Can’t believe anyone


Has anyone else had this experience? First I should say that like many people I have a busy schedule and I don’t have unlimited time to audition gear, so I try rely on dealers to steer me in he right direction to narrow down choices.

I am in the middle of trying to upgrade my system. When I went to a dealer in the Chicago area and told him what kind of gear I had, he immediately by system was "uneven "and I HAD TO upgrade my CD player (from Arcam 7se to 8se or 9). A few days ago I went to a different dealer. As before I mentioned my system, this time it was amp that needed to be upgraded. As for my CD player, he does not feel that the move form the 7se to the 9 is really an upgrade.

So, whom do I believe? Yes, I know—listen for myself and then decide, but then what the hell good are dealers for?

By the way, my current system is:

Integrated Amp: Arcam alpha 10
CDP: Arcam 7se
Speakers: Dynaudio 1.3 Mk II
Interconnects: Nordost Blue Heaven
Speaker wire: MIT T2
xmore

Showing 2 responses by blbloom

Xmore. I think you have a nicely balanced system. If you are not happy with the sound, there are a couple of possibilities. You could try different cables or you might want to consider a different sound altogether. I think to do that, is not necessarily an upgrade. You could try tubes in you cd player or maybe an amp that would give a different sound, like a YBA Integre or Electrocompiniet. The problem here might be that your speakers need a lot of power. What kind of music do you listen to and how large is your listening room?
I think you might find that the upgrade of one piece will just be the beginning of a long search, and if as you say, you don't have time, you might find yourself more frustrated.
I have heard the Arcam cd players. My experience is that the 7SE is better than the 8, and pretty close to the 9. I don't beleive that upgrade would solve your problems.