martin clark said:Glenn - if it is pick-up due to highish impedances, you might find that placing the LC filter directly after the DAC, i..e. first, is enough because the impedance looking back into the dac is lower.
Thanks Martin - I can't see an easy way of configuring it like that though. I may just go back to RCRC....
Tried putting the inductors on the underside tonight - it got worse!
I'm sick of pulling this player apart now - totally bored with it!
Maybe I'll buy something that sounds good to start with.

Glenn2 said:Maybe I'll buy something that sounds good to start with.![]()
I hope you have deep pockets my friend! 😉
Brent and I listened to one of the top Naim players when listening to ATC speakers in Sheffield the other week. That might be good enough with no mods. Actually the thing was certainly better than mine.
http://www.naim-audio.com/products/cds3.html with psu.
Price tag:
http://www.stoneaudio.co.uk/default.../stoneaudio/products/details.asp?product=1327
That's a CD player that won't need modding 😀
Glenn2 said:Blimey.
What kind of analogue stage needs 14 power supplies?![]()
Interesting stuff.
To be fair the bass weight and detail levels were very good. The external psu is connected via a monster wire link! I bet that external psu helps a lot. Large tx or two in there no doubt.
martin clark said:Just the one large TX, actually...
Interesting that they've decided to do it like that.
Is that a) so they can use the same tx for amps
b) because one large tx saves money and still works well or
c) because large is better than multiple small ones
Or all of the above...
My clock transformer might have to go internal now as I've failed to remove the noise problem I've had ever since creating the external power supplies for it. Those psus could power the servo section instead.
I've removed my "reg boards" which appeared to be unnecessary for the clock and clock divider. They both just use a directly soldered super reg fed from the external psu. Actually this seems to sound better and it's much neater.
I got some resistors today so I can finish building my discrete output stage this evening 😀
Simon
Hi Guys,
Yesterday night I have compared my marantz cd63se ((discrete filter with independet psu,BG caps, +/- 12V raygulator, +5V raygulator for all digital section, 7805 regs for all analog section, BG cap for all decoupling (DAC,servo,decoder), clock hack from martin,scottky diode for all PSU,wima mkp10 for all bypass)) with consonance droplet (my friend) with result :
My marantz :more natural (less digital), more weight (big and bold).
Consonance droplet:bass more warm and smooth, soundstage more neat.....I mean every musics stuff looks fokus.
Anybody help me how to beat Consonance droplet ?
Regards
aquar
Yesterday night I have compared my marantz cd63se ((discrete filter with independet psu,BG caps, +/- 12V raygulator, +5V raygulator for all digital section, 7805 regs for all analog section, BG cap for all decoupling (DAC,servo,decoder), clock hack from martin,scottky diode for all PSU,wima mkp10 for all bypass)) with consonance droplet (my friend) with result :
My marantz :more natural (less digital), more weight (big and bold).
Consonance droplet:bass more warm and smooth, soundstage more neat.....I mean every musics stuff looks fokus.
Anybody help me how to beat Consonance droplet ?
Regards
aquar
aquar said:Hi Guys,
Yesterday night I have compared my marantz cd63se ((discrete filter with independet psu,BG caps, +/- 12V raygulator, +5V raygulator for all digital section, 7805 regs for all analog section, BG cap for all decoupling (DAC,servo,decoder), clock hack from martin,scottky diode for all PSU,wima mkp10 for all bypass)) with consonance droplet (my friend) with result :
My marantz :more natural (less digital), more weight (big and bold).
Consonance droplet:bass more warm and smooth, soundstage more neat.....I mean every musics stuff looks fokus.
Anybody help me how to beat Consonance droplet ?
Regards
aquar
This beast?
http://www.sixmoons.com/audioreviews/droplet/cdp5.html
Reclock DAC and reclock servo. Clock and clock divider must be fed by "super regs" and a dedicated transformer. The player LEAPS forward using this power arrangement. Timing, bass, detail and focus will shoot ahead!
Simon
Hi Simonthy,
That's right for consonance droplet, but I didn't find for review?.
Unfortunately, tentslab clock, audiocom etc very expensive from my place, I hope get AD8561 soon for kwakclock apllied and I was studying sulzer/borbely regs for improve all raygulator, offcourse I will use dedicated transformer.
Basicly I am very glad with my marantz , and I feel still have a lot potential to improve again.
Regards
aquar
That's right for consonance droplet, but I didn't find for review?.
Unfortunately, tentslab clock, audiocom etc very expensive from my place, I hope get AD8561 soon for kwakclock apllied and I was studying sulzer/borbely regs for improve all raygulator, offcourse I will use dedicated transformer.
Basicly I am very glad with my marantz , and I feel still have a lot potential to improve again.
Regards
aquar
There's so much improvement to be had from clocks, power supplies & transformers and nice voltage regulators. Without using wood in the chassis and tubes in the output your player may never sound similar to that odd kidney-shaped one.
It's true that some of the nicest improvements are costly to buy as complete items. I only buy these things occasionally as it's all I can afford.
I might have my discrete output stage running tonight.
The resistors are very large for the board!
Regards
Simon
It's true that some of the nicest improvements are costly to buy as complete items. I only buy these things occasionally as it's all I can afford.
I might have my discrete output stage running tonight.

The resistors are very large for the board!
Regards
Simon
SimontY said:. Without using wood in the chassis and tubes in the output your player may never sound similar to that odd kidney-shaped one.
Regards
Simon
In the first topic, I think Ray ever apllied tube in the output and what wrong with final result ?
regards
aquar
aquar said:In the first topic, I think Ray ever apllied tube in the output and what wrong with final result ?
regards
aquar
Without checking, I think a couple of posters here tried a tube output, and liked the results. The FET output will do the same sort of job though I'd have thought. And much more neatly. Can't wait to hear mine.
Simon
aquar said:Ok, I will wait from your FET result .... good luck simon.
regards
aquar
Thanks! 😎
Martin - my inductor hum problem....
I rotated one of the inductors on each channel so that the terminals were reversed but it was in the same position.
The hum is much reduced.
Would swapping the other one make it reduce further or go back to how it was?
Is it because:
a) I have made the hum more common-mode so cancelled by the analogue stage?
or
b) The construction of the inductor is such that it is picking up less hum in this orientation?
Presumably if a) it will get worse if I switch the other inductors around, if b) it will get better.
This area of the PCB is starting to disintegrate...
I rotated one of the inductors on each channel so that the terminals were reversed but it was in the same position.
The hum is much reduced.
Would swapping the other one make it reduce further or go back to how it was?
Is it because:
a) I have made the hum more common-mode so cancelled by the analogue stage?
or
b) The construction of the inductor is such that it is picking up less hum in this orientation?
Presumably if a) it will get worse if I switch the other inductors around, if b) it will get better.
This area of the PCB is starting to disintegrate...

Glenn2 said:This area of the PCB is starting to disintegrate...![]()
Welcome to my world. The world of pad-lifting.

aquar said:Anybody help me how to beat Consonance droplet ?
Regards
aquar
SimontY said:
Eek


That means it is not that hard to beat with a decent modded Marantz.
Ray
aquar said:Ray's tubestage
Hey, cool you still have that picture 😀
SimontY said:
Without checking, I think a couple of posters here tried a tube output, and liked the results. The FET output will do the same sort of job though I'd have thought. And much more neatly. Can't wait to hear mine.
Simon
The results were nice indeed, but the solid-state version did not make the world's difference. So I decided to drop the tube output plan and use FETs. Much simpler with the +/-12V supply

Ray
Hey Ray - do you think the newer generation of DACs like the Crystal 'super' DACs offer superior sound over older ones like the NPC?
For example, is your SA-8400+Tent Flea+output stage significantly better than a 63/67 with the same treatment? (for red book...)
How is that SA-7001 going?
For example, is your SA-8400+Tent Flea+output stage significantly better than a 63/67 with the same treatment? (for red book...)
How is that SA-7001 going?
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