Whenever I find TDA1541A's these days the first question that comes to mind is. Is it authentic? Here's a pic.
Regards,
Dan
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Regards,
Dan
Hi,
this one looks like the ones on sale on ebay by a HK seller, along with some identical-looking (except for the datecode 00 instead of 88) "S1" chips (but without the crown )
These combined infos make me moderately suspicious (TDA1541x markings changed during the years and chips produced 12 years later shouldn't look exactly the same, and the '88 chips shouldn't look so "freshly printed" btw).
Of course testing them will tell you something more.
Leaving out the DEM oscillator cap will prove wheter it is a "A" chip or just a TDA1541.
I made some measurements with a -40 and -60dB sine and with my (far less than ideal) setup even the dreaded TDA1541 wasn't bad at all.
A S1 (with crown), tough, was slightly better than the "regular" "A" chips (by datasheets there should be about 5dB THD difference at -60dB level). Didn't measure the S2.
Hope it helps.
Cheers
Andrea
this one looks like the ones on sale on ebay by a HK seller, along with some identical-looking (except for the datecode 00 instead of 88) "S1" chips (but without the crown
)These combined infos make me moderately suspicious (TDA1541x markings changed during the years and chips produced 12 years later shouldn't look exactly the same, and the '88 chips shouldn't look so "freshly printed" btw).
Of course testing them will tell you something more.
Leaving out the DEM oscillator cap will prove wheter it is a "A" chip or just a TDA1541.
I made some measurements with a -40 and -60dB sine and with my (far less than ideal) setup even the dreaded TDA1541 wasn't bad at all.
A S1 (with crown), tough, was slightly better than the "regular" "A" chips (by datasheets there should be about 5dB THD difference at -60dB level). Didn't measure the S2.
Hope it helps.
Cheers
Andrea
Andypairo said:"S1" chips (but without the crown
I made some measurements with a -40 and -60dB sine and with my (far less than ideal) setup even the dreaded TDA1541 wasn't bad at all.
A S1 (with crown), tough, was slightly better than the "regular" "A" chips (by datasheets there should be about 5dB THD difference at -60dB level). Didn't measure the S2.
I have a S1 without crown sourced from a player and it is very good on both channels, offered it here on trading post but nobody wanted it
because it misses the crown I guess...Most S1 are not better on -60dB than standard A and even the S2 I had wasn't.
What you can do if you have a spectrum analyzer is find one chip that is good on left channel and another that is good on right channel and use only the good channels. Much easier.
Unfortunately the TDA is not good for non os, THD on -60dB goes up significantly.
Bernhard said:
This happened to me too, but only on -40 and -60dB.
Not night and day but still noticeable (on measurements, 1kHz sine only). Can't comment about the sound.
The difference is actually in the chip because swapping the L/R connections on the I/V also the "worst" channel
changed.
Did you happen to notice if there is one channel that is usually better?
Cheers
Andrea
Andypairo said:
I do only -60dB tests.
My memories concerning the TDAs are fading... but I recall problems that in some Philips players always the same channel was worse.
Last tests I did in CD880 and there were no such problems.
Channels are always different, there are two DACs on one common substrate...
Bernhard said:
I have a S1 without crown sourced from a player and it is very good on both channels, offered it here on trading post but nobody wanted it
Most S1 are not better on -60dB than standard A and even the S2 I had wasn't.
What you can do if you have a spectrum analyzer is find one chip that is good on left channel and another that is good on right channel and use only the good channels. Much easier.
Unfortunately the TDA is not good for non os, THD on -60dB goes up significantly.
Good point. Marantz CD94MKII does exactly this; to generate one analog out it uses same halves of two different DAC chips. Half of one and half of the other DAC produce differential Iout.
TDA1541 implemented as a DAC chip in stand alone DAC box requires unbelievable amount of attention to everything else to produce decent results. I am starting to believe that it is just not worth the effort, time and - money. It will still need very good mechanism for combination to sound decent - like in CD94MKII. This CD player has an excellent power supply, cast chassis and cast swing arm mechanism with very good servo. I think this is why so many believe that TDA1541 sounds magical. It has its charms, but only if carefully (costly!) implemented, and combined with the good mechanism.
The best digital sound I heard so far was from TDA1541S1 NOS DAC point-to-point wired and Audiomeca Mephisto transport. This particular transport was designed to use plastics in such way that the CD read-out sounded "just right". Mechanical vibrations damping is extremely important in CD read-out process - many swiftly ignore this important fact. For those interested to read more on this issue: http://www.audiomeca-hifi.com/page10.html
Even Philips pro mechanisms mounted on a steal plate will sound nothing like the cheap mechanism properly encapsulated in that plastic material Audiomeca uses.
Boky
I know what you meant. Marantz/Philips designers tried to configure 2 X TDA1541 in such way to get rid-of distortions. They probably learned that one half of one chip matches better with the same half of the other chip. The TDA1541 manufacturing process was obviously introducing different impurities / tolerances to different sections / halves of TDA1541 chips.
Obviously, in the mass CD Players' production they couldn't just use halves that were good, as you suggested...
Obviously, in the mass CD Players' production they couldn't just use halves that were good, as you suggested...
Hi,
I have a stocks to sale about this TDA1541A, the pics are in this link:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=101148&perpage=25&pagenumber=2
post#38
I overheard some rumours, this is a S2 (double crown) but unstamped, it as ""S2" but this chips is in a same production to S2!!
I dont have S2 to compare, so if anybody already buy this from me and have S2 to compare, the nice explanation is a "enlightened " to me
all the best,
a'af
I have a stocks to sale about this TDA1541A, the pics are in this link:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=101148&perpage=25&pagenumber=2
post#38
I overheard some rumours, this is a S2 (double crown) but unstamped, it as ""S2" but this chips is in a same production to S2!!
I dont have S2 to compare, so if anybody already buy this from me and have S2 to compare, the nice explanation is a "enlightened " to me
all the best,
a'af
Here is the completed EBay auction. Based on pictures I still question whether or not these were legitimate chips. Any other opinions?
TDA1541A EBay Auction
Regards,
Dan
TDA1541A EBay Auction
Regards,
Dan
I came across (read: bought 
) some "TDA1541A"s. The text on them is not painted in white, but engraved (I think with laser, very thin lines). The wide bar at the left is made of many parallel thin lines. Also the letter A is shifted up a bit. I can see a barely visible "S1" painted in white on one of them. The code is 41073 and HSH0201 5. Their surface seems sandpapered.... I am pretty sure they are fake, but what was the original chip inside? Some factory waste rejected by QC and stolen, or? I will put them in a test circuit to see if they work at all.
) some "TDA1541A"s. The text on them is not painted in white, but engraved (I think with laser, very thin lines). The wide bar at the left is made of many parallel thin lines. Also the letter A is shifted up a bit. I can see a barely visible "S1" painted in white on one of them. The code is 41073 and HSH0201 5. Their surface seems sandpapered.... I am pretty sure they are fake, but what was the original chip inside? Some factory waste rejected by QC and stolen, or? I will put them in a test circuit to see if they work at all.oshifis said:I came across (read: bought
I believe A'af posting earlier in this thread has a solid reputation for selling authentic TDA's. I own two of them.
Regards,
Dan
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