Just all round good sound , totaly reliable and at used price can't go wrong.

Rather plain looking, balanced outputs would be nice

This is a review of the FMJ CD 23 .
This is a great all around CD player. It has plenty detail solid full bass and a nicely spead out soundstage. Not harsh at all. Does a good job at capturing individual instruments in the recording and doesn't seem analytical. So many CD players out there excell in one area or another but the Arcam seems to do everything fairly well.
Never had any mechanical problems whatsoever and the build, ( although a bit plain looking), is totaly solid and inert.
I compared the FMJ 23 to the Rega Apollo and the Arcam came out the obvious winner because it had more bass weight and midrange richness that the Apollo seemed to lack. the Apollo seemed a bit thin in comparison although it had sparkly highs it didn't seem to have as much depth as the Arcam.
I also compared the Arcam to some more expensive players ( MF A 308 and McIntosh 205 ) and the Arcam was just as good if not better in some aspects.
Finally I replaced it with the newer Arcam FMJ 36 but the older FMJ 23 gave it a run for the money.
At used price I highly recommend this player.

Similar Products Used:

Rega Apollo, Rega Saturn, Musical Fidelity A 308, Arcam FMJ 33 and 36, McIntosh 205, Jolida A100, Audio Aero Prima MK 2, and a few others.

Makes you listen to the music, not the hardware. Neutral, detailed, fast sound with a big soundstage even when it is cold. As they player gave me the biggest smile I have ever heard from music, it can only be a top 5 rating, nothing else. As I am thining of going for an all Arcam set up with a CD-player, A85 amp (with 8-channel input), DV89 (for DVD and DVD-audio), Diva 81 DAB Tuner and P85/3 poweramp, there are not many other alternatives for music and movies in the same price range. Linn gives less music and movies for the money, Arcams THX Ultra 2 system costes twice as much, and Meridian is also costing a lot more.

I have not listened to as many compeditors in this pricerange and do not know what all of them can do. But I do well know the Arcam ranges sound and as I listened with the same gear I know the difference is true. Another limitation is that the Audiovector speakers, even if they have a very good high and midrange they are not producing music in the lower segment.

This review is for the brand new Arcam FMJ 33T which I heard with an Arcam A85 amp and Audiovector M1 Avantgarde speakers (standmounts for $3200) which are famous for their extraordinary tweeter. It was a good listeningroom with great cables, stands and even rack. Not an optimum enviroment but better than in the usual home. This CD-player sounds very good. I listend Jewels new song Stand, and realised that the CD-player handled Jewels new discobeat very well, but it was not the kind of music for these speakers. Swapping CD to Jewel Unplugged in Madrid, made me hearing a really nice live audience. It was a very great sounding, enjoyable sound which made Jewels "These foolish games" sound at its best. In fact, from this good quality recording, one could hear lots of recording limitations. Wanting to push the CD/AMP/Speaker combination to its limits, I changed CD to Mark Knoflers Ragpickers Dreams Live recording of Brothers In Arms. Then it happened, I really tried to focus on the quality of the music, could I notice the difference between each instrument (they were miles appart, the sould came from at least 180 degrees of angle, I was compleatly absorbed in the music. A sound so fast that it sounded compleatly neutral. The live audience of Brothers In Arms was the best recording I have ever heard, period. When the voice of Mark Knofler was heard and the audience came into exstacy, It was impossible to listen to the hardware, the instruments or even on how big the 3D-landscape was, the only thing one heard was true ejoyable music. Music so good that one was drawn into it and it was impossible to pick down the smilie that was all over my face. I just felt that I had to buy this gear, and two other persons in the same listening room were also standing with an open mouth just telling me that this is the way music should be. What I yet have not mentioned, was that I started listening to this combination with all gear cold, and after listeing to about 25 minutes, one can not even guess what this combination can do whan warmed up. The speakers were well played/run in. Eventhough the gear was cold, it did not sound harsh, undetailed or lacked 3D. Even the space between the instruments were there. Comparing this listening experience to the FMJ 23 and Diva 92 that uses the Ring DAC and not the new upsampling DAC the sound was very different. I have listened to these CD-players with Arcam Alpha 10 and the same pair of Audiovector speakers. At that occation, the amp was 1 hrs warm and the sound was less neutral, sometimes preferably better (if you like tube sound) but with less detail. The sound was not as much 3D but the ring DAC gave the sound a very forward, pushy sound that inspired a person to listen more. It was a sound that more of a wow-factor, while the new FMJ 33 is not as much hardware sound, it is more music. I would buy the FMJ33 before the old great ring DAC models without a doubt. What I yet have to do before buing these gear is to listen to the FMJ33T CD with the FMJ amp and the same speakers. Maybe I in the end will go for the B&W Nautilus 805 but at the moment the Audiovector is a strong alternative. This is a CD-player for music, emotion, feelings and enjoyment!

Similar Products Used:

Arcam FMJ 23, Arcam Diva 92, Arcam Alpha 1, Arcam Diva DV88+, Arcam Alpha 5+