I just got my B&W 805s in mint condition thru Ebay so I got a really good price for it (about %35 less than retail). I really would not buy anything at retail, that's how I save money and apply the savings to something else. I get top quality for less. There are people out there who are a little more practical and have only so much cash for one's budget. I do read the articles and message boards, that's how I learned about the mixed reviews on the RCD-1072, I even provided the links. I will be auditioning both the Arcam and Rotel CD players (and integrateds) w/ 805s to see or hear which one suits me. Would even be better if I can borrow them to audition at home.
Yes, I would assume the components would be different for the 1072 & 02 but could someone be more specific as to their difference besides the look? These two are almost internally identical. Both utilize the same circuits developed for reference class CD players, both use sophisticated overscanning disc mechanism and Burr-Brown IC, both have HDCD decoding and D/A conversion. Specs are virtually the same except for dimensions. Is it the power supply? Is it just marketing? Ok, ok...i'll go listen to them one of these days and check the difference.