Can any of you Germans tell what the May 2003 IMAGE HIFI said about PSone?

[leadbelly]

I've been searching the net for PSone tweaks after a poster mentioned here the the PSone is used in one or more German audiophile CDP products. By tweaks I mean anything to make it a better CDP.

Did the May 2003 issue of IMAGE HIFI give any tweaks? Anybody know of any tweaks? Thanks.

[Kal]

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!!!

[sreten]

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.

[JohnW]

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

[Stones]

Originally posted by JohnW
ISOmagic where the best products I got to design for Cambridge Audio.

JohnW

Hi John,

would you still happen to have the isomagic diagram, and if so please could you sent it on?

[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

[Nuuk]

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.

[jives11]

Originally posted by 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

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.

[coredump]

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

[JohnW]

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