Need cross reference for Theta Data basic II Laser disc\cd player

[gto127]

Does anyone know what sony model crosses to the Theta DATA basic II universal laserdisc/cd player. I know Theta took other people's designs back then & moded the electronics. Mine has a bad cable & bad pick up so I had planned on finding the sony equivilent & changing the whole mechanism. The pickup is a sony. If anyone is knowledgeable of these players any help would be appreciated. Donald

[coloradosound]

I thought the Theta was based on a Pioneer transport?
Maybe Pioneer used the Sony pickup?

[gto127]

You're probably right, I just assumed it was a sony due to the pickup.
Mabye I need to know what Pioneer it crosses to.

[stephensank]

The Theta Data universals I've worked on(and it's been years) have been 100% Sony inside. The nearest Sony model was the MDP-333. The laser is a KHS-130A, which was a terrific laser, HOWEVER, with a very unreliable tilt sensor built onto it, which was not a replaceable part. Tilt sensor goes, whole laser unit has to be replaced. Some players that used the same laser, e.g., Denon LA-2000 I think, actually used the tilt sensor as also a disc-load sensor, so the player would register 'no disc' always when the sensor inevitably crapped out. Don't recall if this was the case on the MDP-333/Theta, but was not the case on the earlier MDP-320/520, where the bad sensor symptom was unpredictable video crosstalk and various mistracking, depending on the disc & where the bad sensor caused the tilt servo to stay fixed at. Dalbani used to sell the KHS-130A, but they don't show stock on it anymore, so you'll have to look around. Trouble with finding an MDP333 to scavenge is that it is 90% likely to have a bad tilt sensor already, so you'd have to find a machine that still plays laserdiscs perfectly to be sure.

[gto127]

Stephen'
Thanks for the info. I'll try to find one of these in good working order. You mentioned Dalbanai I didn't realize they were still in business. They really had some good deals years ago.

[Dr.H]

The DATA II was Sony, but the DATA III was modified Pioneer CLD-99 laser disc player.

[tubenut]

Data basic was a Cd only drive with only the CDpro engine mechanism board from Philips, the rest was theta designed. It uses CDM9pro from philips. The Data LD machines are hotrodded laser disc players from first Philips and then Pioneer, not sure if there was sony in between.

[centaurus3200]

old thread, i know.

i have a Theta Data II that crapped out last year. the front display just keeps blinking - and it's got my stone roses cd stuck in there. THE HORROR! :-(

as far as theta "hot-rodding" the laserdisc players, well, sort of. my data II is basically a Philips CDV-400 LD player. which i a pretty average player with mediocre comb filtering. i ended up getting a free CDV-400 as a stop gap for my dead data II.

turns out when you pop both chassis open, the theta is EXACTLY THE SAME. as the CDV-400. not one fricken cap was upgraded. all theta did was some sort of reclocking by bypassing the spdif on the stock philips board with two theta pcbs bolted to the inside back of the chassis.

comparing the two (meaning remembering how my data II sounded before it died, the CDV-400 sounds like 95% just as good. in fact, nearly the same. the theta did have more impact and slightly less harsh high frequencies. most likely from their reclocking scheme.

the data III was based on a Pioneer CLD-D703/4. which is basically the Elite CLD-79, but without the nifty shiny plastic front panel. i think the comb filtering might be better on the 79 as well.

i ended up saying "screw it" to both the philps and the data II players and bought a used Pioneer Elite CLD-79 as a transport through my Theta DSPro GEN III DAC. doubt it sounds much different than a data III - and i got it for $100.

see ya,
Robby

[stephensank]

Have not seen that DataII, but the DataII versions I have worked on(torturously) were bone stock Sony MDP-333 dropped into a nigh-unserviceable bucket chassis, with, as you observed, nothing but the crappy little Theta output boards added.

However, if you really want a super nice transport, the Pioneer CLD-95 is BY FAR the best Pioneer ever made(I say better than the PD-S95), provided you make the simple mod of adding a properly run coax digital output from the YM3813 DIT chip. It far better built than the CLD99/etc., far more reliable, and just drop dead gorgeous, too. Only better tranport than a coax-equipped CLD-95, in my view, is the C-Lock version of the Meitner Museatex CDD.

[centaurus3200]

Thanks for the info Stephen.

yeah, the CLD-95 is beautiful and built like a tank. i'll keep an eye out for a cheap one. but i still like to watch laserdiscs when i want to relive the 1990's ;-)

and from a video standpoint, the CLD-79 has a much better picture, from my understanding than the older CLD-95.

but you are right. the higher-end pioneer LD players make better transports than most audiophile snake-oil ;-)

i assume you've seen this site:
Theta

see ya,
Robby

Originally Posted by stephensank

Have not seen that DataII, but the DataII versions I have worked on(torturously) were bone stock Sony MDP-333 dropped into a nigh-unserviceable bucket chassis, with, as you observed, nothing but the crappy little Theta output boards added.

However, if you really want a super nice transport, the Pioneer CLD-95 is BY FAR the best Pioneer ever made(I say better than the PD-S95), provided you make the simple mod of adding a properly run coax digital output from the YM3813 DIT chip. It far better built than the CLD99/etc., far more reliable, and just drop dead gorgeous, too. Only better tranport than a coax-equipped CLD-95, in my view, is the C-Lock version of the Meitner Museatex CDD.