So before software and hardware prices go through the roof, here are two affordable ways to get maximum pleasure out of CD playback for thrift store/flea market and/or DIY-inclined souls.
Over ten years ago, this early first generation Sony Playstation 1 developed quite a following amongst audiophiles as a CD player because of Art Dudley's favorable write up in Stereophile. The market has probably softened up a bit since then, because I managed to snag two PS1s at '08 prices before the pandemic.
Not all PS1 consoles were created equal - only the machines fitted with the AKM AK4309AVM Sigma-Delta DAC chip have audiophile credibility. Since I've seen some unscrupulous sellers asking $100+ for this obsolete game console, it pays to know two tell-tale features of the desirable PS1:
1. "SCPH-1001" designation
2. A pair of audio output RCA jacks on the back of the console
Don't forget the controller, which I pictured above and below, otherwise there's no way to command the player to play, stop or skip tracks.
Sigma-Delta DAC chips never struck me as unbearably bright, strident or fatiguing. The main reason I reverted back to a multi-bit DAC in the Box in the 90s was because my bitstream'd Philips CD921, and later the sigma-delta Sony DVP NS755V, sounded boring and lifeless. That said, the Sony PS1 is the most exciting sigma-delta chip'd CD player I've heard!
However, to my ears, here's a better machine for Digital Sound Processing Redbook CDs.😉
In my thrift store CD player upload, these TDA1543-equipped twins stood out as very musical sounding machines, meaning, not for audiophiles, but more for people who love music. I actually prefer these Mexican-built non oversampling models over their slightly more upmarket Belgian sibling, the 4 x oversampling CDB610.
These were the entry level Philips CDPs from the late 80s up to the early 90s until they were superseded by inferior-sounding (at least to my ears) bitstream machines like my dreaded Philips CD921.😏 Stock, I'd choose these over the AKM chip'd Sony PS1 for sheer musical pleasure! 👍
I also highly recommend the Sony CDP190 with a TDA1543A + an in-house 4 x oversampling chip and filter. But in the 5 years I've been thrifting CD players, I've only found one, while I've managed to collect duplicates of the CD2000 and CDB492.
There is no known service manual or schematic for the Magnavox/Philips CD2000/CDB492, so I searched for other contemporaneous badge engineered Philips CD players. I found the Grundig CD 8150 service manual at HifiEngine.com, which employs a very similar, if not identical, circuit topology. I verified that the machine is indeed non oversampling. In lieu of the SAA7220P oversampling and filter chip, Philips engineered a brick wall filter in the analog output section, which they cleverly marketed as Digital Sound Processing.😊
My audio buddy Ding R wanted me to improve his CDB492 with a tube output stage, since numerous DIYers have managed to shoehorn a tube analog output stage inside a plastic chassis CD player. But I wasn't keen on making a perilous fire hazard compromise. Besides, I'm also a purist and believe that only a tube-rectified and/or choke-filtered power supply should power tube circuits, nearly impossible to fit inside a CD player chassis.
The inspiration for this simple-to-implement modification dates back to Walter G. Jung's article in the June 1987 issue of Audio. I removed the LM833 op-amps in the signal path of the analog output section, installed 8-pin DIP sockets and listenedto check if the FET-input Burr-Brown OPA2604s and Mylar WIMA caps in place of the original electrolytics could improve the CDB492's musical performance.
The most laborious part of this modification is gaining access to the underside of the motherboard. Watch msylvain59’s wonderful video above for a detailed teardown of a very similar Philips CD player. Handle the ribbon cables and connectors carefully! Given the age of these components, a crack or tear is enough to render the machine useless.
The motherboard is now ready for upgrades. Take note of the op-amp orientation; otherwise, the machine may emit smoke and nasty burnt electronic component odors!
After handling over a dozen 80s era CD players, I have yet to encounter bulging or leaky power supply capacitors. These machines used high quality Japanese-made Nichicon capacitors. In contrast to current audio trends, I don’t endorse across the board capacitor replacement. I'm all for replacing parts judiciously!
Operational amplifiers (more info) or op-amps were developed during the vacuum tube era. Due to the inherent high gain nature of op-amp topology (video), negative feedback is necessary to control gain and/or linearize the circuit. Ever since I started DIY’ing tube circuits, I learned that negative feedback has to be implemented judiciously (or even dispensed with) in pursuit of ultimate sound quality, which also applies to solid-state. Because of this, I don't see the logic behind boutique-priced discrete op-amps. But if that's how you get your audio fix, have fun rolling! ✌️☮
Since my last CD player upload, I've acquired these three JVC CD players. It is stacked from the bottom to the top sonically according to yours truly. 😎
JVC XL-Z411
I bought this primarily for the coaxial digital output since the price was right.
Dutch Audio Classics listed the DAC chip as a Panasonic MASH MN6623BM, but this unit sports a MN6471M bitstream DAC chip. Early bitstream sound with no nasties but also more hash than music. Not my cup of tea. 😏
It’s a very nice CD transport though!
JVC XL-V75
If it's meant to be, it'll happen...I've been looking for this chip inside Fisher badged Sanyo CDPs only to land one in a JVC. Best of all, it only cost me a dollar!
If forced to split hairs, this CD player offers slightly better resolution and extension in the frequency extremes than the TDA1543 DAC'edMagnavox CDB 492/CD2000 I reviewed here.
JVC XL-Z444
This unit shares the same Optima 4s transport as its bitstream chip'd brethren above. In case you're not a fan of the Burr-Brown family of multi-bit DAC chips, you can use it as a CD transport since it has digital coax output.
Not as warm and analog sounding to my ears than a TDA1541 equipped Magnavox/Philips or Sony but this Burr-Brown PCM56P chip'd player still gets the music right just like the older Shure SV40 I reviewed here. I will not argue with those who believe it's more extended at the frequency extremes. However, I'd argue back that the midrange of TDA1541 CDPs sound more life-like.
The Magnavox CDB465 was the no-frills entry level model marketed ca. 1987. Its more upmarket contemporaries were the CDB460, CDB560 and CDB650. Since it shares the same DAC and audio section as its more expensive siblings, they are sonically on equal footing.
I wanted all my modifications to be reversible so I installed IC sockets for the audio op-amps and SAA7220 digital OverSampling filter. The original electrolytic output caps were replaced with 4.7uf WIMA polyester caps.
Since there were no "bulging" electrolytic power supply capacitors and the AC line current draw monitored on my Variac was very normal, I didn't deem it necessary to recap the entire unit.
Typical dual op-amps found in 80s vintage Philips/Magnavox CD players: NE5532N and LM833N
+
the FET-input OPA2604AP
This modification follows the footsteps of Walt Jung's article on page 74 of the June 1987 issue of Audio. Walt discussed the importance of op-amps with fast slew rate and higher quality output capacitors for better audio performance. Although the Burr-Brown OPA2604APs I chose date from the late 90s, they are still sonically respected due to their FET-inputs, which supposedly give them a "tubey" quality.
There's a plethora of cheap Burr-Brown op-amps from Chinese sellers, but I didn't want to risk getting fakes. So I searched hard and found some for less than $5 each from a seller in Texas.
The polyester caps + OPA2604AP op-amps cleaned up the sound. I heard less digital screech at the top end and an overall improvement in definition across the audio band.
I don't consider cutting traces in the PC board and using jumper wires à laLampizator as reversible. So I ordered this plug 'n play NVKaudio NOS/re-clock module for $30/shipped from Bulgaria. I was quite taken aback by the improvement in sound when I installed this NonOverSampling module in place of the SAA7220 digital OS filter. The high frequencies opened up, the midrange became more luminous, detail and definition improved without additional harshness and it had better dynamic contrasts. It was an experience reminiscent of the first time I fired up my DIY no-negative feedback PP2A3 amp in the early 90s.
To objectify these two modifications, the op-amp/output cap upgrade gave at least a 10% improvement, while the shift to NOS = 40%! If this NOS modification was known in the 80s, I probably would've been more amenable to CD technology then. Oh well, as they say, better late than never. 😊
My problem now is, I want a stand-alone TDA1541-based DAC to connect to my Pi 3B+/Allo DigiOne or any digital transport. Can it be done on a modest budget?
This fully assembled DAC board sans TDA1541 chip cost $50 shipped from China. For another $30 I got an R-core power transformer with dual 15V + dual 9V secondary + 120/240V primary windings. Within less than an hour, I had a TDA1541 DAC on a breadboard ready for listening.
It has 3 digital inputs including a PCM2704-based USB interface + optical or coaxial feeding a CS8412 receiver. The audio section came with single NE5534N op-amps (2 per channel) and polyester WIMA caps in the output section. Adjacent to the empty TDA1541 socket is a socketed SAA7220P/C digital oversampling filter. With seven heat-sinked regulators and a battery of filter capacitors, I surmise that every section of this DAC is independently filtered and regulated.
The topology reminded me of the innards of D/A sections of upmarket CD players and DACs from the TDA1541 era. For example, the TDA1541 socket is surrounded by film-type capacitors, which is a recommended upgrade to the SMDs found in mainstream mid-80s Philips/Magnavox CD players.
Using a TDA1541 chip I scavenged from a dead CDB2041, I fed this DAC with the output stream of the modified CDB465 above with its SAA7220 digital filter re-installed*. Honestly, I could not conclusively discern a difference between the output of this DAC and the modified audio section of the CDB465. This can only mean that this DAC must be doing something better...
*NOTE: removing the SAA7220 digital filter disables the digital coaxial output of any Philips/Magnavox CD player from the TDA1541/1543 era
The stock Adcom GDA600 offers better detail resolution and definition + a smidgen better extension in the frequency extremes compared to this TDA1541 DAC. But there is something organic about how the TDA1541 DAC presents music especially in the midrange, which makes it musically more satisfying.
After a couple of days, I upped the stakes and upgraded the NE5534Ns op-amps to FET-input OPA604s. Then I pulled out the SAA7220P/C digital filter and inserted a simpler NOS module I made from a 24-pin socket and three jumper wires (above, right) based on a tip from this DIYer's website. Thanks, man!
Please note that my 24-pin socket/3-jumper wire NOS concoction doesn't workwith CD players, only with outboard DACs. The NVKaudio NOS module works with both CD player and outboard DAC. The good news is, in a DAC application, I don't hear a sonic advantage using the NVKaudio NOS module over my cheap NOS concoction.
With the OPA604s installed and the SAA7220P/C chip replaced by my DIY NOS module, the TDA1541 Kit (fed by the digital stream of either a Magnavox CDB650 or a Sony CDP 505esD) overtook the modified CDB465 with the NVKaudio NOS module in terms of midrange warmth and definition across the audio band. The edge in detail retrieval that the Adcom GDA600 had was narrowed, while the NOS TDA1541 DAC with op-amp upgrade pulled ahead in terms of midrange warmth and dynamics.
I didn't consider a further upgrade to Burson or Sparkos discrete op-amps because they are expensive and by nature, these devices rely on negative feedback (NFB) to achieve linearity. IME as a vacuum tube DIYer, NFB satisfies the scope and meters but not my ears. 😜
I lucked out on a Delta Black Box which needed some work. Fortunately, a service manual is available online. After replacing a couple of fried resistors, music!
I also wanted to try a Digilog, but in hindsight, it was a good thing I couldn't afford those that came up for sale. Based on the picture above, it was a textbook, albeit deluxe, implementation of the TDA1541 DAC chip. Except for the digital input receiver section, the D/A circuit topology is very similar to the CDB465 and Chinese kit above - TDA1541 DAC output > op-amp ICs in the audio stage > coupling caps at the output to block DC offset.
I'm not sure if the TDA1541A S2 (dual crown) chip in the picture above was originally supplied with this unit, probably not. Stereophile's favorable review of the Digilog over the Arcam Delta Black Box is probably the reason why they command higher resale prices.
Arcam Delta Black Box
In stark contrast, the Arcam Delta Black Box is actually the more sophisticated design. It used discrete components with Class A operating points, instead of audio op-amp ICs. The audio stage is a direct coupled design = no capacitors in the signal path. The op-amps visible are part of a DC servo circuit that controls DC offset at the output.
It did have a tendency to sound a bit hot on the top end. But I could hear its untapped potential, excellent bass definition and extension + a midrange that is still very TDA1541-like. Since there are no capacitors that I could "tune to taste" with paper in oils, I carefully unsoldered the SAA7220P/B digital OS filter and installed a 24-pin socket.
Running the Delta Black Box in NOS mode got rid of all the nastiness in the top end. The high frequencies opened up with shimmer and airiness, the midrange became more focused and bass response and extension is the best I've heard from CDs so far. It was clearly better than my mod'ed CDB465 above with NVKaudio NOS module, op-amp upgraded and NOS TDA1541 Chinese DAC kit and stock Adcom GDA600. Although not quite as lucid in the midrange as the Audio GD R2R-11, the frequency extremes were much better.
Now that I've heard a few TDA1541 DAC topologies and have compared them to a PCM-63 based DAC + a discrete R2R design, I'm quite confident that my ideal DAC would use an NOS TDA1541 DAC chip coupled to a tube output stage.
PS: I can't hear the difference between the TDA1541 and TDA1541A. I have no experience with the specially selected S1 or S2 samples. Does anyone care to send me a sample (or two) to try? 😉
When I started using and hacking Dynakit tube equipment, they were about 25 years old on average. During that same time frame, I bought my first CD player which was fitted with the Philips cutting-edge TDA1541 16-bit DAC chip.
Fast forward some 30 years later, SACD and DVD-A have been commercial failures, CD sales have been on steady decline and took a recent nose dive in sales. Except for cool LP lovers and bandwagoners, most people nowadays are either downloading or streaming their music.
So I'm buying cheap CDs unloaded by downloaders and streamers. Stuff I couldn't afford or justify in the 80s and 90s, while hunting for unloved CD players whose lasers may die any time soon...
Yep, I don't go with the flow, I never did... 😉
Sony DVP NS900V
After rediscovering the 16-bit Magnavox CDB 473, I wasn't too keen on acquiring another sigma-delta chip'd multi-player. However, for 1% of its original selling price, this Sony DVP NS900V was an irresistible deal! The fit and finish on this unit exudes quality.
Red Book Mastered CDs decoded by this machine sound polite but lack the excitement delivered by the better multi-bit players below.😒 That's why I didn't bother to take under the hood pics.😜 Maybe the SACD performance is slightly better than the Denon DVD-2910? Even if this is a slower handling machine for CDs, I can use it as a transport when my Philips lasers die. 😉
Shure SV40
Very robust build! The all-metal construction makes this Shure SV40 seem as hefty as the NS900V above. Not sure who OEM'd this unit. I read references to NEC and see traces of Sony in the transport.
SV40
This Burr-Brown PCM54HP chip'd unit is very audiophile-oriented. The midrange has depth and detail, with a tight and deep bass + extended highs. Even if I'm yearning for more warmth in the midrange, I understand why Burr-Brown multi-bit DAC chips have an avid following. It is well deserved!
Scott DA952
I didn't want to pay the $7 tag for something that looked chintzy, but then it was a $1 red tag sale day and it had a red tag, so I relented.
YM3020 DAC
The YM3020 is a 16-bit Yamaha chip. A buck got me a dark, mechanical and 2-dimensional sounding player. 😞 Mediocre at best. I should have spent the dollar on a CD instead. 😔
Fisher AD-870
Fisher was acquired by Sanyo in 1975, so I took a chance on this '86 Studio-Standard CD player hoping that it might have a Sanyo LC788X chip which are supposed to sound decent. No dice, it was fitted with a Yamaha Y3015 chip.
Y3015 DAC
Another mediocre CD player. 😞 It sounded bright, mechanical and flat. I don't know what's going on with these Yamaha chips.😖 At least my six bucks went to charity.😊
Magnavox CD2000
This Magnavox CD2000 and its CDB492 twin are entry level models from the late 80s to early 90s. They were manufactured in Mexico, equipped with the CDM-4 transport and the economy Philips TDA1543 16-bit chip, which has found its way in a few high end DACs like the Border Patrol, amongst others.
Instead of the "16, 18 or 20 bit, dual or quadruple DAC, 4, 8 or 16 X oversampling" emblazoned on the front panel, this was an understated "16-bit dual D/A converter + Digital Sound Processing" print. I didn't find a Philips SAA7220 oversampling/digital filter chip inside so it's safe to assume that this is a non-oversampling circuit. Based on my internet research, the output stage has a brick wall type analog filter(?). Here's a video of the CDB260 which looks very similar under the hood.
CD2000/CDB492
These machines don't have the ability to resolve detail like the Burr-Brown'd Shure SV40 above or the two TDA1541 players below. However, the midrange is seductive and a fine aperitif to Non-OverSampling (NOS). If you are squeamish about not being in the in crowd, skip this broken/defective design. This is strictly for music lovers!
Magnavox CDB610
I've made it my mission to rescue any 16-bit Magnavox/Philips CD player I find in the wild.😄 This CDB610 was made in Belgium in the early 90s. It has a more upmarket feel compared to the Mexican-made CDB492/CD2000.
CDB610
Even with the SAA7220P/A oversampling/digital filter chip added to the TDA1543 DAC, this machine couldn't sonically equal its TDA1540 or TDA1541 siblings below. Based on sheer musicality alone, the NOSMexicans above and Sony CDP190 below have the upper hand over this Belgian. However, I'd rather listen to my Red Book CDs via this Belgian than through a time slicing DVD/multi-player.
Sony CDP190
I found this '89 model Sony CD player along with a pair of Rat Shack Minimus 8s at a thrift store I've frequented for years but never found anything interesting. It doesn't look too promising under the hood. Well, there's nothing there....except behind the front panel.
CDP190
I was surprised to learn that somewhere behind the SMD and SOIC laden circuit board of this early '90s entry level Sony is a Philips TDA1543A DAC chip. The "A" version was exclusively designed for the Japanese input format which is not I2S compatible, unlike a regular TDA1543. Sony did a good job using its in-house chips for oversampling and digital filtering because this machine sounds cleaner than the similar spec'd CDB610.
The midrange of the NOS CD2000/CDB492 + slightly more bottom and top end extension = CDP190!
This model belongs to the Sony ES (Elevated Standard) series. In spite of the deluxe parts - Nichicon and Elna caps, discrete bypass capacitors surrounding the TDA1541 chip (instead of SMDs in most Magnavox/Philips) - I don't think this was truly a top of the line model since it was also sold as a mid-range CDP910. Besides, the real Sony ES models I've seen were all metal. Even if this has slightly more heft than the CDB650 above, the chassis is also a plastic + metal composite. It is safe to say that both models were designed to compete head on. Sony used its own CXD1088 digital filter instead of the Philips SAA7220P/A, B or C found in Magnavox/Philips CDPs.
CDP505ESD
Compared to the Belgian made CDB650 below and the CDB473, the TDA1541 + CXD1088 combination renders a clean and clear midrange, tighter and deeper low end response + more extended and airier highs. The net result is a slightly recessed midrange tonal balance. Perhaps this sounds closer to the truth, but I prefer a bit of sugar coating. 😉
Magnavox CDB650
The CDB650 player received a highly favorable review in the March 1987 issue of Audio. A couple of months later, in the June 1987 issue, Walt Jung wrote an article on how to make it sound even better. This spawned a cottage industry of modifications to Philips based CD players. The build quality was a notch better than the later CDB47X series, which did away with heat-sink fins for the power supply.
CDB650
IMHO, the "filtered output" was a useless expense. It causes a very audible high frequency roll off. (Did the Philips executives in Eindhoven really think Red Book CDs sounded that harsh then?) The money saved from that filtered circuit could have gone into better quality parts like Sony did above. Used via normal output jacks, this model sounds as good as the later CDB473. The midrange has a three-dimensional spatial rendition the TD1541 DAC chip has become known for + very good extension throughout the audio bandwidth.
I am preserving the Magnavox CDB650 and Sony CDP505ESD in their original form for posterity since TDA1541-equipped machines have become a rare sight in thrift stores lately!
Magnavox FD1041
First generation 14-bit, 4 x oversampling Philips/Magnavox CD players with all-metal transport and chassis have achieved collectible status. I had to settle for this entry-level, mid-sized player with a plastic CDM-2 transport and a plastic + metal chassis to sample the sound of the first generation Philips DAC chip.
FD1041
Philips employed 2 x TDA1540 14-bit DAC chips + the SAA7030 digital filter to yield (close to) 16-bit resolution in their first generation machines. The frequency extremes is probably at par with the economy TDA1543 equipped players above, if not better. But definitely not as extended in the frequency extremes nor does it have the ability to resolve detail like the CDB650, CDP505ESD and some of the better TDA1543 chip'd CDPs. Instead, one is rewarded with a glorious 3-D midrange. A certified classic!
TDA1541 + TDA1543
Aside from having produced musical sounding DAC chips, the Philips swing arm laser/transport design was very stable (least prone to mis-tracking) and reliable. As the saying goes in technology, always buy from the original inventors. Philips and Sony invented the CD format and based on this informal survey, the best sound came from these two manufacturers.
Philips Swing-Arm CD Transport
Unlike classic tube equipment which can be repaired, restored and/or modified, the lasers in these 30-year-old CD players have a finite life. AFAIK, replacements are either very expensive or unobtainium. Be wise and don't gamble too much $$s.
As enthusiastic as I may seem about Red Book CDs, I believe that this technology never quite equalled the LP in terms of musical satisfaction. I only enjoy it now since the software is practically being given away.
