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Arkless modified Cambridge 640P: First Impressions

Hi, Jez, I'd love to add my name to try the demo unit again, please.
If you don't still have my details, please PM me.

Yep best PM me. In fact this is probably the best idea for anyone wanting to try the demo unit.

I will need there to be a few more people wishing to try it though before sending it back out on its rounds.

Turn round time for conversions is around 2 weeks at the moment BTW.

Oh and just in case anyone else is into this odd new mono thing, I was asked to make one with a mono switch a couple of weeks ago and was able to re-use the subsonic filter switch for this, so mono switch now available...
 
As this forum has a lot of Naim fans I'll mention that these have been particularly popular with Naim users as they major on speed, PRaT, good bass and detail retrieval etc...

Many customers have found the Arkless 640P a worthwhile upgrade over the Prefix and the built in phono stage in most Naim pre amps for example.

If a lush, warm, "valve like" sound is your thing you may not like it, as, although it is tonally very accurate it "tells it like it is" and doesn't add any lushness etc.

As a point of comparison, several customers have found the Dynavector P75 to be it's closest rival in "sound for the pound" (the P75 is going on 3 times the price of the Arkless though) with most finding them pretty evenly matched overall. Those who prioritise soundstaging, smoothness and "airiness" etc tend to prefer the Dynavector but those who prioritise bass tightness, PRaT, detail and slam tend to prefer the Arkless.

In all cases I recall, people have said they had to compare the two at some length to decide which they prefer, but the above differences are the ones usually commented on and given as a reason they chose one over the other
 
As this forum has a lot of Naim fans I'll mention that these have been particularly popular with Naim users as they major on speed, PRaT, good bass and detail retrieval etc...

Many customers have found the Arkless 640P a worthwhile upgrade over the Prefix and the built in phono stage in most Naim pre amps for example.

If a lush, warm, "valve like" sound is your thing you may not like it, as, although it is tonally very accurate it "tells it like it is" and doesn't add any lushness etc.

As a point of comparison, several customers have found the Dynavector P75 to be it's closest rival in "sound for the pound" (the P75 is going on 3 times the price of the Arkless though) with most finding them pretty evenly matched overall. Those who prioritise soundstaging, smoothness and "airiness" etc tend to prefer the Dynavector but those who prioritise bass tightness, PRaT, detail and slam tend to prefer the Arkless.

In all cases I recall, people have said they had to compare the two at some length to decide which they prefer, but the above differences are the ones usually commented on and given as a reason they chose one over the other

Can your phono stage loadings be changed by the end user like the P75's can so that numerous cartridges can be used with it both mc and mm?
 
Yes. Loading plugs are used in the now redundant MM sockets to set whatever loading is desired. It is not in fact a modified Cambridge Audio but entirely Arkless circuitry used and after conversion the MC input sockets are used for both MM and MC leaving the former MM sockets available for loading plugs.
 
Another one ordered this afternoon after a local home demo :)

There are various people asking about budget phono stages elsewhere on the site and this will beat any of the things being recommended so get a home demo of it!
 
Hi Newbie here, just had Jez's phono stage on demo, ( i am local to Jez).
The sound was superb, currently searching Ebay for donor unit.
Thanks for the loan, cannot wait for my own phono stage
gary
 
Hi Newbie here, just had Jez's phono stage on demo, ( i am local to Jez).
The sound was superb, currently searching Ebay for donor unit.
Thanks for the loan, cannot wait for my own phono stage
gary

Glad you like it Gary! Good luck with the bidding on the bay...
 
Yes. Loading plugs are used in the now redundant MM sockets to set whatever loading is desired. It is not in fact a modified Cambridge Audio but entirely Arkless circuitry used and after conversion the MC input sockets are used for both MM and MC leaving the former MM sockets available for loading plugs.

Do you use any of the Cambridge boards as I’ve got a 640 with lifted and busted tracks around the opamps. If anyone wants it for price of postage for jez to tinker with then drop me a pm...
 
Do you use any of the Cambridge boards as I’ve got a 640 with lifted and busted tracks around the opamps. If anyone wants it for price of postage for jez to tinker with then drop me a pm...

I do. It is possible that it could be reclaimed enough for use....I'd charge a bit extra for all the time and effort it would take to make the mods work with such a damaged board though. It would be less than the second hand cost of a donor unit though.
 


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