Is this a real TDA1541A?

[AndrewE]

Originally Posted by studiostevus

Seems the print is yellowish??.

May just be the photo ..... its from a (UK) name that has been recommended on here 'little and diode together'.....but not sure its worth the risk?

[DAC2011]

Originally Posted by LucasAdamson

This is what a genuine TDA1541A S1 Double Crown looks like.

This one is inside an unmodified Naim CD3 I have here. The machine is for sale for the right price

Are you sure? That 1541 looks rather fake to me. The 's1' is displaced and it looks like the font used for the 's1' writing is not correct.
Besides, i have never seen the 2 crows on a horizontal line...

This is my TDA1541A S1 double crown:



Philips TDA1541A S1 double crown d/a converter

[LucasAdamson]

Well, I just opened the box and there it is. The machine was bought new and has just come out of storage. The solder is perfect. Yes, I am sure.

I have read that all the best measuring S1s were given a crown, and only later these S1 were re-measured and the best of the best given the second crown, hence the slight change in crown printing. I guess then they started printing both crowns together like yours (unless yours is a fake )

Regardless, it's appearance in a very old and excellent Naim CD3 is a pretty good certification I am thinking. Normally they put single crowns in these machines, but I have heard of one other CD3 with a double crown. Pretty rare stuff, eh?

[LucasAdamson]

I quote somebody on this forum:

"S1 double crowns are S1 single crowns which have been re-tested at a later date and found to meet the S2 double crown specification. This explains why the second crown printing doesn't match the first one - the second crown was printed on a different machine."

I'll grant you though, it is most unusual. I cannot find another with this same printing on Google images.

I am guessing that Naim bought only from Phillips directly (and requested their best available chips - all S1 crowns usually) so we can say that this is not only a most excellent chip, but also very rare indeed, perhaps one of the earliest ever double crowns.

[LucasAdamson]

Here's a macro photo, which I'll admit may pose as many questions as it answers, but unless Naim were in the habit of buying fakes (did they even exist in the early 90's?) this is most certainly genuine and rare as hen's teeth, even before you consider the unusual printing.

[Amauta]

Take a look on the picture on post #143 in this thread:

Is this a real TDA1541A?

Same S1 with 2 crowns, and 100% sure that it is original.

[Amauta]

Another picture:

[LucasAdamson]

Thanks Amauta! Great news. That's the first other pic of this kind I've found. If Franz Gysi of Studer has many NOS of these identical pieces, it proves it is genuine.