ashok - wtf?! lol 
Brent - yep, the TDA1541 players we've both heard so far don't have as much detail as you'd like, but I don't know if that's inherent to the chip or the old designs... some of the finest CD players available (if you read reviews and price tags) still use it so maybe the detail *can* be had... and when you find out, you'll have to strip all your regs and FKs out of the CD63
Brent - yep, the TDA1541 players we've both heard so far don't have as much detail as you'd like, but I don't know if that's inherent to the chip or the old designs... some of the finest CD players available (if you read reviews and price tags) still use it so maybe the detail *can* be had... and when you find out, you'll have to strip all your regs and FKs out of the CD63
you'll have to strip all your regs and FKs out of the CD63
I've already started with the regs and PSU. Gonna take a while though! I need to pamper the misses cos she's reminded me sge's a CD player widow agan!
Apparently the image below is unnaceptable in my living room! LOL
Attachments
Hi Guys
I'v been reading this thread for a while now, i have some questions i hope you may answer...
My system is Nad 114&214 amps Kef q55 speakers Rega planar3 with rb200 arm and ortofon super of10 cart marantz cd67mk11 cables vary and not great
My mission... Simple for both cd and vinyl to sound equal on my system
I have restrictions 1 cost 2 listening room (small, wood floor, 3 doors 1 is arch no door) 3 Inexperience with electronics and iron
Having tried soldering and being a little impatient i feel someone else will carry out mods on the player
so questions...
The mods i feel will make the biggest difference are Tricord clock 2 and psu plus shotkey diodes and opa627 opamps i feel clock4 would be just too expensive!!
The total cost player, parts, fitting and pp is around £315 in your opinion is this good value? would £300 spent on a player be a better option.... A meridian 206 went for 150 on ebay
Mods i feel i could do myself are HDAM bypass, (i have heard the gains are openness and detail with a loss of volume and warmth cd is already about 33% quieter than vinyl!!) Removal of dc caps? headphone circuitry and shielded power supply.
From another player i can harvest elna 16v 4700uf x1 3300ufx1 330uf x1 silmic 100uf x2 50v 220uf x1 and 25v 47uf nichion x8 are any of these parts usefull to my player??
Shottkey diodes are cheap but pp actually costs more than the parts can you advise where to buy in the uk without £6-12 pp?
Lastly has anyone tried the cat5 speaker cables? Again cost is an issue, my cables really need replacing.. Making my own sounds a good idea but do they work??
Thanks to anyone who attempts to answer these questions i realise this is not in the same league as you guys normally chat about but im just not at your level
Thanks again Ian
I'v been reading this thread for a while now, i have some questions i hope you may answer...
My system is Nad 114&214 amps Kef q55 speakers Rega planar3 with rb200 arm and ortofon super of10 cart marantz cd67mk11 cables vary and not great
My mission... Simple for both cd and vinyl to sound equal on my system
I have restrictions 1 cost 2 listening room (small, wood floor, 3 doors 1 is arch no door) 3 Inexperience with electronics and iron
Having tried soldering and being a little impatient i feel someone else will carry out mods on the player
so questions...
The mods i feel will make the biggest difference are Tricord clock 2 and psu plus shotkey diodes and opa627 opamps i feel clock4 would be just too expensive!!
The total cost player, parts, fitting and pp is around £315 in your opinion is this good value? would £300 spent on a player be a better option.... A meridian 206 went for 150 on ebay
Mods i feel i could do myself are HDAM bypass, (i have heard the gains are openness and detail with a loss of volume and warmth cd is already about 33% quieter than vinyl!!) Removal of dc caps? headphone circuitry and shielded power supply.
From another player i can harvest elna 16v 4700uf x1 3300ufx1 330uf x1 silmic 100uf x2 50v 220uf x1 and 25v 47uf nichion x8 are any of these parts usefull to my player??
Shottkey diodes are cheap but pp actually costs more than the parts can you advise where to buy in the uk without £6-12 pp?
Lastly has anyone tried the cat5 speaker cables? Again cost is an issue, my cables really need replacing.. Making my own sounds a good idea but do they work??
Thanks to anyone who attempts to answer these questions i realise this is not in the same league as you guys normally chat about but im just not at your level
Thanks again Ian
If you can't do the mods yourself, I'd email Brent aka "Rowemeister" from a couple of posts up.
I've seen, heard and been wowed by the quality & value of his products/work more times than I care to remember. He really is quite annoying, lol.
Also, Cat5 cabling is simply awesome for the money it costs.
Cheers, Lee.
I've seen, heard and been wowed by the quality & value of his products/work more times than I care to remember. He really is quite annoying, lol.
Also, Cat5 cabling is simply awesome for the money it costs.
Cheers, Lee.
Hi and Welcome.
First a few words of warning...
The tracks on the CD63 / 67 are fragile and will not take a lot of heat or repeated soldering without cracking or lifting.
The ribbon cables connecting the front panel and cd mechanism are also prone to failure when removed / replaced frequenty.
One mod at a time !!! then test !!
So, preparation is important.
After removing the main board for the first time, you should do the following.
On the back plate/panel are 2 small tags which slot into the chassis. Remove them completely.
Remove the cover on the base plate to allow access without dismantling.
If you are doing chassis damping (and why not? check your local car spares place, not Halfords, for panel damping sheet at a fiver or less/sheet.) now is the time to do it.
OK, that said...
Forget the opa627, use the LM4562NA - far superior!!
Bypass the HDAM - it is very easy.
Remove the cheap RCS sockets and fit new quality ones instead to the back panel. You may have to adjust their position slightly as it can be tight.
Use a capacitor between the op-amp and output socket unless you are sure your amp can take a standing voltage. This voltage can also make your volume pot. noisy with time.
( The headphone is bypassed by this mod but you can desolder the components associated wih this and the muting if you wish.)
That will do for starters. Now put it back together and let it "burn in" for a day or 2.
You can then go on to such things as schottky diodes and replacing the PSU caps.
You can get the bits from Lee at http://www.diyhi-fi.co.uk/index.html
Good luck. It's worth it!
Andy
First a few words of warning...
The tracks on the CD63 / 67 are fragile and will not take a lot of heat or repeated soldering without cracking or lifting.
The ribbon cables connecting the front panel and cd mechanism are also prone to failure when removed / replaced frequenty.
One mod at a time !!! then test !!
So, preparation is important.
After removing the main board for the first time, you should do the following.
On the back plate/panel are 2 small tags which slot into the chassis. Remove them completely.
Remove the cover on the base plate to allow access without dismantling.
If you are doing chassis damping (and why not? check your local car spares place, not Halfords, for panel damping sheet at a fiver or less/sheet.) now is the time to do it.
OK, that said...
Forget the opa627, use the LM4562NA - far superior!!
Bypass the HDAM - it is very easy.
Remove the cheap RCS sockets and fit new quality ones instead to the back panel. You may have to adjust their position slightly as it can be tight.
Use a capacitor between the op-amp and output socket unless you are sure your amp can take a standing voltage. This voltage can also make your volume pot. noisy with time.
( The headphone is bypassed by this mod but you can desolder the components associated wih this and the muting if you wish.)
That will do for starters. Now put it back together and let it "burn in" for a day or 2.
You can then go on to such things as schottky diodes and replacing the PSU caps.
You can get the bits from Lee at http://www.diyhi-fi.co.uk/index.html
Good luck. It's worth it!
Andy
Hi Ianpadman said:
My mission... Simple for both cd and vinyl to sound equal on my system
Mods i feel i could do myself are HDAM bypass,
From another player i can harvest
Thanks to anyone who attempts to answer these questions i realise this is not in the same league as you guys normally chat about but im just not at your level
If you can "bypass and harvest" you surely can modd the CDP. Strictly follow Andy´s suggestions and you will be fine. (Agree on the LM4562).
I started doing so some years ago in my CD53 and now I have a superlative player. The Marantz can be a really high end machine if you mod it correctly.
Inittially I also wanted it to play as well as the TT but now I am strugling modding the TT so I can equal it to the silver spinner.
I believe there are no leagues in this thread, otherwise I would have been expelled years ago.
Note: It is a very addictive situation....
Ricardo
Thanks guys for your quick response,
My reason for not wanting to do the soldering is having practiced on an old board i'm just not getting a good solder joint (looking grey and lifeless) and struggling with the de solder pump and braid.
I think i've killed the solder tip and feel i will put too much heat into the item i'm soldering. I will keep practicing.....
Am i reading correctly the mods i proposed are not the best way to go?
Thanks for the cat5 response i'm off to Maplin in the morning new cables are now imminent
I have seen several ways to make the cables, would you recommend the cables of 3+1 runs for bi-wiring or 6 runs plus jumpers?
Which of the caps i listed are usefull and where would they go?
Again thanks for any replies
Ian
My reason for not wanting to do the soldering is having practiced on an old board i'm just not getting a good solder joint (looking grey and lifeless) and struggling with the de solder pump and braid.
I think i've killed the solder tip and feel i will put too much heat into the item i'm soldering. I will keep practicing.....
Am i reading correctly the mods i proposed are not the best way to go?
Thanks for the cat5 response i'm off to Maplin in the morning new cables are now imminent
I have seen several ways to make the cables, would you recommend the cables of 3+1 runs for bi-wiring or 6 runs plus jumpers?
Which of the caps i listed are usefull and where would they go?
Again thanks for any replies
Ian
padman said:
Sounds like a 'dry' joint - possibly your irons is not hot enough
It could also be that the tip is too small .
The wattage of the iron should be 25w or 40 w for general purppose.
Maplin do a reasonably priced iron with replaceable tips and also desoldering braid (which must be tinned with solder or it won't work) You should also use good old lead solder - none of this new lead-free stuff !
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=35016
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_...er&_sacat=See-All-Categories#item310087489205
Use the thin desolder braid.
A good joint is shiny - the solder flows on the wire and the track
Practice on an old board - you'll get the hang of it.
Andy
Regarding caps, ask Lee.
The Mundorfs he sell are the top ones but there are others such as motor start caps ( ebay is your friend here )
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TWO-OF-12-MFD...14&_trkparms=72:1683|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318
Andy
The Mundorfs he sell are the top ones but there are others such as motor start caps ( ebay is your friend here )
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TWO-OF-12-MFD...14&_trkparms=72:1683|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318
Andy
Thanks for the links the solder station looks a good deal that may fall into my basket tomoz
With the LM4562NA's i need 4 plus 2 dil sockets? 3 packs of shottkeys and a pair of decent rca's to get started?
I've done the chassis damping removed feet and added polipods.
Are the clock and psu not worth the cost? approx £200 incl fitting I thought these were the items that would get this player up to speed
Ian
With the LM4562NA's i need 4 plus 2 dil sockets? 3 packs of shottkeys and a pair of decent rca's to get started?
I've done the chassis damping removed feet and added polipods.
Are the clock and psu not worth the cost? approx £200 incl fitting I thought these were the items that would get this player up to speed
Ian
only 2 opamps as they are duals and 2 sockets (if you are thinking of changing them at a later date which I don't think you will!)
To be honest, without looking at the circuit, I couldn't tell you how many diodes are in the PSU ! I justbuy loads of diodes and change them without counting !
I paid a lot less for my clock off ebay than that.!!
You can also buy clocks off Ebay that are cheap and are a signifiant improvement.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/16-9344MHz-LO...QptZCD_MiniDisc_Players?hash=item350112360728
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Low-Jitter-Ma...14&_trkparms=72:1300|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318
I also bought several small PSUs off ebay for less than a fiver each.
While they are not the best available, having any form of separate supply is a better solution. It can be upgraded later.
Andy
To be honest, without looking at the circuit, I couldn't tell you how many diodes are in the PSU ! I justbuy loads of diodes and change them without counting !
I paid a lot less for my clock off ebay than that.!!
You can also buy clocks off Ebay that are cheap and are a signifiant improvement.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/16-9344MHz-LO...QptZCD_MiniDisc_Players?hash=item350112360728
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Low-Jitter-Ma...14&_trkparms=72:1300|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318
I also bought several small PSUs off ebay for less than a fiver each.
While they are not the best available, having any form of separate supply is a better solution. It can be upgraded later.
Andy
padman said:
The caps fit between the output of the opamp and the centre pin of the RCA socket.
When installing, you cut/remove the link between the opamp and HDAM effectively bypassing it.
By the way, the better quality ones from Maplin ( with 2 insulating washers) are a significant improvement over the standard ones
Do you have the service manual ?
If not, you can download it from Ray's site - see post 1 on the thread.
Andy
padman said:Thanks for the links the solder station looks a good deal that may fall into my basket tomoz
With the LM4562NA's i need 4 plus 2 dil sockets? 3 packs of shottkeys and a pair of decent rca's to get started?
I've done the chassis damping removed feet and added polipods.
Are the clock and psu not worth the cost? approx £200 incl fitting I thought these were the items that would get this player up to speed
Ian
Hi Ian,
With respect to Andy, who knows his stuff and is a nice bloke, changing the RCAs is not a good place to start. It's a difficult job and only gives modest gains.
The clock is certainly one of the best effort-performance ratio upgrades available. I'm not so sure you've selected the best unit around though. You may want to look further afield than Trichord and Audiocom.
I'll second (or third?!) that LM4562s are fine op-amps (close to neutral and detailed / transparent) and will give huge gains in performance of the player.
I'll also 2nd that CAT5 makes great speaker cable.
Your goal of reaching your turntable's performance might not be realistic, unless you get hooked and keep going. Things like a 2nd clock (on the servo section) and separate low-noise regulators on the DAC, decoder and servo chips are required to eek out the full potential from this machine. Don't think you have to do it all though - it all helps, generally speaking.
Bypass the HDAM if you find the bass output one-note and overbearing, but if you like the bass response or want more bass, leave the HDAM well alone. It's not worth cutting out that fun-factor unless the player's already quite well-sorted IMHO.
Simon