Linn Ikemi vs. Arcam FMJ CD33

I'm not sure if the Arcam is out yet so I haven't heard it.
What I would say is if you are in the States then the Ayre CX-7 is certainly a better buy than the Ikemi-I tried the Ikemi in my system and the Ayre was well ahead of it on every level.
Even here in the UK where the Ayre equates to £3k then I would say even with the Ikemi at £1k less ( list price)that it was still a better buy.
Of course ideally you must audition yourself and preferably in your own system.
Hope this helps.

I have not heard the Ayre CX-7 yet but did audition the Ikemi against the FMJ23, Cary 303,Metronome (forget the model), Marantz SA14 (on redbook)and Meridian 588. I preferred the Ikemi, especially with jazz, acoustic and vocals, it's a very smooteh sounding player. The others sounded too bright in comparison for my taste.

Warning: if you get the Ikemi, make sure you've got a good equipment rack, understand vibration management, and have good room acoustics. The Ikemi is a *very* light weight player and I think poorly designed for the task of vibration management.

I purchased an Ikemi about 2 months ago. I've been constantly tweaking and improving my set up and still have a way to go. That said, fully considering the bad...

I have no regrets.

This player is amazing and deeply enjoyable.