Nice new Arcam kit...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3280&item=5748074636

not! :lol:

What a blatant rip off.

 

I wouldn't say £33 for an amp is a rip off. It probably sounds alright for that money and has a nice large power supply inside (provided it really delivers 60wpc)

The microphone input seems a little odd though.

 

the fact is that its a ripoff of an Arcam Alpha 8/9 amp:

 

which makes 33 quid even more of a bargain. and you get 2 microphone inputs too. it's a steal...
cheers


julian

 

How do you know the rip off wasn't the other way?

Bob

 

that's scary arcam like isn't it?

 

It probably comes out of the same factory as arcam and offers reasonable proof to my theory that arcam is only good enough to be sold out of branches of curries and comet.

 

Utter bollocks!

It may look superficially like an Arcam Alpha but it isn't. Possibly the front panel is produced by the same factory that produced the Alpha cases for Arcam but there the similarity ends.

One of the knobs is a different size and there are extra knobs and sockets.
The Alpha cases were never available in silver.
The Alpha cases had a one piece top and sides with two screws in each side. This imitation doesn't.

Whatever is inside this amp, it's hard to believe that it could be an Alpha clone at only £33. The components must be rock bottom quality for that price.

Having said that, at only £33 it may well represent good value for money if it doesn't sound too awful. Something to frighten a Cambridge A1 possibly.

Who's gonna buy one and let us know :torkmada:

 

in response to garyi - you clearly have not had the opportunity to listen to a high-end Arcam system based on your comments have you?

 

Good Arcam doesnt even have to be High end. My Arcam A65+ amp IMHO was the best i listened to in its class when i was buying around 2 years ago.

 

nothing like a well timed elitist jibe to get the natives restless Well done Gary, just not sure if I agree with you.

 

yeah, I like it when people bite back...

 

Well, I guess there are some people here that own arcam, and what do you know so do I.

I have been down this route and I have heard it.

Its crap. (IMO of course)

 

So arcam is made in China?

 

Arcam make good hifi - you're the first person I've seen think differently.

Hmmm

 

Not too sure about other Arcam stuff but the Alpha 9 cd player is brilliant!

 

People are always going to have differences of opinion.

Gary, dont you use Naim? - To me Arcam and Naim are very different sounding, so its not suprising that if you like one you might dislike the other.

We all have preferences..

 

Gary, it's quite absurd to judge the whole of the Arcam range on the basis of a mid-80s Arcam DAC you got off eBay that you didn't like the sound of

The same goes for the way you've written off the whole Squeezebox idea based on that one experience.

Michael.

 

Two thoughts occur here. 1) Gary does like to tease 2) The differences we talk about between kit are often called "huge" when we actually mean "just enought to notice".

Personally I favour olive Naim to Arcam and my worst insult of the new Naim kit is that "It sounds like Arcam". Having said that I could quite happily live with either if I had no choice.

 

I did say in my opinon

I would also point out that I have heard a lot more arcam than the dac that I own (And enjoyed BTW)

But sorry the arcam stuff looks and sounds cheap to me, and thats because it is. (IMO)