Dzjudz
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2005
- Posts
- 1,883
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- 17
Today my setup is complete. No upgradeitis for me any more (you all know how that's going to turn out
).
My bargain arrived: a second hand, good condition Arcam CD73.
As you can read in my thread about the remote the supplied remote is broken but I'm using a different remote that works perfectly.
About the Arcam CD73:
Build quality is excellent. I have the black version. It feels very sturdy at about 5kg. The CD tray is still smooth and everything works as it should.
The great thing about this CDP is that it has 2 analog outputs instead of 1. This way I can connect it simultaneously to both my stereo set and my Corda Cantate. In addition to the analog outputs it has a coaxial and digital output, which I don't use.
The sound:
The minute I hooked it up I loved the sound. My setup is currently: Arcam CD73 -> Corda Cantate -> Sennheiser HD650.
The great thing is I can directly compare it to the laptop -> Cantate setup by flicking a switch on the Cantate. In essence, this is a battle between the Arcam DAC and the Cantate DAC (and of course between MP3 and CD).
Immediate impressions:
Right off the bat I hear the Arcam is warmer than the USB sound. The USB sounds drier, more analytical, less 'musical'.
More impressions later.
Conclusion:
This is my second step up in head-fidelity in about a week. First my Cantate as my first home amp, now the Arcam as my first stand-alone CDP. My wallet is cursing me now, but it was worth it. Let's listen some more!
(thumbnail, click for full size)
My bargain arrived: a second hand, good condition Arcam CD73.
As you can read in my thread about the remote the supplied remote is broken but I'm using a different remote that works perfectly.
About the Arcam CD73:
Build quality is excellent. I have the black version. It feels very sturdy at about 5kg. The CD tray is still smooth and everything works as it should.
The great thing about this CDP is that it has 2 analog outputs instead of 1. This way I can connect it simultaneously to both my stereo set and my Corda Cantate. In addition to the analog outputs it has a coaxial and digital output, which I don't use.
The sound:
The minute I hooked it up I loved the sound. My setup is currently: Arcam CD73 -> Corda Cantate -> Sennheiser HD650.
The great thing is I can directly compare it to the laptop -> Cantate setup by flicking a switch on the Cantate. In essence, this is a battle between the Arcam DAC and the Cantate DAC (and of course between MP3 and CD).
Immediate impressions:
Right off the bat I hear the Arcam is warmer than the USB sound. The USB sounds drier, more analytical, less 'musical'.
More impressions later.
Conclusion:
This is my second step up in head-fidelity in about a week. First my Cantate as my first home amp, now the Arcam as my first stand-alone CDP. My wallet is cursing me now, but it was worth it. Let's listen some more!
(thumbnail, click for full size)