Unfortunately there are no tweaks in this article. They only talk about the different versions of the PS, like the PS 1 and the PS One.
Some audiophiles seem to prefer the old version. The oldest version even had a RCA (Cinch) output.
I use a PS One with an adapter (made by Sony) which enables me to hook up different kinds of interconnects. So far I am quite astonished about the sound!!!
Some audiophiles seem to prefer the old version. The oldest version even had a RCA (Cinch) output.
I use a PS One with an adapter (made by Sony) which enables me to hook up different kinds of interconnects. So far I am quite astonished about the sound!!!
I have a old PS1 with proper audio outputs, the CD sound is
very definitely "processed" and appears to suit valve equipment
or certain types of systems well, mainly valve / analogue based.
My Cambridge Audio CD4SE is simply far superior.
(But it is extremely good)
I would expect the latest PS1 to be quite different.
sreten.
very definitely "processed" and appears to suit valve equipment
or certain types of systems well, mainly valve / analogue based.
My Cambridge Audio CD4SE is simply far superior.
(But it is extremely good)
I would expect the latest PS1 to be quite different.
sreten.
Hi sreten,
Glad to hear that you like the CD4SE, as far as I know it was one of the first audio products to use OSCON caps, also DUAL differential CS4327 & decent Clock – this, and the ISOmagic where the best products I got to design for Cambridge Audio.
I think you will find it far superior to most products below 1K, and many above…
If for any reason you ever wish to sell it, I would be more then happy to buy it – I’ve seem to have lost track of my prototype units
JohnW
Glad to hear that you like the CD4SE, as far as I know it was one of the first audio products to use OSCON caps, also DUAL differential CS4327 & decent Clock – this, and the ISOmagic where the best products I got to design for Cambridge Audio.
I think you will find it far superior to most products below 1K, and many above…
If for any reason you ever wish to sell it, I would be more then happy to buy it – I’ve seem to have lost track of my prototype units
JohnW
Hi Mark,
I designed the Isomagic back in 95, as with the CD4SE prototypes, I've lost track of the circuit diagrams - however dispite the years, much of the circuit is still in my head (unlike the hair that should have been on top of my head)...
Ask away and I sould be able to answer why- what etc etc.. also if you really get stuck I could redraw some circuit sections...
I know some HARD Hi-Fi enthusiasts - and I mean HARD - I can only spend half a day with them before I need a real swift JD & Coke, they use modified Isomagics (2 boards connected together to make separate L & R units) and have found nothing that betters them - even today.
JohnW
I designed the Isomagic back in 95, as with the CD4SE prototypes, I've lost track of the circuit diagrams - however dispite the years, much of the circuit is still in my head (unlike the hair that should have been on top of my head)...
Ask away and I sould be able to answer why- what etc etc.. also if you really get stuck I could redraw some circuit sections...
I know some HARD Hi-Fi enthusiasts - and I mean HARD - I can only spend half a day with them before I need a real swift JD & Coke, they use modified Isomagics (2 boards connected together to make separate L & R units) and have found nothing that betters them - even today.
JohnW
John, may I say a belated thank you for the CD4SE!
Unfortunately, I tried putting in another clock, not realising at the time that the standard article was also modified. Anyway after taking out the modifed clock and reinstalling the original, it wouldn't work.
Somebody kindly offered to take a look at it for me and I duly sent it off in the safe hands of Parcel Force (or should it be Farce?) but it never arrived. I got my 200 UKP compensation but by then it was too late to buy a replacement CD4SE
Amazingly, a few months later, I had a phone call from a guy who said that he had found the CD4SE dumped in a skip outside a factory. He had rung me as my original letter to the potential repairer was still in the box but he claimed the player was too far gone to be worth having back.
The CD4SE was simply high end with a capital H and E and with hindsight, I wish that I had never opened the case! ! It all made me consider giving up the DIY approach but I am glad to say that I persevered and now enjoy a modifed CD723, either on its own, or with a recently built NOS 1543 (DacKit) DAC.
Unfortunately, I tried putting in another clock, not realising at the time that the standard article was also modified. Anyway after taking out the modifed clock and reinstalling the original, it wouldn't work.
Somebody kindly offered to take a look at it for me and I duly sent it off in the safe hands of Parcel Force (or should it be Farce?) but it never arrived. I got my 200 UKP compensation but by then it was too late to buy a replacement CD4SE
Amazingly, a few months later, I had a phone call from a guy who said that he had found the CD4SE dumped in a skip outside a factory. He had rung me as my original letter to the potential repairer was still in the box but he claimed the player was too far gone to be worth having back.
The CD4SE was simply high end with a capital H and E and with hindsight, I wish that I had never opened the case! ! It all made me consider giving up the DIY approach but I am glad to say that I persevered and now enjoy a modifed CD723, either on its own, or with a recently built NOS 1543 (DacKit) DAC.
JohnW said:
Greetings JohnW,
Last weekend I finally picked up a second hand DISCmagic to partner with the ISOmagic I have been using for a couple of years. I got it mainly for the SYncLock which I feel makes a significant difference - the old but true feeling that your hearing things you never heard before.
Any views on transports to partner this DAC ? (should my DISCmagic not last). I think PT did a Transport which features the same feature and while also Arcam did something similar the frequency was different.
FWIW, my PSX (late old model with adapter) beats both NAD CD540 and 541i on sheer musical grounds; while it obviously lacks in treble resolution and bass weight in comparison, it gets the musical things (involvement) right. Nothing that couldn't be improved with a better PSU, I reckon.
Best regards,
Oliver
Best regards,
Oliver
Nuuk,
As a designer, its always nice to hear listeners opinions of your design – even better when their positive
Sorry to hear about the fate of your CD4SE, from what I know, I guess less then 2500 units where ever made – a real shames, despite the CS4327 not being the best DAC, the CD4SE was way above anything in its price league (Even sub £1000?)….
Jives11 & PeterM
Sorry for not responding to your emails, I’m just debugging a new design (after more then 10 years R&D) – so to all intensive purposes life ceases to exist elsewhere…. If you can understand my meaning…
Once I’ve return to quote - “civilization”, I will post some circuits and modifications – Good luck with the Disc Magic – it was never the best Disk reader – but it does allow “Clock Lock” – which takes the ISOmagic to a new level.
Jives11,
As the clock is now internal to the ISOmagic (so independent to SPDIF Jitter), try using an optical cable also for the SPDIF (digital), it offers RF isolation – and should improve the sound – it would be interesting to hear what you prefer.
John
As a designer, its always nice to hear listeners opinions of your design – even better when their positive
Sorry to hear about the fate of your CD4SE, from what I know, I guess less then 2500 units where ever made – a real shames, despite the CS4327 not being the best DAC, the CD4SE was way above anything in its price league (Even sub £1000?)….
Jives11 & PeterM
Sorry for not responding to your emails, I’m just debugging a new design (after more then 10 years R&D) – so to all intensive purposes life ceases to exist elsewhere…. If you can understand my meaning…
Once I’ve return to quote - “civilization”, I will post some circuits and modifications – Good luck with the Disc Magic – it was never the best Disk reader – but it does allow “Clock Lock” – which takes the ISOmagic to a new level.
Jives11,
As the clock is now internal to the ISOmagic (so independent to SPDIF Jitter), try using an optical cable also for the SPDIF (digital), it offers RF isolation – and should improve the sound – it would be interesting to hear what you prefer.
John
sreten said:I have a old PS1 with proper audio outputs, the CD sound is
very definitely "processed" and appears to suit valve equipment
or certain types of systems well, mainly valve / analogue based.
My Cambridge Audio CD4SE is simply far superior.
(But it is extremely good)
I would expect the latest PS1 to be quite different.
The only "good" Playstation is the PS 1 (TYP SCPH - 1002) not the PSONE . The TYP SCPH - 1002 is the oldest one (Look at the bottem!).
All the others are not as good than this.
s700 isomagic
I know this thread is supposed to be about the PS but some people seem to have started talking about the isomagic DAC.
I bought one last week for £30 at a Richer sounds open box sale . Unfortunatly is didnt come with the power supply 
could someone tell me what voltages this thing needs to work.
Thanks
Mark
I know this thread is supposed to be about the PS but some people seem to have started talking about the isomagic DAC.
I bought one last week for £30 at a Richer sounds open box sale
. Unfortunatly is didnt come with the power supply could someone tell me what voltages this thing needs to work.
Thanks
Mark
My ISOmagic PSU "brick" came looking as if some post production mod had been done on it. The plastic box appeared to have been crudely melted together and two cable ties wrapped around the whole thing. The ISOmagic is internally very well made. I wondered if some retro work had to be done beyond the factory on the external power supplies?
I was always puzzelled why these units were reviewed years ago in What HiFi but only appeared belatedly in Richer Sounds and then reduced. Was it that the whole two box player approach was out of fashion by then I wonder ?
Anyway - very happy with mine
I was always puzzelled why these units were reviewed years ago in What HiFi but only appeared belatedly in Richer Sounds and then reduced. Was it that the whole two box player approach was out of fashion by then I wonder ?
Anyway - very happy with mine
Thanks for the replies,
JohnW,
there are 8 wires that connect to the PCB from the 8 pin power connector on the DAC.
Three go to the rear left of the PCB and 3 go to the rear right of the PCB. the two remaining wires connect somewhere near the centre of the PCB.
Could you (or anyone) tell me which of these are supposed to be +/- 15v.
when you say that the digital supply is +12v to +15VDC, do you mean that this supply can be anything between the 2 voltages mentioned?
Thanks for your help
Mark
JohnW,
there are 8 wires that connect to the PCB from the 8 pin power connector on the DAC.
Three go to the rear left of the PCB and 3 go to the rear right of the PCB. the two remaining wires connect somewhere near the centre of the PCB.
Could you (or anyone) tell me which of these are supposed to be +/- 15v.
when you say that the digital supply is +12v to +15VDC, do you mean that this supply can be anything between the 2 voltages mentioned?
Thanks for your help
Mark
Isomagic modifications
I need a summer project, and want to tweak my discmagic and isomagic before I go back to university. What are the best tweaks for the isomagic? I would really like to hear about the details for the 2 box isomagic set-up. that sounds awesome! The easiest tweaks for the discmagic I've found so far are covering the transport in blu-tac (no more problems with 80min cd-r!) and lining the case with plenty of dynamat. More damping needs to be added inside the case of the isomagic, as all I can see are a few foam strips.
Any ideas?
I need a summer project, and want to tweak my discmagic and isomagic before I go back to university. What are the best tweaks for the isomagic? I would really like to hear about the details for the 2 box isomagic set-up. that sounds awesome! The easiest tweaks for the discmagic I've found so far are covering the transport in blu-tac (no more problems with 80min cd-r!) and lining the case with plenty of dynamat. More damping needs to be added inside the case of the isomagic, as all I can see are a few foam strips.
Any ideas?
JohnW said:If for any reason you ever wish to sell it, I would be more then happy to buy it – I’ve seem to have lost track of my prototype units
((I saw this post come up in a Google search))
They are available.
I have just bought one from Ebay for £50 and there were a few more for sale.
Many thanks indeed for designing it.
I'm delighted with it
I had an isomagic, sold it not too long ago for £140, it was good but didnt give me anymore than my Arcam (only because thats good anyway)
Johns making an appearance in an ebay item at the moment, perhaps a % is due to you John for the use of your name !!!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CAMBRIDGE-AUD...oryZ3272QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Johns making an appearance in an ebay item at the moment, perhaps a % is due to you John for the use of your name !!!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CAMBRIDGE-AUD...oryZ3272QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
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