Looking Back to the Past for a Better-Sounding Future

'80s Nostalgia

 

Early to mid '90s

I was based in the DC metro area in the early to mid 90s. 

When I wasn't playing gigs or teaching, I serviced classic audio equipment and Audio Note, UK Kits for Angela instruments.

Mid-late 90s

Sound Practices 17 Homebrewer Article

2000-2008

Main Listening Room

Monaural Hi-Fi

Home Theatre with SET amps

The Attic 2008-2016

2017

2018

Man Cave 2020

Near-field

Monaural HiFi

Stereo

🎆 Welcome 2021! 🎆

nos TDA1541 tube DAC

I've become cynical of the latest is best mentality because in my 30 years of searching for sound that pleases my ears, I've always gone back to move forward. From this experience, I've learned to use planned obsolescence to my advantage by investing in old school components that have achieved classic status.

 There is a common denominator between the Philips TDA1541 DAC chip and the Western Electric 300B directly heated output triode vacuum tube. The former brought digital sound to everyone’s homes in the '80s, while the latter amplified talking pictures in movie theaters in the '30s. Both have also been rediscovered for their distinguished musical abilities.

This tubed TDA1541 sans oversampling multi-bit DAC evolved from my frustration with its bitstream and delta-sigma successors, revisiting and studying multi-bit CD players and DACs, performing Magnavox CDP + DAC mods, and other digital audio experiments.

!!!WARNING!!! 

The voltages in this circuit are potentially lethal! Build at your own risk!

If you are a metrics-obsessed audiophile who spends more time arguing in audio forums instead of listening to music because you can't trust your own ears and would rather buy a component approved by a hifi guru and/or his/her test equipment, STOP 🚫! You'll be offended by the contents of this blog, especially this project!

However, if you agree with Radiotron Designer's Handbook, 3rd edition published in 1940, that the THD metric should be abolished and better test procedures and standards established, you may proceed.😊

This project starts with the deconstruction of an already obsolete DAC board still available from eBay sellers. Since the TDA1541 chip has been out of production for over 20 years, I scavenge them from the CD player graveyard.

I incapacitated the analog section of the DAC board by removing the high speed/fast slew rate op-amps and low ESR signal capacitors, which will be replaced by a slower and harmonically more satisfying circuit from a bygone era. 

Non Over Sampling (NOS) measures like a broken component but my ears prefer musicality over accuracy, so the SA7220P chip was tossed and the circuitry bypassed. Speaking of accuracy, to what? I wasn't at the recording session, so I don't obsess about it.😉

This picture shows the spots where I tapped the right (AOR 6) and left (AOL 25) analog outputs of the TDA1541 chip. The DAC's delicate and jagged left and right analog output stream will be connected via shielded cable to a cutting edge I/V converter + vacuum tube smoothing circuit advertised and marketed by savvy Mad Men as retro-tech art.😎

I was very impressed by the sonic flavor introduced by the Western Electric 396A/2C51 in the buffer section of my 21st century Xiang Sheng DAC 01A. But in this particular application - gain stage + buffer -  the WE396A couldn't deliver the Carnegie Hall and Village Vanguard atmosphere I was trying to recreate. Caveat: the yellow WE logo doesn't offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. 

So I rewired the B9A 9-pin sockets for a pair of 6CG7s, which I've already used successfully as a buffer for my TDA1543 DAC. These are the Noval-based equivalents of my favorite medium gain (mu)/medium transconductance (gm) 6SN7 octals, esteemed for their linearity as an audio amplifier. 

The circuit topology is very similar to my line stage preamp with the first triode section configured as a gain stage direct coupled to the second triode section wired as a low impedance cathode follower/buffer. No negative feedback is applied in the circuit to maintain signal purity. This tube circuit also functions as a sound processor, which is beyond the abilities of fast slew rate op-amps.😄

I recycled a power transformer from a Heathkit mono FM tuner. Using a 6X4 tube rectifier, the rectified 480VCT  @ 60mA secondary feeds a capacitor input filter, then the B+ rail is split via 2 x 15H @ 30mA chokes to provide 295 volts of ripple free DC to each channel. The 6 volt DC supply, which lights up the 6CG7 filaments, is provided by a separate filament transformer. This archaic method of building a power supply enhances the DAC's tonal character!

Finally, I assembled the Back to the Future DAC on an organic 3/4" thick Baltic-Birch bread board. Even if it has a USB input, DSD, MQA and other so-called Hi-Res files are downsampled to 16-bit/44.1kHz PCM. That makes it 100% compatible with at least 90% of music streamed on the web. Since it makes my two-for-a-buck 4.75” silver discs from thrift stores and flea markets come to life, I don't ask for more.

Let's have some chips...

The reputation of this ubiquitous DAC chip was built upon regular production run TDA1541s, which can still be acquired for under $50. BTW, this is a DEM (Dynamic Element Matching - see TDA1541 FAQs) chip, not an R2R ladder DAC chip, as it's commonly misidentified. 

So there's no reason for angst if hand-selected and tested single and double crown S1 and S2 TDA1541A chips command SothēBy's prices or reside in private audio museums in Asia. Buyers should actually beware of high dollar re-stenciled regular TDA1541s studded with crowns. They will work but won't sound any better than the chip I meticulously unsoldered from an '80s junked Magnavox CDP.

1kHz square wave from Stereophile Test CD3
Stock Magnavox CDB560 CD player

Fortunately, I got a chance to sample a genuine single crown S1 graciously donated by Gary B. This select chip made my DAC sound a bit more transparent and cleaner, with a touch more detail and resolution. But I have to reaffirm that not having an S1 isn't a deal breaker. In fact, the darker and warmer sounding regular TDA1541s and TDA1541As can be a blessing in systems that are a bit hot in the top end. 

1 kHz square wave from Stereophile Test CD3
nosTDA1541tube DAC

 Not very relevant to this NOS DAC project, but AFAIK, the only difference between TDA1541A and the non-A is that the A can do 8x oversampling while the non-A is limited to 4x. But let's not go there anymore. Been there, done that...

NOS and Digital Filters

Before I even became aware of NOS DACs, I had been using line transformers as digital sound processors. If you're worried about non-oversampled digital artifacts destroying the irreplaceable diaphragms of your Altec 3000 super tweeters, look for bandwidth limited military surplus transformers. 

But the true analog-sounding line transformers JE Labs uses are those that have a flat response from 30 to 15,000 cycles, like the bokeh'ed pair of Western Electric 111C repeat coils and the UTC A-20s in front. There are so many sleepers out there branded with more letters and numbers, so don't limit yourself to UTC or WE.

My Analog Distortion Generating DAC

I’m happy to report that this repurposed '80s state-of-the-art digital music maker using Mid-Century Modern era devices and sensibilities has been fulfilling my analog-biased musical expectations at the end of this second decade of the 21st century. The DAC bread board doesn't exactly match the LeCorb and Mies aesthetics of my man cave, but I've been enjoying digital encoded music like never before, such that I can't get myself to rebuild it on a nicer chassis.

Many thanks to Gary Bronner and Pete Boser for their contributions to the JE Labs digital audio museum, as well as to the patrons of this blog!

🎄Happy listening and have a great holiday season!🎄

References

Dutch Audio Classics

I/V Converters

Ryohei Kusonoki

Lampizator

Thorsten Loesch

Non-Over Sampling

Home Brewer: Silbatone 755 Cabinet DIYers Club

Left = JE Labs clone (by John Piro)
Right = J-Rob's Silbatone original 

"The cabinets were designed by genius Silbatone engineer Dr. Stefano Bae as a group project for the Silbatone-sponsored DIY/Western Electric forum in South Korea. 100 pairs were quickly sold out, immediately driving up the world price for 755As. The original uses Silbatone's custom silver litz wire, which is said to be an essential ingredient of the original recipe, and top shelf WBT connectors.

Over the years Silbatone designed and made literally dozens of experimental boxes, including back horns for up to four (755A) drivers per side. This was probably the most successful, although rather modest.

My analysis of this untuned little cabinet is that it falls under the 'small box with a hole in it' design paradigm."

Joe Roberts 

May 17, 2019

After I uploaded the Silbatone cabinet DIY info, I've received numerous inquiries about what drivers to use on this cabinet. Since it's impossible for me to try all the 8" drivers ever made, I thought it was best to let my readers chime in with their creations.

Altec 755As in Manila

Tango MCT999 MC transformer,
JE Labs 5691 passive EQ RIAA phono + 76 > Tango NP216N line stage, 
JE Labs SE2A3 with Magnequest TFA204 OPTs (on the floor)

Nonong is the only high school classmate and friend I remained in contact with after leaving Manila many moons ago. He coined SETUP (Single Ended Triode Users of the Philippines) back in the '90s and was one of the three pioneers listening to idler driven turntables, high mass tonearms, SPU cartridges + transformers, DIY preamps and SET amps driving high efficiency speakers.

Garrard 301 + Ikeda IT407 + SPU Meister Silver
JE Labs SE300B deluxe mono blocks with Tamura F7002s 
on copper chassis

His cherished pair of Altec 755As have been mounted on open baffles since the mid '90s. But as soon as he saw the Silbatone cabinet plan, he had the cabinets built in no time.

Altec 755As in the USA

Nate Grindheim aka Redboy in Audiokarma and HiFi Haven is an avid DIYer. You'll find his meticulously crafted MC step up transformers and amps in those aforementioned audio forums as well as in his Flickr stream.

Nate says:

"My buddy Gary (aka ejfud) built the cabinets for me. He knew I had the drivers and got tired of waiting around for me to build something for them, so he took the initiative to knock a pair together for me. He's a good friend to have around.

These things are really wonderful. They have that amazing Tone (with a capital "T"!) that I'm after, and the sound... it's just right, and good. They make music.

I am excited to get some proper amplification for them. There's a pair of 6L6 IPC amps here with Peerless iron that I think will be a great match, but I still need to overhaul them."

Altec 755C in Manila

Ben C recently retired from banking so he can focus his energy on his DIY audio passion. He's been stuck in Toronto since the Covid 19 lockdown and is itching to return home to finish his other audio projects.

Garrard 401 + RMG309 + FR64S + SPU Aniversary,
DIY preamp and SET amps

 I'm hoping that he'll drop by before he heads back to Manila when this is all over.

Altec 755E + JBL 075 in Manila

This bespoke cabinet is Joey's interpretation of the Silbatone executed in the Harana Audio Workshop. 

Harana Audio is also the official representative of Shinichi Suzuki and his Western Electric inspired G.I.P. Laboratory field coil drivers in the Philippines.

Lafayette SK98/Pioneer PIM8L in the USA

I've featured this driver and cabinet in a full-length profile of John Piro's creations. But it's worth reiterating a non Altec 755 driver successfully used in the Silbatone cabinet.

If you want your DIY Silbatone cabinet project added to this exclusive club 😉, please leave a comment with your email address. I will reply to you directly.

John Linsley-Hood Class A Headphone Amp

Having been a happy user of a John Linsley-Hood (JLH) 1969 Class A amp cloned by Nobsound, I was intrigued by the JLH Class A headphone amp boards featuring discrete circuitry (no ICs or op-amps) advertised on eBay. In the midst of the 2020 lockdown, I ordered this $25 pre-assembled board, which arrived in a padded pouch within 10 days. I also got a surplus 24 VCT @ 2A power transformer for another $15.

!!!WARNING!!! 
The voltages in this project are potentially lethal! Proceed at your own risk!

Typical of Chinese kits, this board didn't come with instructions or any type of documentation. But the board is marked for an experienced DIYer to decipher and set up in no time. Unlike the original JLH 1969 design, which needed DC blocking capacitors at the output due to the single rail supply, this headphone amp module was updated to work with a dual rail (+/-) supply so the output capacitors can be omitted.

 

Unfortunately, I couldn't get stable zero DC offset at the output terminals. Trimming for zero volts after 30-45 minutes of warm up was not a guarantee that in another 30 minutes it'll still be zero - I've measured as much as 0.3V.😞

Since I didn't want to risk frying my headphones and classic speakers, I installed 2500uf @ 16V electrolytic blocking capacitors at each channel’s output. Then, I bypassed the electrolytic caps with hermetically sealed 4uf paper caps just like I did to the Nobsound NS02g.  

Top trace = audio generator
Bottom trace = amp output

In spite of the DC blocking caps at the output, the square waves still show excellent bandwidth, transient response with no trace of ringing. 

Before clipping, I measured 250mW/channel @ 4 ohms, 500mW/channel @ 8 ohms and 950mW/channel @ 16 ohms, 1.2W/channel @ 32 ohms,  395mW/channel @ 150 ohms, 190mW/channel @ 330 ohms and 115mW/channel @ 560ohms. I pretty much exhausted the resistor values from my parts bin to emulate the nominal impedance of typical headphones. 

The 115mW output into a 560 ohm load shouldn't worry headphone enthusiasts since this amp drove my Austrian AKG K240/600 ohm Monitor cleanly beyond SPLs my ears could tolerate. It also had no issues driving less efficient ortho-dynamic headphones like the Fostex T50RP MKII below, courtesy of my friend Nate. Thanks, buddy!

This amp definitely outclassed the Rat Shack mini amps I'm fond of. Its class A design's purity and transparency puts it on another league. Unfortunately, Class A amp designs require a more substantial power supply, which is incompatible with portability. 

The character of this amp is exactly like that of its bigger brother, a fatigue-free solid state amp that almost (but not quite) succeeds in sounding like a good tube amp!

BTW, did I mention that it can also drive my Altec 755As in Silbatone cabinets?

Moving Iron Cartridges: Grado, Nagaoka, Pickering/Stanton and Piezo/Sparta

This is the last installment of my series on magnetic phono cartridges, which commenced with early stereo cartridges followed by moving magnet cartridges. These cartridges were evaluated in the near-field and main system in the man cave. Tonearms used include the Syntec S220, Denon DA305, Fidelity Research FR54 and Grace G565, mounted on the Garrard 401, Realistic MKVIII, Rek O Kut B12GH + L34 and Thorens TD124 or MKII.

Grado

This collection of Grado cartridges dating back to the 80s and 90s is a testament to my being a dyed-in-the-wool Grado fan. They served me well when I spun LPs via a suspended sub-chassis, belt-drive turntable, feeding hacked Dynakit preamps and classic push-pull EL84 and EL34 amps to drive BBC LS3/5As or Quad ESLs.

But as soon as I started dabbling with idler driven turntables + higher mass tonearms, no negative feedback preamps, single-ended triode amps and high efficiency speakers, the voicing of Grado cartridges started sounding contrived and unnatural. I switched to using the Denon DL103 and Ortofon SPU low output moving coil cartridges via mic transformers.

Grado GTE+1 + ZTE+1 stylus

Although the Pickering/Stanton 371 was more fatiguing to my ears, the GTE+1 has a similar tonal curve. The GTE+1's mid-bass sounds boosted, the midrange is slightly recessed, followed by a sudden rise in the upper female vocal range that gives a nasal quality, which is borderline shouty. The rising response goes all the way to the mid-treble range then it sharply rolls off in the extreme high frequencies. 

This kind of voicing presents an exciting sound that has created a fan base as well as harsh critics for Grado. Tonally, the early Grado SR80 headphones I own were voiced in a similar fashion.

Grado Signature 8MZ

The tonal curve I described above is still apparent in the Signature 8MZ but milder. The upper midrange/lower treble peak was refined and the frequency extremes more extended. In the process, however, micro and macro dynamics suffered. Refinement, detail and resolution improved at the expense of musical excitement.

I also noted a lack of air and spaciousness between instruments and vocals as presented by both 8MZ and GTE+1, which resulted in a drier and narrower sound field compared to the Nagaoka, Pickering/Stanton and Sparta S220.

Nagaoka

Nagaoka MP11

In the Fall of 1983, my dearly departed dad, a violinist, conductor and music professor, went on an observational tour of orchestras and music schools in the UK under the auspices of the British Council. Before heading back to Manila, he took a side trip to NYC to visit me and see his old haunts. The Nagaoka MP11 pictured above was his gift + a couple of Popular Hi-Fi and Hi-Fi Answers issues he picked up along Tottenham Court Road.

Nagaoka MP11

Mounted on my stock AR XA turntable in '83, I didn't think too highly of the MP11 and preferred the GTE+1. So it rested for more than three decades. When I revisited it, the tables were turned. Listening to the MP11 exposed the Grados' flaws.

To my ears, the MP11 is the moving iron equivalent of the Denon DL103R. It has a sweet midrange, detailed and extended in the frequency extremes with a middle row concert hall perspective. Even if the presentation is more relaxed than the Pickering/Stanton models below, it still presents musically satisfying dynamic nuances. 

Nagaoka MP110 body + MP10 conical stylus

Encouraged by my rediscovery of the MP11, I kept my eyes peeled for another Nagaoka MP cartridge at close to '80s pricing. Fortunately, I lucked out with a couple of NOS MP10 styli + a cheap MP110 body. 

I couldn't detect any sonic difference swapping the MP11 or MP10 stylus between the MP11 and MP110 bodies. The DCR of the MP11 coils averaged at ~ 550 ohms while the MP110 ~ 600 ohms. Thus, I assumed that the MP11 and MP110 bodies are identical.

Sonically, the MP110 body (or MP11 body) + MP10 stylus = the moving iron equivalent of the Denon DL103.

Pickering/Stanton

Pickering XV15 + D400 conical stylus

The positive attributes I noted about the Pickering 380 + Stanton 371 = Pickering XV15. Compared to the MP10/11, the concert hall perspective is more front row. The midrange is the most three-dimensional in this survey and comparable to the Shure M3/7D. Dynamically, this cartridge is the most exciting in this group. 

The MP11/10 beats the XV15 + original conical stylus in terms of detail resolution. Perhaps with an original elliptical stylus, the detail and resolution in the frequency extremes will most likely equal or even surpass the MP11.

Note that the Stanton 680 is the same exact cartridge and the stylus are interchangeable between the two bodies.

There's a lot of SPU juiciness from this cartridge!

Pickering V-15 Phase IV + IV AM stylus

The Pickering V-15 Phase IV was designed as the entry-level model in the Flux-Valve (moving iron) line up. I measured an average of 780 ohms DCR from its coils vs. 1200 ohms for its higher-end brother, the XV15. 

Its overall performance is formidable and the superiority of the XV15 might only shine through in a direct A/B comparison. The Stanton 600 is the equivalent model.

Sparta 220S

This Sparta 220S cartridge came with one of my Syntec S220 tonearms. The Japanese OEM was identified as a Piezo YM-114 aka Hitachi DS-ST101 by wualta in Audiokarma. It's a very smooth-sounding cartridge with good detail and extension in the frequency extremes. Not as dry as the Grados, but like the 8MZ, it doesn't have the micro/macro dynamic prowess of the Nagaoka MP10/11 and Pickering XV15/Phase IV.

Coda

My Grado cartridge collection survived the '90s purge when I unloaded my two Merrill modified AR turntables, two pairs of Quad ESL57s, a 15 ohm pair of Rogers and a 12 ohm pair of Spendor LS3/5As, a pair of Acrosound TO330 push-pull output transformers, Lafayette KT600, Acrosound 20/20, Dyna ST35, Eico HF87, Leak 20, Pilot SA232, SA260 and many other classic equipment. 

The proceeds financed the acquisition of tubes and directly heated triodes, Tamura and Tango SE output transformers, idler driven turntables, high mass tonearms, high efficiency Altec drivers and other DIY audio materials.

 

Pickering XV15 and V-15 Phase IV + Nagaoka MP11 and MP10

Since these four cartridges emerged as my favorites in this shootout, it might be the right time to let go of my collection of Grado cartridges...

The Wrap 

Moving Iron + Moving Magnet

Nagaoka MP10, MP11, Pickering XV15, Shure M3D
Pickering V-15, Pickering Phase IV, Shure M44

 A couple of moving magnet cartridges deserve pride of place along with my chosen moving irons - the Pickering V-15 + DAT2 for its sweetness, the Shure M44 + EMJ N44G for its dynamic qualities and the Shure M3D for its timelessness! 

Nagaoka MP10, MP11, Pickering XV15 and Shure M3D

Finally, if I could only have four, these are the cartridges I'm keeping!