Thomson LAD500 CDP Should I fix this or junk it?

Ronj · 23rd July 2012, 01:20 AM

This 3Disk CD player was my kitchen component player for few years now. I picked this player next to nothing few years back but any attempt in getting some info about it failed miserably... I kind of always liked its sound... But never critically listened it, or used it with half decent gear or did a A/B test to see how good it actually is.. I was running an old Pioneer SX636 receiver and two small Technics bookshelf speakers with it..

Today something popped inside and it stopped working. So I anyway decided to open it up and take a look. And while I was at it, I started thinking whether I should recapp and give this player a new life? I opened it as took out the board and here are the chips I found inside

Sanyo LC78835M :- 8X Oversampling DAC
Sony CXD2500BQ :- CD Digital Signal Processor
Sony CXA1372AQ:- RF Signal Processing Servo Amp
ST L272M :- Dual Power OP-AMPs
ST LM339N :- Low-power quad voltage comparators
BA4558 :- Dual OP-Amps
All electrolytic caps are Rubycon or Panasonic.

I understand that Op-Amps like BA4558 is very very entry level. How about the DAC? Sanyo LC78835M is it very mediocre too? What do you think of the expected quality from the component selection such as above? By the way it has a nice power supply with E-I core transformer and two 4800MFD Panasonic Caps as power supply filter caps. Out put is through a RCA cable.

This is the unit

Attached are some pics of the PCB

Ronj · 24th July 2012, 10:11 AM

I think this is so mediocre that no one wants to even comment :P

PlasticIsGood · 24th July 2012, 03:09 PM

Nobody's interested in my Aiwa, either

Why doesn't your Thomson work? There seems little point in discussing its merits until the fault is identified.

If it can be fixed and made reliable, then at least it would serve its current purpose.

Beyond that, much depends on the circuit, and you probably won't be able to find a diagram. There are many cheaply available machines that are well documented and of known quality.

I find reliable cheap commodity players really interesting, but they aren't usually worth improving. Get it working reliably, listen critically and then decide if it's worth a recap and perhaps an opamp swap.

Ronj · 13th August 2012, 03:33 PM

I fixed it... It was a mammoth task... took a whole weekend... I recapped all electrolytic-caps too.. Total component cost under USD$25 including an OPamp upgrade. NE5532P was used after a socket installed instead of BA4558. It sounds better now...

erin · 16th August 2012, 07:04 AM

LC7880 is quite a nice sounding DAC chip.

Ronj · 16th August 2012, 08:45 AM

Yes, I found it pretty decent sounding when A/B'd with a Marantz 5001. The chip on my set is Sanyo LC78835M.

23rd July 2012, 01:20 AM	#1
Ronj diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Singapore	Thomson LAD500 CDP Should I fix this or junk it? This 3Disk CD player was my kitchen component player for few years now. I picked this player next to nothing few years back but any attempt in getting some info about it failed miserably... I kind of always liked its sound... But never critically listened it, or used it with half decent gear or did a A/B test to see how good it actually is.. I was running an old Pioneer SX636 receiver and two small Technics bookshelf speakers with it.. Today something popped inside and it stopped working. So I anyway decided to open it up and take a look. And while I was at it, I started thinking whether I should recapp and give this player a new life? I opened it as took out the board and here are the chips I found inside Sanyo LC78835M :- 8X Oversampling DAC Sony CXD2500BQ :- CD Digital Signal Processor Sony CXA1372AQ:- RF Signal Processing Servo Amp ST L272M :- Dual Power OP-AMPs ST LM339N :- Low-power quad voltage comparators BA4558 :- Dual OP-Amps All electrolytic caps are Rubycon or Panasonic. I understand that Op-Amps like BA4558 is very very entry level. How about the DAC? Sanyo LC78835M is it very mediocre too? What do you think of the expected quality from the component selection such as above? By the way it has a nice power supply with E-I core transformer and two 4800MFD Panasonic Caps as power supply filter caps. Out put is through a RCA cable. This is the unit Attached are some pics of the PCB

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24th July 2012, 10:11 AM	#2
Ronj diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Singapore	I think this is so mediocre that no one wants to even comment :P

24th July 2012, 03:09 PM	#3
PlasticIsGood diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Bradford	Nobody's interested in my Aiwa, either Why doesn't your Thomson work? There seems little point in discussing its merits until the fault is identified. If it can be fixed and made reliable, then at least it would serve its current purpose. Beyond that, much depends on the circuit, and you probably won't be able to find a diagram. There are many cheaply available machines that are well documented and of known quality. I find reliable cheap commodity players really interesting, but they aren't usually worth improving. Get it working reliably, listen critically and then decide if it's worth a recap and perhaps an opamp swap.

13th August 2012, 03:33 PM	#4
Ronj diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Singapore	I fixed it... It was a mammoth task... took a whole weekend... I recapped all electrolytic-caps too.. Total component cost under USD$25 including an OPamp upgrade. NE5532P was used after a socket installed instead of BA4558. It sounds better now...

16th August 2012, 07:04 AM	#5
erin diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: http://www.makeitpossible.com/	LC7880 is quite a nice sounding DAC chip.

16th August 2012, 08:45 AM	#6
Ronj diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Singapore	Yes, I found it pretty decent sounding when A/B'd with a Marantz 5001. The chip on my set is Sanyo LC78835M.