Should I Buy Bargain Arcam CD192 ?

[ianandyr]

Interesting this thread has turned into debate about which player is best between the Arcam, the Cyrus and the MF. That was never the question although I am happy to read the views expressed.

If anyone would care to offer an opinion on my original question, namely is the Onkyo TX-SR875 in combination with B&W 685's up to the job of handling a high quality CD source (Arcam, Cyrus, MF, you name it frankly) and should I expect to hear a significant improvement in this set-up compared to my current source which is a Pioneer DVD 656A, I'd be most grateful to hear it.ÿ

 

[matengawhat]

matengawhat:the CDP upgrade will give you a massive improvement - i always say by the best you can get and there are some very very good dicounted players around. the mf x ray is a far better player than the kandy CDP

yes yes and yes

 

[Anonymous]

I don't have the B&Ws opting for RS6's instead but have recently upgraded by CDP to an MF X-Ray 8 from the one that is part of my CA640H (which was supposed to be a reasonable budget player).

The difference is quite phenomenal; I can hear thing with the MF X-Ray that just weren't there before and I haven't changed anything else as I've been using the ONKYO in the same modes etc and retained the same interconnects.

So my conclusion is that with a good quality CDP (your choice which one you plumb for) you will get a significant improvement over your Pioneer.

 

[Anonymous]

JoelSim - Yes, ages ago - I agree. However, while the competition has moved on by leaps and bounds, Arcam is still in hybernation mode.

Their latest products are further testimony to this fact.

 

[ianandyr]

Thanks Aeis. Exactly what I was after when I put up the original question.

 

[Anonymous]

JoelSim:EvilWolf:

Joel Sim & Graham Thomas,

I guess it's only the two of you that think otherwise, for obvious reasons. There is a very good reason that the Cyrus CD8x has been winning multiple awards for years while the Arcam CD192 has been gathering dust.

When you comment, do it objectively without bias.

I think you'll find the CD192 was a 5 star product

sure was, not that that particularly should sway anyone. I am biased only because I like mine. Neutral to warm is how I like it. Cyrus tends to bright to forward IMHO, but happy to take anyone's opinion.

 

[Anonymous]

ianandyr:Interesting this thread has turned into debate about which player is best between the Arcam, the Cyrus and the MF. That was never the question although I am happy to read the views expressed.
If anyone would care to offer an opinion on my original question, namely is the Onkyo TX-SR875 in combination with B&W 685's up to the job of handling a high quality CD sourceÿ

ÿ

I was asking almost the exact same question on another audio-visual forum recently (I've an 875 too, with Monitor Audio Radius 270 floorstanders), so I hear your frustration with people answering a different question. One vocal poster there argued there was no point in getting a CDP with an AV amp; some disagreed. I was concerned that a older and cheapish CDP might have a worse DAC than the Onkyo, although there's more to it than just the DAC.

Anyway, I ended up picking up a NAD 524 on ebay for just £16; the NAD won't be nearly as good as the Arcam CD192, but it ought to be able to test whether I can hear any difference. And the answer is that yes, compared with playing CDs through my old Toshiba DVD player on ToSlink, using the NAD with analogue cables gives a small but noticable difference. This is mainly found in warmth/reduced brightness but also stereo positioning. It's not enormous, but it's there.

To my mind, this suggests you should be able to hear something significant if you get a CD192, without (or before) having to go out to get a new stereo amp. Hope that helps.

 

[JoelSim]

Even if you didn't like the 192, in a couple of months you would get your money back 2nd hand on eBay. I sold a 7 year old cd92 for £275 recently.

ÿ

 

[Anonymous]

JoelSim:
Even if you didn't like the 192, in a couple of months you would get your money back 2nd hand on eBay. I sold a 7 year old cd92 for £275 recently.

ÿ

Good grief, my 4 year old Kandy III went for £200. Shocker...but you are in advertising...