:)))) on eBay!!! LOOK!!!! :))))

[cartman]

http://cgi.ebay.com/TDA1541A-Twin-Crown-Marantz-DAC-Upgrade-RARE_W0QQitemZ5875116089

amazing!!! ))))

 

[JonHarrison]

Cartman,

Be wary, this looks like a fake to me, double crown is S2. Not even convinced it's an S1 either. The S1 and the crowns look whiter than the other text and the lower crown looks different to the upper one. At best I'd say it's an S1 where someone has etched a second crown !

Jon

 

[cartman]

yes, yes, I know....

I reported this auction as a joke ))

I know the differences between S1 and S2.

thx,
;-)

 

[cartman]

The seller's answer for my question about the authenticity:

======================================================================
Response to Question about Item -- Respond Now
======================================================================

Response from grundon
---------------------------------------


Item: TDA1541A Twin Crown, Marantz, DAC Upgrade, RARE (5875116089)
This message was sent while the listing was active.
grundon is the seller.
---------------------------------------
Hi Chris

Sorry, no this is a genuine item. I used to work for Marantz here in the UK. Ken Ishiwata handed me these personally.

Regards

 

[lgreen]

Ken?

Well then it must be good.

 

[cartman]

"Ken Ishiwata handed me these personally."



not too believable....

 

[JonHarrison]

"Ken Ishiwata handed me these personally."

Really

 

[cartman]

I think Ken has S1 chip with three crowns.....also

 

[ash_dac]

Hi,



http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=580384#post580384

Data codes ?

Selected S1's or batch of doctored tda1541a's ?

These are not the S2's marantz used!

I'm sure they used the 1997 production run probably with improved internals!

 

[tschrama]

All this talk about fake TDA1541's is just a big hype and should stop immidiately.... i have never seen a proven-fake TDA1541 being reported.. beware: the markings weren't that consistent to begin with.....

 

[john65b]

Stop Immediatley?

Sure, easy for you to say, since its not YOUR money.

Where there's money to be made, you will always find fakes. And most will never know of their fake purchase until its too late. Yet others will never admit to making the mistake of purchasing a fake.

If it sounds too good to be true, run I say.

 

[cartman]

This item on eBay is definitely a fake...however it already has 4 bids!!!

Unbelievable!!!!

 

[tschrama]

Cartman stop it ... you can not know wheater it is a fake or not. .. Fact is that never ever has anyone proven that fake TDA1541s excist.

It has a double crown.. the seller doesn't clame that it's a S2 version.. just a double crown. And the crowns look genuin.. and I know that, because I used to sell these chips all over the world directly from Philips Eindhoven NOS in The Netherlands.

Does it have S1 specs or S2 specs ... we don't know and I bet the seller doesn't know either. So spec-wise he might be wrong in saying that it's the same as the Marantz CD7, marking-wise .. he's wrong and right.. as these chips do have 2 crowns

 

[jean-paul]

Rebranded TDA1541 do exist. Old TDA1541 ( 1985 etc. ) rebranded as TDA1541A that is. It is very easy to reprint the chips and according to chinese sellers of electronic parts it has been done. Some people do a lot for money.

 

[Eva]

It has every feature of a fake, including a tilted Philips logo, a hand-drawn second crown, and this "8827" date code telling that it was manufactured 18 years ago, when no such device yet existed