Excellent organic resolution. The various layers of the music are projected in a natural way with very good detail levels. Tight bass, musical mid range, smooth top end (no harshness). Easy to live with, don't end up with a headacbe after extended listening, like some players which force the sound.

Usually the remote however I got the Diva range remote which is a lot better.

The Arcams sound is just so right. There are some players as above which are still good in their own right, but concentrate on certain areas and do not seem to be as good overall. The arcam CD23 has an organic quality to the sound which bends around voices and instruments within the mix. The bass is not excesive and overblown but tight and tuneful and allows the other instrument to be seperated within the mix where the different strands of the music are allowed to flow.
The DAC transport combinations are still very good but do sound more forced and mechanical in comparison. They may give a more solid sound but do not have as much overall resolving power as this unit. Maye this is to do with the excellent newer Ring DAC technology & Analoge Device OP amps and quality power supply.
I can see in the future that SACD and DVD-audio will take things to another level. But for the now I am well satified with this killer purchase.HCDC wow !
You could spend thousands upon thousands and of course like the Linn CD12 you would have the best, But hey for this money are you really that bothered! enjoy the music don't analyse it with a fine tooth comb. Enjoy !

Similar Products Used:

CD5, Upgraded Arcm BB5 & Transport, Meridian 200 transport & DPA dac

Depth, breadth, and realism of the soundstage; Music seems three dimensional

Pricy given uncertainty about future technology

I just moved up from the Alpha 8 and I can not believe the improvement! My wife and I are regular patrons of the Chicago Symphony and Lyric Opera. This has always made it difficult to listen to music at home; we never believed that music in the home could begin to match the live experience. The FMJ-23 has changed our minds! The soundstage is wide, deep, and stable. Instruments have their natural timbre and pitch, and dynamics even approach real world levels. We can hear the plucking and bowing of strings, and the reverberation of the kettle and bass drums! Even non-audiophile recordings sound great. It is as if a veil has been lifted!

I listen to a lot of rock as well, and the FMJ-23 offers a noticeable (though less dramatic) improvement. Music seems more "alive" and vocals may be "stabler" and "in the room", rather than against the "wall."

My only regret is that I do not expect to further updrade my system anytime soon. This is as good as it will get at least until the next generation technology takes root!)

Associated Equipment:

Nakamichi CA-1 preamp/processor
Muse 160 power amp
Hales Concept Two loudspeakers
Audioquest Cables

Similar Products Used:

Arcam Alpha 8

sounds great!

cheap remote

This past December, I upgraded my entire my low/mid-fi system (NAD AV713 receiver, Phase Tech PC-80 speakers, Sony ES-series CD player), replacing these components with a Mark Levinson 383 integrated amp, Audio Physic Virgo speakers, and the Arcam FMJ-CD23 cd player.

I think the best thing I can say about this CD player is that it fits in very nicely with my other equipment. My speakers and integrated amp are the types of components that can really expose deficiencies of "upstream" components; they are very detailed, even, open and neutral...and the FMJ doesn't exhibit any of the types of deficiencies that this setup would expose. When demoing some of the other CD players (listed as "similar products used") in this setup, there seemed to always be something...the Naim was on the bright side, the Levinson sounded too fat on the bottom, the CAL and Rotel didn't seem detailed, and the Linn didn't feel as open.

When I was demoing CD players, I tried as hard as I could to not pay attention to price; I simply wanted to find a CD player that sounded the best to me with the other components I had selected. That I selected the FMJ over more expensive players from Naim and Levinson without knowing how much they cost I think says something about the sound quality of the FMJ.

My only qualm about the FMJ is that the remote, and to some extent the buttons on the front panel, seem a little cheap. Sitting next to my rock-solid Levinson amp and my beautifully-finished Audio Physic Virgos, the FMJ looks somewhat out of place. The FMJ stuff definitely looks better than the usual cheap-plastic-front that other Arcam components have, but compared to other high-end stuff, it could definitely use some better cosmetics. But in the end, cosmetics don't mean enough to me to knock down my score for this CD player:

5 stars for performance (compared to similarly priced CD players, the FMJ sounds better)
5 stars for value (compared to similarly performing CD players, the FMJ is cheaper)

Similar Products Used:

demoed CD players from California Audio Labs, Naim, Classe, Mark Levinson, Rotel, Linn

Low level detail, neutrality, build, dual outputs

remote

I don't know who to attribute the quote to, but the "devil is in the detail". The CD-23 is DETAILED!! Bad CD's suck on it, well recorded discs are fantastic. I would call the CD-23 neutral, and as such, the right cables are important. You will definitly hear nuances in different cables.

The remote isn't exactly what one would expect for two grand, but you should be using the Pronto anyway! I've read several posts stating that the finish is too easily scratched. What are you doing? Setting your beer on it! It's a CD player (and an expensive one at that).

An uprgraded power cord will really be worth the money. I am running the CD-23 with a Silver Audio Powerburst, and it really improves the bass and what the Brits like to call the "slam" of the player.

Bottom line, for $2000.00 nothing touches it.

Similar Products Used:

Meridian 506.24, CAL 25, several Denon and Sony ES units

Resolves inner detail; huge soundstage with very stable imaging; tight bass, unexaggerated midrange, non fatiguing treble; killer comestics; nice feet

HDCD is something I have always been suspicious of but what the heck; remote is a bit cheesy

I bought this unit from a friend who upgraded to a new Naim (model # escapes me). The FMJ was 8 months old and in pristine condition. I paid half price and feel like I stole it based on what it's done for my system. My wife and I have been "rediscovering" a good percentage of our 800 CD library. I am not exaggerating when I say that we are hearing detail on many discs we haven't heard before. I would have to recommend this CD player even at it's retail price of $2200. I was able to A/B it with a Cary that sold for around 3 grand and the Arcam clearly won. The best way I can describe it's sound is ruler flat. The Cary by comparison had what I am sure would be considered a pleasing sound by many but in an effort to make it sound tube-like, Cary introduced an exaggeration to the midrange frequencies that made the player fatiguing. Not so with the Arcam. You can listen to it indefinitely without tiring. Sort of like in the olden days of AR vs. JBL...the late 60's-early 70's, when the very accurate AR was always panned by the uninformed in favor of the very INaccurate JBL...and others. Call me analytical, but I much prefer a unity transfer function.

my system:
Arcam FMJ-23
Rega Planar 3 w/Grace 707 arm and F9E cartridge
Forte phono preamplifier
Audio Research LS3
McCormack DNA 0.5 Deluxe
Martin Logan Aerius i's
MIT 330 interconnects
MIT biwire speaker cables (don't remember the model #)
Power Wedge

Similar Products Used:

Cary; Adcom; Rega planet; Theta Miles

Detail, Relaxed natural sound, wide and deep soundstage.

somewhat flimsy CD tray for a player of this caliber.

I must admit being skeptical of this player at first listning. I had recently sold my Theta transport and Pro-prime DAC And was looking to downsize my system with a single unit Cd player. I was quite surprised by the Arcam . Being aware that the unit was getting good press I gave it an audition but really did not expect much, after all how could a Cd player in this price range offer state of the art dynamics. It not only blew my theta away but any other player I had tried up to now. The soundstage is more relaxed and open which reminded me of the the more expensive Meridian players it also had more palpable images than any unit I have tried to date. The Arcam is just simply the best player I have owned. If You are in the market for a single player, I strongly urge you to look at the Arcam . What started out to be a downsizing of my system has now made a major improvement in my listning enjoyment.

Similar Products Used:

Theta , Krell , sonic frontier,

Extremely good for the price.

Can be improved easily

I recently improved this player dramatically. Just replace the original feet by audioquest big feet (pull the originals out and place the big feet directly under the box)and add a RF shielded maincable(Belden for example)
So, now i can listen for another year untill SACD gets mature.

Similar Products Used:

Used with Mark Levinson pre/power and B&W 802N

DETAIL, SOUNDSTAGING, AMBIANCE, COSMETICS, CONSTRUCTION,
HDCD CHIP, AND PRICE COMPARED TO OTHER 24 BIT CD'S.

REMOTE PLASTIC. NO HEADPHONE JACKS. NO VARIABLE PLUG-IN SO YOU CAN NOT USE REMOTE TO ADJUST VOLUME(OUTPUT LEVEL). A LITTLE NOISY WHEN CHANGING TRACKS.

WOW WOW WOW!!!THIS IS THE BEST CD PLAYER ON THE MARKET. THE SOUND IS OUTSTANDING. REALLY COMES ALIVE WITH HDCD'S...
AS IF YOU ARE IN A MUSIC HALL. YES, THE DETAIL AT 24 BIT IS OUTSTANDING AND REALLY PICKS OUT ALL THE MUSIC INFORMATION IN ALL FREQUENCY RANGES. BUT, ITS THE MUSIC PRESENTATION AND IMAGING THAT MOVED ME ENOUGH TO FORK OUT THE BIG BUCKS. JAZZ INSTRUMENTALS...OOOH LA LA!

COMPARED TO THE ALPHA 9, I THOUGHT THE BASE IN THE ALPHA WAS WAY TOO EXAGERATED. PREFERED THE BASE MUCH BETTER ON THE FMJ AND THE OVERALL SOUND WAS NOT AS SLOW(PACE) AND THE
AMBIANCE WAS MUCH MORE LIFE LIKE. BOTH UNITS RUN UNUSUALLY HOT. WAS TOLD BY DISTRIBUTOR THIS IS DUE TO THEIR LARGE POWER TRANSFORMERS...FMJ HAS TWO.

THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FMJ DEFINITELY PURVEYS A UPSCALE UNIT OVER THE ALPHA NINE....ITS WELL WORTH THE EXTRA MARK-UP. SPEAKING OF MARK-UPS, THE PRICE OF THIS UNIT WENT UP TO
$2200 ON SEPTEMBER 1. ITS SELLING LIKE HOT CAKES SO BETTER BUY BEFORE ANOTHER PRICE INCREASE. ALSO, THEY HAVE WHAT THEY CALL 'B' STOCK. IT IS REP DEMO'S, RECONDITIONED UNITS, ETC. THAT YOU CAN GET FOR AROUND $1760. JUST TELL YOUR DEALER TO ASK FOR THAT WHEN THEY ORDER FROM THEIR DISTRIBUTOR IN INDIANA.

Similar Products Used:

CLASSE .3CDP ROTEL RCD991 MERIDIAN THETA
SONY SACD WADIA

lack of harsh or grainy top end resulting in non-fatiguing sound, rhythm and pace, resolution, soundstage and all round musicality.

If you want to get picky, the bass could be a little more extended with a bit more impact and the rear rca's could be of higher quality.

I have been using this cd player in my system for just over one month and the first thing I need to mention is that it needs a good couple of weeks to burn in and settle down. At first listen, I would agree with What hi-fi's assessment that the fmj is a bit "lumpen", lifeless and boring. I traded up from the alpha 8 and at first, although the cd-23 was definitely better, I would argue that it was not appreciably better. What a difference a couple of weeks can make!

After burn in, the arcam fmj blossoms. The soundstage opens up, rendering music with great width and good depth. What was a lifeless presentation turns into a lively one with good dynamics and great rhythm and pace. The foot tapping factor is definitely high with this player. I've read most of the reviews written about this player, be it on this site or in the hi-fi magazines and I agree with most of them. The cd-23 has a sound that lacks grain or harshness allowing extended listening sessions and it's detail retrieval is excellent, enhancing the musical experience. One of the great attributes of this player is its versatility. It plays all kinds of music beautifully, from big orchestral pieces (like Mussorgsky's Night on a Bald Mountain) and intimate jazz pieces (like Patricia Barber's Cafe Blue) to heart thumping electronica and rock/pop music (like massive attack and Alanis's Uninvited).
Of course, bad recordings still sound bad, but you might find that this player breathes new life into some of your old, perhaps forgotten recordings.

All that being said, some people might prefer a little more weight and impact to the bass lines, although what's there is solid and well controlled, as is present with the Ultech and genki. As well, some might like a better sense of depth, which I think both the roksan and the genki have, and the typically forward sound of the arcam might not suit all tastes. Just to complete the cosmetic change, it would have been nice to see a new remote and better quality rca connectors on the back, but these are truly trivial considering the sound. One thing to note with this player (as with most others), it's sound changes slightly with the quality of the mains. During the day it sounds slightly less open, dynamic with a loss of "air" and detail and with a slight harshness in treble. Things get better at night and one way to correct most of these problems is a good power conditioner (which I don't have yet).

Just a note about the other players I tested. The Ultech might have bass with greater impact but at the expense of control. It really is not on par with the cd-23 sonically (yet at half the price it shouldn't be) but it is great hdcd capable player in its own right (better everything than my old alpha 8). The genki and caspian are in the same league (yet both are considerably cheaper), both great players, but for me the arcam won out since the caspian is not hdcd capable and I did not think either could match the all round capabilities of the arcam (especially the top end). Although, I do think the genki has a more laid back and distant sound with great depth and naturalness that some will love and the caspian a more upfront sound with great bass, soudstaging and rhythm. I definitely suggest people audition all players to hear for themselves.

I never auditioned the alpha 9, so I can't comment on the differences between the players, but my advice for someone skeptical of any difference but turned off by the 9's cosmetics is to wait. Arcam is coming out with its Diva line of cd players very soon (the dealer says in time for christmas), and I saw the brochure. New cosmetics similar to the fmj, upgradeable design like the old alpha series and the top of the line one has the ring dac. I don't know prices, but I was told that the fmj will still be arcam's best so presumably the most expensive.

I won't say the arcam is the best in its class, since I did not try every cd player in and around its price. What I can say is that the cd-23 is a wonderful player with too many qualities to ignore for anyone auditioning cd players in its price range. Give it a try, but be sure it is broken in and warmed up before making any judgements. As for the new formats, I am happy to wait out the war with what I believe to be my last cd player.

My system:

Arcam fmj cd-23 cd player
Klyne sk-6 pre-amp
Quad 606 amp
B&W cdm1-nt loudspeakers
B&W ASW-1000 subwoofer
Goertz MI-1 bi-wire speaker cable
NBS mini-serpent 2 & morey james "G" interconnects (the latter interconnect is hand-made by Morey James, a local audio enthusiast who knows what he's doing. I bought it at the Audio Room in Calgary)

Similar Products Used:

roksan caspian, linn genki, ultech UCD-100, arcam alpha 8