Whatever happened at Arcam?
- Thread starter Sloop John B
- Start date
Robn
pfm Member
What great promise they had with the waves the A60 made, was novel how their product development path included quirky and eccentric products as well as some absolute gems.
I remember losing interest after buying an Alpha 8 Tuner. It sounded unremarkable, no match for the AR Cambridge T21 I'd heard years earlier with an A60, and I recall the preset controls were a bit fiddly and limited. The plastic heat warped looking front panel did it no favours either.
After this I had little interest in the brand though sometimes read of it prospering as it set high standards for CD players and then AV equipment. Belatedly I've realised how good some of their 'universal' disc players sound and am also happy to have found a FMJ CD23 which to my ears is one of the best sounding CD players I've heard.
Be interesting to see what future the brand has as part of Samsung,
I remember losing interest after buying an Alpha 8 Tuner. It sounded unremarkable, no match for the AR Cambridge T21 I'd heard years earlier with an A60, and I recall the preset controls were a bit fiddly and limited. The plastic heat warped looking front panel did it no favours either.
After this I had little interest in the brand though sometimes read of it prospering as it set high standards for CD players and then AV equipment. Belatedly I've realised how good some of their 'universal' disc players sound and am also happy to have found a FMJ CD23 which to my ears is one of the best sounding CD players I've heard.
Be interesting to see what future the brand has as part of Samsung,
Del monaco
Del Monaco
I think it’s an indication of what overexposure and divisive reviews can do for a brand. I feel CYRUS and Musical Fidelity have a similar image. If it were a car it would be a Lexus. They are likely very good but I can’t help but associate the brand with pipe and slippers for some reason. I also use a A&R T21 which is a very lovely tuner though admittedly from earlier times.
Came to think, I do have an old Arcam tuner packed away, not used within 5 years, maybe I should get it out for use again, lovely thing - its this model:
The problem with these sorts of statements is, it is very difficult to verify, through measurement, whether an amplifier is running in Class A mode whilst operating and, if so, for how much of its useable power output this remains true. It is marketing that is very difficult to verify or refute.
I accept that Class G has very clear design parameters that would suggest the amplifier very likely is running in Class A mode during its lowest few watts.
The real test is how does it sound. I would not say there is any obvious advantage to Class G that makes it a substantially better amplifier topology than others in use. I have heard excellent Class A, AB, B, D designs.
As I say, the problem with switched rails is design complexity which makes long-term servicing a bit of a challenge.
I actively look for the simplest design possible now when choosing kit. This generally points away from microprocessors, lifestyle products, signal processing, and anything except the most basic circuit layout. A very good example is the Kef LS50 Wireless. It is an outstanding sounding product, easy to use, good looking, and very convenient. However, once the software is no longer supported, or once one of the various miniature, proprietary circuits dies, you are left with a very expensive door stop.
chartz
If it’s broke fix it!
Yes but class D amps with loads of SMC are impossible to repair. Not good at all.
As an aside, I’ve just tossed away my toothbrush because the SMC power transistor that runs the motor is kaput.
Both battery and motor are perfectly good.
I can see tons of that badly designed stuff being landfilled (recycled?) as all old stuff is indefinitely repairable.
As an aside, I’ve just tossed away my toothbrush because the SMC power transistor that runs the motor is kaput.
Both battery and motor are perfectly good.
I can see tons of that badly designed stuff being landfilled (recycled?) as all old stuff is indefinitely repairable.
Darren L
Egalitarian
When I first started looking at Hifi separates in the late 80's and early 90's Arcam would've been a bit out of my price range with it being priced at the next tier up from budget or entry level separates.
When I decided that I wanted to upgrade in the mid 90's I more or less skipped the mid-priced offerings and went to what I considered at the time to be entry level high end audio separates most of which were more 'esoteric' offerings from the UK, Europe and Japan for cartridges although I favoured UK designed and manufactured turntables and tonearms.
Looking back recently when clearing out a lot of old brochures the Arcam gear looked a bit 'plasticy' with a similar look to alot of VHS recorders of that time.
During the late 90's Arcam seemed to produce alot of very big AV amps and processors but by that stage I'd become firmly entrenched in Analogue replay equipment, probably as I found CD players to be merely mediocre in comparison.
When I decided that I wanted to upgrade in the mid 90's I more or less skipped the mid-priced offerings and went to what I considered at the time to be entry level high end audio separates most of which were more 'esoteric' offerings from the UK, Europe and Japan for cartridges although I favoured UK designed and manufactured turntables and tonearms.
Looking back recently when clearing out a lot of old brochures the Arcam gear looked a bit 'plasticy' with a similar look to alot of VHS recorders of that time.
During the late 90's Arcam seemed to produce alot of very big AV amps and processors but by that stage I'd become firmly entrenched in Analogue replay equipment, probably as I found CD players to be merely mediocre in comparison.
KeithL
pfm Member
I have two. Both arrived with crackly (including channel drop outs) input selectors. I absolutely drenched every orifice of both input selectors in contact cleaner and allowed to dry for many hours. Both operate faultlessly after more than a year. Cracking amps, pun intended.
Dowser
Learning to bodge again..
I currently have a Black Box I picked up for relative peanuts given a good TDa1541a implementation. I also used to run, way back in 1990s, an A&R Arcam c/p 75 pre/power combo (I assume an earlier iteration of Arcam?) - beautiful things that imaged perfectly. I stupidly sold them before moving to Oz (But probably a good thing, most of my hifi was stolen from a Bondi Beach apartment the day after it arrived!). After searching for many years I now have replacements I bought 5 years ago, apart from checking they worked I’ve never actually listened to them…really must do!
I also have savagely modified a60 integrated and t21 tuner - insane amount of value in boutique film caps installed to replace electrolytics - with the right easy load speakers they sound wonderful, will probably go to the grave with me…unless my daughters finally wake up to hifi!
I also have savagely modified a60 integrated and t21 tuner - insane amount of value in boutique film caps installed to replace electrolytics - with the right easy load speakers they sound wonderful, will probably go to the grave with me…unless my daughters finally wake up to hifi!
Arcam Alpha 7 CD player still going strong and using only transport, which I gather is same as Alpha 9, equal to my Bel Canto. Alpha 8 amplifier completely satisfied for several years. Replaced with better Alpha 10. Alpha 10 replaced with Naim Nap200 - far to bright to my ears, even with Audio Note Js. On to 300b...
Very positive experience with Arcam.
Very positive experience with Arcam.