Neutral & refined presentation. Silky smooth trebble & midrange. Excellent detail retrieval & resolution. Good low end. British built. Proven Sony transport coupled with superb Burr-Brown DAC.

Nothing so far.

Arcam have certainly learned from their previous efforts and made what is probably their best ever sub £500 player.
When making the decision to replace my CD Player I auditioned a lot of players in my system (listed above). I was tempted by an Alpha 7SE but comparing it alongside the CD72T, it looked dated and cheap. In terms of components the CD72T differs form the Alpha 7SE and the original CD72 in the following ways:

The CD72T has the new Sony transport and display which features a CD text display. This new transport mechanism is being slowly introduced to all Arcam CD Players, even the high end FMJ player. All players featuring the new tranport will have the letter 'T' after their model name on the serial number. This new Sony transport is claimed to have even lower levels of jitter than the prevoius one. It also seems to extract more detail. The CD72T also features improved transormer, and analogue stage/filters. They are now DC servo assisted. The new Arcam CD62 just released will go back to the downgraded transformer, have an AC unassisted analogue stage and will not feature a 'sontech' chasis. It will not be upgradeable either. This machine will be like a 7SE in a fancy case in other words. However the 7SE was upgradeable.

In terms of sound qualty, the CD72T is superb. It took about 40 hours of playing util its throat was completely clear. But when it was, wow! Compared to prevoius Arcam players which always offered warmth and safety, the CD72T is a considerable step forward. It still has the Arcam smoothness but its tonal balance is much more neutral. This means that it is more exciting to listen to. Rock has more speed and attack, female vocals are far more life like. There is also far more detail in this machine. There is more detail than the original CD72. This is probably due to the new transport and tweaks to the analogue stage.

Build quality is good but could be improved upon even further. However this is only minor considering the superb sonic qualities of this player.

The CD72T is also upgradeable to the CD92T specification by adding the DCS Ring DAC!

In conclusion Arcam have once again returned to the top of the sub £500 CD player league. Just put your favourite disk in this machine, sit back and listen and i am sure you will agree.

My System:

Arcam CD72T
Cambridge Audio A3i Amp (Mike Creek Designed)
B&W DM303 Speakers (These are superb stand mounters)
Atacam SE24 Supports (Half filled with sand)
QED Silver Ann Speaker cable (The best at £5/m and under)
Cambridge Audio Pacific Interconnect (Very natural & open)
Home Made Hi-FI rack (18mm Ply)

Happy listening everybody!!!

Similar Products Used:

Arcam CD 72 (None Text), Arcam Alpha 7SE, Rega Planet 2000, Marantz CD6000 OSE LE, NAD C521, Creek CD43mkii, Cambridge D500 SE. Lots of japanese stuff from DENON, Sony, Technics etc.

Wonderful clarity and excellent bass. Godd build quality and looks.

Nada.

I bought this player after selling my Marantz CD17 MK2. Although that was an excellent player I felt it could be a little bright. The Arcam is a lot warmer whilst still retaining the clarity and bass performance of the Marantz. At this price point it is simply stunning.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz CD17 MK2, Roksan Caspian.

1. Sound 2. Style. 3. Construction 4. Value

None so far. Maybe the remote.

This unit actually costs $895.00 Cdn.

After listening to this for a few weeks I've decided
that most of my last 5 years has been spent listening
to 'colored & strained' sound. DAC is nice enough and
I even like the shade of green LED's used.

For the money, this really shouldn't be a difficult
decision. Buy the silver one.

Thanks,
Glen

Similar Products Used:

Various in the $300-$1000 range.

Clarity, Sweet mid, Clean hight, very-very detail, well balance

Remote to big

I like this product because I was upgrading from my ex pioneer 535K DVD player and the improvement very big all my audiophile cd sound very-very natural and detail, sound stage more wider, mids are sweet and hight are clean.

SOUND

REMOTE

AFTER HAVING THIS PLAYER FOR SOME TIME NOW, I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT IT IS BETTER PLAYER THAN THE ALPHA 7SE AND THE 8SE
IT MAKES THE MUSIC SHINE, IT MAKES YOU FEEL WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN MISSING IN YOUR MUSIC, AND TO ME THAT IS THE WHAT MUSIC IS ALL ABOUT, ON DAYS WHEN LIFE DOESNT MAKE ANY SENSE, I CAN ALWAYS GO HOME A PLACE A CD IN MY 72, AND FOR THAT HOUR OR TWO I LISTEN TO MY MUSIC..THE WORLD GOES AWAY, ITS NOT OFTEN THAT SOMETHING SO MATERIAL CAN BRING SO MUCH JOY, BUT THIS PLAYER DOES, MAYBE MY REVIEW SEEMS A LITTLE MELLOW-DRAMATIC, BUT THAT IS WHAT MUSIC DOES TO ME.

GOD BLESS AND ENJOY.

Similar Products Used:

MANY

Very smooth sound - highly revealing

No volume control

I can now separate different instruments - much improved focus over what I was using before. Very silky but able to resolve fine detail - I can hear instruments on recordings that I didn't hear before. Good all metal build quality with very clean lines especially in silver. Worth the money when you consider that you would have to pay a lot more to get a small improvement in sound with other products.

Sound quality, looks, build quality, price, upgradability, display off

None

I purchased the CD72 after comparing it to a number of other CD players in the same price range (£400) and lower, Arcam's own Alpha 7SE. This was my first step towards replacing on old system based around Technics separates. I've since acquired an Arcam A75 amplifier and Pioneer PDR-609 CD recorder to complete the setup.

The first thing that struck me with the CD72 was its' high standard of build quality. Compared to the rather plastic looking Alpha series, the CD72 and the other components in the DiVA family are built like a tank! Apparently the DiVA range was designed by the same guys who designed the ultra high-end Tag McLaren Audio equipment. Say no more.

The casework of the CD72 is almost identical to the £800 CD92, Arcam's flagship CD player. In fact the CD72 has the build quality and looks that would not disgrace a CD player costing three or four times the price! I opted for the black model, which I felt would look better in the rack as all my other hi-fi gear is black.

The CD72 may look the business but ultimately the sound quality was the main reason I purchased the unit. Put quite simply, for the money this is a stunning player and it handles whatever you care to throw at it with plenty of aplomb. Hooked up to Arcam's A75 amp for maximum system synergy (the two components have been designed to compliment each other), this combination makes a fantastic sound with all music genres. Classical sounds rich and full while rock and dance are delivered with plenty of guts. The fact that you can later upgrade it to a CD92 is another added bonus - what more could you ask for?

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer PDR-609 CD Recorder

For the money, this is a very good product. I auditioned this unit for a long time vs. the Diva CD 92 using Sennheiser HD600 headphones and a Music Fidelity headphone amp, which is what I frequently use to listen to CD's. I also used CD's that I am very familiar with. I switched back and forth between the CD 72 and the CD 92, and I could not convince myself that I could hear a difference (although perhaps others could). I ended up getting the CD 72, because I will mostly be using the digital out in my new setup, so the extra money for the ring DAC was not worth it IMHO. On the Sennheiser headphones, which are very revealing, the music sounded just right. It was very detailed, but with no part of the spectrum being overemphasized. The highs were crystal clear, the bass was nice and punchy, and each song left you wanting more.

The build quality seems very good, and the unit is very sleek and nice looking. It looks pretty cool on my black Studio Tech audio rack. I am using it with the Tag McLaren AV32R pre-pro, which has very good DAC's, and I am amazed at the sound. I do not think you could do much better in this price range, although I must confess that I am not really convinced that, in a blind test, most of us would be able to tell one decent CD player from another. Therefore, I would hesitate to spend $1500 plus on a redbook CD player, and once you get into the $500 to $1000 range, I think this product will match up favorably with almost any one out there.

P.S. My 4 stars for value is somewhat misleading. I consider this product a good value, but the review guidelines reserve 5 stars for a "giant killer." Few products fit that description.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer Elite CD changer; Arcam Diva CD 92

Extremely musical, emotionally tied to the music,Vocals are very real,Great detail, bass, mids, treble is very clear and extended,much better build quality than the Alpha series, no plastic, sonics are great! Rigid chassis and well damped, 6 regulated power supplies.

None sonically, Lack of gold plated outputs on RCA line outs and digital coax, remote is hard to read.

Review of the Arcam CD72,
1st, I’d like to say thanks too all who in the past have given suggestions and help for system advice. This model is for the year 2001 so the site needs to update their model dating. This is my first good CDP. I have been told many times here that I needed to get a better front end digital source and this “upgrade” really is paying off! Now I really want to stay up grabbing cd's, Finally! Decay of notes is natural. I'm hearing the sound of notes, percussion and voices(hehe) fade into the venue. This is my 1st CDP that lets me hear lots of low level detail, pretty cool! Drum sticks sound like sticks hitting cymbals, fancy that, they aren't smeared. Huge amount of emotional involvement, I’m not going to get mushy but when I hear beutifull music reproduced well it brings on a welling of emotion to put it politely, 1st time my system has done this. I was struck by the beautiful sounds that I have in my living room. The Arcam is fairly heavy for the size, 4.6kg and looks substantially better than the 7SE IMHO. Actually I was going to buy the 7SE but the local dealer isn't carrying them anymore,discontinued? The front face plate is thick and build quality is what I would expect for the price. There's no plastic like on the Alpha series, all metal now. The display can be turned off so you don’t get any interferance for more soniclly pure sound, my wife thought I was joking. I can’t tell the difference on or off, could be related to the rest of ancillary equiptment(see below) or lack of upgrading to bionic ears. ;-) Deals with all types of music like a champ but really brought symphony's to life for me!!! Simply amazing to me, I’ve invited a few friends from our local college orchestra over and they’re bringing some tunes! Very good high end extension, airy, lively, no listener fatigue after long listening sessions, some may like, some may not, not a polite cdp. As anything audio YMMV. Very detailed, now I don’t want to sound like it’s analytical because I don’t think it is but here are the differences between my Sony DVD player and the CD72 I’m hearing. When listening to Sir Georg Solti and the Chicago Symphony playing the Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture I can plainly hear musicians phraseing, breathing to the line, especially the woodwinds, hey, string players do this too, very breathy at times, not inapropriate considering the delicate lines of the program material, the bows wood clicking against the string in ff passages, page turns etc, this player resovles detail very well. From a string players perception,WE LIKES IT! Some might find it a little much? Definately not a dull player IMHO. Bass is very solid with good weight, transients were sudden like, I love the dynamics on tap. I've read in other opinions(HiFi Choice) of the Arcam 7SE that the bass was a little lean, since I haven’t heard the 7SE i can’t reference that comment but the bass is deep and natural with good weight to me at least as far as my speakers allow. Note that HiFI Record Review and What Hifi named the 7SE a 5 star winner. On Tchaikovsy’s 1812 the bass has GREAT impact to these ears. You can really tell the difference between a wooden stand up to an electric, or synthed line. My CDP’s got wood ;-) , seriously, my dvd player makes the difference not to clear on some recordings. I can’t comment on really deep bass, below 30hz, due to speaker,sub limitations. Brass has the right amount of bite, YAHOO! I love the sounds of a blazing brass section in a symphony UNLESS I’m right in front of them playing a piece like The Firebird Suite. During the Dance Infernal they can blow the poor string sections off stage, actually scary the first time I played this in rehearsal, the string players were in shock,”they can play that loud”? LOL! The midrange sounds great, vocals sound as good as the program allows, or in case of some rock/metal as bad as the cd! Diana Krall,Sarah McLachlan sound Damn sweet, breathy, and sexy! I can’t make a really certain statement about the CDP’s ability to place players or soundstage to the nth degree due to my speaker placements in a VERY large German Shrunk. My speakers are in the shrunk, but note that there is no back to the speaker shelves so they have about 2' of room behind them. It has improved the ability to hear the acoustic environment though and the musicians are pretty easily placed if it’s in the program. Depth was nice as well along with a very wide image. The tray mechanism is smooth and quiet, it doesn’t “clunk” into position like my Sony DVD player,even though it is a Sony mechanism it's of better quality. The player is rigidly constructed and has a layer of Sontech sound deadening material. The Dacs are the most recent Burr Brown 24 bit. I like the removable IEC cord. It’s very stout and flexible. Kind of sad that it over twice as thick than either my Yamaha 2095 or my Integra dual mono amps! At least Arcam was on the ball here! I would have liked to have gold plated outputs on both the RCA line outs and the digital coax. The remote is a little too busy, it can operate both the Diva CD72,CD92, and DV88DVD player as well as the rest of the Diva range home cinema line. It’s well built looking and fits nicely in hand but with so many buttons you need to look, 43 buttons in all. I guess more time with it will help. No backlighting,(hey it’s for the DV88 DVD player too). The buttons are small and are hard to read in low light and even normal light, I listen to most of my music at night, less distractions and a lot quieter! So in a word, awesome, yes, I like it a lot! I've heard better but not for the money. It can be upgraded to CD92 status for $900. It has Optical and Coax out for digital and 1 set of RCA line outs. The player can be had in either silver or black(go Raiders). I picked up the black because they were unable to get the silver until April. This is in my opinion a great player that really does sound better than my dvd player and is money well spent. I compared this cdp to the Marantz 6000OSE, while the Marantz sounded nice if a little emotionally flat to me, it was not in the same league as the Arcam, keep in mind the Arcam IS $300 more so it should be a better unit, and IMHO, it is! I would highly recommend this player for someone who's wanting more emotional involvment in the music,better detail without the digital edge and wants an upgrade path, nice not to have to sell your player to get a better unit! I suspect this will be a hit in the UK and look for magazine reviews soon.
Music genre's used;
classical
jazz
rock
metal
no rap
Equiptment;
Arcam CD72 Diva
Onkyo Integra P-304 Pre-Amp
Onkyo Integra M-504 dual mono amp
Paradigm Mini Monitors
MIT 330 interconects
MIT Teminater 5 speaker wires
Monster Power HTS1000 for all except amp goes direct to wall
Jim P.

Similar Products Used:

Sony cdp's and dvd players(DVP-S330 and DVP-650D), Onkyo integra, can't remember numbers.

clarity, warmth, soundstage, tight bass

remote - rather than produce one remote for a CD player and another for the DVD player, Arcam made one with all the buttons to operate both. The buttons are small and shiny, if you have an overhead light, the glare off the shiny button will make it difficult to read the abbreviations on the button. But after awhile, you will memorize the buttons, and won't need to read them. Other than that, the remote works fine

After replacing my speakers and adding an amp, I decided my NAD 513 needed replacing. I tried to listen to a Rotel 971, but the local dealer couldn't keep them in stock. So I listened to their Panasonic A-10 which I was told should sound similar to the Rotel 971, but I wasn't impressed.

This site got me to consider the CD72. I agree with the review below about HDCD and decided I wanted a good player for my current CDs. Its hard to get excited about HDCD when the encoded disks are so hard to find. I'm a big fan of 20 and 24 bit remasters.

I became interested in the CD72 because I learned that Arcam was coming out with a CD72T (which displays text information, etc.) which they were going to list for $799.00 and the old CD72 (without text info) were going to be cut to $599.00. I bought the CD72(without listening to it) because it is cheaper than the Rotel, and Arcam products in general get very good reviews. Plus, it is upgradeable to the CD92 which has HDCD. Although, I love my NAD amp and receiver, I am suspicious of their CDPs. The CD72 obviously blows away the NAD 513, which is plagued with quality problems but still sounded decent.

IMO the CD72 faithfully reproduces the source. Some refer to the Arcam products as being "conservative", but I think the Arcam is "accurate." I have noticed on some songs it seems like you are half-way back from the stage (i.e. "conservative"). On other songs on the same CD you are much closer to the stage (i.e "in your face").

The CD72 sounds incredible. If you ever listen to your system and think, "mmm, sounds good ... but the bass is a little ..." I did that before I got the CD72. Of course, its my subjective opinion, but this system with the CD72 is "it."

System:
Arcam DiVA CD72 -CD player
NAD C270 - Amp
NAD C740 - Receiver
Tannoy - R3s (with 11lbs. shot added to ea. speaker)
Audioquest turquoise with Linn RCA - interconnect CDP - Amp
Monster 550i -interconnect amp - receiver
soundking 12 ga with banana plugs speaker wire

P.S. always be certain the CDP is on a LEVEL surface.

Similar Products Used:

NAD, Panasonic DVD A-10?