Da-capo issue (John W?)

[siglov]

I've got a DaCapo minus filter and input cards. Main board is US. Do you want the case? PM me.

Clive

[rikRMD]

Newbie here

The DaCapo I have has the 24-20 bit module current installed

I presume this is the 24 Bit module and not 20bit?

Also what price does a HDCD module normally go for ?
Thanks


Rick

[Tammy]

Hi,

RE-Fault in Dacapo

I wander if you can help me. I have a DaCapo with HDCD and 1307 which was purchased on 1995. Since few months ago, the gain has dropped suddenly and it has come back few minutes later. The level of drop on the right channel is worse than the left channel. There is no synchronization of drops between left and right. The power supplies were OK and the all connections on the PCB were cleaned . HDCD and 1307 make same problems, so, I believe the filters are OK. I expect the problem is in the DA converter. Is any suggestions?

The DaCapo has been using the part of my reference system for projects. I have been trying to find a similar CD player at the local shops in UK. So far I couldn’t find any. The details of sounds are so poor. So, I have started to consider repairing Dacapo.

Regards, Tammy

[Tammy]

Hi,

I have a DaCapo with HDCD and 1307 which was purchased on 1995. Since few months ago, the gain has dropped suddenly and it has come back few minutes later. The level of drop on the right channel is worse than the left channel. There is no synchronization of drops between left and right. The power supplies were OK and all connections on the PCB were cleaned. HDCD and 1307 make same problems, so, I believe the filters are OK. I expect the problem is in the DA converter. Is any suggestions?

The DaCapo has been using the part of my reference system for projects. I have been trying to find a similar CD player at the local shops in UK. So far I couldn’t find any. The details of sounds are so poor. So, I have started to consider repairing Dacapo.

Regards, Tammy

[rasp]

hello guys,

just on the off chance, does anyone have a spare da capo input card?

[Pass lover]

Hi

Could someone let me know whether the new Dacapo (may be with a new name) of John W is on sale?

I have been followed this post since 2006. Then having been waiting for the new design untill 2009.

There was nothing happen. Being annoyed, I posted my thread in 2009-Please have a look at:
Da-capo issue (John W?)

Now April 2012, (to me nearly 6 years now, to the others may be more than 6 years), some one please tell where is the new product to replace Dacapo?

AFAIK, someone said the new one would be better than Dacapo+battery??!?!?!?

[rob g]

John W will tell you that he genuinely believes he has far surpassed that design both with the Audiolab M Dac and the 8200CDQ/DQ. These are both his babies, lock stock and barrel.
8200CDQ - Audiolab
Top of the line version of the Sabre 32 DAC's, brand new filters.

"John is convinced that the 8200CD and 8200CDQ are the finest CD players he has ever designed."

Also here:
Da-capo issue (John W?)
He will happily tell you so in person too.

Page 72:
"And yes - I very much consider the CD / CDQ to be a Dacapo beater - with lack of digital glare! I have yet to hear any disagreement with this statement – how you not notice the number of Dacapo systems that have come up on EBay recently…"

[IanAS]

I read a comment he made more recently that was something like: those AudioLab items sounded cold hard and not good to listen to.

There was something over the early impressive number being down graded due to some reason I forgot. I lost interest. How can anyone, even for Chinese money, make a no compromise DAC and analogue stage for a BOM of what I read between the lines was £40 or so? He commented they said no to him adding a 50cent switch to add some features. They did what they could for the target price.

I just spent nearing £80 (UK parts cost) on parts for a low compromise headphone amp with not many parts. And that didn't include a power supply, case or disc spinning mechanism.

What is being referred to is something John talked about a few years ago where he planned to use a 'discrete' DAC of his own to make a new Dacapo, rather than the Sabre chip which came a bit later. After then I seem to recall John said he still had a plan to make a discrete design and sell it to enthusiasts in these threads.

[rob g]

Originally Posted by IanAS

I read a comment he made more recently that was something like: those AudioLab items sounded cold hard and not good to listen to..

Not his own design for Audiolab. He was referring to old school Audiolab designs, totally different from the CDQ. John is hugely proud of the design and the Mdac. Rightly so.
John is not so keen on the large monoblocks apparently designed by Mr self, he says those are cold. He actually likes the Audiolab 8200p amp, which he says sounds sweeter.

Originally Posted by IanAS

There was something over the early impressive number being down graded due to some reason I forgot.

S/N over RCA being slightly lower than originally mooted perhaps? Virtually irrelevant but if you want incredibly good S/N ratio (above and way beyond requirements) use the XLR hook up.

Originally Posted by IanAS

I lost interest. How can anyone, even for Chinese money, make a no compromise DAC and analogue stage for a BOM of what I read between the lines was £40 or so? He commented they said no to him adding a 50cent switch to add some features. They did what they could for the target price.

heh heh, £40, rubbish.

Originally Posted by IanAS

I just spent nearing £80 (UK parts cost) on parts for a low compromise headphone amp with not many parts. And that didn't include a power supply, case or disc spinning mechanism.

I have spent money on specific parts like this myself. Comparing your paltry specialist order of parts to mass produced product benefiting from massive economies of scale and (yes lets face it) painfully cheap labour is absurd.

Originally Posted by IanAS

What is being referred to is something John talked about a few years ago where he planned to use a 'discrete' DAC of his own to make a new Dacapo, rather than the Sabre chip which came a bit later. After then I seem to recall John said he still had a plan to make a discrete design and sell it to enthusiasts in these threads.

Okay, it would be nice to see this happen, if John feels the market is strong enough to justify the investment. CDQ has been compared favorably technically and subjectively with players three to five times its price. The feature set is extreme useful. Even the headphone amp sounds excellent.
John has been incredibly active on forums regarding the CDQ and Mdac. He strongly recommends the use of high quality transparent loudspeakers. He wants people to hear the units at their best naturally.

[IanAS]

Originally Posted by rob g

heh heh, £40, rubbish.

Do you know the actual BOM then? As a rule of thumb, it is, or was, 'retail is 10 times parts cost'. John mentioned £400 retail at one point.

That would have been British Hi-Fi industry rule of thumb though so as these items are Chinese the the margin might be greater? Maybe 20 x BOM? They're in it to make money, the industry that is, that's the whole point. The retailer often takes half the final figure or more so there has to be a massive mark up or the designers and manufacturers wouldn't make anything out of it!

By BOM I mean parts cost and not including labour, shipping, etc.

Originally Posted by rob g

Comparing your paltry specialist order of parts to mass produced product benefiting from massive economies of scale and (yes lets face it) painfully cheap labour is absurd.

£80 for a few parts vs. an entire player for maybe £40 even in 'Chinese' money and scale. And you're saying they didn't count the beans and make these items to a cost, necessarily leaving out some quality. Of course they did. And anyway John said it. He did his best to get them to allow him to do as much as he could get them to.

I personally have not heard this range and am not dissing them and can't comment on their value for money or relative quality. I was following this thread for the last few years as I was hoping for a no compromise enthusiast product, ie, something more than eventually arrived. As perhaps were others here.

You appear to be trying hard to 'sell' this Brand. Are you a dealer? I don't care if you are, but do try and keep a balanced view This is the Do It Yourself Audio forum after all and, as many people here are pretty technically clued up and even working or designing in the industry, sales pitches tend to fall flat