New arcam a19

After reading the review of the A19, it could sound too rich as the CD37 is fairly smooth. You're going to need a dem and see which makes of CDPs sound the most natural. Generally speaking, Arcam amps are usually fairly neutral, but it seems Arcam have tweaked the tonal qualities of this new offering.

HI

thanks for your thoughts , I'm with you on the demo idea , the slight problem is my location up in the north of Scotland where the local arcam dealer does not have a 37 in stock for demo.

my initial thoughts are agreeable with you in regards to the potential of the cd37 being overkill , I will contact Aberdeen area to see if they have kit to get a demo sorted

The Arcam CD37 is so good its definately worth a demo at least. It is my favourite source so far and really should be a good choice with their amps. Whilst i would say the CD36 is slightly laid back (i used to own one), the CD37 is a different proposition and is smooth ish but detailed too and is a great cd player. It also has sacd capability which lifts another level if you can find CD's on that format. I havent heard the A19 though but i doubt its overkill to pair with a CD37 - you will still benefit from a good source.

I would scour the second hand market for an old Arcam DVD player. The ones that were £800-£1000 back in the day now go for less than £100, as they are not Blu-ray. They have to be one of the best bargain buys around. I know it flies in the face of conventional thinking, but they really could carry a tune. Fantastic value for money.

I don't think the CD37 will be an overkill. I'm more concerned about the tonal qualities of both products. It should be a great match, but going by the review it MAY be a little on the warm side, hence why I've suggested a dem. Unless, of course, this ex-dem one has a returns policy.

Thanks for all the advice regarding this one.

im going to source a demo as close as possible in the morning as the ex demo 37 is not returnable unfortunately and it's too much money if it does not compliment the new a19

will let you know how it goes

interesting thought on the DVD player also , would never has considered that option 

Try and listen to the CD17 as well as the CD37. Might also worth listening to Rega, if they have them, and Audiolab.

Good luck.

Hello

I bought my cd37 ex demo and could not demo it for the same reason as you. I took a chance as it was almost half price. My thinking was I could always sell it on for very little loss so in a way I got a very long demo for a small cost. Anyway I absolutely love it. I would agree with whf's comment regarding the tonal qualities "smooth, chunky and weighty as a yorkie bar " or something along those lines.

PP has a good point (as usual) so you do need to think about the kind of presentation your after. Don't forget whf team seem to favour a detailed energetic sound which is fine but for me I prefer a slightly laid back smooth sound with plenty of detail that is subtly presented. 

Maybe you could get your speakers first and then you would only need to match your source to the overall sound of your system. Unless your going to buy both at the same time of course which would be great as there would be many different combinations you could try. 

Hi guys,

i do like my sound to be quite punchy and energetic , so if somewhat more reassured given your comments on the demo you purchased.

Good thinking regarding selling it on for little loss if it did not suit the amp or my taste. 

When I bought my kit back in 1996 I was into dance music all the time due to my clubbing phase hence why I bought the Tdl,s for plenty bass.

im more inclined to go for a warm expansive sound now but still with plenty bass.

i could  at a push stretch to speakers and CD player at the same time and have been looking at Tanoy DC6T 's which seem like a good buy at just over £500 now. Has anyone heard these and would they suit my taste of sound?

thanks again for any feedback 

.

Very interesting view there, never even thought about that approach .

bear in mind though I already own the a19 , delta 290 p , so seperates are still my direction . But thanks for opening my mind to new thinking .

im quite naive to the hi fi options out there now,

I have not heard the a19 or the tannoys so can't advise on the combination I'm afraid. I can tell you that before I bought the cd37 my system had a large soundstage and a good amount of bass weight. Adding the cd37 opened up the sound more, gave a larger soundstage, more bass weight, more detail across the board (especially in bass notes) and smoothed the treble a little. 

Just to let you know I mostly listen to dance and hip hop and for me these are the 2 genres that my system really excels in. I do listen to other genres such as pop, rock and reggae which also sound very good too.

I find MA to be a good match with arcam so you may want to try BX6 if you like plenty of bass. I'm sure other members can suggest other good matches.

Yeah I only realised after I posted that you already owned the amp. So I deleted my post.

here's one:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Arcam-DV88plus-CD-and-DVD-Player-Black-/261158...

As I say, they were £1,000 new and have to be one of the best bargains out there.

Looking for some views on set up also ,

until I purchase new CD player and maybe speakers if I can afford it how should I set up the amps from a bi wired perspective. 

When my delta 290 was alive I bi wired as ffollows 

delta 290 driving ttweeters 

delta p290 driving mid range and bass this set up recommended by arcam.

i recently upgraded the tweeters to morel's on the tdl's to give a more crisp high end however if I put the new a19 onto the same setup they sound a little too sharp .

would I be better off using the power amp to drive the tweeters now instead and using the new amp to drive the mid and bass ?