Suitable upgrade - CD + Blu Ray to what?

[admin_exported]

I currently have an Arcam AVR500 + Arcam Alpha 5+ CD Player and Panasonic BD60 Blu Ray player. I'm looking to upgrade the CD and BluRay player and my budget is about £1000, maybe a little more if I don't upgrade at the same time.

Should I look at staying with two separates - say the Audiolab 8200 and £3-400 on a Panasonic/Sony/Denon BR player or a combined unit - either the Cambridge Audio or the new Arcam.

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Simon

 

[Ronald Archiebald]

Chapsworth,

What speakers do you use?

Ronald

 

[Anonymous]

Ronald,

I've got the Arcam Muso - the package deal from The Sound Gallery.

I was thinking last night that CD players are a reasonably stable technology whereas BluRay is going at a pace in which case maybe the two box option is a better alternative. Decisions, decisions!

Simon

 

[jarra]

Why not look at the Oppo 93 for £499 or £599 blu ray a/b region compatible.

 

[cheyworth]

If you get a mid/high end BLuray player it will be good enough as a transport for a dac. I use a Marantz BD5004 into a Musical Fidelity KW DM25 and it is just as good as my TAG Mclaren CD20R used as a transport.

 

[michael hoy]

Not thought about the Arcam Blu Ray play?

 

[Anonymous]

If you have a budget upto £1000 what about the Sony 5000ES, if you can still get one for £599 then add a CD player for £4/300 pounds later if the CD sound is not good enough.

 

[v1c]

It's a shame you should just be able to get the Arcam BDP100 but unfortunately Arcam have dropped the ball on this one !!! so i can't recommend you getting the Arcam. The two players on an Audiophiles list at the moment would be the announced Cambridge Audio 751BD and the soon to be released Oppo 95. You will need to hang fire for both of these units but they are both targeting the higher audio capabilities of the players. These are the one's to wait for and see what the feedback is about them. If you went separate route go for the Oppo 93 and which ever CD player takes your fancy.

 

[jarra]

The Oppo 95 will probably be priced around £1200. The 93 should do the trick.

 

[Anonymous]

we have as yet no firm pricing on the oppo 95`s, indeed no fixed date of arrival either apart from march/april.

if you want a one for all box of tricks and you are an audiophile then the 95 seems the one to go for at the moment.

if all you want is great audio/video playback, then the 93 fits the bag perfectly

 

[iainl2005]

michael hoy:Not thought about the Arcam Blu Ray play?
The arcam is fantastic... when it works! however if Arcam don't sort it out soon it might have to go back.

 

[michael hoy]

iainl2005:michael hoy:Not thought about the Arcam Blu Ray play?
The arcam is fantastic... when it works! however if Arcam don't sort it out soon it might have to go back.

Is it really that bad then? nearly bought one myself.

 

[iainl2005]

michael hoy:
iainl2005:michael hoy:Not thought about the Arcam Blu Ray play?
The arcam is fantastic... when it works! however if Arcam don't sort it out soon it might have to go back.

Is it really that bad then? nearly bought one myself.

There is a lot of issues with 24fps, causing blu-rays to skip chapters and sometimes not play at all, as I said before the pictures are fantastic and sound is sublime when it does play, however they not to get a firmware update out soon as there are a lot of unhappy owners out there.