Will I reap the benefits of an Arcam cd62/73?

[rupbert]

Hey guys, looking to get a dedicated CD player to go with my current setup:

Sony STR-DB790, Tannoy R2's...

I can get an Arcam CD62 for £250, or the new 73 for £400...

Other, low cost alternatives would be the NAD 521i at £185, NAD 542 at £270, or Cambridge Audio's new Azure 640c at £250.

Heard the Azure and the 521i, and they are almost equal on performance, I prefer the look of the Azure.

My question is, will my speakers show the full ability of the Arcam? To me, the Arcam 73 is 'midrange' and my Tannoy's are 'low budget' (in relation to stereo specific speakers).

So is it pointless having such a good CD player, if my receiver and R2's are not in the same league? Or can the Arcam transform any 'decent' speaker into a great musical experience? If the Arcam is suitable for the Tannoy's, will I then need a dedicated stereo amp?

I am currently playing my music on my Sony NS405 DVD , so I guess an of the above mentioned would be an improvement. However I don't plan to buy another CD player in the next 3-5 years, so the upgrade ability of the 73 is not of interest...

Cheers guys...

[Ed Selley]

The Azur CD's get a thumbs up from this party- I have been donated a 540C by the kind people in the cambridge audio section of AP for my desk system to partner my PM66 KI Sig and very nice it is too.

[CJROSS]

Rupbert

You have a 2 edged problem here in that both your CD replay system and your hifi stereo sections (in your Sony AV reciever) are lacking for producing the best stereo playback you can get.

There is a line of thought in hifi circles (that I subscribe to also) that a rough system parameter is 3:2:1 in that you spend your budget along those lines ie 3 on Source, 2 on Amp & 1 on speakers, this is the age old mantra of GIGO (Garbage in Garbage out) your R2s are actually very decent hifi speakers, which deserve to run off a £500-700 Stereo amp, and conversely the source for speakers of that nature will be in the £1000 sector.

All IMHO of course. If you do opt for the Cd62/Cd73 then you should spend the exact same on a hifi amp to get the benefit of your CD upgrade. leaving your system balanced along the lines of 1:1:1. BTW adding a DAC to your humble DVD player is a better bet IMHO, you can pick up the likes of a TAG DAC 20 for £300 second hand then use with the Sony AV amp until you can get a better hifi amp section to use with the Front L&R preouts.

[rupbert]

Thanks for your thoughts CJCROSS, and you have confirmed most of my suspicions, the need for a dedicated stereo amp being the most obvious...

The only query I have about using a stereo amp alongside my receiver; can I use the one set of speakers?

EDIT

After reading various posts on this and other forums, it seems I need a receiver that has pre-outs. Unfortunately the Sony STR-DB790 does not have them

Cheers,