Arcam CD23 worth saving?

I would look into the Cambridge CXC or the Audiolab 6000 transport to use with your DAC.  THere are better transportsd at much higher prices but either one of these  preforms very well.

Yes I was looking at the audiolab 6000 transport. Its a little pricey at 400GBP but has very good reviews. The DAC is another question entirely though. I quite like the burr brown DAC in the Ifi signature but not sure if it's as good as the cd23 ring dac. I received word that Deco Audio has received the Arcam cd23 today so we'll see if it's repairable at a sensible price. If not I'll be going down the transport route and Ifi signature for start or possibly Cambridge audio if it's not up to scratch. It sounds pretty damn good with my phone connected via usb so it might be the way forward, who knows.

I say if you can't get it repaired for less than the cost of a new DAC + transport / streamer, then it's time to let it go.

I used to like spinning discs, but since moving to a streaming-oriented setup, I barely touch them except to rip them to FLAC.

IMO, a good Burr-Brown or Sabre DAC is going to sound every bit the equal to the Ring DAC in the Arcam. Try to do a blind test if you can.

Unfortunately due to where I live it's unlikely I'd be able to try out any gear before buying so I'm relying solely on reviews and like minded fellows to guide me. I took a punt on the Ifi zen one signature for playing files from my phone and it impressed me that much that it might just be good enough to ditch the arcam and use a transport to play discs. I've been quietly ripping most of my cds in as high a quality as possible so I think the disc player will be sidelined for long periods anyway. All of my mixes are extremely long so they are digital files only which was the reason for the zen purchase.

I'm pretty sure Peter at Deco audio said it would be around 200 pounds which includes postage, new transport, and labour, but that's before looking at it so the symptoms I described may have led him down the wrong path, or worse the parts are no longer available. I'll have to wait and see but there's no way you could buy a new transport let alone a dac for that amount of money. I have a rotel rcd 12 in another room which could be used as a transport to the zen dac but I'd rather that stayed where it was...

The Arcam has a certain smoothness and finess that the new generation seem to lack though...

You’ve really gotta think about whether it’s worth throwing more $$$ at this given the newer options out there.  The newer R2R DACs, for example, exhibit the sound characteristics you seem to like, so one thing you might consider is ordering one you like through Amazon and try it with your Rotel and if it doesn’t knock your socks off you can just return it.  At least you’ll get an idea of what’s out there now, and a DAC would also allow you to start streaming music (a lot of it in hi-res thru Qobuz, etc.) by adding something like an iFi Zen Stream ($399), and as many have said, once you start streaming you’ll likely rarely spin CDs anymore.  A couple examples of very well-regarded R2R DACs are linked below, and I’ll also add the Denafrips Pontus ll if that also might be in your budget.  I’d encourage you to read DAC reviews on soundnews.net as he writes very thorough reviews and does a good job comparing units so you get some perspective on how they compare.  Anyway, just my $0.02 FWIW, and best of luck. 
 

https://smile.amazon.com/Gustard-R26-Discrete-R2R-DAC/dp/B0BDLJYRVN/ref=sr_1_3?crid=VZOZ4JWWRKAR&keywords=gustard+r26&qid=1667329628&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIyLjM0IiwicXNhIjoiMi4xNSIsInFzcCI6IjEuOTIifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=Gustard%2Caps%2C73&sr=8-3

https://smile.amazon.com/Musician-Pegasus-Decoder-DSD1024-Amplifier/dp/B0891X8BM8/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1J0XVMVR4VKU6&keywords=denafrips%2Bpontus%2Bii&qid=1667329411&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjg4IiwicXNhIjoiMC41NCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=Denafrips%2Caps%2C65&sr=8-3&th=1