Arcam Alpha 7SE CD Players

Arcam Alpha 7SE CD Players 

DESCRIPTION

20-bit Burr Brown PCM1617 DAC, opt & coax out, display off

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 39  
[Jan 30, 2004]
keepitsimplestupid
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

I hear details in recording that i never heard before...sometimes they almost make me jump out of my chair!...It also has been able to handle every recorded disc that i have tried...it was easily programmed into my sony rv900? universal remote (with the learning function)...you can turn off the display for listening in the dark

Weakness:

it seems to skip more when i walk heavily on the hardwood floor next to my system rack....obviously, single disc mean more gettin' up to change discs....

I was very skeptical about how much better this single disc player would be over my circuit city special onkyo mulitdisc player (i think i wrote a positive review for it, for what its worth)...I no longer use the onkyo, though, because this cd player is so much better....i don't like changing cd's manually, but i can't stand the sound of my onkyo even worse... This cd player is awsome...and now used ones are affordable via ebay/audiogone...i have not listened to any other high end cd players so i can't say how this one compares...all i would say is that it is way better than anything you can get from big electronic superstores...i would recommend this unit to anyone that is cheap and has a love for accurate reproduction of sound.... my system: NAD T751 A/V Amp Paradigm Monitor 7v2 front speakers

Similar Products Used:

None in cd players (this unit has replaced my circuit city onkyo multidisc player)

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 08, 2004]
ludwiger
Audio Enthusiast

Regarding my previous post, I brought the CD player to Hawthorne Stereo who shipped off to Arcam's North American distributor who fixed it and everything's but perfect since (I believe they replaced the tray/door).

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
[Aug 03, 2002]
ludwiger
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Bass. Clarity. Value.

Weakness:

Build. Remote.

I posted a few months ago, but this time I'm not as happy. Recently the loading mechanism began to fail sporadically. It often will not open. Wondering if I should've sprung for a reliable NAIM system...

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Feb 15, 2002]
stavs
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

soundstage, vocals, ''real'' sounding

Weakness:

none that I am aware of

Did not get the opportunity to audition the 7SE - but with a cd player of such unanimous acclaim, I wasn''t exactly nervous about just going out and buying one - especially given that I had no other components at the time, i.e. no existing baggage to fit in with. Within days I bought a used arcam amp and some mission 733e speakers (and cables). Partnered with an Arcam Delta 290, the depth and quality of sound produced by this arcam union is staggering. Warm and natural detailed sound which has real punch and attack - but not so as to sound forced or artificially created. The highs, lows and mids all sing along very nicely - the 290''s tone controls are permanently defeated, any tampering with these controls would be utterley pointless. Inspiring and highly musical cd player, worth every penny. Having said all that, I know bugger all about hi-fi and I''ve got no real reference point from which to draw comparisons - so don''t take my word for it. I''ll give it 5 stars though cos it sounds awesome!

Similar Products Used:

some very bad seperates a long time ago when i was a skint.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 10, 2000]
Charles Zerner
Casual Listener

Strength:

Fabulous sound.... display off which i like alot. REALLY truly great sound.

Weakness:

Flimsy chassis makes me worry a bit about durability. no weaknesses except that it is 700 dollars...

I have listened to quite a few cd players and this one really blows them all away, as far as "in the realm of affordable" cd players go. The Creek 24 bit digital analog converter is very similar. It is laid back, a la rega planet, extremely musical, and manages to create a realistic sense of texture (on horns and violins etc...) a great soundstage, and is not fatiguing AT ALL. The Arcam however has a much more sensible eq. The Creek boosts the bass a little too much, creating a slight sense of separation between the bass and the low mids. It seems a little artificial. As for the Arcam, it suits my tasts exactly. The bass is strong, but still sounds like part of the music, the highs are not nearly as rolled off as on the creek (which gets to be a little bit annoying, if you listen to jazz or even vocals). It is more musical, has more texture, and creates a more convincing sound. I love this player. It is much like the rega planet but better. As for the design, I like it quite a bit. I have an arcam amp (although if I had more money, I wouldn't, I would get the monarchy monoblocks) and the two start to make sense when put together. Anyway, don't trust my ears, go listen to it. Great player.

Similar Products Used:

Creek 24 bit digital converter, marantz 67SE, Audio Refinement Complete, NAD, etc..

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 18, 2000]
kevin
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

warm smooth sound

Weakness:

few

i have a bright o.k. harse set of speakers (deftech bp8b's)
and an amc 3050a intergraded amp,dh labs interconnects and speaker wire,so i needed a cdp that sounded neutral to warm,nothing to forward, this player is it. instirments sounded way more realistic, even my girlfriend ( who thinks i'm insane to spend that much ) said it sounded way better then the cheap sony i had before. now i feel the money spent on the other eqiupment wasn't wasted, well maybe some new speakers are next.

Similar Products Used:

tried rotel 971 , amc , nad

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
[Feb 16, 2000]
gary whitehouse
Casual Listener

Strength:

detail is great for the price.
you do not get bored even after hours of listening

Weakness:

harsh on bad recordings

I would recommend the Arcam 7se, as it is by far the best cd player in its price range. i tried the sony 930 £260 and it sounded dull compared with the arcam7se

Similar Products Used:

yamaha
rotel
sony

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Dec 05, 1999]
jason
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

sound quality/range

i use the c.d. along with an arcam alpha 8R amp and cambridge silver spirit 40 interconnects the sound is truely incredible and i would recomend this c.d. to anyone
i mainly listen to classical/opera and the sound is so clear and realistic that it really does sound like an orchestra in front of you and not a pair of speakers.
outstanding sound quality.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jul 08, 2001]
Jerry
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Smooth yet detailed, slightly warm coloration, very good compatibility

Weakness:

none

My old Onkyo DX-220 died and was not deemed repairable. Tried the two Sony units with my Onkyo TX-870 receiver. Both were too bright and edgy sounding. Tried the Rotel with the same results. Some kind of input incompatibility. Tried the Arcam unit and found it was as compatible as the old Onkyo. Tried it with an Arcam integrated amp and found everything worked with that, but the Arcam 7SE still sounded the best. Sounds laid back at first, but on continued listening you realize the sound is smooth accurate, and natural--not hyped. Almost as detailed as the Sony XA1ES, but more natural sounding and with better instrumental timbre. (found the Sony was very sensitive to interconnects and the characteristics of the preamp's input) Voices are also more natural and live.

Used with B&W 602.2 speakers
Onkyo Integra TX-870 receiver
Tara Labs interconnects

Similar Products Used:

Sony XA1ES, Sony XE500, Onkyo DX-220, Rotel RCD-971

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
[Dec 14, 1999]
James Dean
Audiophile

Strength:

Detail, bass, punch. Sounds very real and unprocessed,
Upgradeable too.

Weakness:

few

Fantastic CD player. Sounds better than the Marantz and NAD to me.

Similar Products Used:

NAD C540 and Marantz CD6000OSE

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
Showing 1-10 of 39  

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