Wanted: TDA1541A S1 double crown

[QSerraTico_Tico]

Originally Posted by savvas

Yeah, I've heard it too, Holland S1 chips (double crowns) sound better than Taiwan S2 chips. I don't know if it falls into the 'Audio rumours' category.
Strange thing is that I've never seen a non-Taiwan S2 installed on Marantz CD7 (weren't they produced - S2s - for this CD after all?)

I suppose you are looking for smth like this

I am sorry that one is fake because
S1=single crown
S2= double crown

[savvas]

Holland double crowns have S1 marking on them, if this particular one is fake I don't know.

[Tweedle12]

I know there are various schools of thought on Holland double crowns - if anyone has a Marantz CD12 or a Studer CD with a factory fitted double crown perhaps they could help to resolve this.

In the meantime, I'm still looking for a Holland production double crown TDA1541A.

Many thanks,
TD

[QSerraTico_Tico]

TDA1541A/S2 doublecrown16-bit DAC 1 I2S, upto8fs -95(0.002) -47(0.4) 112 (4.0) 5±10% 700 DIL28
TDA1541A/S1 singlecrown16-bit DAC 1 I2S, upto8fs -95(0.001) -47(0.4) 112 (4.0) 5±10% 700 DIL28
TDA1541A high-performance16-bit DAC 1 I2S, upto8fs -95(0.0018) -42(0.79) 112 (4.0) 5±10% 700 DIL28
TDA1541A/R1 high-performance16-bit DAC 1 I2S, upto8f-95(0.001) -43(0.79) 112 (4.0) 5±10% 700 DIL28

[jean-paul]

Originally Posted by Tweedle12

I know there are various schools of thought on Holland double crowns - if anyone has a Marantz CD12 or a Studer CD with a factory fitted double crown perhaps they could help to resolve this.

In the meantime, I'm still looking for a Holland production double crown TDA1541A.

Many thanks,
TD

There can't be much opinions or thoughts about a device that:

- was selected for the best specifications within its family
- thus measures the best of its class/family
- is produced with the tightest specs on a specially resurrected production line that is only resurrected for a few runs of chips for only one very expensive device.
- is known to be the best by those that heard it


I am sure some people will only judge Taiwan S2:

- while they never heard one
- with the thought in their mind that they can't afford one
- don't want to pay the ridiculous prices for them and judge them negatively because of that
- have a certain interest in selling their older chips for again too high prices
- and tell these opinions for various reasons at websites for their own good


Please be aware that there is not a better measuring and sounding S2 than S2 from 1997 Taiwan within all the chips limitations. Not wanting to brag but I have had a lot of brand new NOS/NIB TDA1541A chips of all types and datecodes and 1997 Taiwan S2 and Taiwan 1998 N2 are very alike and apart from the chips from the eighties that have had their hours of duty behind them. Wanting to go the opposite direction is your choice but there is a slight scent of snobbism and stubbornness that go with it. Nothing wrong with that but time has its grip on TDA chips.


So your DAC has the limit that it already has the best of old silicon so other things can make it really better:

- better power supplies and decoupling
- a much better receiver that has lower jitter specs (this is an important one that is underestimated)
- using BG caps that have S2 status already in audiophile circles
- implement a well designed output stage
- add a low jitter clock to the source feeding the DAC

Please realize that used chips sound different than fresher ones. The comparison would be just if you could compare both chips if they're both NIB/NOS.

That will be a hard one.

The hype was nice and the TDA1541A chips sound good but time has moved on and newer techniques have been developed of which some surpass TDA1541A (and they should!). Now the last drops of profit will be made on flaky used chips that are sold for too much and can not be trusted if they're original or not because the hype caused some people to produce fake chips or rebrand them.

[glewis4744]

I'm looking for a Double Crown of any type. Please contact me if there's one for sale.