Arcam Alpha 8 CD replacement

[grobelaar]

So I own an Arcam Alpha 8 CD player – but its fuxxored – sometime ago the phono outs stopped working. As it goes I happened to have a DCC deck, so I just ran the digital out into that and listened to my CDs on monitor. I didn’t have any money to fix it anyway.

So recently I moved house and got tired of lugging the DCC deck around – so in the bin it went. Figuring, rather naively that it might be a loose connection, I whipped the back of the CD player – obviously to find that the phono connectors go straight into the DAC unit. So, this is looking expensive. Anyone have any clues?

Should I just go and buy a new CD player. I’ll be honest I’ve been pretty happy with my hifi for more than a few years. I’m pretty much out of the picture and generally look on at how the electronics industry seems to have embraced the low quality ethics of the PC industry with utter horror. I’ve seen a few units in second hand shops – A twin box Arcam Delta (I forget the model number) for £250.

Or should I start saving my pennies for something modern?

 

[barnythebear]

A few Delta170's, 250's and Black box DAC's on ebay at the moment. I used a 170 + BB3 until I aquired a FMJ22 and was very satisfied with it. The only problem will be that Arcam can no longer fix any laser faults.

 

[grobelaar]

A few Delta170's, 250's and Black box DAC's on ebay at the moment. I used a 170 + BB3 until I aquired a FMJ22 and was very satisfied with it. The only problem will be that Arcam can no longer fix any laser faults.

Yeah, I went to website and they've pretty much disowned anything from the Arcam Alpha 8SE backwards - even the plain old 8 doesn't feature?

Maybe I should just get a new one, or just plough my money into that fancy record deck I've always and give CDs the big heave-ho - after all there's always the internet

 

[barnythebear]

But could you put up with all that low quality mpeg hifi.

 

[John Dawson]

Hi Grobelaar - We can still fix your Alpha 8 CDP (including the laser if it breaks) - just call the service department to discuss. Tel. 01223 203200 and ask to be put through to service and support. This will very likely be a more economical solution than scrapping it and getting something else of equivalent quality.

HTH.

John Dawson (Arcam)