CD 40/50/60 from Marantz are all OK. A good base for modding, no more no less. And available....
Hum, no one is for sale on ebay.fr or .de for the momment 🙁
What about the CD65, CD75 or CD62? I'd especially like to know if the last one is good, the chassis looks very similar to the well regarded CD72, is the electronics also similar?
What about the CD65, CD75 or CD62? I'd especially like to know if the last one is good, the chassis looks very similar to the well regarded CD72, is the electronics also similar?
I don't know about the other models but I do know CD65 because I own 2 of them. Nice machine but it has a plastic case, sounds OK nevertheless and it is easily modded ( XO and opamps ). There is a small risk of stray RF when you build in a XO in plastic cdplayers. There are various ways to overcome this problem but they don't belong in this thread and they are spoken of in other threads too.
Just buy what you can get at an affordable price and test the laser with a CDR. In case you found one with a good or real-good ( CDRW test ! ) laser you have bought yourself an excellent sparepart for the-cdplayer-you-would-really-like-to-have 😉 Which gives you the opportunity to buy that specific cdplayer in a defect state. For less money than you would have bought it with a healthy laser. They don't say the dutch are good tradesmen for nothing 😀 BTW I just stayed in Liege, Belgium a couple of days and I saw some of those CDM machines there too on the Liege markets so I am pretty sure you can find them in France too. Brocante, bric-a-brac shops are everywhere.
I understand that you want any info you can get but I guess you'll have to "gamble" yourself like everybody has to when buying unknown/older electronics. When you want CD72 quality you have to search for a CD72 and pay CD72 money if you believe it is the way to go. You practically can't go wrong with almost any of the mentioned cdplayers as long as the laser is OK. Most of them are built alike, only features differ. Sometimes mainboards are 100 % equal to other products in that line. CD80 and CD72 in a lesser degree are different from the others.
Some of them are more easily "moddable" than others, especially the models that use single opamps ( CD80 ).
PS There is a high risk of ending up with 10 or more cdplayers with healthy lasers with this system( which makes it more expensive after all ). Don't say I didn't warn you !
Just buy what you can get at an affordable price and test the laser with a CDR. In case you found one with a good or real-good ( CDRW test ! ) laser you have bought yourself an excellent sparepart for the-cdplayer-you-would-really-like-to-have 😉 Which gives you the opportunity to buy that specific cdplayer in a defect state. For less money than you would have bought it with a healthy laser. They don't say the dutch are good tradesmen for nothing 😀 BTW I just stayed in Liege, Belgium a couple of days and I saw some of those CDM machines there too on the Liege markets so I am pretty sure you can find them in France too. Brocante, bric-a-brac shops are everywhere.
I understand that you want any info you can get but I guess you'll have to "gamble" yourself like everybody has to when buying unknown/older electronics. When you want CD72 quality you have to search for a CD72 and pay CD72 money if you believe it is the way to go. You practically can't go wrong with almost any of the mentioned cdplayers as long as the laser is OK. Most of them are built alike, only features differ. Sometimes mainboards are 100 % equal to other products in that line. CD80 and CD72 in a lesser degree are different from the others.
Some of them are more easily "moddable" than others, especially the models that use single opamps ( CD80 ).
PS There is a high risk of ending up with 10 or more cdplayers with healthy lasers with this system( which makes it more expensive after all ). Don't say I didn't warn you !
OK,
CDM9 is the best, but badly implemented in the philips players (and certainly marantz too)
CDM1 is the second best, but very hard to find, no replacements parts, so if I find one that fails...
CDM4 is the worst (of those 3), but the easier to find
Why is there never any easy solution? 😀
BTW, if you tell me that x is better that y, there must be a reason. I'd like to know it.
Are the 1 and 9 better because of the sound, are they better built, more reliable... ?
The CDR test is a good one to see if the laser is ok, but if I buy the player on ebay, it will be difficult to test it myself.
I think I'll go for a player with a CDM4
Jean Paul, I think it's you who told me that starting with a player with CDM1/4/9 and a TDA1541 is a good thing.
I found this page telling which player uses which mechanism
http://www.blackpudding.fsnet.co.uk/digital_jitter/marantz_laser.htm
but how can I know the dac used in the player?
CDM9 is the best, but badly implemented in the philips players (and certainly marantz too)
CDM1 is the second best, but very hard to find, no replacements parts, so if I find one that fails...
CDM4 is the worst (of those 3), but the easier to find
Why is there never any easy solution? 😀
BTW, if you tell me that x is better that y, there must be a reason. I'd like to know it.
Are the 1 and 9 better because of the sound, are they better built, more reliable... ?
The CDR test is a good one to see if the laser is ok, but if I buy the player on ebay, it will be difficult to test it myself.
I think I'll go for a player with a CDM4
Jean Paul, I think it's you who told me that starting with a player with CDM1/4/9 and a TDA1541 is a good thing.
I found this page telling which player uses which mechanism
http://www.blackpudding.fsnet.co.uk/digital_jitter/marantz_laser.htm
but how can I know the dac used in the player?
CDM4 is very good, but the metal variants are somewhat better and CDM9 is a total redesign of the mechanics. It reads scratched cd's better and it doesn't need adjustment during the production process. I think the revised clamp can be ordered from Philips, the gear can be ordered for sure. ( Part number Philips: 4822-522-33192 Cost: €4.56 without transport ).
Just Google for it, when you find it write it down in a database/spreadsheet. Or open the cdplayer in question and write it down in a small database/spreadsheet. Cheapos use TDA1543, normal 1988-1990 ones use TDA1541(A) and exceptions use 1 bit DAC chips together with CDM4 ( CD 6xx ). CD9xx use CDM9 with 1 bit stuff. There are players out there from other brands than Philips/Marantz that use the newer CDM9 with the older TDA1541A. Rare but true.
Don't buy cdplayers of that age unseen from ebay or whatever internet-site. Always test them to avoid buying a dead or near dead one.
That's up to you to discover, it's part of the fun. Besides that it is only my opinion that's obviously coloured. Maybe you like CDM4 better than CDM9.
jean-paul said:
Ok, I think I'll have to look at philips players, and not marantz, if I want a cdm9.
TDA1541A: isn't this chip for sony/BB format? and not I2S (the one without A is for I2S, if I'm not mistaken)
It's not sony format, it's an improved TDA1541. The 'A' story is only true for the TDA1543A (and TDA1545A too, but not sure ?).
How about a CDM3 transport....?
GuidoB
How about a CDM3 transport....?
GuidoB
guido said:
OK, I was wrong (I was thinking about the 1543)
Jean Paul: I looked on ebay, and I saw many philips with CDM9
CD690/692
and CD930/940/950. The CD9** look very good, very heavy. Do you know those?
Leeuwarden said:
Please keep me updated! I have a broken Marantz CD-5000 with a VAM1201 transport with the same problem 🙁
Fedde
jean-paul said:
Jean Paul,
I can buy a second hand Marantz CD-72 II SE, for a good price
but it doens't play CDRWs, and plays not all CDRs.
Is this a sign of a laser that will fail soon?
Does nobody know the philips CD-9*** players?
http://eddie.dyec.com.tw/ have some nice pictures (of the inside) of those players.
They seem well made, don't they?
http://eddie.dyec.com.tw/ have some nice pictures (of the inside) of those players.
They seem well made, don't they?
Bricolo said:
send me a pm if you want any particular page on that site translated to english.....some good info there.....
😎
jean-paul said:
IMO, the CD930 isn't also a good choice, am I right?
But I'd like to know why you advice me to skip this player
For the PM, I thought it was meaning private message...
Jean Paul: how do you know so much things about cd players? Do you work in a repair center or something like this?
Use the Search function on CD931 and you'll find something. CD930 and CD931 are practically the same. If you can buy one for 75 Euro or something, buy it for the laser ( when it is OK ). CD951 is a better choice.
Don't know that much but I don't ask much questions, I try to find out myself what machine is OK or not 😉
I modify cdplayers for a hobby hence my experience with some models, did repairwork a long time ago. Not my cup of tea....
Just buy some ( or one ) and do the best you can. Learn from the mistakes you make and always do one mod at the time. Then judge your work and listen. After some time you get the hang of it. Work tidy ( only fools use melt glue ), use only good materials ( Pana FC, the better opamps etc. ) and tools and write down on a sticker what you did and put it in the player for future reference. Pay much attention to ground and possible ground loops and power supplies. Make sure that it is possible to dismantle the cdplayer with your mods for maintenance or repair. Sell it when it is finished ( and ONLY when it sounds good ! ) and start with another one. Don't believe expensive cdplayers are necessarely better than modded cheap ones but don't want too much from a cheap one or the mods can turn against you. Work ESD safe, certainly with the newer models. Use low jitter clocks and do research on how to avoid nasty side effects like stray RF and ground loops because of the chosen wiring/PSU. Clean boards and parts you touched with isopropyle alcohol when you're done to avoid oxidation of the parts/tracks.
Don't listen too technically but enjoy what you've done otherwise you end up playing tracks for 1 minute 😀 It is about enjoying music after all. And... if I can do it you can do it too. No need for guruism or a big mouth on a forum.
Amen.
Don't know that much but I don't ask much questions, I try to find out myself what machine is OK or not 😉
I modify cdplayers for a hobby hence my experience with some models, did repairwork a long time ago. Not my cup of tea....
Just buy some ( or one ) and do the best you can. Learn from the mistakes you make and always do one mod at the time. Then judge your work and listen. After some time you get the hang of it. Work tidy ( only fools use melt glue ), use only good materials ( Pana FC, the better opamps etc. ) and tools and write down on a sticker what you did and put it in the player for future reference. Pay much attention to ground and possible ground loops and power supplies. Make sure that it is possible to dismantle the cdplayer with your mods for maintenance or repair. Sell it when it is finished ( and ONLY when it sounds good ! ) and start with another one. Don't believe expensive cdplayers are necessarely better than modded cheap ones but don't want too much from a cheap one or the mods can turn against you. Work ESD safe, certainly with the newer models. Use low jitter clocks and do research on how to avoid nasty side effects like stray RF and ground loops because of the chosen wiring/PSU. Clean boards and parts you touched with isopropyle alcohol when you're done to avoid oxidation of the parts/tracks.
Don't listen too technically but enjoy what you've done otherwise you end up playing tracks for 1 minute 😀 It is about enjoying music after all. And... if I can do it you can do it too. No need for guruism or a big mouth on a forum.
Amen.
Buy a (used) oscilloscope too to see what's happening. Oh I forgot: when it is finished it is finished. Never open it again when it is real good after the mods. Chances that it'll get damaged or will sound worse than before are statistically high at the moment that you decide to change this-and-that for even better results 
thanks a lot for your advice!
I bought a scope, a tek 2232 with 2 tek probes
I searched about the CD931, and found a topic about crazy grounding, components sharing the same ps that is far away from them. Were you thinking about this one?
I've seen no CD950/951 for sale(except for 190€, not in my pricerange for a s/h player) (and even less 960). But from the pictures I've seen, the 951's PCB looks not so different from the 931's. Is it still better? what about the 940?
As for buying it for 75€, just for the laser. I'd better buy one of the ols philips/marantz we find on ebay for less than 10€. For the price I don't think I can go wrong.
I bought a scope, a tek 2232 with 2 tek probes
I searched about the CD931, and found a topic about crazy grounding, components sharing the same ps that is far away from them. Were you thinking about this one?
I've seen no CD950/951 for sale(except for 190€, not in my pricerange for a s/h player) (and even less 960). But from the pictures I've seen, the 951's PCB looks not so different from the 931's. Is it still better? what about the 940?
As for buying it for 75€, just for the laser. I'd better buy one of the ols philips/marantz we find on ebay for less than 10€. For the price I don't think I can go wrong.
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