Define "Niche"
Bought recently on ebay a Musical Fidelity FCD
No matter your view on MF as a brand and their trajectory from Wembley to Austria this is IMHO one of, if not the most beautiful players ever made. (should be, the stroke of genius was to get actual designers involved apparently)
Some pics of the inside are attached (outside once cleaned!)
This is a TEAC CD-P3500 with a fancy box and a tube output stage (x-10d?) I find it interesting to compare reviews of the two, and lose all faith in 90's hi-fi rags... the evidence is there "MAIN PCB 9155118101" - hats off Mr Michaelson, well played sir!
Also grinding the chips but not the board markings? Come on... OK this was before the internet but surely any idiot reviewer would be able to spot the chipset from it's layout? why the effort? - apparently it was enough
Not to be defeated MF both put a shield above the board and used security torx before you got in :-D I'm laughing because it's not hard to listen to is the truth. I don't know, there maybe something in the; 'huge (valve) input impedence makes op-amps work better', claim...
however, this is presented here as a project:
Plan is to rip the still beating heart out of this and replace it with something "not bitstream" - preferred route is the trusty PMD100 to either TDA1541a or one of the BB (PCM170x?) offerings. Want to avoid CD stuff though
The first thing is to find a donor with separate play/pause buttons and ideally the same dumb display (so no Sony grid) If that's not possible I'll take digital from the SM5840 and go from there...
Accepted already is that I'll be making a new display board the cd-p3500 is super simple
What to do? Oh What to do?
Bought recently on ebay a Musical Fidelity FCD
No matter your view on MF as a brand and their trajectory from Wembley to Austria this is IMHO one of, if not the most beautiful players ever made. (should be, the stroke of genius was to get actual designers involved apparently)
Some pics of the inside are attached (outside once cleaned!)
This is a TEAC CD-P3500 with a fancy box and a tube output stage (x-10d?) I find it interesting to compare reviews of the two, and lose all faith in 90's hi-fi rags... the evidence is there "MAIN PCB 9155118101" - hats off Mr Michaelson, well played sir!
Also grinding the chips but not the board markings? Come on... OK this was before the internet but surely any idiot reviewer would be able to spot the chipset from it's layout? why the effort? - apparently it was enough
Not to be defeated MF both put a shield above the board and used security torx before you got in :-D I'm laughing because it's not hard to listen to is the truth. I don't know, there maybe something in the; 'huge (valve) input impedence makes op-amps work better', claim...
however, this is presented here as a project:
Plan is to rip the still beating heart out of this and replace it with something "not bitstream" - preferred route is the trusty PMD100 to either TDA1541a or one of the BB (PCM170x?) offerings. Want to avoid CD stuff though
The first thing is to find a donor with separate play/pause buttons and ideally the same dumb display (so no Sony grid) If that's not possible I'll take digital from the SM5840 and go from there...
Accepted already is that I'll be making a new display board the cd-p3500 is super simple
What to do? Oh What to do?
Attachments
I'll explain the flimsy logic then. 'As is' the FCD is OK but not the best. If I just wanted a good (great?) player there are many more sensible avenues many (I am lucky enough to have sampled many alternatives and I do know this is not even remotely a sensible endeavour)
But the FCD is easy on the eye. and cleaned today, with the help of Fairy and Colgate!
There are actually two players involved in this thread, one I managed to get about 10 years ago and the newbie. The newest buy is actually in really good condition internally, but was tobacco stained and a bit rough. The first one I had is pristine externally but is almost prototype quality internally
Says a lot to me that during the cleaning phase I realised that some of the internal bracketry was marked out by hand
It does make me happy that somewhere, someone made this. I don't really feel bad coming along 40 years later and mucking about with it.
Righty then,
now we have established what it is SAA7350GP - SM5840AP and a KSS210A mech
Any ideas on a multibit 'donor'?
Of course there are selection criteria
This is pointing strongly at:
TEAC VRDS7 - but the servo board is huge and doesn't fit. It would require a new chassis (and a different DAC board)
TEAC CD-Z500(0). - Play/Pause button and a big display (might work) also CD-P4000, CD-P4500
TEAC VRDS9 - Packaging nightmare and SMD processor chip on display board so ruled out
AKAI CD-79 / 69 - lots in the box (also can't get hold of one...)
Arcam FMJ - much complexity on the display / control board
I like the idea of it being another TEAC but its also the case that TEAC tend to split audio and 'other' boards - the Rotel RCD991 or similar for example - great but fit that in!!
"what am I trying to achieve here" (you might well ask): Something that looks like the FCD, but a 'proper' cd player underneath, that's it.
This is going to take a minute.... no plan, always the best way to set off on a journey
Andy
now we have established what it is SAA7350GP - SM5840AP and a KSS210A mech
Any ideas on a multibit 'donor'?
Of course there are selection criteria
- Multibit not bitstream*. even considered TDA1543, but newer would be nice as musical as that is
- Sony mech preferably KSS210A, because of hardware
- Separate play/pause buttons
- Small display, preferably without grid (very subjective that one, Arcam made it work)
This is pointing strongly at:
TEAC VRDS7 - but the servo board is huge and doesn't fit. It would require a new chassis (and a different DAC board)
TEAC CD-Z500(0). - Play/Pause button and a big display (might work) also CD-P4000, CD-P4500
TEAC VRDS9 - Packaging nightmare and SMD processor chip on display board so ruled out
AKAI CD-79 / 69 - lots in the box (also can't get hold of one...)
Arcam FMJ - much complexity on the display / control board
I like the idea of it being another TEAC but its also the case that TEAC tend to split audio and 'other' boards - the Rotel RCD991 or similar for example - great but fit that in!!
"what am I trying to achieve here" (you might well ask): Something that looks like the FCD, but a 'proper' cd player underneath, that's it.
This is going to take a minute.... no plan, always the best way to set off on a journey
Andy
Having risked the same conversation in a professional setting earlier today, bang on point!
"An endeavour based upon how one feels about things without consideration of the difficulties or consequences of the action" yep that's this
any progress will also likely be slow...
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Cyrus? Not on my to do list. I'm sure they are reliable and great players - just not in my experience (100% heartache!)
Suppose an MF X-ray might work too but the dac is a little uninspiring?
I'm missing the point
been a long dayI have a PMD100 - PCM1702 layout sort of worked out. It might just be simpler to accept the additional 'stuff in there and rob the digital signals before the SM5840. Just doesn't feel very 'elegant'
Andy
Easter tinkering. As expected, the FCD is now well and truly apart 
Some, expanded possibilities too, as the window responded well to diamond polishing to remove the shadow mask...
Looking for a bit of help - the FCD has a KSS210A pick up, attached to KSM210 mech then attached to a what?? Looking for a code for the whole assembly. I'm sure this must be child's play and I'm being dim, but I can't see it. I'm not talking about the laser 'block' or the sled mechanism, but the whole bit with the drawer etc
For example, a CDP-M18 has this clearly listed as CDM14-5K - so in that case a CDM14 with BU-5K sled right? But what about this one with the metal arch? See pic.
As is my weird trait I'm modelling these up in 3D for 'reasons' Starting with that CDM14. at least until the CD-P3000 carcass arrives
Andy
Some, expanded possibilities too, as the window responded well to diamond polishing to remove the shadow mask...
Looking for a bit of help - the FCD has a KSS210A pick up, attached to KSM210 mech then attached to a what?? Looking for a code for the whole assembly. I'm sure this must be child's play and I'm being dim, but I can't see it. I'm not talking about the laser 'block' or the sled mechanism, but the whole bit with the drawer etc
For example, a CDP-M18 has this clearly listed as CDM14-5K - so in that case a CDM14 with BU-5K sled right? But what about this one with the metal arch? See pic.
As is my weird trait
I'm modelling these up in 3D for 'reasons' Starting with that CDM14. at least until the CD-P3000 carcass arrives Andy
Attachments
Turns out, its often printed on the mech KSL210AFM
In anycase I also did a thing with CAD, look at the pictures of the KSS150A model Yes I KNOW its very niche but for a work in progress I'm happy.
Now on to that KSS210, hope that some parts are the same :/
Also a suitably low bow to the Sony engineers. The baseplate itself is a masterpiece in value engineering (anyone can be clever with a limitless budget, MUCH cleverer to achieve the same but so people can afford it). The laser diode assembly feels like you have something from NASA in your hands tho
Also note the Teac CD-P3000 that arrived today (complete with melted transformer) is somewhat apart from a CD-P3500.... the DAC is MN6474 'proudly' MASH
In anycase I also did a thing with CAD, look at the pictures of the KSS150A model Yes I KNOW its very niche but for a work in progress I'm happy.
Now on to that KSS210, hope that some parts are the same :/
Also a suitably low bow to the Sony engineers. The baseplate itself is a masterpiece in value engineering (anyone can be clever with a limitless budget, MUCH cleverer to achieve the same but so people can afford it). The laser diode assembly feels like you have something from NASA in your hands tho
Also note the Teac CD-P3000 that arrived today (complete with melted transformer) is somewhat apart from a CD-P3500.... the DAC is MN6474 'proudly' MASH
Attachments
Now that's what I call a tangent
Anyone got a pointer for the inevitable discussion on Sony Mech that must be here on DIYAudio
As a mechanical engineer, It might be lost on the wider audience here explaining how much fun there is to be had in the cost VS functionality journey between the KSS150 and later KSS210 mechanisms
its especially fun as the '150 can have a plastic loader and the '210 has a shiny metal one. you'd be looking for the KSL150 which is "best" all round I think
Slowly zooming in on this project though, slowly being the word
Andy
Anyone got a pointer for the inevitable discussion on Sony Mech that must be here on DIYAudio
As a mechanical engineer, It might be lost on the wider audience here explaining how much fun there is to be had in the cost VS functionality journey between the KSS150 and later KSS210 mechanisms
its especially fun as the '150 can have a plastic loader and the '210 has a shiny metal one. you'd be looking for the KSL150 which is "best" all round I think
Slowly zooming in on this project though, slowly being the word
Andy
