Arcam vs. Rotel vs. Cambridge Audio

[Arch]

I dropped by one of the local dealer last night (where I will audition the Cambridge Audio players tomorrow), I noticed a CD DAC / Transport combo from 47 Laboratory (don't remember what model).... the transport has no trays, no slots. The entire unit is nothing but a silver metallic box, slighly bigger than a thick paperback novel. The transport is exposed on top of the machine. To load the disc, you simply place it on the transport, weight it down with a cap, and it starts playing.... wonderful sounding setup too, might I add.

[musicman1999]

read your post with interest as i too am cd player shopping and am looking at some of the same machines as you.i was able to directly compare the two cambridge players and the arcam cd73,all with camdridge audio power and jm labs speakers,same as i have at home.
i found that both cambridge players are very solid units at their price points(the 640 is $200.00 cdn more).the 640 was as good a $600 player as i have heard imo.the arcam was was another story,(btw it has the same wolfson dac as the 640)but it is after the dac where
the difference appears.the arcam was so clear and detailed that when we went back to the 640 it seemed a blanket was placed over the speakers.well worth the extra $300.00
imo.i have not heard the rotel yet,but it will really have to be something,or the arcam will soon be mine.like to hear if you agree when you listen.have fun

[Arch]

Just another observation in regard to musicman1999's post: I was told that the Cambridge 640c takes quite a bit of time to break in - somewhere in the 100 hour range. The demo I listerned to has been totally broken in according to my dealer. Just wondering if this is a factor in your listerning session. I still think the Arcam / Rotel are "slightly" better performers, but I wasn't prepare to pay the premium to get it.

Here are the prices I found:

Cambridge 640c - $700 cdn sug. retail, paid $580
Rotel RCD-1070 - $1000 cdn sug. retail, $775 on sale
Arcam CD72t - $1000 cdn sug. retail, $800 on sale

[musicman1999]

arch
i am not sure how much time the cambridge units had on them,but the arcam had only been out of the box for about a week,so not much time.our experiences differed a bit in that i was able to hear both players through the same amp and speakers,which closely matched what i have at home and the arcam i heard was the newer cd73.but the cambridge if a fine player and you will enjoy it.i also just ordered the azur 540d matching dvd v/a player and am eagerly awaiting its arrival.enjoy your cambridge.

[RGA]

Arch

I don't know where you're getting some of this delusional information from...the dealers, internet people or just plain ripoff artists.

Power cords make zero difference, none dilch nad zippo...total waste of money - no difference not one. There is no such thing as break in on ANY solid state device whatsoever. Speakers have shown measurable differnece because speakers have moveable parts...even then the differences are relatively minor. Tube amplifiers may require break-in err warm-up to sound their best...but tubes built today do that in about 1 minute not 100 hours. THINK!!!!!!!!!!!!! A cd player is a micro chip and some wires...there is nothing to warm up and nothing to break in...electrical flow does not change in a wire.

I have expensive very highly reviewed Tara Labs interconnects(I got for free) for my Cambrisge Audio - they look nice and all - they sound no better than the cable thrown in the box for $5.00 but boy do they look good. Interconnects are a tax on the uninformed and have profits 10 times that AT LEAST of any componant.

It is possible that the higher Cambridge model sounds better than the lower model so on that it's plausible.

[Arch]

Luckily, what I didn't mentioned is that the heavy duty power cord and the DH Lab interconnects are on loan from the shop (after my hesitation with paying so much for both right away) . Secondly the Cambridge I took home is the demo unit I tested, and I will be swapping it with a brand new unit next week when it arrives. The idea is when I go back to pick up the new player, I'll decide whether I'll keep the cables or not.

So this morning I dig up a spare computer power cord in the basement and I will spend the rest of the day playing around with the connections and give it a listen.

Since I am now listening to the "broken in" demo from the shop, when I pick up the brand new unit next week I'll experience what a "un-broken in" player might sound like too.

Live and Learn.

BTW, the Cambridge is sounding fantastic in my system alreay.

[RGA]

Good to hear you can take the chords back...the one that comes with your NEW Cambridge is fine.

A dealer here told me he makes more profit on $60.00 Cables than he makes on $600.00TV or amplifiers. That is why they push it...no different than aluminum siding and rust proofing already rust-proofed cars.

It's a way to make money.

Selling cables is easier than working and safer than stealing. The only cord that can make a slight improvemement is video cable...and even here it should not require more than a Radio Shack $20.00 type investment.

[Geoffcin]

read your post with interest as i too am cd player shopping and am looking at some of the same machines as you.i was able to directly compare the two cambridge players and the arcam cd73,all with camdridge audio power and jm labs speakers,same as i have at home.
i found that both cambridge players are very solid units at their price points(the 640 is $200.00 cdn more).the 640 was as good a $600 player as i have heard imo.the arcam was was another story,(btw it has the same wolfson dac as the 640)but it is after the dac where
the difference appears.the arcam was so clear and detailed that when we went back to the 640 it seemed a blanket was placed over the speakers.well worth the extra $300.00
imo.i have not heard the rotel yet,but it will really have to be something,or the arcam will soon be mine.like to hear if you agree when you listen.have fun

Exactly how I percieved it. If people tell you that you cannot hear the difference between CD players, then they are not doing critical listening. The Arcam had the best sound that I've heard in a sub 1k CD player hands down. I've really only heard one player that was noticably better at all, (very slightly) and that was a >3k Meridian 508!

Once you up in this league with your digital source you can sleep easy knowing that your getting all that you can from your CD's.

[BillyB]

Exactly how I percieved it. If people tell you that you cannot hear the difference between CD players, then they are not doing critical listening. The Arcam had the best sound that I've heard in a sub 1k CD player hands down. I've really only heard one player that was noticably better at all, (very slightly) and that was a >3k Meridian 508!

Once you up in this league with your digital source you can sleep easy knowing that your getting all that you can from your CD's.

Hi Geoffcin. I just ordered a 73T from my audio dealer. I did demo it but I'm always nervous with audio component purchases. I know how subjective this stuff is. The more I researched the 73T the more I came to the conclusion that if it's not the best $700 player it's dam close. I'm trying to not be unrealistic about how much better My system will sound with the 73T. I'm replacing a 14 year old Rotel CDP and I'm hopeful the arcam will be a big step up in overall performance.I have Rotel amp and pre-amp played through B&W 703's. The 703's are too bright with my existing configuration. I'm very curious to see how the 703's interact with the Arcam. They were a big investment and if the 73T improves their sound I'll be thrilled. I've already thought ahead and know at some point I could upgrade the 73T to the upsampling version with hardware change to further improve sound.