[pigmode]

I dropped this player into my system for a couple of weeks and have come away with a few impressions and conclusions.

System:
Fi X DHSET amplifier (RCA UX-245 globe main tubes)
Gallante Rhapsody speakers
AZ Satori speaker wires
Luminous Audio Synchestra Sig. Ref. IC

The first thought that came to mind is this player made my system sound like Vert's Omega 2s! Its main strengths are a dead silent background, speed, and detail presentation. By detail I refer less to high frequency detail, than to the more subtle micro-details of the music, as well as those surrounding the leading and trailing edges of notes. In my system, this player is not bright.

The FMJ is also about speed and attack. Bass is tight. A lightening quick tap on a piano key comes through with that subtle impact--both of the finger tap and that of the hammer on string. The FMJ also has a wonderful decay, although its major emphasis lies toward the leading edge.

My main concern withthe FMJ lies with its midrange. It has a strong forward emphasis on the upper mids, which tend to push to the front at the expense of the fuller bodied sound of the mid to lower mids. Something seems missing or slightly askew. Voice, violin, and piano, while very nice on the FMJ, was just a bit clinical.

After two weeks, my Shigaraki DAC was connected to the FMJ and this impression was confirmed. While lacking a bit in terms of the FMJs attack and speed, the Shigaraki still has a fantastic sound from top to bottom. The midrange is fuller and for lack of a better term, more natural. This quality of naturalness, in fact, describes the Shigaraki's sound from top to bottom. It just sounds right.

I wish I could describe what I am hearing more clearly, but I doubt this is possible. The sound of this non-upsamplig digital-filterless technology must be experienced first hand, as it is so different from all of the players I have heard thus far. I doubt I will ever stray from this concept.

If not for the Shigaraki, I believe I would buy an FMJ directly. It is solidly built and when utilized as a transport, memory seems to indicate that it is a slight improvement over my Planet 2000. There is a bit more air and attack-- the background is a little more black. I believe this is due to the FMJ's more solidly constructed chassis and case, and its improved power supply scheme.

I thank Vert for the use of the Arcam, as it has confirmed for me on the need for a higher quality transport than I currently have. More importantly, it has ended my need to experiment with other digital technologies other than that of non-upsampling digital-filterless.

 

[CRESCENDOPOWER]

Oh yeah! I haven't heard the T model, but I have heard the 23 extensively, and I believe this is what digital is all about to me; speed, detail, slam, resolution, and blackness. I have always been a firm believer that no compact disc player is going to ever have the qualities of analog, so I always look for the CD players that bring out the strengths of the digital format, and I think Arcam does an incredible job of doing that. I know that their primary goal is to rival all the "super players", but I wish sometime in the future they would get a wild hair up their ass, and make an ridiculously built digital player with all of the killer parts necessary, and stomp the **** out of everybody else; if anybody could do it would be Arcam.

 

[30plus]

I have owned the cd-23T after upgrading from the cd-72t. It has stunned me, even when compared to cd players in the $4k range like cary, meridian, LINN, EC, and others.
The sound is layered, detailed, warm, wide open, and great from top to bottom. Took about 50-100 hours breakin to change though.
I USED TO own a SONY SCD-1. While the sacd section sounded fine, the CD-23T CRUSHED the scd-1's redbook playback in every possible way.
Just a/b playback, the sony sounded thin in the middle by compare, cold, and processed.
My non- audiophile friend could tell the difference [guitarist] when I accidentally on purpose told him the sound was coming from the scd-1.
He commented on how much better the mids were. I told him it was the Arcam, and it cost 1/2 what the SCD-1 does.
I make no apologies and give no quarter, the cd-23t is a topnotch sounding player in every sense of the word.

NOTE: in a recent review [available on www.ecoustics.com] the reviewer said he and other listeners liked the Arcam as well, or BETTER than the $5k Audio Aero Capitole player. Thier words, not mine.

 

[pigmode]

30plus,
You wanna talk mids? Look again at my system. I'll agree that the Arcam gives up some in the lower mids, in exchange for the layered micro-detailed sound that you are talking about. It's a question of preferences...

 

[30plus]

Quote:

Originally posted by pigmode 30plus, You wanna talk mids? Look again at my system. I'll agree that the Arcam gives up some in the lower mids, in exchange for the layered micro-detailed sound that you are talking about. It's a question of preferences...

I haven't really noted that the cd-23T gives up anything. With apature pure silver ic's, and proper amplification on the front end, the player holds it's own. I have heard the cd-23T on the following:

Joseph audio rm22, and 33
Avalon Eidolon
Wilson watt/puppy 6
Revel Salon and Performa
Dunlavy Sc-IV
Avante-garde duo
(All the above at Music Lovers audio in Berkeley)
VMPS RM-40 neodymium (mine)
and even Klipsch rf-7. (second system)
and Grado rs-1's/Ra-1.

I got to compare it to:
LINN Ikemi and genki
Meridian 506.24 and 508.24
Wadia 830 and 860
Sony Scd-1
Electrocompient cdp

I really have not heard anything from luminous audio or the 47 labs people.

I do have to admit "PS Audio Juice Bar" is a clever name for a power conditioner...

 

[Vertigo-1]

AHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhh....it's so nice to get back to the Arcam CD23T again.

Me likey all the details.

I totally agree with pigmode in pretty much everything, especially after hearing the Rega Planet 2k. In regards to midrange, the CD23T's midrange is certainly not forward at all. It's on the bland and flat side compared to something that pushes the midrange forward, like the Planet 2k. The CD23T is still quite capable of offering the emotional kick when needed in the mids, but not to the same depth IMO as something that emphasizes that region.

I really like the way the CD23T just unravels details buried deep in the presentation layers and presents it all forth in a very natural, integrated manner. In no way do I ever feel forced to concentrate hard on any one thing to clearly delineate it, the way I felt I had to with the Planet 2k. By all means, the CD23T's bland presentation to me is also its strength, making it a rather inoffensive, detailed player. Its highs are also particularly smooth, allowing it to be forgiving to lesser recordings, to a degree. It tends to be a bit more harsh with recordings that have a thin or brittle midrange to begin with. Its bass is also tight and tuneful, but definitely lacking the last word in impact.

As pigmode mentioned, the CD23T has an awesome attack and lightning transient speed. It's definitely a part of why its detail presentation sounds so free and unrestricted, and all the inner detail just flows. The unique textures of instruments get showed off very clearly as a result of this painstaking attention to the details, leading to a better, more realistic "feel" to instruments.

If there's one thing missing from the CD23T though, it would be the lack of a "soul".

The CD23T is a player that strongly favors a quick, rapid development towards fast attack, rapid transients, and clean extended decay. In turn, inner details are allowed to shine through more clearly. It tries hard not to emphasize any particular frequency region. It makes for a very clearcut, accurate, clean, bland sound. People that like a sound that immediately grabs their attention are very likely to enjoy this type of presentation. I suppose I can consider myself a part of this group...after all, I didn't choose to pair the CD23T with the Stax Omega IIs out of coincidence.

In exchange for the clear, fast, clean presentation, the CD23T trades off development in the deep, harmonic presence of notes, and the inner connectivity of such notes. Some would call it missing PRaT. Others may just call it missing the soul of the music. This quality is much more elusive, as it's something that settles in only after extended, relaxed listening. Eventually, the people that value these deep nuances of music would most likely find the CD23T to be truly too boring. They most likely would find Staxs too boring as well.

Anybody can appreciate instant detail and accuracy. Recognizing and appreciating the deep inner harmonics of music, or even the lack thereof, is a much tougher task. Finding the right combination of these two fundamental elements of music reproduction is even harder, and usually comes at a high price. Unfortunately it is these final nuances that come together to recreate true, realistic music, as it were.

In any event, I'm happy with my system hitting on the detail and accuracy level. I'm also quite happily tapping my toes and nodding my head to what I hear now...but, certainly not the same way I probably would in the face of "real" music.

 

[30plus]

Originally posted by Vertigo-1
AHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhh....it's so nice to get back to the Arcam CD23T again.

Me likey all the details.

I totally agree with pigmode in pretty much everything, especially after hearing the Rega Planet 2k. In regards to midrange, the CD23T's midrange is certainly not forward at all. It's on the bland and flat side compared to something that pushes the midrange forward, like the Planet 2k.

We will have to agree to disagree here. I found the p2k bland, and veiled. I found that is was no where near in the league of the arcam cd-92t, let alone the cd-23t. But that's the good thing about dielectic debate. There is no truth but opinion, and each will have thier own.

 

[pigmode]

Quote:

If there's one thing missing from the CD23T though, it would be the lack of a "soul".

As I mentioned above, in comparison with my Shgaraki, the FMJ pushes the uppermids forward, and is a bit recessed in the mid and lower mids. This is, to tell the truth, the same as with my Phillips 963 so it is not some serious flaw or anything like that. More than anything else, this is a more a reference to one of the strengths of the Shgaraki.



Quote:

I do have to admit "PS Audio Juice Bar" is a clever name for a power conditioner...

Its not a conditioner, just a star wired multi-outlet unit. I have not the time nor the resources to experiment with so equivical an area as power conditioning--too many other areas still in need of tweaking. That said, I may be looking at a Bolder BYBEE PowerBar in the near future.

 

[30plus]

Quote:

Originally posted by pigmode As I mentioned above, in comparison with my Shgaraki, the That said, I may be looking at a Bolder BYBEE PowerBar in the near future.

Sounds like good stuff. I need a power conditioner here. Seems that the neighborhood is part of an industrial park. The voltage sags and line noise/RF/EMI are terrible. Even the sound of the redbook playback on the sony SCD-1 [UGH] was noticeably improved with a line conditioner. Even my old Threshold stasis amp seemed to benefit. I feel that small components like cd players simply cannot regulate to this level, and the sound suffers. Soon I will be finding out how good British power is....



BTW: I think I flew over Volcania once on my way to New Zealand....or was it Japan?...I forget but I have pictures somewhere to prove it.