'Cheap' new CD player vs repair or 2nd hand

My Arcam Alpha 6 is beginning to play up again, it's a prob whereby the disc doesn't spin when you load it so the CD player obviously won't even recognise it - it's generally fixed by a slap to the side of the chassis....but it's getting worse (probably cos I keep slapping it!).

Anyway, the question is:

Do I get it fixed or can I buy a better player new or 2nd hand for around £150? I know that £150 ain't much, but I'm skint and at present can't justify spending more.

Other things to consider: I may upgrade it again in the future when funds allow, so would a 2nd hand CD player be better than a new one seeing as it probably wouldn't lose so much value if I sold it on??!!

Any opinions welcome.....

 

we live in a throw away society, it would cost more to fix,<even if you could find someone to fix it> than buying another unit.

but then if slappin it makes it work then it could be as simple as a loose joint, but finding ir could be a tricky job, howare you with a multi meter and solder?

£150 should get you a decent player, check out richer sounds.

 

I find it hard to live with the 'throw-away' attidude, I must confess; my Arcam CD player is the youngest thing in my system (other than cables/interconnects). Mind you, if it wasn't all so old it probably wouldn't keep going wrong, ha ha.

Do you think a new £150 player from Richer Sounds would match the Arcam for sound quality? (it was voted best player under £1000 when it came out I believe....although that was probably by a heavily biased hifi mag).

 

sounds like a laser ...contact les at avondale for more info

a richer specal for £100-£150 will not sound the equal of a ten year old £400 plus IMO.

had a quick look at richer site .....
theres a couple or three players worth a punt

Marantz CD5400 mod with some good components at it to get
NAD C521
Cambridge Audio AZUR 640C people say its good

its debatable if these will out perform the arcam 6 in working order though.

 

That's what I'm afraid of, I figure that I could pick up another Aplha 6 for £100-£150, but obviously it would be as old as my knackered one, and if this one has had it then it would seem rude to pass up an opportunity to try something new

Would an iffy laser affect whether the disc spins? I had the cover off and the disc does not spin at all when the draw closes (?!).

 

still sounds like something is loose to me, surely a laser would play up every time.

well no i don't think you'll match th arcam, but didn't you say you wanted something to tide you over, so dsoes that matter?

i use a pioneer dvd player as my transport, works perfectly well for me.

 

As I understand it everything the player 'sees' is through the laser, so if the laser wasnt working then the player wont know a disk is there a thus start the motor to read the info on the disk. Its only after its read the disk will it 'stand down' and wait for a command.

Find out what transport it uses.

 

Due to various consumer attitudes, depreciation is very high with new AV equipment. This creates a good opportunity for music lovers to purchase 'as good as new' stuff at low prices.

Buying used also make sense since you are planning to upgrade later. Get a CDP with a good transport. That way, when you want to upgrade you can consider the DAC option and its advantages.

 

Thanks for all the advice and opinions.

I have decided to go with the '2nd hand crew' (maybe get another Arcam) - there doesn't seem to be much sense in me buying a cheap new player when I can buy a good used one for the same money, as I really don't have the space for a separate DAC (small cupboard, big hot valve amps, unsympathetic partner etc etc.). I may get the Alpha 6 looked at at a later point anyway; I do know a very decent and trustworthy hifi repair guy who doesn't overcharge but who's always very busy. I'll probably take the cover off myself first and dig around to check for loose connections or sticking mechanisms......you never know!

 

I'll be selling an Arcam CD92 very soon if you would like that. Was about 900 new. Ring Dac - read up on that. Its refined and detailed. Selling for about £400 negotiable. I have Exposure's top CD now, that's why. I also have an old Alpha original, which actually has properties the CD92 ( and later alphas) misses, especially if you're into rock. Other owners will know what I'm talking about. I might even keep that for a kitchen system for all I'll get for it.

 

Thanks for the offer Cloth-Ears and a nice player from all accounts (I've just been researching alternative Arcam players), but my current budget doesn't allow it .......but do let me know if you get so desperate to sell it in the next week or so that you'd accept £150

 

Get a cheap DVD player and a NOS DAC

 

im sorry but i have to disagree with whats been said here... digital technology has moved a long long way and i think it should be fairly easy to get a player for £150 that matches a 10 year old arcam. Older arcams were always known for being smooth sounding anyway... and in 10 year old technology that just translates to soft and wooly.

Id be inclined however to scour ebay for a used player thats only a few years old. Maybe an arcam alpha 7se.. which will be yours for about £120. And thats a cracking player.

You may even be lucky enough to the the alpha 8 for the kind of money you have.

Other contenders would be players like the marantz CD-63 KI signature which ive seen for anwhere between £100 and £175.

 

Nein ! Maybe £350. If you become a prostitute you will be able to afford a really high end system.

 

you can have my old Trichord tuned Teac for £70 if you want

some great reviews off HFC

 

Hi - I've a mint Arcam Alpha 5+ you can have for £100 is you're interested. And of course this model has the benefit of being moddable by Avondale/CPT and I suspect many others.

Rgds
JTB

 

Sorry, you lost me with the prostitute thing. I mean, I don't really know any prostitutes, but they don't generally strike me as people likely to have 'high end' systems. But perhaps I'm too believing of popular stereotypes.

Hang on a minute....this isn't how you paid for your high end system is it?

Seriously though, I don't have £350 to spend at the moment.

What is 'high end' anyway? It's always been a fuzzy term, is there a definition? 'High end' to me means exclusivity determined by price, not necessarily quality.

 

I was just being outrageous. You would in fact be able to buy a high end system if you were, by high end I mean loosly expensive at 5-10 K and over. You could afford this if you avoid a stupid druggie lifestyle, which is a commonly perceived cliche of prostitutes but really applies to the street variety. I did not finance my system that way, especially as I am very ugly and fat and would be unlikely even to fund an Amstrad if I tried it ! And no I wasn't meaning make up the balance of the £350 in kind ! Yuk. As for what I think of females in sex work , I totally respect it and support it so long as it done honestly, with certain standards and without coerction. As regards guys doing it , well I'll be a hypocryte and say that's usually poofy and horrible and I don't want to think about it, except in the way that I joked about with you.

 

The arcam 7se is a good 2nd hand purchase as it punches well above its weight.

Cloth-ears so you use the ladies of the night then??

 

Ah, well erm, ......well anyway as I was saying......er, ..what was I saying anyway?.......