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Metal keeps CDs spinning
Arcam's FMJ CD player
by Michael Jones
January 2001
Arcam FMJ CD23 CD player. $4499
Isn't
it a silly move to buy an expensive CD player these days, with the promise
of high-resolution formats arriving? And don't cheaper CD players perform
very well these days? These questions were asked of me five years ago
when I bought my Meridian 508. Some people thought I was crazy spending
the money on the 508 with the promise of DVD around the corner.
But it was the right decision back then. And buying an Arcam FMJ CD23 could easily be the right decision for you today.
So lets look at the questions above. Yes, there are two new formats (SACD and DVD-A) arriving with promises of better sound. But I know that this consumer is not willing to bet on which format might win out - if any at all.
Besides, the SACD and DVD-A players that I've tried have not come anywhere near close to a player like the FMJ on playing CDs. If you have a large CD collection - if you don't, then spend your money on some more music - then it makes sense to get the best sound from your current collection.
The more affordable CD players have improved remarkably in the past five years. I've been very impressed with the sound from many $800-1500 players, But there is a large gap between them and a player like the CD23.
So it does make sense to look at a CD player like the Arcam. So let's look at the Arcam FMJ CD23.
Part of Arcam's more upmarket FMJ series, the CD23 is based partially on the Alpha 9 CD player, but with numerous additions and tweaks to gain higher performance.
The Arcam team developed a new motherboard for the CD23 and completely reconfigured the power supply, including adding a high quality toroidal transformer.
DAC's the way I like it, uh-huh
Also inside is Arcam's claim to fame with their upmarket CD players - the Ring DAC. The digital-to-analog convertor (DAC) was developed by Arcam's near-neighbour's dCS, who sell into the professional recording market and also sell some very expensive DACs under their own name.
Arcam and dCS managed to boil down the technology behind the Ring DAC into a custom chip set, making it viable to use in more "real world" CD players. The first was the Alpha 9, with the CD23 being the second implementation.
The CD23 is wrapped in an aluminium case on a steel base - a big improvement over the "plastic fantastic" casing of the older Alpha range. An 8mm thick aluminium alloy front panel adds to the feel of this CD player.
The CD23 has the normal analog and digital outputs (though the analog outs are doubled up, making the CD23 easier to use in multi-room systems).
In use, the CD23 was pretty much like any other CD player, except for one thing. With most CD players, if you press "9" on the remote control the player skips to track 9. On the FMJ I needed to press the Play button afterwards. A small thing sure, but it was something I found intensely annoying.
On to the music
One of my favourite jazz CDs is You Won't Forget Me by Shirley Horn. As a bonus, it's also proved to be a superb test piece for hi-fi components.
Ms Horn sings with a slight lisp and plays piano. On the FMJ the intricacies of her phrasing - the subtle little pauses and emphasis that makes recorded music sound more real - on both piano and vocals were beautifully portrayed. In fact, this was one of the finest renditions of this CD I've heard.
More jazz, this time from "young lion" saxophonist Joshua Redman and his Moodswing album. The cymbals on the drum kit were beautifully differentiated while Redman's sax soared effortlessly.
Like many classical listeners, I've found the music of Estonian composer Arvo Part to be refreshing. The CD23 allowed me to hear "into" ECM's recording of Te Deum like never before. Low level resolution of information is up there with the best I've heard.
The only area were the CD23 wasn't up there with the state-of-the-art was in the bass. If you're used to a Wadia or Meridian 500-series, or even an older top-of-the-range Denon or Sony, you'll find the CD23 seems undernourished in the area of bass power.
If you accept the idea - as I do - that music is emotion set to a tune, then you'll find that the FMJ is a glorious CD spinner. The sheer emotional impact of music came through on CD after CD.
Reading
this review, you'll gain the impression that I rate the Arcam FMJ CD23
very highly. Indeed I do.
This is one of the finest CD players you can buy in New Zealand and at a price of $4500 is something of a bargain. Very warmly recommended.
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