Thanks guys for your comments.
I got the chip number wrong.
It is TDA1541 R1 , date coded 87
The dac in my Arcam cdp is a TDA1541A, date coded 95, made in Taiwan.
Will the R1 sound better than the MIT (made in Taiwan) version?
I am inching my diying interest in the direction of the TDA1541 and there is so much stuff so learn.
I got the chip number wrong.
It is TDA1541 R1 , date coded 87
The dac in my Arcam cdp is a TDA1541A, date coded 95, made in Taiwan.
Will the R1 sound better than the MIT (made in Taiwan) version?
I am inching my diying interest in the direction of the TDA1541 and there is so much stuff so learn.
Part of the problem with the '1541 is that they run hot, and go kaput-ski too much for my taste. When I was making CD players, it was rare for any chip other than the '1541 to fail. Not more than 1 of any of the other chips failed (which impies that some had 0 failures), but the '1541.............!
I liked the AD1862. Too bad that AD didn't make a lot of money on them, and it is a tough process, so they are gone. The low-level linearity was much better than any of the B-B parts that I had to convert to as I changed over. Some felt that the bass had more impact on the B-B, but I can not confirm that.
The other thing about the '1541 that bugged me was the -1.8 mA (?) current at idle. Made for a nice offset on the typical op-amp I/V. Actually, it was part of the reason that I came up with my discrete I/V stage, as I could adjust one of the CCS one way for the '1541, and another setting for a B-B or AD DAC.
The B-Bs in general are ok..........but the later ones more resemble a mini-DSP/delta-sigma convertor with some extra gimmicks stuck onto the end to make current out. They use tricks like multiple DACs firing in a staggered sequence to prevent nasty current glitches. If you look at the data sheet, and wonder why so much current on the -12 V rail............now you know.
Yep, I miss the '1862. Probably the last true R-2R DAC there will ever be.
Jocko
I liked the AD1862. Too bad that AD didn't make a lot of money on them, and it is a tough process, so they are gone. The low-level linearity was much better than any of the B-B parts that I had to convert to as I changed over. Some felt that the bass had more impact on the B-B, but I can not confirm that.
The other thing about the '1541 that bugged me was the -1.8 mA (?) current at idle. Made for a nice offset on the typical op-amp I/V. Actually, it was part of the reason that I came up with my discrete I/V stage, as I could adjust one of the CCS one way for the '1541, and another setting for a B-B or AD DAC.
The B-Bs in general are ok..........but the later ones more resemble a mini-DSP/delta-sigma convertor with some extra gimmicks stuck onto the end to make current out. They use tricks like multiple DACs firing in a staggered sequence to prevent nasty current glitches. If you look at the data sheet, and wonder why so much current on the -12 V rail............now you know.
Yep, I miss the '1862. Probably the last true R-2R DAC there will ever be.
Jocko
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