CDs played through an Arcam DVD Player

[JMHM]

I have a home cinema system with an Arcam AVR250 Receiver and an Arcam DV79 DVD Player, with a Pioneer Plasma Screen and surround speakers, as well as Mission 783 speakers for stereo. I use the DVD player with the receiver to play CDs and the sound is ok , but what I would like advice on is how much better a dedicated CD player (eg Roksan, Cyrus etc) would sound compared to playing cds through the Arcam, and whether a dedicated amp for the cd player would be a worthwhile investment. Or could I use a dedicated CD player through the receiver with improvements in sound? This is before I go through the process of auditioning etc. Any comments would be useful
thanks
JMHM

[Tony8377]

Firstly what kind of budget are you talking about? The Arcam DVD Player should actually be a very good CD player and the AVR250 not too bad for music. Unless you have a very high budget for the CD player the benefits are likely to be minimal. Probably the weak link in your system is the AV Amp so you may be much better off spending any money on a second hand Intergrated HiFi amp as this will give you the biggest improvements.

One thing to confirm though is how this would intergrate in to your AV as there's something about the AVR250 not having 5.1 preouts. Does it have these, if not does it have 2 channel preouts and if so do these still work on 5.1 sources?

Have you also tried using analogue interconnects into the CD input on the AVR250 and run it in Pure Direct mode (is there such a thing on Arcam?) instead of just digital as this may reap some benefits.

Also have a read of this thread as it may give you some ideas of what to aim for.

[JMHM]

Thanks for your reply. The budget I was looking at was around 750 pounds for the CD player and about the same for an amp, so I think that buying a CD player is maybe not a good choice at that price. The DVD player is connected to receiver using the D-A converters on the Dv79 through the analogue audio outputs, and the AVR250 has a Zone 2 set up through which analogue audio is played.
The thread you mention is very useful, I think I need to investigate / experiment more before I spend money.
thanks
JMHM

[Peter Baker]

If you're willing to buy second hand you might find a wadia, meridian naim etc at that price point. Any of these will blow away the Arcam. I have a FMJDV27 and my Wadia has it for breakfast on CD

[Tony8377]

Originally Posted by Peter Baker

If you're willing to buy second hand you might find a wadia, meridian naim etc at that price point. Any of these will blow away the Arcam. I have a FMJDV27 and my Wadia has it for breakfast on CD

Peter,

I'm guessing you're not running your Wadia into an AV Amp? Do you honestly think a Wadia into an AV Amp would sound better than the DVD player into a £1500 Stereo Amp/Pre & Power?

[Peter Baker]

I have to say I do, but then I do have a high end Proceed AVP2/AMP5, which in my opinion is as good as most 2 channel alternatives. I still use the Wadia dac out to analogue 2 channel bypass however.
In any case, this is hardly the point. I was trying to achieve AV/hi-fi integration, which would be difficult to achieve if I only used a stereo amp

[Tony8377]

As you say a completely different league . Although my old house mate got hold of an old proceed 5 channel amp and 5 channel processor cheaply but his previous ATC Pre/Gamut Power was better. Very good as an intergrated solution though.

[Nic Rhodes]

The 79 is good already, be prepared for a BIG bill, personally I doubt you will think it worth it. You will get something only 'slightly' better for you money unless you go secondhand.

[Peter Baker]

Can't say I've ever been able to get on with ATC kit, although it was always the speakers, which I found powerful, dynamic, but strangely uninvolving. Never heard the pre, although I do remember it coming out

[Tony8377]

ATC is very clinical and a bit bass light for me unless matched well. Had a chance to buy their intergrated recently for £750 but upon demo it didn't appeal at all. I have their cheap Pre & use an Alecto power which has a 'valve' like sound so they go very well together. Their active 20's are also very good in the treble but again slightly bass light.

[Peter Baker]

So perhaps the assertion that the ATC/Gamut combo was 'better' than the Proceed was a bit subjective. I spent a lot of time listening to a lot of kit (AV stuff of course, but from Bryston, Lexicon Krell Arcam Meridian etc) and the proceed was the one which got to the heart of the music.
However, now I sound stupidly defensive.
My apologies, and, back on your original point
I used to run the Wadia through an ARcam 10/DAVE pre/pro, and yes, this did totally rob it of its magic, making the sound very compressed and, well, flat

[Devil On Your S]

The DV79 is a superb CD player for the money, you'd be better off spending that amount of money on something like a Bechmark Dac-1, selling the DV79 and spending the money on a better visual DVD player.

[CJROSS]

The biggest problem facing anyone with a DVD player and CD playback, is how to get the best stereo replay from their systems, invariably it’s a 5.1 system that is the limiting criteria IMHO. Get onto a stereo amp and listen to the Arcam (quite a few people use DVD players in purely stereo setups I know of) then you will know what it is capable of, Arcam use great video & audio decoders in their players. But unless you spend a couple of thousand of pounds on AV Pres & Power amps in a AV setup, your chasing your tail.

Your budget is £1500, If it was me I would be looking at Getting a second hand amp for £700-800 (Primare, Unico, Sugden, Arcam A22/A32, AVI Lab), see what that does to your system. If your still unphappy add a £500 DAC onto the Arcam and then keep the spare cash for an upgrade to your speakers.

I happily use a DVD player cant imagine changing it. Sounds pretty stunning to my ears. So look at this problem as not a source one, but a stereo channel problem. There are quite a few Arcam A88/A89 users I know of on HFCs Forum using very nice stereo systems, these DVD players have made them re-evaluate what you can get CD wise from a DVD player. And there are quite a few users on this forum who use DVD players in very nice stereo rigs.

IMHO & IME of course.

[Tony8377]

Originally Posted by Tony8377

ATC is very clinical and a bit bass light for me unless matched well

Originally Posted by Peter Baker

So perhaps the assertion that the ATC/Gamut combo was 'better' than the Proceed was a bit subjective.

The Atc pre/Gamut power (into Martin Logans and ProAc's) were the perfect match and the best 2 channel combo I've ever heard (as it should be for a retail price around £6k for 2 channels). Whilst all opinions are subjective there was a concensus that we all preferred that combo - but then we should, he sold those for £3.3k & bought the Proceed gear for £1.5k, an absolute bargain.

Should clarify my comment re ATC, their pre's are some of the best I've heard because they are like a pass through device, completely neutral, they do absolutely nothing to the signal to my ears just pass it through - so bass remains how it was. A bit like connecting the Wadia direct to a power amp. Personally, like you (I presume), I would not wish to own their speakers, intergrated amps or power amps.

Personally, I couldn't afford either

Slightly off thread - sorry