Marantz CD63 Basic upgrade overview / guide

[rss388]

@Fidelity Audio:

Thanks for consolidating such a concise list. I have a CD63MkII that is getting cosmetically challenged and I decided to see if I could upgrade the sound. Basically I did the following:

1. Disabled the HDAM;
2. Upgraded all the power supply caps to low ESR, 105C types, bypassing each one with 0.1 or 0.01 ceramic HF SMD caps directly at the pads;
3. Changed low pass filter caps to 150p polystyrene and the associated filter resistors from 10k to 8.06k 0.01% (happen to have them on hand) and the 27k resistors to 19.6k 0.01% (again, happen to have them on hand);
4. Changed out op amps for sockets and ordered up a bunch of op amps to test.

I have not got to the point of splicing in regulators nor re-clock yet. The sound has already improved tremendously, neutral with tons more details, more bass weight and more coherent sound, to the point of better than my Rega Apollo. My favorite op-amp in this configuration? LM49720.

Thanks to everyone who had over the years experimented and compiled all these results for folks at large like me. Now back to that old CD that I re-discovered...

[Fidelity Audio]

I assume you like LME49720'NA'. If so try the LME49720'HA'. Even though they share the same spec sheet the HA sounds a little more dynamic and controls bass and treble better.

Brent

[peteramp]

Hi Fidelity Audio.
Do you know the pin voltage assignment for the tx on CD 63 pcb offhand? Is there a link on this forum. Thanks.
Cheers Brent.
Peteramp

[Fidelity Audio]

Hi Peter

Go onto Rays website - Ray's Audio Page look at the service manual menu and select - Marantz CD53/63 mkII/SE/KI
Page 6 of the pdf has the wiring for the KI tx which is of course the same as the std ones

Regards
Brent

[peteramp]

Hi Fidelity Audio,
Thanks once again Brent
peteramp

[rss388]

Originally Posted by Fidelity Audio

I assume you like LME49720'NA'. If so try the LME49720'HA'. Even though they share the same spec sheet the HA sounds a little more dynamic and controls bass and treble better.

Brent

I did like the 49720. I did not buy the HA version but I did acquired an assortment of OPA627AU on adapters, OPA627BP on adapters, OPA627BM on adapters, AD797 on adapters, OPA2134 and OPA600 for testing. I ended up choosing between the OPA627AU and OPA627BP. I think the 627 family has overall more neutral sound (with the filter values I have) than the 49720NA. Between the 627 variants I think the advantages of the BP and BM all got masked by the adapters with the longer connection lengths. The AU was cheapest to boot.

[Fidelity Audio]

The 627 is not more neutral. It sounds more neutral in a 63 with not many upgrades. Once upgraded to a decent level you find the 627 is not neutral anymore.

Brent

[rss388]

Originally Posted by Fidelity Audio

The 627 is not more neutral. It sounds more neutral in a 63 with not many upgrades. Once upgraded to a decent level you find the 627 is not neutral anymore.

Brent

I agree the op amp's sound has to be taken in context of its application. I am interested in folks' experience as to which op amps sound more neutral in more upgraded levels.

[Fidelity Audio]

We found the LME49720HA to be every bit as neutral / linear as a Burson opamp on the higher upgrades. The Burson offered that little bit more air to good recordings around the fine treble but the HA gave better dynamics.

Brent

[bleachershane]

Any opinions on the LM4562? I put these in my CD-63SE, my Rotel preamp and many other pieces of equipment as I really like the sound of them?