What source do you have?

[xerxes]

Nice to see a few CU members here.

[minivan]

thanks for the info dc, i am planning to buy from coemaudio, so i assume it's ok. that CIAudio VDA-2
look interesting, wiil look into it further
leo: can u give me more info why u dont like that type of dac, i have neer heard one b4 , can do a/b compare.

[leo]

TDA1543's are not bad little dacs, using a single TDA1543 without a digital filter, passive I/V and output stage the sound is quite sweet and detailed.
People like TDA1543's because they are so easy to implement.
Because of the low output using passive I/V some people add multiple TDA1543's to boost the output current without the need of an active I/V and output stage.
This does work but to my ears it gives a less natural sound compared to one TDA1543.
Don't take my word for it, you may like it with NOS dacs TDA1541 based designs are the way to go IMO but these are much harder to implement.

[leo]

Just had a look at the prices on Storm audio, I'd seriously look around first before spending that amount on one of those.

Also searching for Storm audio came across this www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=202509

[Deleted]

minivan
My old Marantz used a better than average (selected by Marantz) TDA1541. After replacing the "ladder" capacitors with good types, and a few other mods, the performance was right up there with a MArantz SA11 SACD player.
The top ranked TDA1541s are legendary, and can fetch >$1,000 each !!. Ask Leo about their different versions.
SandyK

[FritzS]

My old Marantz used a better than average (selected by Marantz) TDA1541. After replacing the "ladder" capacitors with good types, and a few other mods, the performance was right up there with a MArantz SA11 SACD player. The top ranked TDA1541s are legendary, and can fetch >$1,000 each !!.

My Philips modified CD 650 use a TDA1541 too and very close to the Marantz SA7001 KI at CD's

The basic designs for the analog path are very similar, Philips use OPA's - Marantz discrete amps - but arround this are similar - yet the muting ...... the new remote control manage the old Philips and vica versa

I can see both have the same parents

[minivan]

can u guys from the photo , tell what version is the tda1543 in that dac? here's the website of that dac :
storm-audio.com/j/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=58
i was told that dac has natural and real sound, that's what i am after. dont like the digital sound from my zhaolu d3

[leo]

fritzs said:

My old Marantz used a better than average (selected by Marantz) TDA1541. After replacing the "ladder" capacitors with good types, and a few other mods, the performance was right up there with a MArantz SA11 SACD player. The top ranked TDA1541s are legendary, and can fetch >$1,000 each !!.

My Philips modified CD 650 use a TDA1541 too and very close to the Marantz SA7001 KI at CD's

The basic designs for the analog path are very similar, Philips use OPA's - Marantz discrete amps - but arround this are similar - yet the muting ...... the new remote control manage the old Philips and vica versa

I can see both have the same parents

Change the TDA1541 to the TDA1541A, add the external 470pf/680pf oscillator cap across pin16 and 17.
Lots more mods can be done to that CD650 to make it really sing!! a well implemented TDA1541A is far superior to the CS4397 used in the SA7001

[leo]

minivan said:

can u guys from the photo , tell what version is the tda1543 in that dac? here's the website of that dac :
storm-audio.com/j/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=58
i was told that dac has natural and real sound, that's what i am after. dont like the digital sound from my zhaolu d3

Probably TDA1543, the TDA1543A is pin compatible with the TDA1543.
BUT TDA1543 uses I2S on the input, TDA1543A uses a different format 48 SCLK.
Basically if it used TDA1543 fitting a TDA1543A would not work with out mods, both of these dacs sound about the sound, the NONE A is preferable.
TDA1541's are different, the A grade sounds better than none A, S1 better than A and S2 better S1

[leo]

minivan said:

=20&Itemid=58
i was told that dac has natural and real sound, that's what i am after. dont like the digital sound from my zhaolu d3

It may sound better than the Zhaolu dac, I just thought it looked over priced and over complex for what chip it uses.

[FritzS]

a well implemented TDA1541A is far superior to the CS4397 used in the SA7001

gives a good source for the TDA1541A, S1, S2?

Or a good external DAC kit use TDA1541A, S1, S2?

[leo]

TDA1541A's are discontinued so they are harder to find but there is still places that have old stock, be much easier to buy a CDP off ebay that uses one, heres a list of cdp's with the dacs used www.freeweb.hu/mestertuning/dac.php?lang=en

You won't find a lot of dac kits using the TDA1541A, they are harder and tend to be more expensive to implement.
My dac is designed by Pedja Rogic but he only sells the PCB, you have to source your own components.

[minivan]

thanks guy for the warning, i had read the thread myself before. i am buying from the local dealer in australia here, so i thought it's ok. also i read some of the people in headfi are starting to receiving their ordered product now

[leo]

minivan said:

thanks guy for the warning, i had read the thread myself before. i am buying from the local dealer in australia here, so i thought it's ok. also i read some of the people in headfi are starting to receiving their ordered product now

Thats good if you buy from a local dealer, will you get chance to hear it first?

[minivan]

if they pay me more then $300 aud for the 2 way plane trip, i will do it
btw the dac is $900 aud from the local dealer

[dc]

minivan said:

if they pay me more then $300 aud for the 2 way plane trip, i will do it
btw the dac is $900 aud from the local dealer

hehe, i believe COEM have an in-home trial service if you pay the full cost of the item as a deposit and shipping both ways they give you 2 or 4 weeks

drop them an email, john and daniel and top blokes

if the storm sounds anything like my DAC-AH (8 x TDA1543), passive output stage then it will be very nice and relaxed, quite warm and bassy

[minivan]

dc, that could be an option for the test listening. i had read a post in headfi, some1 who own a dac-ah and the 1st version of storm dac, and he said the dac-ah is like a toy compare to the storm, but that's his opinion, we will have to hear it to find out. i email ori about modding my zhaolu d3, he replied me saying he won't mod the d3 , because the design of d3 is inferior to the 2.5, ouch! . may be the 2.5 is inferior to the 2.0? right now i am thinking of buying either the ori mod zhaolu or the storm pandora, 700 aud vs 900 aud ,hmm...decision , decison....may be i should buy both lol

[reds]

My sources are all quite vintage players:
Mcintosh MCD7000
Sony CDP-101
Toshiba z90

[insanitybeard]

xerxes said:

Ha! I also have a Cyrus CD8x.

Do you want an 8vs amp to go with it? I have one for sale.

Sadly I don't own any speakers or even amps other than my headphone amps due to my stupidly small room, lack of cash, circumstances etc! My setup is purely for headphone listening at the mo.... thanks anyway!

[insanitybeard]

Just checked in the loft to see which model the old Philips' CD player I used to listen to was..... it's a Philips CD610 11 (as in Mk.2). Apparently my Dad reckoned it cost a lot new and was as good a player as he could get in the day.

[garyh]

admin said:

CD players would come with transit screws which would lock the mechanism should you want to move the unit from A to B.

Hehe - I always wondered why CD players used to have a transit screw/peg and now don't

For my headphone listening (at work) I have a Cyrus CD7, soon to be upgraded with a Q7 DAC

[bozzy]

Could not resist replying to this thread - I think my sources amuse the DIY'ers, but currently, I have Bluenote Stibbert tube CDP, and Accustic Arts Transport and DAC with Stealth digital interconnect. I love them both dearly.

Happy trails !

[antigeek1]

UD-10 USB transport. Plugs into the USB output of a PC/Mac and outputs a digital SPDIF signal to an external DAC via either toslink, coax, BNC or AES.

First one I had was totally flakey and got stopped working when my computer PSU detonated.

I could not live without it ,so I just got myself another (updated ud-10.1 version) from the US.

Also doubles as a pretty good DAC in its own right (outputs via a mini headphone socket on the front) and contains some pretty good quality parts such as a lowjitter clock, Oscon caps and Elna Silmics.

Well recomended. So far I've not regreted selling my old Arcam 170 CD transport. Also opens up the world of internet radio..

[arirug]

To my "Pink Floyd" modded DV336i, bought on this forum, i use a Shanling CD-S100 as transport and a Beresford TC7510 MKV as a DAC, and Beyerdynamic DT990 2005 edit. This is the system I use in the daytime, and it sounds great!

When I fall asleep I do that with listening to my Graham Slee "Green Solo", Oppo OPDV971H as a transport, Beresford TC-7510 MKV as DAC, and AKG K701 on my ears. This is a really good combination too!

[Deleted]

arirug
I have an Oppo 981HD. I found that even as a transport, it improved with careful sound deadening with adhesive felt. Replacing the 4 switchmode bridge rectifier diodes with Vishay BYV26C and installing a 100nF 630V capacitor across the main big electro in the SMPS gave a worthwhile improvement to both SPDIF audio and even S-VHS video.
SandyK