sub £500 CD players?

The whole Arcam CD player gets a going over – if Les doesn't mod it, he at least services it (hence he can offer a 4 year warranty). He does a substantial rebuild of the digital circuits, installs his own filters, fits a new clock and dispenses with upsampling. He rebuilds the audio circuits, using LT1028 and OPA627 chips. The disc transport/laser is refurbished and modified to improve dynamic stability. The original power supply is rebuilt and refined with fast-recovery diodes, better capacitors, better regulators, etc. When he's finished, it sounds nothing like the original Arcam did.

There's a decent review of it here

Heath

 

not just a blob of blu tac here and there then....

 

No, but since it still uses the 'flimsy' Arcam box, a blob of blu-tac here and there might improve it further...

Heath

 

yeah, and frankly, the arcam isn't the most handsome player ever built. I guess Les had his reasons for picking it over a sexier player

 

The Arcam has the same transport and chipset as the Naim CD3. Les was already modding the CD3, so applied similar treatment to the Arcam. Also, internally, the Arcam is 'easy' to work on (apparently).

Heath

 

Just to end the story... I've bought the Sonneteer Byron off tunerhead which is excellent news.

Bought it without listening as we're some distance apart so I'm fingers crossed it suits my system and ears.