Arcam CD23 worth saving?

You really owe it to yourself to audition.  The only reason to keep this player working is if it had the Ring DAC on a chip.  Otherwise, everything is better now.

Yes it's certainly got the ring DAC, that's what makes it a little special. I must admit I do like the new Ifi audio burr brown signature DACs sound so I'm thinking of potentially buying a transport and a separate DAC. I also like the new ESS Sabre DACs as well like what's in my MOTU audio interface so I'm definitely conflicted here. The Arcam has a certain smoothness and finess that the new generation seem to lack though...

I'm used to listening to studio monitors as well as hifi so I'm torn between clinical and smooth if you get what I mean.

I'm not sure if it makes financial sense but I owned that cd player and it's a gem. I get it.

Cool, you know where I'm coming from then! Probably ought to ditch it but it sounds so good...

Ladder D/A converter are limited to about 18 bits because of components tolerance, while Delta-Sigma converters go only to about 20 bits, because of noise.  Ring D/A converter was developed by DCS and licensed to Arcam.
Instead of just one component at LSB it has bunch of them being switched at higher speed to achieving better average accuracy.  Unfortunately ARCAM had poor production yields and stopped making them (switching to Wolfson).  Original Arcam that had them was Alpha 9 that FMJ CD23 is based on.   I think it is unique and good sounding - worth of saving.

Thank you, that's a very note worthy reply. I did think it was a bit special... I'll see what the repair estimate comes back as and make a decision from there.

Can it be used as a DAC?  If it has a digital input and if it’s the DAC that makes the player special then try using it with another transport.

No it can't be used as a DAC unfortunately as it only has digital out otherwise I'd ignore the transport side of it. That was one of my first thoughts but it's just too old.

I had the ARCAM CD23T a dozen years ago in a prior system, so I know it’s strengths and warts very well.

Decision tree:

(1) IF YOU LIKE THE ARCAM bespoke signature sound , ( a fine but important distinction and thus first consideration ,,,,) then it is worth the repair cost, it was a great DAC for spinners of ITS era, ( emphasis added)

(2) Not insignificant current repair costs are not assurance of future proofing against continued new repair costs, This needs to be first assessed as a deterrent and high risk investment. Be aware that the laser unit replacement part may prove difficult in a 20+ year old spinner.

it was for this reason I upgraded 10 years ago to a REGA ISIS VALVE cdp/ DAC who has two matched serial number laser units reserved for each owner stored for you back at REGA. ( the ISIS is also a very big step up in performance comparatively)

I would look into the Cambridge CXC or the Audiolab 6000 transport to use with your DAC.  THere are better transportsd at much higher prices but either one of these  preforms very well.

Yes I was looking at the audiolab 6000 transport. Its a little pricey at 400GBP but has very good reviews. The DAC is another question entirely though. I quite like the burr brown DAC in the Ifi signature but not sure if it's as good as the cd23 ring dac. I received word that Deco Audio has received the Arcam cd23 today so we'll see if it's repairable at a sensible price. If not I'll be going down the transport route and Ifi signature for start or possibly Cambridge audio if it's not up to scratch. It sounds pretty damn good with my phone connected via usb so it might be the way forward, who knows.

I say if you can't get it repaired for less than the cost of a new DAC + transport / streamer, then it's time to let it go.

I used to like spinning discs, but since moving to a streaming-oriented setup, I barely touch them except to rip them to FLAC.

IMO, a good Burr-Brown or Sabre DAC is going to sound every bit the equal to the Ring DAC in the Arcam. Try to do a blind test if you can.

Unfortunately due to where I live it's unlikely I'd be able to try out any gear before buying so I'm relying solely on reviews and like minded fellows to guide me. I took a punt on the Ifi zen one signature for playing files from my phone and it impressed me that much that it might just be good enough to ditch the arcam and use a transport to play discs. I've been quietly ripping most of my cds in as high a quality as possible so I think the disc player will be sidelined for long periods anyway. All of my mixes are extremely long so they are digital files only which was the reason for the zen purchase.

I'm pretty sure Peter at Deco audio said it would be around 200 pounds which includes postage, new transport, and labour, but that's before looking at it so the symptoms I described may have led him down the wrong path, or worse the parts are no longer available. I'll have to wait and see but there's no way you could buy a new transport let alone a dac for that amount of money. I have a rotel rcd 12 in another room which could be used as a transport to the zen dac but I'd rather that stayed where it was...

The Arcam has a certain smoothness and finess that the new generation seem to lack though...

You’ve really gotta think about whether it’s worth throwing more $$$ at this given the newer options out there.  The newer R2R DACs, for example, exhibit the sound characteristics you seem to like, so one thing you might consider is ordering one you like through Amazon and try it with your Rotel and if it doesn’t knock your socks off you can just return it.  At least you’ll get an idea of what’s out there now, and a DAC would also allow you to start streaming music (a lot of it in hi-res thru Qobuz, etc.) by adding something like an iFi Zen Stream ($399), and as many have said, once you start streaming you’ll likely rarely spin CDs anymore.  A couple examples of very well-regarded R2R DACs are linked below, and I’ll also add the Denafrips Pontus ll if that also might be in your budget.  I’d encourage you to read DAC reviews on soundnews.net as he writes very thorough reviews and does a good job comparing units so you get some perspective on how they compare.  Anyway, just my $0.02 FWIW, and best of luck. 
 

https://smile.amazon.com/Gustard-R26-Discrete-R2R-DAC/dp/B0BDLJYRVN/ref=sr_1_3?crid=VZOZ4JWWRKAR&keywords=gustard+r26&qid=1667329628&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIyLjM0IiwicXNhIjoiMi4xNSIsInFzcCI6IjEuOTIifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=Gustard%2Caps%2C73&sr=8-3

https://smile.amazon.com/Musician-Pegasus-Decoder-DSD1024-Amplifier/dp/B0891X8BM8/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1J0XVMVR4VKU6&keywords=denafrips%2Bpontus%2Bii&qid=1667329411&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjg4IiwicXNhIjoiMC41NCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=Denafrips%2Caps%2C65&sr=8-3&th=1

Thank you. I'm sure there are many fine DACs out there and although I am on a budget, I'll certainly stretch for the finer gear if I think it's worth it. Streaming services are not really an option for me because the music I play is a bit too underground. We'll not get into musical tastes here as that is purely a personal thing but sound reproduction does matter, even if it's not your cup of tea so to speak. Don't get me wrong I like all kinds of music in small doses but tend to lean towards non mainstream most of the time. Had a look at those links but they are currently unavailable and I'm in the UK anyway so probably wouldn't be worth the shipping and import costs. Like I said before I already have an iFi zen one signature(actually I have two now) so I'm not sure I could better them without spending significantly more. I like the Cambridge audio dacmagic 200m but that is another 500 GBP on top of what I've already spent and one Zen dac would then become redundant. I'll see what the repair costs come back as and take it from there.

The overall consensus here I think is that the arcam was a bit special(and still is) but has perhaps had its day now and it's time to move on if the costs are prohibitively expensive.

@cafedelmike

If most of your files are already stored on a computer, then it’s probably better to add streaming capability to your system. This could mean installing software or enabling OS features for UPnP / DLNA if you can connect the DAC to the stereo and PC easily. You could set all of this up temporarily (and at low to no cost) to see if it works for you.

For example, Windows has a built-in DLNA / UPnP server - How to Enable / Disable DLNA Media Server on Win 10 or 11.

If you have a Mac or run Linux, Kodi is a free app that can enable DLNA / UPnP capability. (You can also install it on Windows.)

Then you can access your music library and control playback from your phone using a UPnP app like BubbleUPnP (Android) or mConnect (iOS). If you'd rather use a standard web browser, Kodi comes with a web app user interface too.

I started with a new Alpha 9 and then bought a used CD 23 to see if I could tell a difference. I really couldn't. I liked them both so I can empathize with your dilemma. Plus they will play HD Cd's which I have few of.

Alas, the transports in both broke last year and the stock transports are not available. It would be great to know if your audio shop can find a replacement.

Jim S. 

Hmm OK that doesn't sound promising. Peter at Deco audio said the parts were still available so I'll be pretty annoyed if I've sent it away for no reason. It still works as it is just not as well as it should. 

Time will tell then eh.

That was/is a great CD player I had the CD23 & CD23T years ago and kept coming back to the ring DAC players.  Finally gave up on spinners after changing out 3 laser drives on my most recent Cary CD players and went with a DAC/streamer setup glad I did.  You'd be surprised what you can find on subscription services good luck and happy listening.

cafedelmike 

I hope Deco can find a replacement transport or replacement parts for you. I didn't try to source a shop that possibly could adapt a non stock transport. Didn't seem worth the time or money. I ripped all my discs to a hard drive and committed to streaming.

Best of Luck. Jim S.

OK well I've no idea if they can or whether he was mistaken that parts are still available so who knows. If it has to be binned after spending on postage and new optical I'll be a bit upset but I'm sure it wouldn't have been intentional. I'll just get them to send it back and see if I can fix it myself 

Another +vote for worth saving.

Happy Listening!

Arcam FMJ CD23T has simple but effective commands: basic transport buttons and forward/reverse through the track, that is all. This design has been kept until today. The display is green, good but really nothing special in terms of some Sony/Philips monster displays with so many information in so many different colors. On the other side, it contains music calendar, a fine addition. Unfortunately, the display shows it’s age and the calendar is the first to go, as you can see in the picture. TellTims

I can't see any picture on my smartphone unfortunately but I get what you mean. I've had a response from Deco audio and they say they can't find anything wrong with it which is very frustrating because the grating noise was very obvious to me and loud enough to ruin the music at lower volumes. I'm waiting for them to get back to me again in a few days after further testing but I can't see why transportation would have cured it but you never know.

its been a wonderful player over the years and I'll be sad if its not fixed after all this but such is life. I've got my eye on an audiolab 6000cdt if it's terminal. I've got several different dacs to play with but none have that cd23 smoothness!