Marantz CD63 & CD67 mods list

[SimontY]

Originally posted by markk02474
I'm open to suggestions on new exploits. Perhaps around the servo and RF amp sections? I'd like to keep the complications down and not add extra circuits. Mostly I want to keep it working!

Good work there! How about some Black Gate caps, even just one for the DAC analogue?

How about silver mica or polystyrene caps and precision resistors around the servo and RF and HF amps? This is lined up as one of my next mods for sure.

You could shield the logic and driver chips, and perhaps do some coax runs.

Beyond that you really need to add some separate regs to make it super-duper, and reclock it.

Simon

[Fidelity Audio]

Originally posted by markk02474


I'm open to suggestions on new exploits. Perhaps around the servo and RF amp sections? I'd like to keep the complications down and not add extra circuits. Mostly I want to keep it working!

I would remove the head phone section if you dont listen to head phones, a nice waste of silmics otherwise.
Also you need a good clock and then work on seperate regs.Thats when the player really starts to push the realms of what this player can do.

Brent

[Fidelity Audio]

Originally posted by adfinni

It works properly without being dead

Excellent

Brent

[Malefoda]

Mornin,
you're all feelin' I've dampen too much the CDP? Maybe I'll remove the side top plate bitumen (may help take some heat out).
I think if main is a point to master that this should be one problem. At my previous flat in a big town it show 238 V all the time, and maybe once a day it show 237.8.
Right now within one minute it changes from 220 to 225, and if the meter is looked for several minutes it can show from 217 (never seen less) to 232. And the winter days, time (change of one hour to change the load on powerplant) seems to be the strating point of my "downgrade" feeling...
I'll have a look in the Arcam.
Does my all CDP lines caps upgrade may have done harm to sound? I've put my left Elna RJH 120/16 beside the OPAmp (feeding lines) and at the HPhone socket. All are 100n PPS bypassed...
Thanks Simon and Brent, and all others!

[Fidelity Audio]

Originally posted by Malefoda
Mornin,
you're all feelin' I've dampen too much the CDP? Maybe I'll remove the side top plate bitumen (may help take some heat out).
I think if main is a point to master that this should be one problem. At my previous flat in a big town it show 238 V all the time, and maybe once a day it show 237.8.
Right now within one minute it changes from 220 to 225, and if the meter is looked for several minutes it can show from 217 (never seen less) to 232. And the winter days, time (change of one hour to change the load on powerplant) seems to be the strating point of my "downgrade" feeling...
I'll have a look in the Arcam.
Does my all CDP lines caps upgrade may have done harm to sound? I've put my left Elna RJH 120/16 beside the OPAmp (feeding lines) and at the HPhone socket. All are 100n PPS bypassed...
Thanks Simon and Brent, and all others!

Before you remove any damping take the lid off and run it without. If it improves then maybe it is the damping.

I find Blackgate are the best caps to use for the opamps. Also the 16v 220uF silmics are pretty good here.

Swap one bit at a time

Brent

[SimontY]

Originally posted by Malefoda
Mornin,
you're all feelin' I've dampen too much the CDP? Maybe I'll remove the side top plate bitumen (may help take some heat out).
I think if main is a point to master that this should be one problem. At my previous flat in a big town it show 238 V all the time, and maybe once a day it show 237.8.
Right now within one minute it changes from 220 to 225, and if the meter is looked for several minutes it can show from 217 (never seen less) to 232. And the winter days, time (change of one hour to change the load on powerplant) seems to be the strating point of my "downgrade" feeling...

Maybe look at that after everything else as it's messy. Bitumen is a pain to remove. Your mains would appear to have taken a downgrade if it's fluctuating that much. Low mains voltage could make the sound more relaxed and lacking in punch and life and high mains might make it sound fast and exciting.

Do keep in mind that your new house will have different mains and different earthing and a different structure. Unfortunately, these factors are more important than your actual system but they can be hard to fix. I took a downgrade the last time I moved house and even with extensive work on the room it never got quite as good. I've compensated by upgrading the system itself but the problems remain to some extent.

One thing to try re. mechanical resonance: if you want a thuddier bass sound try adding something heavy to your rack and/or cd player lid. I'd normally advise against this sort of thing but it could be worth a try.

Simon

[Malefoda]

Brent, I've just closed it, the lid has no effect, maybe better with. So no problem here.
Simon... no earth on the wall plugs here! That's why right now my socket does not link to star earth RCA point. But the amp is also not earthed... my furniture is a very heavy one with steel frame. A pain to move!
For the amp:

[SimontY]

Originally posted by Malefoda
Brent, I've just closed it, the lid has no effect, maybe better with. So no problem here.

This sort of minor change won't be obvious on a quick swap (quick tests only show huge changes). You need to assess this sort of thing over a day or three. This is my experience at least. If anything, I'd expect the sound to have less overhang without the lid and to sound a bit more ballsy and bassy with the lid. There may be some effect on shielding to factor in too.

[AndrewT]

Hi Simon,
post3997 shows the star grounds connected back to safety earth via the wire from "psu star" to "E".
I think it would be better to adopt power amplifier topology and use a disconnecting network in lieu of the wire connection.

It also appears that you have both zero volt rails connected 4times to the stars (have I read that right?). There is duplication here that creates a loop that could/will pick up inductively coupled interference.

After you have removed the direct connection to safety earth you can try using the "cdp star" only and removing the "psu star" and it's two connections to zero volt rails. Then connect "cdp star" to the disconnecting network then to the safety earth. The extra cost is tiny in comparison to your super-regs.

[Greg3333]

Originally posted by Malefoda
[B]Hi Greg3333,
first I have 5 of these left right now (I used my international company e-mail to order them free, it seems the are confident on me ). They are yours for free (I mean 2 of the 5), just hope post won't charge me too much! Tell me how to send it to you.

That would be very much appreciated!

I'll email you...

Greg