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These were the entry level Philips CDPs from the late 80s up to the early 90s until they were superseded by inferior-sounding (at least to my ears) bitstream machines like my dreaded Philips CD921.😏 Stock, I'd choose these over the AKM chip'd Sony PS1 for sheer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! ✌️☮
A well worn 78 rpm shellac disc of a Cole Porter classic recorded in 1938 by Artie Shaw spinning on a Gray Research HF500 turntable + a GE RPX cartridge amplified by my DIY je2a3 mono integrated fitted with a Hashimoto H203S output transformer driving a GE A1-400 speaker in a "vintage DIY" tuned pipe enclosure by Raymond H. Bates from Audio Magazine May 1955.
With the blessing of Early Bender of Hifitown.com, I uploaded two articles written in the 1980s for The Absolute Sound by his parents, Walt Bender (1944-2008) and Lennice Werth.
I've owned quite a few of the components discussed and still listen to a couple. This is a reflection of the articles' profound influence on my pursuit of the audio hobby. Since I believe that they are as relevant then as they are now, I added them to the JE Labs Arkiv.
From mid September until mid November, the man cave was out of commission so I set up a temporary system in our living room.
Flooding in the lower level had been a major issue since we moved to this house. Tish and I finally bit the bullet and had a French drain + sump pump system installed.
Knowing that jackhammers would create a big mess, we packed up all of our books, LPs, CDs, etc.
I had to repaint/reseal the floor because it was badly scratched by contractor traffic.
Listening lounge chair
At least 12 square feet of floor space was gained from the removal of a built-in bench. We reclaimed a small window that had been blocked off, which most likely had an a/c in the past.
Monaural hifi view
Stereo + Monaural Hi-Fi
Still working on the main hifi system and filing my LPs...😉
I'm really liking the less cluttered look, which means I have to reduce my audio collection. So keep your eyes peeled for goodies at the JE Labs Flea Market after the New Year. 😄
The light meter requires a 3V CR2032 battery, which is not included due to shipping restrictions. A small screwdriver is supplied for installing the battery + a user manual. The official set up instruction is available on You Tube, so I'll skip those details.
I guesstimate it to be about 15% larger than the Voigtlander VCII.
Unlike the VCII, there are no alternative locations for the feet. As is, the light meter didn't clear the rewind knob of my Contax II and clones made in Kiev. A cheap and quick solution is some sort of an accessory shoe that can elevate the meter.
Does it overwhelm a Barnack type body?
Despite the larger dimensions, the dials and markings are smaller than the VCII. Perhaps this only matters to a certain demographic that requires reading glasses, that's why I noticed it. 😉
The TT Artisan has a 45 degree measuring angle vs. the VCII's narrower 30 degrees. This probably accounts for the 1/2 stop difference. Since it’s equipped with a Silicone photodiode, low light sensitivity seems to be as good as the VCII or at least at par with the Vivitar 24.
The Doomo Meter D shares similar technical specs with the Voigtlander VCII, including the svelte proportions of the latter at $125. I snagged my TT Artisan at the introductory price of $56/shipped. The price is now hovering at the $70 mark, but it still is the only shoe-mounted light meter with analog dials available new for under $100.
The Canon P is loaded with ISO 100 film. Watch out for the results in my Flickr!😊
Tube rolling is a fun aspect of the audio hobby. It only gets tedious when audiophiles start splitting hairs about a VT231, 5692, etc. I draw the line when an audiophool claims, "...my line stage preamp resolves the R train rumble under Carnegie Hall better when I use a 6AS7 in place of the original 6SN7..." 🙄
Those two tubes may be pin compatible BUT a power transformer 🔥melt-down🔥is imminent since the 6AS7/6080 draws 2.5 amps @ 6.3V. That's over 4 times more filament current drawn by a 6SN7, which only draws 0.6 amps @ 6.3V.
💣 💣 💣 Rolling tubesis dangerous unless you have a working knowledge of electronics to comprehend tube data/specs. 💣 💣 💣
It's been a while since I listened through Telefunken 12AX7 smooth plates on an RCA phono. Since I used to graft this circuit on a Dyna PAS preamp, I ordered a pair of 12AU7/12AX7 > 6SN7/6SL7 adapters to relive the experience on my RCA octal preamp.
Back in the 90s, Steve @ Angela Instruments had a boatload of Raytheon 5755s and shared a sleeve with me. Since I never found a project requiring these tubes, I got a pair of 5755/WE420 > 12AX7 adapters to listen to them in the Shure M65 clone. Piggy-backed to 12AX7>6SL7 adapters, they also worked nicely with the octal phono preamp.
Despite slight differences in transconductance and plate impedance between the 6SL7/7F7 and their younger 9-pin siblings (ECC83, 12AD7, 5751 and 5755), there was no visible variation in square waves nor frequency response aberration when I bench tested those tubes in both circuits.
Admittedly, loctals don't look as glamorous as their octal cousins with bakelite bases. But I'm very fond of them to the extent that I built and use a full function loctal preamp. I've been adopting unloved loctals at radio shows and hamfests. Essentially the industrial looking 7F7 and 7N7 are rebased6SL7 and 6SN7, respectively! My only issue with loctals is, the tube pins are prone to corrosion. This is easily remedied by a wire brush + DeoxIT before use.
I purchased these tube adapters from the seller xulingmrs. They are very well made and fairly priced. Shipping cost and transit time from China was also reasonable. Highly recommended!
This collection of light sensing gizmos is merely a reflection of the gear head in me since I'm quite proficient with Sunny 16. My dad taught me how to take photos using his unmetered Yashica Penta J. When I see unloved vintage/classic camera paraphernalia for a couple of bucks, I am eager to provide a good home for them. If you want to see my handheld light meters, click here.
Except for the Voigtlãnder VCII, all these light meters employ the match-needle system on an analog dial, which remind me of a slide rule, albeit, circular. For more information, the user manual (when available) is hyperlinked in the text under the picture of each light meter.
This selenium light meter doesn't need batteries. The light it is measuring powers the meter. However, selenium isn't as sensitive under low light conditions compared to a battery powered CdS (Cadmium Sulphide) or modern Silicone photodiode. It is smaller but thicker than the Voigtländer VCII and looks great on an early Leica Barnack body.
I paid a couple of bucks for this at an antique store a few decades ago. The selenium cell didn't react to light and the incident light attachment was missing. I sent it to Quality Light Metric and George Milton replaced the dead cell. I consider this more of a collectible than a user, thus, it spends most of its time inside its brown leather case, which prolongs the selenium cell's life.
Significantly bigger than the Leica Meter 2 and a tad more sensitive in lower light, this Gossenselenium also measures both incident and reflected light. In my nearly 30 years of scouring Photorama camera shows, thrift stores and flea markets, I've yet to encounter one with a dead cell. This is one of the three I own and this particular unit was recently acquired at a flea market for $7. A bit bulky and just slightly smaller in girth than the Sekonic L-208, it's a nice meter for daylight photo walks. Highly recommended if you want a battery independent light meter!
Not much information can be found about this relatively compact light meter except that which I've already linked. Kalimar was a US distributor of photographic equipment, which sourced cameras and photo accessories from all over the world and had their name stamped on the product.
This CdS light meter requires a PX625 Mercury cell, which is toxic and no longer available. The use of a modern PX625A yielded inconsistent readings. So I hacked a dead PX625 and inserted a 675 sized Wein-cell hearing aid battery into the PX625 shell. Voila! The needle moved when I pressed the button and got readings that were consistent compared to my known light meters. It's also more sensitive in lower light than the selenium meters.
Sekonic is a Japanese company but the Twinmate L-208 is proudly made in the Philippines. Its Silicon photodiode is powered by a single CR2032 lithium battery and has a light sensitivity range of EV3 - EV17. It is a significant improvement over the above selenium and CdS light meters. Just like all the previous ones, this can measure both reflected and incident light.
Given its size, I think it looks better on a TLR camera. I really like the center match-needle/analog dial ergonomics compared to the $40 digital light meters from China fitted with tiny buttons to navigate around a squinty LCD screen. Is it necessary for every device to resemble a smart phone nowadays?
This CdS meter was designed to be powered by a Mercury 675 battery. Surprisingly, it works great with a modern LR/SR44 without modification. The specified EV range of -1 to 24 maybe a bit optimistic but it's pretty close to the VCII meter in terms of low light sensitivity and accuracy. It has no incident light capability, just reflected light.
Just like the L-208 this is also a center match-needle type light meter with an analog dial that's easy on the eyes and shows other shutter speed/f-stop options. Slightly more compact than the L-208 and sleeker in design. This has become my go-to light meter for photo walks while the Voigtländer VCII takes a rest.
These are easy to find on eBay for $20-30/shipped, which IMO should be the ceiling price. Otherwise, they will be priced out of the market by the minuscule computerized light gadgets from China, which are probably(?) more appealing to hipsters jumping on the analog (film) photography bandwagon.
I paid under $200 for this light meter in the mid 2000s and it's still available for $225 from Stephen Gandy at cameraquest.com. Not cheap but in the big scheme of things, it has paid for itself. Its accuracy and sensitivity are probably surpassed only (albeit, slightly) by the built-in meter on my Leica M6. The Si photodiode is powered by two very common LR44/A76/357 batteries and it only measures reflected light. It's not a match-needle type of meter. Instead, it sports a dial for shutter speed and another dial for f-stop/ISO setting + LED indicators. This is an analog design with only a hint of digital (LEDs) and IMHO, MoMA worthy!
Hot on its heels is a new kid on the block, the similarly sized, styled and spec'ed Doomo Meter D at $125. It's ironic that this retro-clone of the VCII is also the most expensive shoe mountable light meter manufactured in China.
Perhaps analog dials and retro tech logic do command and deserve a premium? Hmm...🤔 Right before I clicked the publish button, I noticed something new in the TT Artisan's website. Let's see how that goes...😉
