TEAC VRDS T1

[Spirou]

Hello diyAudio!

My first post here and I've got a TEAC VRDS T1 transport that´s working fine, but I'm thinking about to try to modifiy it to get a bit of clearer soundstage.

Thoughts about to

• maybe change the clock
  change capacitors
  shield with copper
  change powercord
  maybe change or upgrade the power supply

Read some threads here about the VRDS machines and problems. Looking forward to some respond for my ideas about this working machine.

[kevinkr]

I'd think a better dac would be a more profitable direction to pursue, as I recall this was a pretty well engineered transport - not convinced most "audiophile" mods are necessarily going to be an improvement. Probably time though to replace electrolytic capacitors.

Clock replacement might be worth looking at, if doing so probably reclocking the spdif output would be worthwhile.

For an alternative viewpoint check this out: http://lampizator.eu/LAMPIZATOR/REFE...1/VRDS-T1.html

[Spirou]

Thanks for your fast response kevinkr!

At the moment I'm using my Meridian 203 DAC, but I've also tried my T1 with Bremen License No.1 DAC (improved Forsell Air Reference DAC) and I think that it sounded quite nice with it as it is, but because I'm an audiophile and like to improve my listening I been thinking about to try and modify it a bit. By the looks my T1 is standard from factory and still working fine as I described above.

Replacement of the capacitors would (off course) be an easier job for me then the change of the clock, if needed. I'm not to experienced about all of this but would like to make it a bit better.

[kevinkr]

Possibly acquiring a unit further up the line would be a better investment of your time and effort, truthfully other than the clock and some mechanical improvements that will require a good machinist I can't see a lot that you can easily "upgrade" if you are not equipped with the hardware and knowledge to vet each change as you make it. The clock might literally be the one change you could make that would be of some benefit, possibly better still would be to generate the clock in the dac and slave the transport clock to the dac clock.

A new highly rigid bridge supporting the motor and disk assembly would be a potential improvement, and anything else you can do to reduce disk vibration and the amount of work potentially that the focus servo has to do might or might not result in an audible improvement.

The thing already has presumably quiet linear power supplies.

[kevinkr]

Another potential idea might to be to check out the Shigaclone thread, I believe there are a group of fellows putting together a new board set expressly based on the hardware discussed in this thread. I've got a variant and it is quite a decent transport and has run fine for a number of years since I built it, the T1 could be used as a reference of comparison.

The other possibility is building an inexpensive computer based media server with an asynchronous USB interface for your dacs - this is my preferred route, and I think this works better*, and is more flexible than a cd transport.

I hate to say it but I believe my media player through a Stello U3 asynchronous interface into my diy dac actually does a better job with redbook audio of recovering low level detail and localizing instruments in a mix than the shigaclone does, and the server supports dsd and pcm out to 384K at 32 bits, the external hardware doesn't yet, but will..

[GaryB]

Originally Posted by Spirou

Hello diyAudio!

My first post here and I've got a TEAC VRDS T1 transport that´s working fine, but I'm thinking about to try to modifiy it to get a bit of clearer soundstage.

Read some threads here about the VRDS machines and problems. Looking forward to some respond for my ideas about this working machine.

I've got a VRDS T1 which I upgraded many years ago with an improved clock and digital output stage from G&D transforms. That company is long out of business but it's still a fine sounding unit. I don't use it too much since I've ripped all my CDs to my computer and use a Squeezebox to listen to them.

Here's another article showing how one person treated their T1:
http://www.audiocraftersguild.com/AandE/teac-doo.pdf

---Gary

[Spirou]

I'm going to read the Shigaclone thread, and I'm going to use the T1 I have and try to get the most of it.

[kevinkr]

I think tinkering with the T1 is a reasonable approach, and I think you will find the Shigaclone thread interesting as an approach.

The clock really is likely to be the biggest bang for the buck. I'd look at the Tent Clock as a reasonably priced alternative (and a good performer) to some of the insanely priced clock kits. Not sure that any of the reasonably priced clock kits on eBay are even worth considering, it takes some real engineering prowess to design a really low jitter clock, and the implementation requires a solid understanding of good high speed digital layout technique/board design which seems to be sorely lacking - one hint would be to run from any recent digital implementation that uses a significant number of through hole parts. (lead inductance, stray capacitance)

[Spirou]

Great thanks Gary, saved the pdf.

I like the T1, but I use a HTPC and a Sony CDP-X5000 to.

[Spirou]

Lots of stuff to look at now, big thanks! Going to read about these tips from you guys after I got some sleep.