Arcam CD23 worth saving?
Hi Guys, apologies if this has been asked before but wondered what your thoughts are on whether the CD23 is worth repairing... It's already had a genuine sony laser optic fitted but has now started making a grating noise half way through a cd so I'm a bit disillusioned with it now. I love the sound of it but things have moved on in the DAC world in the last 10 years so I'm not sure if it's worth shelling out again to get it fixed. It's currently on its' way to a high end audio shop in the UK for an estimate but I'm thinking perhaps it's time to just give up the ghost and buy a transport and DAC combo...
I say if you can't get it repaired for less than the cost of a new DAC + transport / streamer, then it's time to let it go.
I used to like spinning discs, but since moving to a streaming-oriented setup, I barely touch them except to rip them to FLAC.
IMO, a good Burr-Brown or Sabre DAC is going to sound every bit the equal to the Ring DAC in the Arcam. Try to do a blind test if you can.
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If most of your files are already stored on a computer, then it’s probably better to add streaming capability to your system. This could mean installing software or enabling OS features for UPnP / DLNA if you can connect the DAC to the stereo and PC easily. You could set all of this up temporarily (and at low to no cost) to see if it works for you.
For example, Windows has a built-in DLNA / UPnP server - How to Enable / Disable DLNA Media Server on Win 10 or 11.
If you have a Mac or run Linux, Kodi is a free app that can enable DLNA / UPnP capability. (You can also install it on Windows.)
Then you can access your music library and control playback from your phone using a UPnP app like BubbleUPnP (Android) or mConnect (iOS). If you'd rather use a standard web browser, Kodi comes with a web app user interface too. |
