BEST of the BEST - No Compromises, Arcam Is The Winner!!!
Written: May 26 '04
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Pros: Impeccable playback- zero jitter, BEST picture in class, and quality of 10K front end.
Cons: Almost none- the quality of this player more than makes up for no SACD
The Bottom Line: Arcam's done something incredible and it's not to be missed. BEST picture ever- EVER. Awesome audio quality that exceeds front ends 5 times the price!
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| nick1326's Full Review: Arcam DV27 DVD Player |
By now, for those of you who have been reading my reviews regularly, you'll no I've been on a crusade to find the best of the best in hybrid players: players which play CD, DVD-A, SACD and the like. Sadly, before I begin, the Arcam is NOT a hybrid player- as it does not play SACD. However that is not a problem- because DVD-A is finally garnering the recognition it deserves from the audiophile circles. Additionally, the Arcam has received accolades from just about every angle- and it has established itself as absolutely THE BEST player you will find to fill the CD and DVD-V and DVD-A gap without compromising ANYHTING in terms of sound and video performance.
The basics: Arcam's DV27 is a very serious piece of equipment. If you take your music and video entertainment seriously, and are looking for get the best performance AND value for your buck, in terms of a front-end, the Arcam is the answer. I undertstand the typical epioner is probably going to choke to read that this piece MSRP's at 3 grand.. However most serious front ends are FAR beyond that, AND don't play any other format other than CD...
What makes the Arcam so bloody special is that it combines a series of key elements that no player, to date, has come remotely close to doing:
1) The player utlizes an incredible audio decoding array which puts it on par with combo Transport/DAC units (players which combine a seperate machine for reading a disc and a second machine to decode the digital signal and convert into analog). Tran/DAC's usually cost 7 grand and higher... Take the metronome for instance- it is regarded as one of the best VALUES and yet the 2 pieces cost 6500 dollars!!! The Arcam does it just as good, FOR 3 grand!!
2) The player uses a dedicated, discrete and independent DAC array for DVD-A playback for high resolution audio- it is second to none and LITERALLY plays DVD-A back better than any player TO DATE, ON THE PLANET. hey- don't take it from me- yeah, I'm an audiophile, and I certainly agree- but better off taking it from Harry Pearson or any of the other legends in audio who have given this player accolades which far exceed ANYTHING out there.. So the Audiophile Guide reviews- there's a new one each week!
3) The DV27 incorporates a dedicated video DAC/conversaion and decompresion array which takes an over the counter DVD and makes the picture look absolutely ASTONISHING - I watched SeaBiscuit, StarWars Episodes I and II and Fifth ELement in superbit through a Hitachi 55 plasma and on a Vidikron 40 projector on a Stewart 84" screen - the picture was THE BEST I've ever seen DVD look- and the vidikron is a good unit- but I mean the picture looked better on it than it looked on JVC's 35,000 dollar D-ILA projector playing the disc on a yamaha 2400!!!!
4) The unit has THREE (yes, THREE) dedicated clocks, completely independent and discrete, making it one of the most accurate playback devices on the market. It's regular CD playback quality is so transparent and upfront that it has been compared to units costing in the tens of thousands in terms of audio playback because of it- again, this is a SERIOUS player.
5) The player uses SIlicon Images chip technology to provide literally the BEST video signal I have yet seen- again, this is the reference player you want- if there is any player that can shoot holes in other parts of your video playback setup, this is the one to do it.
Tech Specs: As quoted from Arcam directly"
FMJ DV27A DVD AUDIO PLAYER
GENERAL
Power Requirements 115V or 230V ac, set by voltage selector switch, 100V to special order
Power Consumption 30 VA
Dimensions 430mm x 90mm x 280mm
Weight 6.1kg nett
VIDEO OUTPUTS
Composite video on 1 x gold plated phono, IV pk-pk into 75 ohms
S-Video on 1 x 4 pin mini DIN, Y IV pk-pk in 75 ohms, C 0.3V pk-pk into 75 ohms
Component video on 3 gold plated phone sockets, Y IV pk-pk into 75 ohms, Pb and Pr 0.7V pk-pk into 75 ohms RGB also available on component video sockets
SCART socket with RGB video, all 0.7V into 75 ohms, composite video IV into 75 ohms, and stereo audio. Auto switching of TV with aspect ratio control.RGB also available on component video sockets
Progressive scan video Pure progressive™ modtion adaptive 4-field processing by Silicon Image Corporation. 3 gold plated phono sockets, Y=IV pk-pk, Pb and Pr 0.7V pk-pk, all into 75 ohms
AUDIO OUTPUTS
Analogue audio outputs 6 channel outputs on gold plated phono sockets
Output level 2.2V rms for 0dB signal (4.4V rms on left and right for HDCD discs)
Frequency response 20Hz to 20kHz ( 0.1, -0.5 dB)
THD N 0.005% for 1kHz 0dB signal, measured 20Hz, unweighted
S/N ratio 105dB measured 20Hz-20kHz, unweighted
Digital audio output (IEC958) PCM/Dolby Digital/MPEG/DTS (pass through) on gold plated phono (coaxial) and Toslink (optical)
Supported disc sampling rates up to 48kHz/24 bit (Toslink) 96kHz/24 bit (co-axial)
Remote bus input supports modulated RC-5 code via a 3.5mm jack
Disc types replayed DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, CD Video, SVCD, CD-Audio (inc. CD-R, CD-RW) with PCM, HDCD, WMA or MP3 encoding, most DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD R, DVD RW
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Again, the incredible audio playback of this player is truly the crux of the issue as far as audiophiles are concerned- again, you are NOT going to find a finer playback device in terms of sound- you'll also not find anything remotely close that combines the multi-faceted capabilties of this machine- of course, SACD is the exception, however this is Sony's baby and Arcam could care less. My ears tell my DVD-A is better anyway- at this point, the future of both is up to the marketers.
Video wise however, it's like a bonus everytime you throw a disc into this player- the video is absolutely DYNAMITE- picture quality is incredible- enough to shoot holes right through that rear-projection TV- the better your system, the better your picture will be- it is that simple. The bottom line is your system is only as good as its weakest link- you could use this player with a $ 110,000 Runco projector and it would like astounding- there is no shortcoming in the video aspects of this player- PERIOD. The better your dsiplay device, the better your picture through the Arcam.
The unit is basically jitter free- it uses a cold-rolled steel frame- a gorgeous aluminum faceplate (made by lexus actually) is has a very clean and elegant look- the unit is compact, weighs in under 20 pounds and will fit neatly in just about any standard A/V rack. Ins/Outs as stated above are very clean- the unit's Progressive outs are the only one's to be concerned with- along with the SCART array if your processor can utilize it. The Arcam MSRP's for 3,000 but can be had for around 2650.00 on the street. Expensive- maybe at face value- but when you consider this player's target audience, and also consider Denon's 9000 was priced at 3500... well... the choice becomes VERY very simply. This piece is NO COMPROMISE all the way- the audio quality of a top-notch Transport/DAC front end, Impeccable DVD-A playback along with a picture quality second to NONE- how can you beat this. The lack of SACD easily excused by all the amazing characteristics of this wonderful unit. It now has earned a home on my rack- I bought mine 4 weeks ago for 2700 and hav enot looked back- it is the best multi-task front end I've yet owned. Phenomenal- Kudos to Arcam for an incredible job at this great player. DV27 is the winner.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 2700.00
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Epinions.com ID:
nick1326
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Location: Long Island, NY
Reviews written: 232
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Music, Motorcycles, Drumming, Surfing, the finest cigars and living life to its fullest...
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