Cdp to partner Arcam A85 amp?

I've just purchased one of the remaining stock of the Diva A85 amps, and will pick it up from the retailer when I'm back in the UK in a month's time.

I know it's not wise to buy unauditioned, but the price was good, and anything would probably sound better than my 12 year old Denon mini components. In any case I listen mostly to Classical and I'm pretty sure the Arcam won't let me down.

I'll have to keep my Mission stand mounts until the summer when I'd like to get something along the lines of the MA Silver 8, but I need a cdp to partner the amp now.

I've been thinking of the likes of the Arcam 73 or 83, Marantz 7300, Nad 542 or perhaps an Exposure 2010 or Cyrus 6, and I'd appreciate your advice on these. I wonder if the now discontinued Arcam 83 is substantially better than the 73.

Or is the A85 good enough to justify going for something better than the models I've mentioned above? An A93 for example.

 

Speaking as someone who kicked off his adventures in hifi with an Arcam AVR100 receiver and rapidly acquired a quite wonderful FMJA22, I can confidently recommend a lovely Rega Planet 2000! My lexicon of audiophile hyperbole is fairly lacking but suffice it to say that it has a certain amount of Va Va Voom that I didn't feel in my lengthy audition of CD players.

 

An obvious candidate is the Arcam CD192 if that doesn't blow your budget.

 

In Arcam range, you could do worse than CD92 if you can get your hands on one. Better than incredibly short-lived and rather uninvolving CD93 successor. CD92 significantly better than CD73 or CD82.
I run my CD92 with bi-amped A85+P85 and its excellent.

Good luck.

 

I am inclined to agree with the post above. I never heard a 72(T) but was distinctly unimpressed with the 73/82/93. Were I after a 1 box cd player, now that my Planet is consigned to sale, I would hunt out 72/92 or an FMJCD23, which, by all accounts was the nuts!

I can quite see the appeal of having a 1 make pile of components, this has to exist in one's living space and not jar.

 

A CD92 would probably be the obvious choice - around £400 on the second hand market, or for a bit more you could have a NAD S500 if you can find one.

 

Yes, the CD92 gets my vote too if you can find one. It's effectively an Alpha 9 in a more modern box.

The CD93 didn't quite topple the CD92 as it was a little lacking in involvement. The CD192 fixes this problem (although I should caveat that with the fact that mine has a luxurious mains supply and this makes a considerable difference, particularly in the areas of groove and involvement - but then it made the same differences to the Alpha 9 too).

 

You could always go the Avondale route. Arcam 5 or 5+ modified. Total cost under £500. I am very impressed with mine. There are plenty of users who reckon it is as good as most CDP's costing up to £2000. I cannot comment on this, but it certainly beats my £1000 Linn genki.

Rod