I still have an Arcam CD62T CD player in occasional use here.
Lovely-sounding CDP.
Re: I just bought an unexpected amp
Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2021 3:27 pm
by slinger
Daniel Quinn wrote: ↑Tue Oct 12, 2021 9:05 am
slinger if i can do it with only my none dominant left hand working anyone can. it is very good at making your none dominant hand more dexterious..
Luther (now 7 ) is so taken with the idea he uses his none dominant hand to write with for 15 mins a day , because ive told him in 2 years he will be ambidexterious.
Sadly my age, sausage fingers, and my arthritis really do negate any more projects of that nature. I've got over 30 guitars, and some days getting further than picking one up is a trial. I would love to be able to build things. I was always shite at DIY, but I had a few successful projects, and as far as electronics goes I used to build guitar pedals, and my last electronics success (i.e. it worked first time) was a valve buffer based on the Musical Fidelity X10.
It's an excellent idea to get your lad to feel comfortable using either hand. I'm one of those terribly confused people, I'm left-hand dominant, e.g. I write left-handed, but I taught myself to play guitar right-handed. I used to play squash and tennis left-handed but could swap the racquet to my right hand to get wide returns on that side of the court. I could putt left or right-handed, but I could only swing a golf club right-handed. I'm completely right-footed though, I can't kick properly with my left for love nor money. Once it was too late I realised I should have worked on that.
Going off at a tangent and rambling is, so I've heard, another sign of ageing...
I stick to building stuff via my computer software these days, and it's still much neater than when I had full use of my hands.
Re: I just bought an unexpected amp
Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2021 11:03 pm
by antonio66
Will these surprise purchases never cease
Well it will give us something to read, so now looking forward to seeing how you progress.
Re: I just bought an unexpected amp
Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2021 6:10 am
by Wonfor14
When I did a bit of work for Richer Sound, I worked along side some good guys and this looks like the work of my ex boss and good friend Larry Reed.
His attention to ultra fine detail and style was often bloody irritating but his work always looked good and sounded not bad.
He has now started hi own company designing kit for lots of companies not mine, Reed Acoustics.
Re: I just bought an unexpected amp
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2021 10:46 pm
by southall-1998
How is the Arcam going, Slinger?
S.
Re: I just bought an unexpected amp
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2021 7:12 pm
by slinger
It's still in the box, leant against the wall in my hallway, Shane. I've been a bit unwell these last few weeks and I honestly haven't had the energy or the inclination to rip stuff out and rebuild my second system, which is what needs doing, from the base-board up.
Re: I just bought an unexpected amp
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2021 8:33 pm
by southall-1998
Sorry to hear that. Get well soon.
S.
Re: I just bought an unexpected amp
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2021 9:38 pm
by slinger
Thanks, Shane.
Re: I just bought an unexpected amp
Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2021 8:53 am
by Progmeister
slinger wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 4:00 pm
Unexpected, as in, I wasn't actually looking to buy an amp, especially one of these "all singing, all dancing" affairs.
Short version: I was perusing eBay, as I often do, and was having a look at Arcam kit. I've always had a soft spot for Arcam, right back to my Alpha 2, bought new from Sevenoaks, in Sevenoaks, when they only had the one shop, which was the one in Sevenoaks. I've had an Alpha 8 and 8p combo, and an A75, and an Alpha 9 CD player that I wish I'd held onto for longer. In short, happy memories.
Damn you Peter Tyson and your "Manufacturer Refurbished - Arcam SA10" and damn you eBay for the "£75.00 off coupon" that you offered me. They're selling everywhere at between £699 - £750ish. Richer has them for £735.00 I bought mine for £450.00 delivered. Peter Tyson's website says they still have one in stock, but afaik I grabbed the last one, which is why it was a rather sudden acquisition.
Condensed blurb:
Key Features
Extremely efficient class A/B amplification
50W of power per channel
5 analogue inputs including phono
3 digital inputs
32-bit DAC,Sabre ESS9016K2M
Full I/P control
Total harmonic distortion + noise = 0.003%
It's networked, so can be controlled (apparently) from my PC or via an app on a phone/tablet. Arcam's phono inputs have always been pretty decent, I shall have a shoot-out between the internal DAC and my Vincent. If the internal DAC proves to be a winner I can probably make most of the cost of the amp back by selling the Vincent DAC I bought a few weeks ago.
The only serious "downside" I could find from reading loads of reviews was that the bass was a bit iffy when using the analogue inputs, but (keeping my fingers crossed for the internal DAC) hopefully, I'll only be using two of the digital inputs.
In true Arcam tradition, there's a headphone socket on the front, which I expect to be decent, and if it pans out that the internal DAC is good enough then all I'll need is this amp and, eventually, a CD transport, so I can sell my Primare Amp and CD to hopefully cover the rest of the cost of the SA-10, plus a CD transport, probably a Cambridge Audio CXC.
I shouldn't have done it, but I had to do it. £450.00 was simply too good a price to turn down, and although it's "manufacturer refurbished" it will make a change from buying gear that's 5 or 10 years old.
Annoying bloke, but an interesting look at some of the internals.
Nice one Slinger.
Of all the companies iv'e heard amps from i don't think I've ever heard a bad Arcam amp. Enjoy good sir.
Re: I just bought an unexpected amp
Posted: Fri Nov 26, 2021 2:01 pm
by slinger
I'll have to ge4t my arse into gear now, I've just picked up a Cambridge CXC s2 CD Transport, in Lunar Grey.
As you've probably seen, eBay is doing a mad thing of giving 500 (yes, FIVE HUNDRED) times the stated number of Nectar points for stuff over a tenner, purchased between 12:00 & 13:00 today.
Price of transport £249 +£10 carriage
Nectar points scored, 250 base plus a bonus of 12250 = 12500 (or £62.50)
£259 - £62.50 = £196.50, delivered, which I reckon is a decent price.
I'd say it was a bargain anyway, and I can always unload the Nectar points when I pay for my online grocery shop.
The reason I wanted (and was lucky enough to source) a "Lunar Grey," model was because I thought it would match the colour of the amp better. A minor point, but hey, if it can be achieved with the minimum of effort I'm all for it.
