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  1. #1
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    Arcam 73T factory converter upgrade

    I 've owned the Arcam73T for about 8 months now.It was bought with the hope of toning down a pair of B&W 703's that were terribly bright.The speakers turned out to be hopeless but the good news is I replaced them with a pair of Quad 22L's and now that they're broken in they are simply wonderful speakers.I'm considering the factory converter upgrade(hope I'm using the right term)from Arcam that upgrades the 73T to an upsampling player.While it's a fairly expensive move I've heard it really takes this player to the next level and makes it more forgiving when playing poorly mastered Cd's which is a lot of what I listen too(old rock and pop).Now that I have a pair of speakers that I think will reward me for this upgrade I'm seriously considering it.If anyone has made this change or has any insight for me I would greatly appreciate it.I believe the conversion upgrades the 73T to the equivilant of their 192 model.

  2. #2
    Silence of the spam Site Moderator Geoffcin's Avatar
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    I've upgraded to an Upsampling player

    Quote Originally Posted by BillyB
    I 've owned the Arcam73T for about 8 months now.It was bought with the hope of toning down a pair of B&W 703's that were terribly bright.The speakers turned out to be hopeless but the good news is I replaced them with a pair of Quad 22L's and now that they're broken in they are simply wonderful speakers.I'm considering the factory converter upgrade(hope I'm using the right term)from Arcam that upgrades the 73T to an upsampling player.While it's a fairly expensive move I've heard it really takes this player to the next level and makes it more forgiving when playing poorly mastered Cd's which is a lot of what I listen too(old rock and pop).Now that I have a pair of speakers that I think will reward me for this upgrade I'm seriously considering it.If anyone has made this change or has any insight for me I would greatly appreciate it.I believe the conversion upgrades the 73T to the equivilant of their 192 model.
    And it did smooth things out a bit. I don't know how much economic sense it makes to change to the factory upgrade though, as you can get good $$$ for your CD player on the used market, and upgrade an upsampling player.
    Audio;
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  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Geoffcin
    And it did smooth things out a bit. I don't know how much economic sense it makes to change to the factory upgrade though, as you can get good $$$ for your CD player on the used market, and upgrade an upsampling player.
    I believe it's about $1000 for the upgrade which is big bucks.The conversion uses 4 wolfson 7840 DAC's and is supposed to be quite an improvement.I'm so pleased with the sound of my existing 73T I realize the sickness of could things be even better is playing on my mind.The Quads are just so incredible that I can't help but think if the source was improved they could be even better.I had a pair of Proacs that were absolutely amazing before I bought the 703's and I can honestly say that these Quads are even better and if the conversion proved to be what it's supposed to be I could end up with something very special.I'm really not that concerned with the cost of upgrade versus replacement because the ability to upgrade the 73T was a big selling point for me.I don't have the patience to sell used equipment and then start all over again replacing it.The final cost is basically the same as what the 192 would have cost so it's like spreading the cost out over 2 purchases which I don't have any problem with.$1700 for a killer CDP isn't an outrageous investment because the choice would normally be to sell your existing equipment at a loss and then pay retail for the new equipment unless you're into buying used equipment which isn't for me.Thanks for the input and if I go for the conversion I will definitely post my results.

  4. #4
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    Ordered 192T upgrade conversion

    I decided to order the 192T upgrade kit from my Arcam dealer for my 73T.I didn't get any real feedback here but I have a feeling that's based mostly on very few people having gone this route.It was costly as the kit lists for $1200 and my dealer only discounts Arcam %10 which is a standard deal for their products.I'm fairly confident my new Quads will sound even better with the 192 and my older CD's which make up most of my collection will sound a little smoother.That being said I have all the usual anxiety that comes with any costly change we make to our systems.The 73T has made me a believer in Arcam CD players so I think the only thing in doubt is not if the 192 sounds better but rather how much better versus the investment.I know you have to be very careful with reviews but it seems that any professional reviews I could find on this subject implied that while the 73T is exceptional the 192T is even that much better.I have heard it but of course not in my system or room.Fingers are crossed.

  5. #5
    ema
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    Arcam CD73 upgrade

    Quote Originally Posted by BillyB
    I decided to order the 192T upgrade kit from my Arcam dealer for my 73T. ... Fingers are crossed.
    Hi BillyB!
    I found your post via goole while searching comments on upgrading Arcam cd73 to cd192... I own a CD73T too (and I like it!), and I am very curious about your judgment.
    I read some online reviews comparing (directly or indirectly) cd73 vs cd192: all people agree that there is an improvement in clarity and definition going to (or buying) the 192, but some guys reported a colder and slightly more "metallic" sound on the high frequencies... I really hate that "broken glasses" sound typical of the cd players built in the 80's and early 90's and of the first cd records (especially in reproducing cymbals), so I fear to spend more or less 700€ to get a more definite but less warm sound...
    Please let us know your impressions, if you read this post...
    bye

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by ema
    Hi BillyB!
    I found your post via goole while searching comments on upgrading Arcam cd73 to cd192... I own a CD73T too (and I like it!), and I am very curious about your judgment.
    I read some online reviews comparing (directly or indirectly) cd73 vs cd192: all people agree that there is an improvement in clarity and definition going to (or buying) the 192, but some guys reported a colder and slightly more "metallic" sound on the high frequencies... I really hate that "broken glasses" sound typical of the cd players built in the 80's and early 90's and of the first cd records (especially in reproducing cymbals), so I fear to spend more or less 700€ to get a more definite but less warm sound...
    Please let us know your impressions, if you read this post...
    bye
    Sorry as I only just noticed your post to my original thread today. The 192T sounds quite good in my system as I upgraded to the upsampling player on the premise it would tone down the older and usually harsh sounding CD's I listen to.In my opinion it did and was worth the money.
    I think if anything it is a warm sounding player that makes the high frequencies smoother.Of course this is all relative to your system and specifically whether or not your speakers tend to be bright.

    I will say that I was very happy with the 73T in stock form and I'm not sure this expensive upgrade is for everyone.I listen to older progressive rock and the mastering can be brutal so to me the upsampling player is a worthy investment.It by no means puts the 73T to shame as I would simply say it is a fun upgrade if you can fit it into your budget.If not enjoy the 73T as I really think that player is hard to beat at it's price point.The upgrade was very simple by the way.My dealer ordered the conversion kit and when it was in they installed it in about 45 minutes for me.It becomes the exact equivilant of a factory 192T as they both use the same transport and power supply.
    Last edited by BillyB; 01-25-2007 at 10:31 AM.

  7. #7
    ema
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    Smile

    Quote Originally Posted by BillyB
    Sorry as I only just noticed your post to my original thread today. The 192T sounds quite good in my system as I upgraded to the upsampling player on the premise it would tone down the older and usually harsh sounding CD's I listen to.In my opinion it did and was worth the money.
    I think if anything it is a warm sounding player that makes the high frequencies smoother.Of course this is all relative to your system and specifically whether or not your speakers tend to be bright.

    I will say that I was very happy with the 73T in stock form and I'm not sure this expensive upgrade is for everyone.I listen to older progressive rock and the mastering can be brutal so to me the upsampling player is a worthy investment.It by no means puts the 73T to shame as I would simply say it is a fun upgrade if you can fit it into your budget.If not enjoy the 73T as I really think that player is hard to beat at it's price point.The upgrade was very simple by the way.My dealer ordered the conversion kit and when it was in they installed it in about 45 minutes for me.It becomes the exact equivilant of a factory 192T as they both use the same transport and power supply.
    Thanks for your answer!
    I will seriously consider the upgrading. My speakers don't tend to be bright (nor my amp too), on the contrary they could tend to be soft and euphonic, maybe even too much for someone, but this is fine for me... I own a Primaluna Prologue One amp and Audio Note AZ-two speakers, so I really don't think there is a problem about brightness... I will let you know if I'll go for the upgrade.

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