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Arcam Alpha 5+ replacement advice

advb69

Member
Hi everyone,

Way back in 2011, I asked for advice on replacing my Arcam Alpha 5+ as the transport had broken and the it was no longer reading CDs consistently.

http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=94553

Well, like a lot of technology, it then perked up for quite a while with the threat of replacement hanging over it but now is failing to recognise most CDs most of the time. So the time has really now arrived to replace it.

The system currently is a:
Arcam Alpha 5+
Naim Nait 3 integrated amplifier
Rega ELA speakers

So, what are the best current options around the £500 mark which would be a good match with the Naim Nait 3 and the Rega ELAs?

A lot of our CD collection is rock but my wife also listens to a very wide range of other musical genres. It's easier to list the main areas we don't listen to - jazz and country & western.

The most obvious option is the Marantz CD6005, which is well within the budget, but I don't know how well it would sit with the other components. But as soon as you jump to other options - like the Alpha CD17 and the Rega Apollo-R - it jumps above my budget.

I do notice that Richer Sounds currently have the Cyrus CD6 SE2 on clearance offer at £500. That looks like good value but I'm not sure it it would out-class the rest of my gear.

Any comments and suggestions would be very welcome.

Thanks
 
It's the Alpha 5 and not the Alpha 5+ which Avondale are famous for modifying. They both use the Philips CDM9 transport though so Les will still be able to fix it.
The CDM 9 lasers can be purchased on ebay easily enough for about £30. I replaced the laser in my Alpha 5 and it's not a desperately tricky job to do.
Do try cleaning the laser though first as that might be the problem. I use windolene on a cotton bud.
It might be worth asking your local Richer Sounds about a repair, my local branch in Sheffield have a great repair service.
All things considered I'd vote to get it repaired.
 
The mod also applies to the Alpha 5 + as well.
Les purchased all the UK stock of CDM9 mechs so as to provide support for his customers.
 
As a former Arcam Alpha owner myself (the brother in law has it now and it still works well after 20+ years!), we have both Naim and Rega CD players in the family. The Rega Saturn (circa £1100-1200 when new) works brilliantly with NAITs and Rega speakers.

You can by all means go round & round trying many other possibilities, but the Rega Saturn gets on with playing enjoyable music and is brilliant. For £500 or slightly less used these days, that would be my first choice, even over Naim's used 5 series CD players at the price.

Hope this helps, FT
 
As a former Arcam Alpha owner myself (the brother in law has it now and it still works well after 20+ years!), we have both Naim and Rega CD players in the family. The Rega Saturn (circa £1100-1200 when new) works brilliantly with NAITs and Rega speakers.

You can by all means go round & round trying many other possibilities, but the Rega Saturn gets on with playing enjoyable music and is brilliant. For £500 or slightly less used these days, that would be my first choice, even over Naim's used 5 series CD players at the price.

Hope this helps, FT

I'd second that. I still very much have a soft spot for the A5+ though, I had one for years and it was a thoroughly enjoyable machine.
 
Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

@ Foot Tapper - I'd certainly consider a second hand Rega Saturn but, if Ebay is anything to go by, they are as common as hen's teeth. My wife is keen to get a working CD player again so I won't have time to wait for one!

@ Mike P - I did think about cleaning the laser when the problems first started but I couldn't work out the degree of dismantling required to get the lens exposed. Anyone got any tips on how to do this?

@ muzzer - if cleaning doesn't help, I'll drop Avondale Audio a line to get an idea of the likely repair costs. Given that all the CDM9 transports on Ebay seem to be pre-used (or very expensive), I might as well get the player repaired properly than doing my normal bodge!
 
Open the tray, remove the top cover, laser exposed. Try dry cleaning with a lint free cloth first, if that doesn't work use isopropanol on a cotton bud. If that doesn't work then it probably needs a new mech (worth doing IMO.) It could be electrolytic caps or one of the 5v regs on the main board too, I fixed my own this way.
 
Try to listen to the Rega Satan before you buy.

I bought one based on the great reviews and it was easliy beaten by my old Arcam Alpha+ (with a few mods). The rega was very "hifi" sounding to my ears, with an accentuated upper midrange and a general lean and synthetic sound to it.

Fix the Arcam!
 
I have an Avondale Arcam Alpha 5+ and it is a superb sounding machine. You could probably find a secondhand one on here for a lot less than £500. Problem solved!
 


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