There has been an explosion of interest in multi-room audio systems in recent years. These systems enable listeners to enjoy their favourite music all around the house. Partly because of multi-room and partly because of their convenience, multi disc CD players have been growing in popularity, but most players come nowhere near the performance which can be achieved by a top quality single disc player. Recognising this gap in the market, Arcam set out to design and build a player that would be easy to use and cost effective.

Our experienced design team opted for a mechanism which loads the disc into an internal stack from which any of the six discs can be selected. It is simple to use and programme. The disc loading system is more convenient than the carousel type on many other players, so much so, in fact, that when the disc is playing, the Alpha MCD operates exactly as a conventional single disc player would.

The Alpha MCD uses a proven Sony CD transport mechanism. Tracks and discs can be accessed in any order, using simple easy-to-read front panel controls or via the remote handset. The custom designed LCD display is backlit and clearly shows all necessary track and disk information. Random play, scan and repeat functions are available from the from handset, which can also control the volume on Arcam remote-ready amplifiers.

For consistency and long term reliability, the Alpha MCD has internal electronics built on fibreglass circuit boards and a heavy steel chassis. Outstanding sound quality is assured by the generous power supplies, low jitter master clock and high performance Crystal Semiconductor DAC. Like all other Arcam CD players, the Alpha MCD is equipped with a co-axial digital output as standard.

To facilitate use in a multi-room installation, the Alpha MCD accepts standard RC5 remote control commands from either the IR receiver on the front of the unit or via an electrical bus accessed from a rear panel jack-plug. The Alpha MCD also has twin gold-plated audio outputs for easy simultaneous connection to both a Hi-Fi system and a multi-room controller.

If you love music, but want the convenience of a whole evening's listening pleasure without having to change discs yourself or you want audiophile CD quality sound as part of a multi-room audio system, then the Alpha MCD could be the CD player of choice for you.