Prana-Bindu Posted October 16, 2001 Share Posted October 16, 2001 It's happened: my Onkyo Integra cd-carousel has developed an acute case of schizophrenia. Besides being unexplainable by the Oedipal cycle, it stops playing for no reason, refuses to play anything, will play a few tracks and then stop when it finishes playing some random track, and must be shut off and turned on again a few times before it will behave normally. The thing is older than dirt, and it is the weakest component in my system, so I've decided I need to replace/upgrade. One problem: I've become addicted to multiple disc capability. This is non-negotiable. Must have option to play all discs randomly without leaving the chair. However, I want to have an excellent player with quality, "audiophile" parts that takes advantage of the current technology in digital-to-analog conversion. My research has revealed two players: Anthem CD-1 and Arcam Alpha MCD. The Anthem has a tubed output stage to smooth out the digital edge, but I think it's priced beyond twice the cost of the Arcam. I've seen reviews that find the two players quite comparable. Do any y'all have any experience with either of these two players? Are there any other multi cd players out there I should be considering? I know California Audio Labs makes one, but there doesn't seem to be too much info about it. Are these players I mentioned old technology? Any help will be greatly appreciated. ------------------ May the bridges we burn light our way.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prana-Bindu Posted October 17, 2001 Author Share Posted October 17, 2001 Patience? What's that? I haven't spoken to a dealer yet about it (the closest one is probably in Missouri), but I'm hoping the price for a new one has gone down from $1700. I understand the Arcam model was cut in price by $300 in response to the arrival of a couple other multi-players claiming audioschizo sound for below the $500 mark (the NAD and a Nakamichi as well?). I'm sure the Anthem plays circles around the NAD and Nakamichi, but its quality has been compared to the Arcam at $700! Dean: have you heard of those popular tweaks for the Anthem? I believe they include a different tube and replacing the capacitors with higher quality (read: $$$$$) parts. ------------------ May the bridges we burn light our way.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prana-Bindu Posted October 19, 2001 Author Share Posted October 19, 2001 You're right. I want to avoid digital edginess, but if the Arcam avoids it well, I don't want to pay the extra $1000 for just a tubier sound. It would be feeding a VTL IT-85 (all tubes), so perhaps the amp can do the same. The two players use the same changer mechanism, but I'm not sure how the transport qualities, DAC's, and analog stages compare. I wish there was an Arcam owner around to contribute.... I decided not to buy the 12-gauge Browning Lightning Feather, so the extra cash is burning a hole in my crippled cd player.... ------------------ May the bridges we burn light our way.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prana-Bindu Posted October 19, 2001 Author Share Posted October 19, 2001 I just found out from my local dealer that the Arcam Alpha MCD has been discontinued and is unavailable. He also tells me that the difference between any multiple disc player and a quality single-disc player is quite apparent. As such, we're gonna do a comparison test next week, using my amp and the brightest speakers he has, of the Marantz multi-players he has and single-disc players (both comparably priced and beyond but still in my range). There would have to be quite a difference for me to give up the tasty multiple-disc treats. Otherwise, I'm in the market for a used Arcam Alpha MCD or a used Anthem CD-1.... ------------------ May the bridges we burn light our way.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.