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Arkless modified Cambridge 640P: First Impressions

I took delivery of the "standard" version on Friday. I'm mightily impressed to say the least. I'm only running a Clearaudio emotion through a Roksan Kandy, but there is already a massive improvement in detail and bass grip.

For months I thought I was possibly in need of a new Cartridge; turns out there's nothing wrong with it.

For a little over £200 all in, it's stonking value for money.
 
My Arkless standard modded 640P arrived just in time for Xmas, not that I got any peace over the festive break to do any serious listening :rolleyes:. However I managed some critical listening last weekend and first impressions are very good I must say. The unit sounds significantly more dynamic with greater space and depth than it did before I sent it to Jez. Plus the general output level seems noticeably higher too. I'm certainly looking forward to more listening over the coming weekends. :)
 
Slowly working my way through this great thread, but maybe I can cut to the chase. You all have some lovely kit with which to get the Arkless doing its thing, but for us mere mortals with more humble setups, does the modded unit have less of an impact? I'm running a 25yo Planar 3 with Groovetracer subplatter, double pulley and an Ortofon 2M Blue MM. Feeding a Rega Brio 3 and on to some Ruark standmounts. Toyed with a new TT for my 50th this year, but most advice suggested I keep the Rega and use the money for a decent phono stage and a new cart. I love the idea of a modded CA unit - I've had my ancient Marantz KI cd player heavily tweaked down the years and that's worked a treat. So go on, can any gains I get from a vanilla CA unit be significantly improved on with the Arkless mods?
 
After some many months with my Arkless and having since listened to a serious number of phono stages, I've got to report.

The Turbo plus is simply brilliant. The 105/3's (Kef upgraded) are deadly... And show every aspect of the chain...leaving poor kit nowhere to hide

It was as if my tt, deck, arm, preamp, power amps had all been on a decent holiday and come back ultra happy

I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Class...
 
springer said:
I love the idea of a modded CA unit - I've had my ancient Marantz KI cd player heavily tweaked down the years and that's worked a treat. So go on, can any gains I get from a vanilla CA unit be significantly improved on with the Arkless mods?
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Of course it can, the Arkless 'standard' and 'Turbo' are not CA 640Ps anymore, both version of the modded amp are in a completely different league and are completely different amps after the mods.

The 'Standard' version has beaten off competition in the £600 range and the 'Turbo' version is up there with phono stages of up to a grand.

Don't just take my word for it, there are loads of threads and posts on all of the three main Hi-fi forums (The Wam ,here on PFM and AOS) from people far better and far more able than I am who have commented on the amps in that way.

I'm actually selling the Turbo version of the amp in the forums, at the moment I'm using it with a Technics SL-1200 & Micro Seiki MA-202 arm, Reca Reson MM cart, Rega Brio-R and then into a pair of JR 149 speakers all of which sounds fantastic.

For reference I've had a Graham Slee Gram amp SE, a Croft Micro Basic phono pre amp, Rega Brio-R , a 'Firebottle' valve phono stage (AOS) and an A&R A60 integrated with phono and the Arkless 'standard' & 'Turbo' phonos are both miles in front of all of those other amps, IMO.


Tony
 
If you look back to post #541, my kit ain't stonking, but the vinyl plaing part of it was improved greatly by improving the phono stage bit to an Arkless ('tho I've no experience of your set up).
 
muzzer said:
Sent mine off to be modded 10th Feb, nothing yet.
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I sent mine to be modded last July 13, end of I think, and received it early October then sent the amp off again to be 'Turboed' the last week in Dec 13 and got it back at the start of Feb this year.

All depends on how busy the guy is etc & holidays and so on, best bet would be to give Jez a call.

The number's on his website which has been posted on this thread a few times I think.
 
If this process were the London Marathon, I'd just be passing, very nervously, through the park gates at Blackheath. Had two days now with my newly-acquired, unadulterated 640P - thought I'd rack up some listening hours before it goes under the knife, so I know how different 'before' is from 'after'. Some interesting observations - it's actually a rather good phono stage on it's own! Almost instantly I was hearing stuff that just wasn't there before (Rega Brio 3 built-in phono stage - and I'd always thought that was pretty good!) Fingers on frets, intakes of breath on vocals, leading edges of drum beats. I could go on...
Very, very noticeable improvement, not the emperor's new clothes kind, where you convince yourself something's better! When the finances have regrouped, it will go off to get Arklessed, but for now I'm just enjoying it as it is.
 
springer said:
If this process were the London Marathon, I'd just be passing, very nervously, through the park gates at Blackheath. Had two days now with my newly-acquired, unadulterated 640P - thought I'd rack up some listening hours before it goes under the knife, so I know how different 'before' is from 'after'. Some interesting observations - it's actually a rather good phono stage on it's own! Almost instantly I was hearing stuff that just wasn't there before (Rega Brio 3 built-in phono stage - and I'd always thought that was pretty good!) Fingers on frets, intakes of breath on vocals, leading edges of drum beats. I could go on...
Very, very noticeable improvement, not the emperor's new clothes kind, where you convince yourself something's better! When the finances have regrouped, it will go off to get Arklessed, but for now I'm just enjoying it as it is.
Click to expand...


I tend to agree.
My original unmodded 640 sounded very good. Buying a £600+ Astin Trew was marginally better but debatable.
The modded 640 is in different league to both.

Simon
 
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