I made the upgrade move from the Alpha 7 to the 9. Since then I've made many other improvements to my system and have found myself listening to the CD source less and less. I agree with Fineberg's statement that Arcam charges a high price for that upgrade; in retrospect, it was one of the least cost-effective upgrades I have made. Clearly, it is a significant improvement over the 7, but the 9 still betrays a bit of harshness in the highs (especially with bright recordings), which I find very fatiguing. However, it can be an involving player, but one has to be sure to feed it very good production and recording efforts. It's a finicky source that's good with some discs and annoying with others. So I would second Fineberg's counsel and recommend looking towards a separate DAC to retain flexibility. Incidentally, though, if you're looking for sweetness, I wonder if you've thought of the Linn Genki, with its comparable price, but warmer and more mellow sound?
Arcam alpha 7 upgrade/alternatives/useds for 1000
I have an arcam alpha 7 player, considering moving up to the alpha 9 for $1000. Other options are an outboard dac - evs, linkdac, perp. tech, 47 labs, or maybe a used alpha 9 with no warranty, or some other used player for under $1000. And I'm not to worried about the new digital standard, I have so many cds. Is the move to the 9 worth the money? what about some of the dacs I mentioned? My priorities are sweetness, transparency, involvement and great bass (lowest priority).
System:
Purest sound systems passive control or ARC LS3B (interchange)
McCormack dna 0.5
Legacy Protege's
Mit cables
Thanks!
Robert
System:
Purest sound systems passive control or ARC LS3B (interchange)
McCormack dna 0.5
Legacy Protege's
Mit cables
Thanks!
Robert