CD PRO 2 - The making of a high end CD Transport

[Peter Daniel]

Since I finished my Aleph 5 and it's pretty good I thought I might start the construction of a CD transport based on Philips CD Pro 2 mechanism, before I devote my efforts to finishing the GAX (whoever red Aleph-X thread will know what I'm talking about). For more info check the thread Anyone tried Professional DIY PHILIPS CD kit ???
I want to built my unit with rigid suspention and separate power supply. For proper perspective check 47 Laboratory site http://www.sakurasystems.com/products/47transport.html
Eventually I will add no oversampling DAC through I2S based on 6 AD1865 chips. Since I didn't get much feedback in my other thread concerning regulators for digital circuits I will try LT1085 chips and maybe upgrade later. This is all I need for my transport. Check this site often because in response to some e-mails I will be posting more pics as the project developes. I estimate two weeks to complete.

[JoeBob]

Where did you get that CD Pro 2 mechanism? And how much for us up here in canadia? Looks nice, but are those analog sample boxes I see ?

[Peter Daniel]

Here is the link to get it: http://www.daisy-laser.nl/homeoptics/
I think it was around $500 of our currency including shipping and customs. Remember that this transport is used in players selling for $5000 and more. And you are right about those samples.

[Flemming J P]

Only 6 ad1865!! Are thoose N-K or N-J?

Currently I'm building a dac using only one (N-K). I wanted to make it balanced but there is too much work in it and I've don't have a working cd-player, so mabye later.

I'm using LM317/LM337 as regulators in my dac. So far the count is 10 positive regulators and 6 negative.

Good luck with the project, I'm looking forward to reading about it and looking atall the nice pictures

[jleaman]

JoeBob where are you located..


Im in canada too..

Prince Rupert b.c

[oaktsh]

HPotter,

I have just finished building the power supply and testing the cdpro2. The mechanism seems to work terrifically though I can't comment on the sound yet since it is still not mounted on a chassis.
I noticed you are trying to mount the drive mechanism on rigid platform like the "flatfish" you refered to. Do you have any thoughts (advantages/disadvantages) regarding mounting it rigidly versus the spring suspension recommended by philips. I am now contemplating this rigid way of mounting the mechanism myself as it appears quite interesting.

th

[Peter Daniel]

oaktch,

I think I came with pretty good idea, I'm working on it now, post some pictures tomorrow.

[till]

I´m just at the moment finishing my CD PRO 2 CD Player.

I made a very heavy and solid wood case 320*420*90mm with a lexan piece on the top, to see the display, and let in the IR signal from the remote. The transport looks out the lexan piece 5mm to put the CD on it.

I made it as simple as possible.

Costs are about 400Euro + material for chassis and powersupply.

Be shure to build a power supply which gives +5V at turn on before the other voltages, and takes away the other voltages before the +5V at switch off.



Otherway the +9V without +5V may cause damage at the transport, or the -22V without the +5V may cause damage at the driver IC for the display tube.

At the moment its playing Orff, carmina burana.

[yves]

Till,

Thank you for the tip.

Can these lines drive cables to an external dac directly without
buffers at the connectors, ie are buffers already installed
at the existing pcb to drive the cables connected to the
I2S pins?

On a related question, can an external clock (Kwak Klok for eg) be used just to clock the dac if the I2S is used?

thanks in advance
Yv

[Peter Daniel]

Originally posted by oaktsh
HPotter,

I noticed you are trying to mount the drive mechanism on rigid platform like the "flatfish" you refered to. Do you have any thoughts (advantages/disadvantages) regarding mounting it rigidly versus the spring suspension recommended by philips. I am now contemplating this rigid way of mounting the mechanism myself as it appears quite interesting.

th

I modified the mechanism frame to accomplish rigid mounting. The original top base was removed, and new, much bigger base was made out of 3/16" aluminum. I thought of thicker material, but then, picking out the CD would be more difficult. That base will be mounted on a platform made of a composite material with a cutout for the mechanism. There won't be any cover on top or a CD compartment.
One might think that CD compartment with door will somehow isolate CD from external vibrations. After reading review of YBA player in FEB 97 issue of Stereophile I came to different conclusion. They made comparison and used the same player without top cover and both Yves-Bernard (the man behind YBA gear) and Jonathan Scull (whose opinion I value a lot) agreed it sounded better without cover. I can only suspect that vibrations created inside the CD compartment are worse that the ones coming from the outside.