For the life of me, I cannot remember where I got it. You can be sure that in this condition though, it was very cheap.
Hey Brent, full upgrade type jobbie here. Just done the opamps(LM4562)/hdam bypass and fitting the elco's around dac section. Not going to town on the output as it'll be totally replaced with DOS and psu etc.
Lee.
Hey Brent, full upgrade type jobbie here. Just done the opamps(LM4562)/hdam bypass and fitting the elco's around dac section. Not going to town on the output as it'll be totally replaced with DOS and psu etc.
Lee.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Look what I found
Think I'll have a proper go at this as my new project. I've tried lots of different players and dacs etc over the last couple of years and none of them have been capable of the dynamics, detail and just downright brilliant sound of a fully modded cd63.
I'll be doing this pretty slowly fitting it in around work. I'll do my best to document as much of it as possible on here as it could help a few of the newcomers to this thread.
Long may it continue,
Lee.
A cd63 beating the tda1541 dac by Oliver (group buy) ??
For sure yes. That dac is fantastic, lovely warmth and smoothness with a lot of detail. The second-best digital I've ever heard in fact. But I find it lacks a bit of detail and transparency and this is something I've noticed before with tda1541. I tried NOS (which was cr*p: more detail but comparably poor bass) and oversampling. I do think it's down to the sa7220 digital filter though, and not the tda1541a.
I know for certain though that the monster cd63 is streets ahead.
Lee.
I know for certain though that the monster cd63 is streets ahead.
Lee.
Hi Alon.
Yep removed those. I'm probably going to get lynched for this next one, but I don't like the Salas Shunt regs either, lol.
I used my own Series regs mounted really close to the dac itself. Massive psu's and a seperate reg for every rail too.
This has got me thinking though. I'm going to make the cd63 a transport only to start with, which falls in handily with my original plan of doing all the servo mods first anyway.
I can then compare the cd63 against the monster modded cd94 as a transport and see if that tells a story.
Lee.
Yep removed those. I'm probably going to get lynched for this next one, but I don't like the Salas Shunt regs either, lol.
I used my own Series regs mounted really close to the dac itself. Massive psu's and a seperate reg for every rail too.
This has got me thinking though. I'm going to make the cd63 a transport only to start with, which falls in handily with my original plan of doing all the servo mods first anyway.
I can then compare the cd63 against the monster modded cd94 as a transport and see if that tells a story.
Lee.
Lol..not at all each one to there own taste..I personally love the salas shunts.
But then I have not yet heard a fully modded cd63.
I reckon that once you get to a certain level, it becomes more about taste..and everyone is different.
Still wouldn't mind hearing your cd63 once all is complete
Alon
But then I have not yet heard a fully modded cd63.
I reckon that once you get to a certain level, it becomes more about taste..and everyone is different.
Still wouldn't mind hearing your cd63 once all is complete
Alon
Hi Lee
Why did you not like the shunts ? Size... heat ?
I did not realize you built series regs... Would you share some info ?
Regards
Ricardo
Unfortunately I'm all the way down in London
But if there is ever an event happening then let me know..as I would drive up. Being a audio-looney makes you go out of your way sometimes!!
Thanks Lee
I wish you all the best in your build.
Alon
For me Size, heat and the fact that you cant get them on top on the pin you're supplying. I built Oliver's DAC including Salas shunts on the DAC and DEM clock. TBH, my player sounded better with 4 SPowers doing the same and I've needed to go off board for the DAC. I wish I'd never gone down this route! I'm now running 18 decent regs. 4 of them are Salas shunts. The shunts take up more space than 50 SPowers.
I'm sure they are good in the right places but if you want to push beyond, you need small efficient regs not large greedy heaters in your player !
Now there's a can of worms I've opened, but as I'm speaking from my own experience, I'm happy to share my own opinion!
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BTW here's the DAC section with 4 salas shunts
Here's the player transport with 3 SPowers hardly noticable
Here's the Decoder, filter, HF amp, Ram and 2 clocks, all with Spowers or similar
I'm not sure I could fit 6 shunts in the same space and I'm not investing in a water cooling system for my CDP!!!
There you go Recardo!!! you did ask!!
Here's the player transport with 3 SPowers hardly noticable
Here's the Decoder, filter, HF amp, Ram and 2 clocks, all with Spowers or similar
I'm not sure I could fit 6 shunts in the same space and I'm not investing in a water cooling system for my CDP!!!
There you go Recardo!!! you did ask!!
Ian, your DAC looks the business!!!
Lee, I know what you're saying about detail, but I am still a complete sucker for the solid, natural fleshed-out tones of the old 1541 players. The treble aint as clean and the bass not as solid and deep as some but it's music, for sure. I found my CD63s left me just a little bit cold. They could impress but not satisfy.
Lee, I know what you're saying about detail, but I am still a complete sucker for the solid, natural fleshed-out tones of the old 1541 players. The treble aint as clean and the bass not as solid and deep as some but it's music, for sure. I found my CD63s left me just a little bit cold. They could impress but not satisfy.
Hi Ian,
Nice dac
At what current do you run the Salas shunts? I run mine at 200ma and they are just warm...
I will soon be changing my Salas shunts in my dac, they will become salas shunts v1.1 with remote sensing
I also noticed that you have removed the tl431's from the dac board, but left in the relating caps and resistors..any reason for this?
Thanks
Alon
Nice dac
At what current do you run the Salas shunts? I run mine at 200ma and they are just warm...
I will soon be changing my Salas shunts in my dac, they will become salas shunts v1.1 with remote sensing
I also noticed that you have removed the tl431's from the dac board, but left in the relating caps and resistors..any reason for this?
Thanks
Alon
Hi Ian,
Nice dac
At what current do you run the Salas shunts? I run mine at 200ma and they are just warm...
I will soon be changing my Salas shunts in my dac, they will become salas shunts v1.1 with remote sensing
I also noticed that you have removed the tl431's from the dac board, but left in the relating caps and resistors..any reason for this?
Thanks
Alon
The shunt regs are not changed from standard values.
The resistors are on the board but the only end that connects to the supply line is lifted so they are effectively out of circuit. The caps are still on the rails so I have Nichicon LFE (I think) solid polymer caps and Black Gate FK's on the rails.
Dont get me wrong, this set up is awesome, I've just had it sounding better previously!
I think Oliver's latest board with built in mosfet I/V will be better than this mkI board. In my opinion, the supply rails and the I2S traces are way too long.
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I can see the resistors that you have lifted...but im talking about the ones next to the wima caps and nichicon LFE caps(part of the shunt circuitry for the tl431's...i took all of these out(caps and resistors) as i remember Salas saying something about his shunts working best going straight into the load..
If you use a 10ohm resistor for current setting then you will be running 200ma...not sure why yours are running so hot!!! doesnt sound right to me...mine are hardly warm.
Alon
If you use a 10ohm resistor for current setting then you will be running 200ma...not sure why yours are running so hot!!! doesnt sound right to me...mine are hardly warm.
Alon
The supply's are direct and none of the original resistors are in circuit. The LFE's are additional local decoupling. The supply's are linked under the board.
Oh i see!! did'nt realise that the supplies were linked under the board!!! Sorry
This is how i linked my shunts to my dac board.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
