Actual test CD is a service CD issued by the drive maker, I think, and you need to monitor the outputs with a 'scope, see how the machine plays back square waves and so on.
For that specific model, there may be data on the laser voltages and current.
You need high quality meters with a good mV range to set the lasers, not really a diy job for a lazy Sunday afternoon.
To be honest, you seem out of your depth about this, all I would do is change the main electrolytics out if they are looking old, after letting them reform over a week of use.
If the unit has been out of service a long time, a dim bulb start up may be insurance against damage caused by storage.
Other service points have been mentioned earlier, I am simply adding to those.
And believe me, CD/DVD mechanisms went out of production about twenty years back for the most part, and spare parts are next to impossible to find, what is available are generic equivalents...so if you manage to destroy the laser, or whatever, you are up doo doo creek without a paddle, not a good thing.
And op amp rolling is basically for those who are gullible, the 5532 is very good indeed, best left alone.
There are people on the internet who are out to cheat you, this is possibly one way, to convince you to percieve a problem when there is none, and make you spend a few hundred dollars for something which has more cons than pros.
You have to modify the input and output levels / impedances / capacitances, for each replacement you try, and you risk PCB damage from multiple soldering, for instance....changing op amp is not a simple drop in replacement, it takes experience, and a lot of equipment.
Denon is good, and now we are getting players that will play from digital, DAC converters for instance.
So if you are not happy with the CD player, go for a DAC that will play digital files from data storage, or streaming.
I think computers are best for DAC, you can change the program / app or settings to change the playback quality, and in general thay are more durable than some of the DAC / amps in the market.
For that specific model, there may be data on the laser voltages and current.
You need high quality meters with a good mV range to set the lasers, not really a diy job for a lazy Sunday afternoon.
To be honest, you seem out of your depth about this, all I would do is change the main electrolytics out if they are looking old, after letting them reform over a week of use.
If the unit has been out of service a long time, a dim bulb start up may be insurance against damage caused by storage.
Other service points have been mentioned earlier, I am simply adding to those.
And believe me, CD/DVD mechanisms went out of production about twenty years back for the most part, and spare parts are next to impossible to find, what is available are generic equivalents...so if you manage to destroy the laser, or whatever, you are up doo doo creek without a paddle, not a good thing.
And op amp rolling is basically for those who are gullible, the 5532 is very good indeed, best left alone.
There are people on the internet who are out to cheat you, this is possibly one way, to convince you to percieve a problem when there is none, and make you spend a few hundred dollars for something which has more cons than pros.
You have to modify the input and output levels / impedances / capacitances, for each replacement you try, and you risk PCB damage from multiple soldering, for instance....changing op amp is not a simple drop in replacement, it takes experience, and a lot of equipment.
Denon is good, and now we are getting players that will play from digital, DAC converters for instance.
So if you are not happy with the CD player, go for a DAC that will play digital files from data storage, or streaming.
I think computers are best for DAC, you can change the program / app or settings to change the playback quality, and in general thay are more durable than some of the DAC / amps in the market.
Hi bxt,
You need an analogue oscilloscope good enough to show 0.5uS / div, and 0.5 V/div as a minimum. DSO's need to be massively expensive. My DSO is a $25K, 1 GHz Keysight and not the best for eye patterns (I prefer my analogue scopes). the sub $10K DSOs will not cut it. You'll need a good audio oscillator that you can set accurate levels and frequencies with, plus the filter PCB that you need to make. Then you need the test CDs Denon made. There are other ways that require a LOT of experience. Read the service manual. You also need an accurate DVM, a really good one instead of the stuff most people buy. I use bench meters and used an HP 34401A back then. You need to check the laser current first, you are allowed a 10% increase before that head is officially scrap. If that test point shorts, you will destroy the laser diode.
Understand this is a machine that trains a laser spot and tracks a tiny trace on a spinning disc that moves all over the place. It isn't a toy, no matter how common they are. Check out the price for a new (real) KSS-151A laser head. That's what you have. By comparison a tape machine is easier, most can't be properly repaired and again you need the exact test tapes and gauges. No, you can't copy a test tape either (they are full track).
You need an analogue oscilloscope good enough to show 0.5uS / div, and 0.5 V/div as a minimum. DSO's need to be massively expensive. My DSO is a $25K, 1 GHz Keysight and not the best for eye patterns (I prefer my analogue scopes). the sub $10K DSOs will not cut it. You'll need a good audio oscillator that you can set accurate levels and frequencies with, plus the filter PCB that you need to make. Then you need the test CDs Denon made. There are other ways that require a LOT of experience. Read the service manual. You also need an accurate DVM, a really good one instead of the stuff most people buy. I use bench meters and used an HP 34401A back then. You need to check the laser current first, you are allowed a 10% increase before that head is officially scrap. If that test point shorts, you will destroy the laser diode.
Understand this is a machine that trains a laser spot and tracks a tiny trace on a spinning disc that moves all over the place. It isn't a toy, no matter how common they are. Check out the price for a new (real) KSS-151A laser head. That's what you have. By comparison a tape machine is easier, most can't be properly repaired and again you need the exact test tapes and gauges. No, you can't copy a test tape either (they are full track).
Hi NareshBrd,
Those test signals can be copied and are useless for setting up a CD player. The test CDs needed are specific levels, pitch and RF levels. They are manufactured within tolerances and are impossible to copy. Even the reflectivity is a known.
Audio playback "test" CDs can be used to adjust the LSB trimmers on the DAC section of some CD players. But the transport must be aligned before it is worth bothering with that.
Those test signals can be copied and are useless for setting up a CD player. The test CDs needed are specific levels, pitch and RF levels. They are manufactured within tolerances and are impossible to copy. Even the reflectivity is a known.
Audio playback "test" CDs can be used to adjust the LSB trimmers on the DAC section of some CD players. But the transport must be aligned before it is worth bothering with that.
'Actual test CD is a service CD issued by the drive maker, I think,'
I feel I made by point by saying it is from the CD player / drive manufacturer..not copied off the net and written to a blank CD-R, for example.
Any way, you have made the same point with much more clarity, so it is not worth quibbling about.
In sum, that player can go through a basic service at home, and maybe the belts can be changed, beyond that it needs a professional to work on it, at about $100 per hour.
Including shipping, you are looking at spending more than $400 if that is needed...at which point a new player looks attractive.
I feel I made by point by saying it is from the CD player / drive manufacturer..not copied off the net and written to a blank CD-R, for example.
Any way, you have made the same point with much more clarity, so it is not worth quibbling about.
In sum, that player can go through a basic service at home, and maybe the belts can be changed, beyond that it needs a professional to work on it, at about $100 per hour.
Including shipping, you are looking at spending more than $400 if that is needed...at which point a new player looks attractive.
Fair enough.
I can't agree with your service assessment on cost. I repair many for less. If I have to replace the head (and motor) this would be more. Mind you, they do not make mechanisms as good and they have higher digital errors as a result. That limits sound quality. This particular machine is a very good one. A new head and disc motor makes it a new machine (built better than a new model).
Now ... what would the same machine cost to produce and sell today? Hmmm.
Don't believe me? Look at the RF eye pattern off the CD. The higher the noise, the more digital errors there are. Period. They are not all recoverable. So buying a cheap new player is actually the worst option. Even the good ones made today don't have great eye patterns for the most part, and they certainly will not last as long. Mechanics and construction have not been improved upon, that is fact.
In addition, most new, under warranty CD players were not aligned as well as they could be. During service they would be aligned properly and customers would call back asking what we did to make them sound better. Not the cheap machine obviously. Like a cheap car after a tune-up on the engine. It is still not very good. Tune-up a good car and there is a big difference.
A machine can have basic maintenance at home, or be destroyed in the same process. It depends on who is doing it. I've had people break parts, put things together incorrectly and many other things that bring the machine in to me. Even cleaning the laser lens can wreck a head if you use the wrong cleaner or "swab" or perform the job incorrectly.
Product service is often an area where DIY goes horribly wrong. Simple things can be done. In my view, if you want to build something - GREAT! That is DIY. If you think you can perform service as well as a trained, good tech, you can't. Same as that same tech probably isn't good at baking or financial or legal things. I have rebuilt car engines successfully in the past. Would I do it today? Heck no! It is the small things that get you.
I can't agree with your service assessment on cost. I repair many for less. If I have to replace the head (and motor) this would be more. Mind you, they do not make mechanisms as good and they have higher digital errors as a result. That limits sound quality. This particular machine is a very good one. A new head and disc motor makes it a new machine (built better than a new model).
Now ... what would the same machine cost to produce and sell today? Hmmm.
Don't believe me? Look at the RF eye pattern off the CD. The higher the noise, the more digital errors there are. Period. They are not all recoverable. So buying a cheap new player is actually the worst option. Even the good ones made today don't have great eye patterns for the most part, and they certainly will not last as long. Mechanics and construction have not been improved upon, that is fact.
In addition, most new, under warranty CD players were not aligned as well as they could be. During service they would be aligned properly and customers would call back asking what we did to make them sound better. Not the cheap machine obviously. Like a cheap car after a tune-up on the engine. It is still not very good. Tune-up a good car and there is a big difference.
A machine can have basic maintenance at home, or be destroyed in the same process. It depends on who is doing it. I've had people break parts, put things together incorrectly and many other things that bring the machine in to me. Even cleaning the laser lens can wreck a head if you use the wrong cleaner or "swab" or perform the job incorrectly.
Product service is often an area where DIY goes horribly wrong. Simple things can be done. In my view, if you want to build something - GREAT! That is DIY. If you think you can perform service as well as a trained, good tech, you can't. Same as that same tech probably isn't good at baking or financial or legal things. I have rebuilt car engines successfully in the past. Would I do it today? Heck no! It is the small things that get you.
let's try again....
do you want the machine to be better or to be different?
if you want "better", you need to establish a definitive baseline of where it's performance is now, then assess areas that might be improvable, make some experiments in those areas (best, do one at a time) and validate your results. experience and test equipment help with that, as anatech has suggested. you might or might not have the skill or expertise to effect changes that make it better. there are people that say you can determine "better" with your ears. I won't deny that some people probably can; I beleive there is some merit to training your hearing for things, but, surprise, surprise, that requires skill and experience again. some folks who design high performance equipment for a living say you would need to train your hearing for a quite a number of hours (somebody will chime in with numbers; is it at least 20, 000 hours??). But then, how do you account for the decline in capability as you age? when is the last time you saw or heard about a reviewer's listening hours experience or the date and results of their last hearing test?
on the other hand, if you can accept "different" instead, the playground opens up immensely. in that case, you make changes that "you" like better judged by whatever criteria "you" want. "my" opinion is properly designed circuits that use "good" op amps are not going to sound noticeably different if the op amp is replaced by another "good" op amp under normal circumstances ("good" means properly chosen for the particular application and "normal" means not driven into clipping, not exposed to harsh RF, using an appropriate power supply and bypassing, properly compensated, etc ....). for example, to me, the quick, easy and relatively harmless (because it is easily reversible) way to make your CD player sound different is to change the characteristics of the of the post dac filter. of course, if you have some skill and experience in designing such filters, that will help guide you in what changes to make that you might prefer.
i think it was nelson pass that said "this is entertainment", so have fun! in spite of what you read or hear in some audio guru writings, it's just audio; it's really not that serious.
ok, ok, well, i don't try to make a living at it, so i guess i'm biased.
🤣🤣🤣
do you want the machine to be better or to be different?
if you want "better", you need to establish a definitive baseline of where it's performance is now, then assess areas that might be improvable, make some experiments in those areas (best, do one at a time) and validate your results. experience and test equipment help with that, as anatech has suggested. you might or might not have the skill or expertise to effect changes that make it better. there are people that say you can determine "better" with your ears. I won't deny that some people probably can; I beleive there is some merit to training your hearing for things, but, surprise, surprise, that requires skill and experience again. some folks who design high performance equipment for a living say you would need to train your hearing for a quite a number of hours (somebody will chime in with numbers; is it at least 20, 000 hours??). But then, how do you account for the decline in capability as you age? when is the last time you saw or heard about a reviewer's listening hours experience or the date and results of their last hearing test?
on the other hand, if you can accept "different" instead, the playground opens up immensely. in that case, you make changes that "you" like better judged by whatever criteria "you" want. "my" opinion is properly designed circuits that use "good" op amps are not going to sound noticeably different if the op amp is replaced by another "good" op amp under normal circumstances ("good" means properly chosen for the particular application and "normal" means not driven into clipping, not exposed to harsh RF, using an appropriate power supply and bypassing, properly compensated, etc ....). for example, to me, the quick, easy and relatively harmless (because it is easily reversible) way to make your CD player sound different is to change the characteristics of the of the post dac filter. of course, if you have some skill and experience in designing such filters, that will help guide you in what changes to make that you might prefer.
i think it was nelson pass that said "this is entertainment", so have fun! in spite of what you read or hear in some audio guru writings, it's just audio; it's really not that serious.
ok, ok, well, i don't try to make a living at it, so i guess i'm biased.
🤣🤣🤣
I meant a solid state player. Not a CD / DVD player, those for audio use made now are terrible. Computer units are better made.
A new CD / DVD player is kind of flimsy compared to the old ones, the weight itself is less, and the usage / production is very low now.
I service them at times, but belt replacement and lens clean (surgical cotton, iso alcohol, rub dampened cotton) is all I do, sometimes a bit of plastic lube.
I have not bothered to use them for many years, except to install OS or music to hard disk.
Now high capacity memory sticks are common, and cheap, and much more rugged in a hot and dusty place like a car.
CDs get scratched, dust get in the machinery...
If the unit is shipped to GTA from say Detroit, or Vancouver, I think $100 will be on the low side for a round trip.
Tech time, 2 to 3 hous...$300, it may not be a simple job on an old set. So I thought $400 would be a reasonable figure.
I get FM radio modules here for the radio / amp market in the $1.50 range, it has USB and SD sockets, a 3.5 mm mic socket, aux in at back, and Bluetooth, and plays 320 kbps quite well. And it comes with a remote.
A plate amp with TDA2030 or 4440 clones is like $3 here...add power supply, case, pots and labor...$15 tops.
Ready units are sold for $6 (12V), and mains / 12V for $ 10-12 here, and render music okay at normal listening levels. Enough for you to tell between 128 and 320 bit rates.
Anyway, there is a market for DAC, sound bars, many options exist.
people use buds now to listen to music or watch movies on their cell phones, the entire fixed at home audio market has dwindled.
The storage may be on the phone, but mostly it is streaming accross the net.
That is what I meant, the equipment is to render sound, and CD is now obsolete, CD-R is difficult to fine here in India, and prices are high now.
The CD is simply a data storage device, there are other options now to convert that data to sound.
A new CD / DVD player is kind of flimsy compared to the old ones, the weight itself is less, and the usage / production is very low now.
I service them at times, but belt replacement and lens clean (surgical cotton, iso alcohol, rub dampened cotton) is all I do, sometimes a bit of plastic lube.
I have not bothered to use them for many years, except to install OS or music to hard disk.
Now high capacity memory sticks are common, and cheap, and much more rugged in a hot and dusty place like a car.
CDs get scratched, dust get in the machinery...
If the unit is shipped to GTA from say Detroit, or Vancouver, I think $100 will be on the low side for a round trip.
Tech time, 2 to 3 hous...$300, it may not be a simple job on an old set. So I thought $400 would be a reasonable figure.
I get FM radio modules here for the radio / amp market in the $1.50 range, it has USB and SD sockets, a 3.5 mm mic socket, aux in at back, and Bluetooth, and plays 320 kbps quite well. And it comes with a remote.
A plate amp with TDA2030 or 4440 clones is like $3 here...add power supply, case, pots and labor...$15 tops.
Ready units are sold for $6 (12V), and mains / 12V for $ 10-12 here, and render music okay at normal listening levels. Enough for you to tell between 128 and 320 bit rates.
Anyway, there is a market for DAC, sound bars, many options exist.
people use buds now to listen to music or watch movies on their cell phones, the entire fixed at home audio market has dwindled.
The storage may be on the phone, but mostly it is streaming accross the net.
That is what I meant, the equipment is to render sound, and CD is now obsolete, CD-R is difficult to fine here in India, and prices are high now.
The CD is simply a data storage device, there are other options now to convert that data to sound.
Okay, in your country I guess CD players are obsolete. Cool, throw them all out.
Computer CD/DVD drive are inferior and their only plus is they are cheap. They re-read sections until they get valid data - sometimes. Data CDs are encoded differently than music CDs, so you cannot directly compare them. Some CD players used them because it eliminated the service aspect and they were super cheap to replace. That's it.
There is a market here where people love their CD players, and some have recognised their old good ones are in fact superior. I have an old, very good one. A few actually. I have a lot of media, as do many others. I have streamers and files on drives, and others who do as well are resurrecting their CD players. You know why? The good ones sound great. However, I also have a really good record player. As do many here. They have some drawbacks, but when the streaming service has issues, or the internet is down those old things work. There are local techs who do good work. I have enough so I am not trolling for business. I am tired of seeing ruined equipment that was good.
The junk you've listed is cheap. They don't sound very good. Sorry. However if someone is happy with junk - cool. It simply isn't good enough for many.
Tuners. Rebuild and align many. I own a pair of Revox tuners, it makes a difference having a really good tuner (or I wouldn't own them).
Your argument seems to be centred on cost. That is fine for you. I have some Chinese streamers and FM Tuners. They are not nearly as good as well made ones. So this comes down to what is the acceptable quality for "you". Don't ask me about speakers people buy here. Generally very good, not cheap. A pair of plastic computer speakers make noise (with internal amps). I wonder why many here don't play music that way? I can't seem to figure it out.
Anyway, I do not see this as a valid argument for throwing out a very good CD player (the DCD-1520 is a very good machine). Or attacking it in a way that may damage it. If you were talking about a $29 hardware store special - yes. Pitch it! Look after good equipment.
Computer CD/DVD drive are inferior and their only plus is they are cheap. They re-read sections until they get valid data - sometimes. Data CDs are encoded differently than music CDs, so you cannot directly compare them. Some CD players used them because it eliminated the service aspect and they were super cheap to replace. That's it.
There is a market here where people love their CD players, and some have recognised their old good ones are in fact superior. I have an old, very good one. A few actually. I have a lot of media, as do many others. I have streamers and files on drives, and others who do as well are resurrecting their CD players. You know why? The good ones sound great. However, I also have a really good record player. As do many here. They have some drawbacks, but when the streaming service has issues, or the internet is down those old things work. There are local techs who do good work. I have enough so I am not trolling for business. I am tired of seeing ruined equipment that was good.
The junk you've listed is cheap. They don't sound very good. Sorry. However if someone is happy with junk - cool. It simply isn't good enough for many.
Tuners. Rebuild and align many. I own a pair of Revox tuners, it makes a difference having a really good tuner (or I wouldn't own them).
Your argument seems to be centred on cost. That is fine for you. I have some Chinese streamers and FM Tuners. They are not nearly as good as well made ones. So this comes down to what is the acceptable quality for "you". Don't ask me about speakers people buy here. Generally very good, not cheap. A pair of plastic computer speakers make noise (with internal amps). I wonder why many here don't play music that way? I can't seem to figure it out.
Anyway, I do not see this as a valid argument for throwing out a very good CD player (the DCD-1520 is a very good machine). Or attacking it in a way that may damage it. If you were talking about a $29 hardware store special - yes. Pitch it! Look after good equipment.
Agreed
Good player.
Keep it, do not mess with it in the sense that attempting something out of your depth will cause problems.
And DAC is an option, here music is distributed on memory sticks or on line. So CD and DVD sales are down.
Good player.
Keep it, do not mess with it in the sense that attempting something out of your depth will cause problems.
And DAC is an option, here music is distributed on memory sticks or on line. So CD and DVD sales are down.
Good wiki on the 5532 if one wants to settle one's mind.
In short, it's an industry champion, and your favourite CD was probably mastered using them. So nothing is going to be a better fit.
In short, it's an industry champion, and your favourite CD was probably mastered using them. So nothing is going to be a better fit.
I used plastic computer speakers till about 2016, then got a Kenwood set, without speakers...that started my audio journey.
Got speakers made for the office, 8" full range + tweeter, big box supplied by the speaker maker (his drivers, his box).
Later, got many speakers (5 pairs Philips, 1 Sony) in the flea market.
All in working condition, only one driver needed cone + coil replacement (transit damage).
New speakers are either super expensive or dirt cheap, Philips and many others stopped making them.
So choice for new is JBL, Linn and others, 3x US cost due to duties and low sales, or local, which are decent at times.
Source is computer, then Philips amps (Matsushita chips, good capacitors, linear supply), then to speakers.
Now of course the computer speakers sound poor in so many ways...
And the FM modules actually are better sounding than the chips used in the analog Philips tuners I have, the Kenwood was actually quite good, it is in storage right now. The Sansui set needs work, dry joints are common on those, need time for that. Also in storage.
Thread got diverted, as usual.
Leave the thing alone, if you want to experiment, get a cheap one and play with it, though the new ones here have direct bonded to PCB (blob) chips, throw away stuff.
So find a Sony / Philips set from that era, and use a socket / work around to experiment with op amp rolling.
OPA2134 and AD797 may be candidates, but you will need very good equipment to find a difference, both sides, as analysers, or as listening with amp and really good speakers.
On digital media, noise is low compared to analog, that is also a point to ponder, improvement will be negligible.
On a Denon, with such a good build, little will be achieved.
Just keep it well maintained, and use it.
No service technician visits unless it breaks down.
Got speakers made for the office, 8" full range + tweeter, big box supplied by the speaker maker (his drivers, his box).
Later, got many speakers (5 pairs Philips, 1 Sony) in the flea market.
All in working condition, only one driver needed cone + coil replacement (transit damage).
New speakers are either super expensive or dirt cheap, Philips and many others stopped making them.
So choice for new is JBL, Linn and others, 3x US cost due to duties and low sales, or local, which are decent at times.
Source is computer, then Philips amps (Matsushita chips, good capacitors, linear supply), then to speakers.
Now of course the computer speakers sound poor in so many ways...
And the FM modules actually are better sounding than the chips used in the analog Philips tuners I have, the Kenwood was actually quite good, it is in storage right now. The Sansui set needs work, dry joints are common on those, need time for that. Also in storage.
Thread got diverted, as usual.
Leave the thing alone, if you want to experiment, get a cheap one and play with it, though the new ones here have direct bonded to PCB (blob) chips, throw away stuff.
So find a Sony / Philips set from that era, and use a socket / work around to experiment with op amp rolling.
OPA2134 and AD797 may be candidates, but you will need very good equipment to find a difference, both sides, as analysers, or as listening with amp and really good speakers.
On digital media, noise is low compared to analog, that is also a point to ponder, improvement will be negligible.
On a Denon, with such a good build, little will be achieved.
Just keep it well maintained, and use it.
No service technician visits unless it breaks down.
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Hi, looks like I opened a box of worms here. Sorry, just getting used to the audio forum. I looked at the service manual and the focus gain, offset, tracking does not look too hard to do? That's the alignment, I guess. I do have some fairly decent equipment, as this is not my first project. I do have a new dig siglent my bench analog is 465b. I also have a hp 8.5dig multimeter, a hp 12 dig counter or 10. I also have a hp 8647a oscillator that accuracy seems to be in tune with my HP counter. So I believe these are fairly accurate. Is this sufficient for audio sig? I also, have other stuff. A lot of this is overkill for much of what I do. I have been working on older test equipment, radios, newer 70-80s receivers and learning along the way. This is all fun for me and to learn.
So, like much of my experience with other electronics, its best to not change this for the fun of it. That is why I am here asking questions and learning. I had a lot of other members of old radio/test eq say this many times, and it looks like the CD player is not any different. This is my first CD player.
Is that service CD available ? I am going to just change the belts and lube. The tray never worked quite right. It would be nice to hook up my test equipment and see if the patterns looks like in the service manual. At a quick look, the manual does not give the specs of the resister or cap used in those filters? thks
Hi bxt,
No problem. You asked and were answered. Most people do not have equipment of your caliber, or your obvious familiarity with them.
Okay, your equipment is excellent. Your 3458A is overkill, I just have 34465A and 34461A these days along with 3457A and of course ... 34401A meters. I used a 3458A in the lab, wonderful meter. To be honest, the 34401A would be the best bench meter, that is an industry standard for good reason. Ignore your DSO for this. The MSOX3104T I have is sort of okay, analogue scopes kill DSOs for this task. The Keysight was the best for eye patterns, I tested most of them before I bought.
Message me before buying the current "Truevolt" meters from Keysight in case you consider it. Certainly the 34465A and 34461A. Wonderful meters with a gotcha.
The test CDs were selected Denon pressings. "Romantic Overtures" by Ken-Ichiro Kobayashi, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. Denon sub for #CA1094 test CD. Way better sounding than Philips 5 (I hate that disc now). There was also "Dvorak symphony No. 8" (CA1094a) and "The Art of the Saxophone" by Bernie Wallace (sub for CA1094). I hate that disc too. There are different frequency settings for the different discs. You need the filter network. I thought the manual detailed the filter, have a closer look. I can get you details if you can't find it. They sold a filter PCB, and I made one with wien bridge oscillators built in, switchable. It made doing warranty much more efficient.
Revox and Yamaha + others used the same idea for setting focus and tracking gains. Luckily gains are not super critical, E-F Balance really is critical. Turntable height is also critical. Denon sold brass gauges to set this height. I have several different ones for various Denon transports.
There are alternative ways to set gains, experience and training are required.
-Chris
No problem. You asked and were answered. Most people do not have equipment of your caliber, or your obvious familiarity with them.
Okay, your equipment is excellent. Your 3458A is overkill, I just have 34465A and 34461A these days along with 3457A and of course ... 34401A meters. I used a 3458A in the lab, wonderful meter. To be honest, the 34401A would be the best bench meter, that is an industry standard for good reason. Ignore your DSO for this. The MSOX3104T I have is sort of okay, analogue scopes kill DSOs for this task. The Keysight was the best for eye patterns, I tested most of them before I bought.
Message me before buying the current "Truevolt" meters from Keysight in case you consider it. Certainly the 34465A and 34461A. Wonderful meters with a gotcha.
The test CDs were selected Denon pressings. "Romantic Overtures" by Ken-Ichiro Kobayashi, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. Denon sub for #CA1094 test CD. Way better sounding than Philips 5 (I hate that disc now). There was also "Dvorak symphony No. 8" (CA1094a) and "The Art of the Saxophone" by Bernie Wallace (sub for CA1094). I hate that disc too. There are different frequency settings for the different discs. You need the filter network. I thought the manual detailed the filter, have a closer look. I can get you details if you can't find it. They sold a filter PCB, and I made one with wien bridge oscillators built in, switchable. It made doing warranty much more efficient.
Revox and Yamaha + others used the same idea for setting focus and tracking gains. Luckily gains are not super critical, E-F Balance really is critical. Turntable height is also critical. Denon sold brass gauges to set this height. I have several different ones for various Denon transports.
There are alternative ways to set gains, experience and training are required.
-Chris
Hi, the hp is 3457a, 8.5 is only achieved by exporting to a computer. So, it basically runs 7.5 dig, still has cert tag seal. Very much appreciate the time you and others spend on responses. thks.
No problem at all.
Nope, the 3457A is 6.5 digit, 7.5 internally accessed via the HP1B buss. Excellent meters. The 3458A is the only 8.5 digit meter, an ancient model and still current. Fluke enhanced the voltage reference to update it. This meter is a reference standard.
The newer 34470A is 7.5 digit without having to connect via computer.
Edit:
The newer generation of Keysight meters maintain the voltage references in operation when the meter is turned off. Ovens, similar to their high stability frequency oscillators in the counters and other instruments like network and spectrum analysers.
Nope, the 3457A is 6.5 digit, 7.5 internally accessed via the HP1B buss. Excellent meters. The 3458A is the only 8.5 digit meter, an ancient model and still current. Fluke enhanced the voltage reference to update it. This meter is a reference standard.
The newer 34470A is 7.5 digit without having to connect via computer.
Edit:
The newer generation of Keysight meters maintain the voltage references in operation when the meter is turned off. Ovens, similar to their high stability frequency oscillators in the counters and other instruments like network and spectrum analysers.
Had to get my manual out to check, you are right. 6.5, 7.5 via computer. I only use this when needed, have other ways to measure most stuff.
I know keysite are $$$, that one meter on Amazon was 2.5k new. thks..
I know keysite are $$$, that one meter on Amazon was 2.5k new. thks..
The 3457A excels at resistance measurements and a few other things. I have two. Also 3456A's which are good for other things. You have a great meter. Watch the battery doesn't go dead. You'll lose the calibration constants and need another calibration. It is well worth repairing and recalibration of that 3457A if you lost the battery.
If you need to replace it, get a new one (or two). Place a power supply or new battery across the old one through a 10 K resistor. Remove the old one and install the new one. That should save the calibration constants.
Yeah, the displays began to get dim on my 34401A meters (I love them). I've had those since they were introduced, so I got the new replacements. I wish I got both 34465A meters.
Let me know if you can't find the filter for your Denon.
If you need to replace it, get a new one (or two). Place a power supply or new battery across the old one through a 10 K resistor. Remove the old one and install the new one. That should save the calibration constants.
Yeah, the displays began to get dim on my 34401A meters (I love them). I've had those since they were introduced, so I got the new replacements. I wish I got both 34465A meters.
Let me know if you can't find the filter for your Denon.
Hi, I have two players tucked away for 10× years due to malfunction.
One is a NAD L53 DVD/CD that is very selective of what CDs it will play. Would likeley cause be allignment/mistracking? Cleaned the lense and the guide-pins for the laser assembly without luck. Service manual does not mention adjustments or testpount. Should I just bin it and move on?
Same with a Micromega stage2. Cleaned old grease end re-lubed but still picky on CDs it will play. No manuals available.
Anather lost cause or is there a writeup somewhere on the Web that could help me recognize proper testtpoint and perform allignment?
I have a Deno Audio Technical test cd and a 100MHz analog Kenwood scope Lots of audio test on the cd including levels, phase, frequency and waveform tests but the leaflet does not mention alignment.
One is a NAD L53 DVD/CD that is very selective of what CDs it will play. Would likeley cause be allignment/mistracking? Cleaned the lense and the guide-pins for the laser assembly without luck. Service manual does not mention adjustments or testpount. Should I just bin it and move on?
Same with a Micromega stage2. Cleaned old grease end re-lubed but still picky on CDs it will play. No manuals available.
Anather lost cause or is there a writeup somewhere on the Web that could help me recognize proper testtpoint and perform allignment?
I have a Deno Audio Technical test cd and a 100MHz analog Kenwood scope Lots of audio test on the cd including levels, phase, frequency and waveform tests but the leaflet does not mention alignment.
Thanks, for the info on the multimeter. I read about the battery and a little concerned regarding calibration. I was thinking the same thing you mentioned, jump with voltage source and replace the battery. I was not sure if you could do this, and I do not know how old the battery is. Glad this came up, as I did not know you should use a 10k resister through the voltage source. Does this have some sort of verifiable battery indicator built in? My calibration is about 12 yrs old on that unit. thks