Arcam FMJ CD33


Has anyone had a listen to the new Arcam FMJ CD33?How does it compare to the CD23?
azza
Thanks for the reply.I have not had the chance to demo this player as where i live is pretty remote and we hardly have any hi-fi shops let alone any FMJ dealers!!Although i have not heard the CD33 i have thrown caution to the wind and traded my old Diva CD92 in for this new player,which will arrive here in 3-4 days.I like the Arcam way of doing things (i have the Diva A85 and P85 power amps) so i think i will really like the CD33.I know its a big leap up from the Diva 92 in pretty much every aspect (soundstage,detail etc).My system will be:
Arcam FMJ CD33
Arcam Diva A85 and P85
Spendor S8 Speakers
Chord Chorus interconnects
Chord Oddessey bi-wire
I did audition an FMJ cd33 in the store and at home. In the store I ran it against its sibling the cd23. The cd33 edged the cd23 in dynamics, bass, sparkle and precision. When the cd33 was auditioned at home with my own system, it really excelled in clarity, sparkle, transparency, precision, dynamics, bass a lower noise floor, less digi-hardness more resolution and a beautiful midrange. However there was a touch of clinicality which showed up as over precision and lack of meld which may have been caused by the fact the component had not been burnt in. The touch of hardness on one or two tracks was solved by two foam tubes behind the speakers. The cause was probably the room. If the over precision is not cured by the burn in then a more musical cable like the Taras should do the trick. 99% of the music I listen to is jazz. My system is as follows: Magnepan 1.6qr (speakers),
Copland CTA305 (tube preamp)
Odyssey Stratos (amp)
Van Den Hull CS122 speaker cables (to be upgraded)
MIT interconnects (to be upgraded)
The cd33 is rather light in physical weight and maybe shakti stones will make a difference. My analogue system an Oracle Alexandria turntable with a Alphason HSR100 arm and a Benz Micro Glider cartridge was more liquid. Burning in components and cables do make a difference. I have ordered the cd33 in black and recommend it.