2014 CES News: ARC Showcases New CD-6

Mitch ... agreed. I'm hoping someone gets a chance to check it out and post comments.

I own the ARC Ref CD-8 (straight-up redbook CDP), which I enjoy quite a bit. I'm close to dipping a toe into other digital sources. Yet, as another OP quipped, us old-heads need a Rosetta Stone to understand the tech lingo and apps re the other digital options, FLAC, WAV, MP3, DRD, USB, yadi yada ya.

So, I wonder if the CD-6 sounds as good as the CD-8 for redbook CD, and how it compares to the Ref CD-9 with respect to the other digital formats. Waiting to read some reactions and comments.

One quick follow up. I have another thread running asking for comments about how the ARC Ref CD-8 compares to the ARC DAC-8, mainly with respect to the redbook CD function. My thought is whether it makes sense to use my CD-8 as a transport for the DAC8 and let the DAC-8 handle all of my digital applications.

The overall thought process is whether the digital landscape is improved by switching out my CD-8 with the new CD-6 (combo CDP and DAC), or just pick up a pre-owned DAC-8 and run it as the DAC for my CD-8. I suppose, if the CD-8 sounds better as a redbook CDP than the DAC-8, I could run the two components in parallel. That is just run the CD-8 and the DAC-8 as stand alone source components into my Ref 5 SE linestage.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Mitch, I missed the Stereophile write-up. If there's a web link, could you please post it. Did Stereophile compare the CD-6 to other ARC gear? Thanks.

P.S. The CD-6's MSRP is the same as the new SP-20. I wonder if these components are carving out a new product offering niche.

Mitch ... the CD-6, like its bigger brother, the Ref CD-9, has quad chips in mono mode, or something like that. I believe the DAC 8 has a similar topology. Aside from the topology difference, the CD-6/9 can upsample and supposedly has a broader bandwidth. Most redbook CDP have a brick-wall 20K Hz filter.

While I appreciate the CD-6's added flexibility regarding its DAC and ability to decode different digital formats, I wonder if the quad mono chip (or whatever) topology relates to the playback sonics of the redbook CDP functionality. Stated differentlty, I wonder if the CD-6/9 sound better than the now discontinued Ref CD-8 in redbook CD mode??

If anyone has been there and done it, I would appreciate reading your reactions and comments. Thanks.

Djcxxx, thanks for the comments. Do you think the redbook CD "side of the house" in the Ref CD-9 is basically the same CDP as the Ref CD-8? Ever get a chance to check out the CD-9?

Djcxxx, unless you or someone else could persuasively convince me that the CD-9 was "in another league" compared to the CD-8 as regards redbook CD, I'd probably try to pick up an ARC DAC 8 if I wanted to try other digital sources. Otherwise, I think your comment about the CD-8 sounds spot on.

Thanks Djxxx. You may be right about the CD-8. Seems like you think the CD-9 isn't substanatively moving the goal post very much by way of redbook CD playback quality. Ok ... that's cool. If I get the itch, one day I'll try and pick up a pre-owned DAC 8.

But I'll tell you what hasn't reached the end of the line. IMO, it's the quality of redbook CD discs. I've been checking out "Gold" quality HDCD lately. I think this level of redbook CP *is* in another league and that it's a darn shame that folks don't appreciate that fact. I just posted on another thread that I picked up some Mofi reissues of the 80s group, the Cars. I found the CDs to be musically very satisfying and enjoyable. We music lovers ought to be more demanding.