combinations you could try.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi guys,

i do like my sound to be quite punchy and energetic , so if somewhat more reassured given your comments on the demo you purchased.

Good thinking regarding selling it on for little loss if it did not suit the amp or my taste.

When I bought my kit back in 1996 I was into dance music all the time due to my clubbing phase hence why I bought the Tdl,s for plenty bass.

im more inclined to go for a warm expansive sound now but still with plenty bass.

i could at a push stretch to speakers and CD player at the same time and have been looking at Tanoy DC6T 's which seem like a good buy at just over £500 now. Has anyone heard these and would they suit my taste of sound?

thanks again for any feedback

 

[chebby]

.

 

[Anonymous]

Very interesting view there, never even thought about that approach .

bear in mind though I already own the a19 , delta 290 p , so seperates are still my direction . But thanks for opening my mind to new thinking .

im quite naive to the hi fi options out there now,

 

[Ben K.]

I have not heard the a19 or the tannoys so can't advise on the combination I'm afraid. I can tell you that before I bought the cd37 my system had a large soundstage and a good amount of bass weight. Adding the cd37 opened up the sound more, gave a larger soundstage, more bass weight, more detail across the board (especially in bass notes) and smoothed the treble a little.

Just to let you know I mostly listen to dance and hip hop and for me these are the 2 genres that my system really excels in. I do listen to other genres such as pop, rock and reggae which also sound very good too.

I find MA to be a good match with arcam so you may want to try BX6 if you like plenty of bass. I'm sure other members can suggest other good matches.

 

[chebby]

Very interesting view there, never even thought about that approach .

bear in mind though I already own the a19 , delta 290 p , so seperates are still my direction . But thanks for opening my mind to new thinking .

Yeah I only realised after I posted that you already owned the amp. So I deleted my post.

 

[jjbomber]

interesting thought on the DVD player also , would never has considered that option

here's one:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Arcam-DV88plus-CD-and-DVD-Player-Black-/261158259172?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_Video_DVDPlayers_Recorders&hash=item3cce3ec9e4&_uhb=1

As I say, they were £1,000 new and have to be one of the best bargains out there.

 

[Anonymous]

Looking for some views on set up also ,

until I purchase new CD player and maybe speakers if I can afford it how should I set up the amps from a bi wired perspective.

When my delta 290 was alive I bi wired as ffollows

delta 290 driving ttweeters

delta p290 driving mid range and bass this set up recommended by arcam.

i recently upgraded the tweeters to morel's on the tdl's to give a more crisp high end however if I put the new a19 onto the same setup they sound a little too sharp .

would I be better off using the power amp to drive the tweeters now instead and using the new amp to drive the mid and bass ?

 

[Ben K.]

What you have been doing is actually bi amping (bi wiring is running 2 separate cables to high and low terminals from the same amp). Both ways you have suggested are fine so use the method that gives you the best sound.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Ben

 

[plastic penguin]

Thanks Ben

Ben's right. You need to dem and fiddle with different set-ups to try and find that 'sweet spot'. I've had the Rega DAC on home dem for the last couple of days, and although very good, it does show up deficiencies in other components. Sorry if I sound like a stuck record but nothing beats a shop or home dem.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi All

To further complicate things I was offered today a b grade fmj cd 37 and a fmj a 38 for around half the new cost.

I know some of you have this set up and have read elsewhere that they work really well together.

The question is should I sell on my new a19 just a week old and go for a proven pair that really work.

The long term plan was to pair the a19 with the a19p due to come out later this year.

This would be bi amps each giving 50 watts per channel.

The a 38 giving 100 watts per channel .

would this give the same performance and sound rather than bi amping the a19 & a19p

The reason for my change of heart is one cost ( 50 % reduction) and secondly my insurance made me a very generous compensation settlement for the delto 290.

What should I do ?

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Ben

I noticed you have the cd 37 and a 38 , how do you find them as a combination?

I like all types of music from dance to indie , even a bit of mild rock at times.

I'm keen on a warm expansive sound with a good helping of base and crisp high end.

please see my latest thread on a proposal made to me today

Any feedback much obliged

Thanks

Royston

 

[Ben K.]

I like the sound of my system very much but it's impossible to say whether you will or not. I mainly listen to dance and hip hop but do listen to a little bit of all sorts. Generally I would describe it as a large well spaced soundstage, very open sounding midrange, deep powerful bass and for the most part smooth treble (on the odd track it can sound a little shrill but not sure if this is the recording or the set up because its only been 1 or 2 tracks). Obviously with different speakers the set up could sound very different so again it's impossible for me to say how it will sound.

Sorry I can't be more help. Is very subjective a bit like trying to tell you if you would like dark or white chocolate best based on what I like best.

 

[crusaderlord]

I like the sound of my system very much but it's impossible to say whether you will or not. I mainly listen to dance and hip hop but do listen to a little bit of all sorts. Generally I would describe it as a large well spaced soundstage, very open sounding midrange, deep powerful bass and for the most part smooth treble (on the odd track it can sound a little shrill but not sure if this is the recording or the set up because its only been 1 or 2 tracks). Obviously with different speakers the set up could sound very different so again it's impossible for me to say how it will sound.

Sorry I can't be more help. Is very subjective a bit like trying to tell you if you would like dark or white chocolate best based on what I like best.

i also have the A38 & CD37 combination - i used to own the A32 & CD36. The above is a good summary, key items are the well spaced soundstage, lovely midrange, deep bass, smoothish treble but i can tell you that the A38 & CD37 is a little more upfront than its predecessor which was more laid back in its presentation and needed more volume to get going. The newer models reveal a lot more detail and in my opinion should have put to bed the laid back comments that used to follow Arcam around. I have some pretty dynamic speakers which work well with the set up as the relatively smooth treble gives you room to use them. I dont find tracks over bearing at the treble end (i cant stand brightness or fatigue that i heard from some other well known manufactuters) but you can hear a badly mixed one for sure due to the clarity. Also worth noting it works well at low volumes probably due to its power. I particularly like the CD37 and its SACD capability available but i like matching separates myself.

i like to listen to different styles mostly from early 70's rock, through 80's electronic and acoustic and blues and female vocalists. i am not mad about heavy rock or rap so dont really care too much if these are not the Arcam speciality (often quoted). if i had to place where Arcam excels the most it would be acoustic, female vocals and electronic where it really captures the emotion of recordings.

finally as context i do like other brands, i used to have a NAD system years ago, and when i have undertaken demo's also like the Naim presentation of the newer models

The top end Arcams are great products and you can find them at great prices, i have bought mine for under £1k each and found it hard if not impossible to match them at that price range.

Hope this helps - try them out and see

 

[Anonymous]

Hi guys

thanks for your own personal thoughts on your a38's and cd37's. over the last few days I have bitten the bullet and bought ex demo a38 for £950 and an ex demo 37 for £750 both arrive tomorrow so I can't wait to get some music back into the house . I'm into hip hop and electronic and a bit of indie stuff so I'm sure the sound will be just what I'm after.

The new arcam a19 i bought last week to replace my old faithful delta 290 just could not match it although its a very versatile amp with the headphone amp included and wireless compatibility it's sound was just too bright with not enough warm deep bass which the 290 had . Luckily my local dealer is taking it back, but I have spent a lot of cash in his shop over the years so that's fair enough.

After a few months will have a look around for a p38 to pair up with the a38 and sell on my p290.

incidently have any of you heard the new kef range of speakers yet ?

 

[Ben K.]

Not heard the kef R series yet (if that's what your referring to) but they seem to be getting very good responses from those who have.

When you've had a good listen to your new set up I'd be interested to hear your opinion of the combination.