TDA1541A DAC chip corner


After trying many various DAC chips,  I found myself to have a preference for one particular chip. Much has been written about TDA1541A DAC all over the world, but I found it without prior opinion seeking - just by my ears. It is funny for a mere electronic component to be worshiped like an object of religion, but this chip is such rare case. Augmented by the fact, that they are no more in production. The chip TDA1541, and especially the single crown selection S1 and TDA1541A/S2 is so desired that there are counterfeit chips on second hand market and unfortunately on ebay too.

There are some fantastic web sites which I discovered recently - dedicated to
TDA1541A DAC wholly or in part, most famous ones are from Pedja Rogic, Thotsten Loesch, Lesha and some others.  These wonderful people spent considerable time researching good CD sound and they all like me reached the conclusion that the good old TDA1541A DAC is still the one to beat. They all use it with non-oversampling mode at 44,1 kHz sampling rate and some of them use tube output too.

Thanks to the lampizator output stage , I can listen to different CD players, and because the output stage is every time the same lampizator, I can compare the DAC to DAC and its adjacent chips in digital domain - the dig filter, the input receiver, and the whole implementation. I believe I have got to the naked character of different DACs.  And it is apples to apples if you know what I mean. I  am deeply convinced, that the stock output stage used in all CD players including the best ones - damages the sound quality a lot.

The spec sheet can be found here: TDA1541A LINK


This is the data mining page of mine:   DAC chip data mining


This TDA1541A DAC chip is large, it gets hot, it is (was) expensive to build, it is 16 bit compatible and can be used with or without over sampling. Usually it is 4 or 8 times over sampled.
It was made by Philips after their first DAC ever - the TDA1540 - which was famous for being incompatible with the real CD format of 16 Bit word length by having only 14 bits. That didn't stop it (the 1540) from sounding very very good.

Philips produced the
TDA1541A DAC for a couple of years, probably from 1985 (non-A version) and from 1989 - A version - slightly improved, and ceased it circa 1995. In these years the entire European and Japanese hifi industry (even Sony) produced millions of CD players with the TDA. At that time they were not considered that special, humanity was looking forward to having better and better chips every year.

Tadadada! Not true ! To some degree Burr Brown of Japan, later bought by Texas, succeeded in making very good chips. Probably the PCM63K being the closest. Crystal, NPC and Analog Devices are not bad too, and that's all. Oh I forgot - the MASH from National Matsushita - very popular in Poland thanks to Technics players (actually one of my favourite DACS -surprise surprise).

And worth mentioning is that there is
TDA1541AT/C1 - a SMD version of the TDA1541A,  otherwise identical.



BLOCK DIAGRAM of TDA1541A/S chip





Some of you audio fetishists when discussing TDA1541A will be thrilled only by the Single Crown and Double Crown (S1 and S2 variants respectively) which are nothing more than marketing buzzwords for selected 1 % and 1 Pro mile of the production batch which matches closely the ideal benchmark performance. So in fact - the crowns are just the regular A's which measure above average. Like the Representation Army Squad which greets politicians and kings at the airports.
Actually, I may be alone here, but I think that the old non-A has the most lively and energetic sound. This is a rough diamond. I can not swear by the A being any better.
The sonic characteristic of
TDA1541A DAC players is very easy to distinguish - after hitting PLAY after trying other DACS you can hear a big difference immediately, BUT I can't describe it at all. It is very hard to put in words. The sound is very rich, full, mature, ripe, analogue, liquid, dynamic, and with huge macro dynamics. It has the best midrange, best treble and very very good bass.
The main difference is: that I like it more than any other DAC chip, it is so ear friendly.

This chip is stereo but unbalanced. We need at least one per CD.
One of the best audio companies of all times - one of my private favourites - Cambridge Audio - used to make a CD player called CD3 which had 4 of paralleled standard non-S1 TDA's per unit.
I have yet to find one for myself !

WHY TDA1541A DAC ?

THE BIG QUESTION: Mr. Fikus, are you dogmatic about using old shit and why you deny the technical progress of our wonderful industry? Are you some kind of a lunatic, a gaslight advocate? Are you a hi-fi Amish? Are you on drugs? What is wrong with you that you do not like 24 bit/192 KHz and HDCD and SACD and VLSI chips?

Here is what I can say: There are two kinds of resolution: digital and analogue. We can talk in digital "language" and conclude, that a digital information can have a certain - say 16 bit - word length. And the chip that reads it must be able to operate with 16 bit length of words. But can it (DAC) put out the resulting sine wave with similar accuracy ??? That is the KEY QUESTION.

Bits are the smallest measurement units which we can apply to the process. It is sort of like in digital cameras. Would you buy a 100 Euro Casio pocket camera which has a CCD with 10 million pixels or rather a 8 million Canon D30 XLR? The number of pixels on the casio is better, but it is all lost in firmware, compression, lens quality, accuracy of power supply, etc. In music reproduction, our CD has 16 bits. No matter what DAC we use - it is still 16 bits. That's means that we can reproduce a 2 V pp signal with accuracy of 2/65500 Volts.
So why the cheap DVD player with real 24 bits is not immediately better? Because increasing the digital resolution does not have a chance to come through the process. The fact that digitally speaking the chip can "understand the word -length of 24 bits" does not guarantee, that after reading it will output music of equally great nuance resolution. Remember - reading is not understanding. Just like with this text. Because the other elements which play role - the timing of impulses (clock) and the power supply stability and the analog stage - all have possibility to reproduce signal with accuracy of say 0,01 % which is 1/10000 which is far from 1/65500 and VERY FAR from 24 bit number, which is 2 to the 24th power, which is 65500 times 2 to 8-ght power which is A LOT. Actually it is 17 millions.
The non mathematical explanation is possible if we take the example of say the printer. Some printer manufacturer can claim the resolution of 20 000 dpi. This may be a valid claim for the ink injecting head resolution and it's software, but the "analog" result will be that the drop of ink will smear over an area 10 x bigger than its injector nozzle, and B) the paper structure has fibres 10 x bigger than the 20 000 dpi requires. So the picture limitation is in the paper ink interaction, not the head injector resolution. Not to mention accuracy of head movement on the rails, temperature of injectors, air pressure and humidity etc.

So somebody promising a resolution of 24 bits is effectively claming that he produced electrical device which controls the output signal to a wide range of loads with accuracy of one/17 millionth part of a volt.
THIS CLAIM IS NOT VERY SERIOUS. We take it with a grain of salt.
So dear readers, there is no correlation between increased number of bits above 16 and sound quality. At least it is not automatically guaranteed. I suggest we rather concentrate on the best usage of the bits which we have, than worry of these bits we don't have.

The taste in DAC chiops is something very subjective, but I have much more opportunities to compare DACS because I remove other variables like output stages, capacitors, opamps and stuff like that. I listen to NAKED CHIPS via the same lampizator every time, so I know how DACs compare.
TDA1541 is very strong contender to being the best, some rivals may actually come close, equalize or have an edge in ONE area but no DAC can really seriously beat the TDA. Yes, it is THAT good. Especially in NOS mode and with very good capacitors around it.

For those interested in the TDA1541 debate - S1, S2, A - non-A, fake or real - here is the must read link:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread/t-32587.html



Philips CD304mkII (non-A chip) I LOVE the non-A, it is very vigorous.





Two A1-"S" in the Grundig 9009 (but only parallel, not differential)




Grundig 9000 with standard Philips PCB and the A chip.




This is the mother of all DACs - the fourteen bit TDA1540 as found in the Loewe CD 9000 and Marantz 73, Philips 103 and 104.




The S1 in the Revox B226S (decoupling caps - the red ones - already good !)



The Naim has very similar config to the Revox, but the PCB is of military style. An absolute overkill of engineering in all aspects.





BOTTOM SIDE OF Marantz 60 with new caps
literally squeezed in.
The marantz cd60 is almost identical to Marantz 40, 50, Grundig 9000, Philips 630. It is very simple and cheap in fact, but after electrolytic cap upgrade, decoupling cap upgrade and lampization - it can be VERY GOOD.
PCB is standard Philips one.



SMD caps (the small ones) and the "proper" MKP or MKT capacitor that replaces them.
- the very necessary job in cheaper CD players from second league.
Most players use here 100 nF, the better players use 220nF. I swear that 220 sounds better than 100. I suggest to use 470nF by 63 V from WIMA. Like on the photo somewhere way below - Grundig 8400 MK2. Nowadays I learned that the SMD caps can stay, we ADD the new caps across them. So a nice job would be adding 220n to the existing 100nF to make 320 nF) Without removal job - the likelihood of damaging the PCB is very small.
Another good option is to add the tantalums - something like 1uF by 10 V. But remember that the signal is polarized negatively (-5VDC) so put the cap plus to the ground. Definitely keep the SMD in place then. Tantalums have more dry but more detailed sound. Lots of thin air and micro clues.




The Marantz CD 40 DAC area before cap replacement / addition. . All the brown SMD caps can actually stay.
These extreme left one and extreme right one are in parallel (bypass) with large electrolytic mounted on the other side. These are power supply reservoir caps. Replace SMD with MKT (220nF/63V or better 470 nF) and the electrolytic too - with os-cons or tantalums, at least 47 uF/16 V) .  Observe polarity of electrolytics. Of course you can use Black Gates too.



In Philips' flagship DAC 960 - the non-S chip is surrounded by premium 220n caps and gigantic power supply.



This is identical looking PCB of Marantz 94 MK1 - just like the Philips DAC above - both made at the same time in the same Marantz Japan factory.  Non "S" variant of the DAC but the caps around are 220nF not 100 like everywhere else. This is key element of their sound signature.
The red dots here show the wire jumpers which we must lift for lampization, and yellow dot is a ground point.



Superb Danish engineering in the B&O CD5500. Premium parts and kosher solutions. 100 nF caps - white ones - around the DAC



Grundig 8400 mMKII - after removal of decoupling caps.


Grundig 8400 - capacitor part substitution.



Grundig 8400 - job completed.




Installation of 220nF decoupling caps in Philips player (and later - on the identical pcb - in Marantz 40, marantz 60, Grundig 9000 and over a dozen others, which share same Philips PCB) On the picture the job is not finished.

The biggest size of these caps that I found on any CD player is 220nF but one CD - Arcam delta DAC has 4 out of 14 caps sized 470 nF.(the orange tantals)



This is Arcam 70.2 DAC section with the Tantals visible. - the orange head caps in a row of white cubes around the TDA dac.





Strangely, on the photo above you can see the larger two caps (orange tantalums) to be mounted to legs 13 and 12  and on the schematics - to 7 and 8. Other side is correct - 18 and 19.
I think the PCB is good, and drawing is mistaken.


Mr. Pedja Rogic, one of the TDA Gurus, advocates putting in each row 6 x 100 nF and the two  MSB - legs 13 and 18 - 2,2 uF. So Arcam increases two last caps, and Rogis - just one last per each channel
Look also at great job by ARCAM - one of the best companies in existence - they use a coil between the power supply regulator and the last caps before the power consumer pins. VERY GOOD PRACTICE. I will start doing the same in all my jobs.


Why decoupling is important, what really happens there ?

The process of musical signal creation inside the DAC is explained on this drawing of the TDA1540 guts. All elements are inside the IC but the capacitors CAN'T be integrated that's why they are outside. The switches take some current from each cap and build up the music signal.

TDA1541A decoupling and switches

As you can see, the caps are DIRECTLY responsible for music, for the sound , color and flavour.



MArantz - who was owned by Philips who invented the TDA chip - used 100 nF in cheap players but 220 nF in their best ones.

A solution by Lukasz Fikus will be: 220 nF all 5 caps in each row, then 470 nF like Arcam, and last one 2,2 uF a'la Rogic.
I will follow up with some scope measurements.
Rogic DAC is HERE



One clever guy Thomas who tries to build a commercial DAC spent many years optimizing the TDA circuit and arrived at the dual differential balanced config with some GIGANTIC decoupling caps - In my estimate may be close to 1 uF but I don't know for sure - just looking at the pic: the blue cubes are huge.


The story of this  project (probably best TDA 1541A DAC ever designed) is here:
http://www.vt4c.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=13568&sid=a105dc5d441c7e6c616e714c3b4ee190

Later on I found this PCB set to be used in SATCH DAC from Hong Kong  DIYHIFISUPPLY.com
I describe it HERE
Funny, the huge blue caps turned out to be 100nF by 250 V as the data sheet of philips advocated 100 nF.
Here is what Simon from DIYHIFISUPPLY had to say about the cap size :

Hello Lukasz,
First, 100nF are the standard per datasheet.  Larger values changes the sound, but if the result is better is debatable.
Second, while 250V is indeed overkill, but thicker film means lower microphonics. So there is nothing "wrong" with using 100nF/250V Film capacitors. They maybe used to achieve a specific sound.
Regards
Simon

OK, fair enough, we have cleared the ground at least. The proof will be in listening.

The DAC is pictured here:
SATCH with TDA-1541A

In the end, the satch took 3 months to play FANTASTIC but this required very heavy mods including lampization of the satch.


We can argue, that a 700 Bucks DAC should play well in the first place, and we would be right.
It is better to build such SATCH from scratch  and the green PCB comes to the rescue (from Analogmetric). It is basically SATCH on one PCB, which by the way is a much nicer PCB than that of SATCH:

ENTER "GREENDAC"


Analogmetric DAC

Analogmetric DAC

We can buy the GREENDAC for circa 15 USD and we need to populate only less than half of parts, but this time no mercy only the best parts need to apply.


Analogmetric DAC


 



This is Revox B126 with non-s but otherwise IDENTICAL board as B226-S. Best sound was achieved with a half of BB-OPA2604 as a converter and amplifier. Both outputs from leg one of opamp via PIO to RCA's. No lampization in this one, just bypass.


PHOTO: Absolutely superb player - Sony 227 ESD with two parallel TDA's.  Not "S" like Grundig, but still very good. Not differential like in Marantz 94/2 - sorry. But the caps, the grounding, the opamp arrangements -, the regulators - all is FIRST CLASS. Similar to Philips DAC960 and Philips CD880, Which were made by Marantz Japan.



This is a bigger brother of 227 - the Sony CDP-337ESD. Two "A" chips in parallel, sometimes - non-A, depending on the batch.


This is again a Sony, but this time it is a 555ESD. One chip, probably S, I must check it because it is covered.




One funny observation: after removing of all 17 capacitors from SMD board, the player still plays good sound, Not as good as with new 220 nF caps, but quite good indeed.


For the fans of TDA1541A: the absolute champion of TDA'ization is Cambridge Audio CD3 player from UK.
It uses 4 DACs in parallel.


It must be seen and heard to be believed.
See it here
CAMBRIDGE CD3




This picture shows the DAC board of Marantz CD-94-2 which has two single crown chips in differential balanced mode (no balanced output is available prior to lampization).


The best CD for beginners to start the adventure in my opinion is this one (equivalent of Marantz 40)  Grundig CD8100 - see it below.


Just imagine taking this lampized 20 Euro player to your buddy who has Wadia 860X and when you wipe the floor with the Wadia.

By the way, it has the same mechanism as the NAIM CDS1. Hard to find - 25th variant.



This is the inside of Musical Fidelity DAC  with TDA1541A. All parts are premium and layout is perfect, there is nothing to tweak really, only add tubes.




This is a CREEK CD60 player, photo courtesy of Aldo from Torino. It has the S1 and the 4/14 mechanism. What a JOY TO LOOK AT I guess it sounds superb on its own, even without tubes.
The parts and layout is one of the best , just like NAIM !!!
BUY THIS ONE !!!



naim cdi




This is another NAIM - the CDI. One box version of the almighty CD1.
Note all the power regulator use TANTALUM caps all around. (the blue drops)



This is yet another NAIM - the newest of the TDA series - the CD3. I absolutely love this player. I want one !


naim cd3





And this -  tadadada drums rolling - is the "British Cottage Industrys best PCB design award" CD player - Sugden













Lampization of the TDA chip


6N2P


Discovery of this tube was a shock for me. Nothing prepared me for such leap in quality. When designing my best hot-rodded superdac SATCH TUBED, I was researching alternative tubes and I found in the very end the one which thrashed them all - 6N2P.
It looks like typical small noval, but the SOUND !!!!! What a revelation. Everyone whom I subjected to test drive of 6N2P in their own gear commented that this can't be true. Such is the quality leap.
This tube is somewhat similar to ECC83 but beats it in quality hands down.

The very high amplification factor of 6N2P (100) predestines it to working with small input signals, such as from I OUT DACS. and in circuits with very high load impedance - like another tube grid.
Yes, the tube 6N2p is IDEALLY suited to work especially with the World's best DAC chips - TDA1540, TDA1541A,  TDA1541A/S1, TDA1541A/S2, AD1862, AD1865, PCM58, PCM63, PCM1702, PCM1704 and PCM1794.

This tube is absolutely not recommended to make lampizators for the U out DACs like the best of this kind CS4397, CS4398, AD1855, TDA1549, and Wolfson WM8740 and WM8741
For these DAC types - use LAMPIZATOR with 6N6P tube (6H6Pi).

THE BEST SCHEMATICS OF THE 6N2P Lampizator and TDA DAC


DATASHEET OF 6N2P







The short list of  CD players which have TDA1541A chip.



ACOUSTIC RESEARCH CD-06SE    TDA1541A    CDM-4
ADCOM GCD-575        TDA1541A    KSS-212B
ARCAM ALPHA          TDA1541A
ARCAM ALPHA 5 PLUS   TDA1541A    CDM-9
ARCAM ALPHA PLUS     TDA1541A
ARCAM DELTA   70.2 TDA1541-S1 (Single Crown)  CDM-4/11 / CDM-4/31
ARCAM DELTA BOX 1    TDA1541A

Bang & Olufsen Beogram CDX2 TDA1541A – SAA7220 CDM-2
Bang & Olufsen CD5500 TDA1541A CDM-4/11

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO CD2 4 x TDA1541 – SAA7220 CDM-2/10

Cambridge Audio CD3 (4 x TDA1541 and CDM1 MKII)
CREEK CD60 TDA1541A-S1 – SAA7220P/B CDM-4/14

GRUNDIG CD9009 2xTDA1541A/S1 CDM1mkII

LUXMAN D-500X’s II TDA1541A-S1 (Single Crown) CDM-3


MARANTZ CD-12 TDA1541A-S2 (Double Crown)  CDM-1
MARANTZ CD7 TDA1541AS2 (double crown) CDM 12.3

MARANTZ CD80 TDA1541A/S1/Q CDM1mkII

MARANTZ CD-85 TDA1541A-S1 (Single Crown) CDM-1 Mk II

MARANTZ CD880J TDA1541A-S1 (Single Crown) CDM-1 Mk II
MARANTZ CD94 TDA1541A CDM1


MARANTZ CD94mkII
TDA1541A/S1 CDM1


MARANTZ CD-99SE 2 x TDA1541A-S1 (Single Crown) CDM-1


MARANTZ CDA 94 TDA1541A-S1 (Single Crown) It’s a DAC
Marantz KI CD10, 11, 16.
Non KI don't count... they are TDA1547


MARANTZ PROJECT D-1 2 x TDA1541A-S2 (Double Crown) It’s a DAC

Meridian 206 mkII

MCINTOSH  MCD7005 TDA1541A CDM-2/10

MCINTOSH  MCD7007 TDA1541A-S1 (Single Crown) CDM-1


MERIDIAN 206 TDA1541


MERIDIAN 207 TDA1541A-S2 (Double Crown) CDM-1 / CDM-4

NAIM AUDIO CD1 TDA1541 CDM-2


NAIM AUDIO CD2 TDA1541A CDM-9


NAIM AUDIO CD3 TDA1541A-S1 (Single Crown) CDM-9






NAIM AUDIO CDI TDA1541A-S1 (Single Crown) CDM-4/27 / CDM-9 Pro
NAIM AUDIO CDS1 TDA1541-S1 (Single Crown) CDM-4/25

NAKAMICHI CDP-2E        TDA1541A – CXD1088
NEC CD-10 2 x TDA1541A-S1 (Single Crown) KSS-150A
NEC CD-816 2 x TDA1541A-S1 (Single Crown) KSS-150A
NEC CD-830DS        2 x TDA1541A-S1 (Single Crown)



ORELLE CD100SE TDA1541A-S1 (Single Crown) CDM-4


PHILIPS CD350 Mk II TDA1541-S1 CDM-2/10 / CDM-2/29
PHILIPS CD-80 TDA1541A-S1 (Single Crown) CDM-1 Mk II

PHILIPS CD-85 TDA1541A-S1 (Single Crown) CDM-1 Mk II

PHILIPS CD-880 TDA1541A/S1/Q CDM 1mkII

PHILIPS LHH1000 TDA1541A-S1 (Double Crown) CDM-1


PIONEER PD-8070     TDA1541

QUAD 66
TDA1541A CDM-9
ROTEL RCD-820 TDA1541


ROTEL RCD-855 TDA1541A-S1 CDM-4/19

ROTEL RCD-955 TDA1541 CDM-4


ROTEL RCD-955AX TDA1541A – SAA7220P/B CDM-4

SONY CDP-207ESD 1 x TDA1541 – CXD1088 KSS-150A

SONY CDP-301V TDA1541 – CXD1088 KSS-210A

SONY CDP-333ESD 1 x TDA1541 – CXD1088 Sony BU-1E

SONY CDP-337ESD 2 x TDA1541A – CXD1144 KSS-190A

SONY CDP-507ESD 2 x TDA1541 – CXD1144 KSS-151A / KSS-190A
SONY CDP-555ESD 1 x TDA1541A – CXD1088 Sony BU-1E

SONY CDP-605ESD TDA1541 – CXD1088 Sony BU-1E

SONY CDP-68 TDA1541 – CXD1088 KSS-210

SONY CDP-910 TDA1541A – CXD1088 KSS-151A

SONY CDP-M75 TDA1541 – CXD1088 KSS-210A

SONY CDP-M95 TDA1541 – CXD1088 KSS-210A

SONY DAS-R1 TDA1541AS1 (single crown)

SONY DAS-R1 2 x TDA1541A-S1 – CXD1144 It’s a DAC

STUDER  A727 TDA1541A-S1 (Single Crown) CDM-1


STUDER  A730 TDA1541A-S1 (Double Crown) CDM-3


SUDGEN SDT-1 TDA1541AS1 (single crown)

SUGDEN MASTERCLASS TDA1541A-S-Crown – SAA7220 CDM 12.1

TEAC CD-Z5000 2 x TDA1541A KSS-210A

TEAC D-500 2 x TDA1541A-S1 – SM5813 It’s a DAC























The following text is reprinted without permission of Stereophile - an interesting history of TDA series chip:

John Atkinson, December, 1990

SOME HISTORY of TDA1541A DAC from Philips

"Desperation is the Mother of Invention." Isn't that how the proverb goes? Certainly it applied ten years ago in the case of the Philips engineers working on the development of the Compact Disc system. Given a specification that had included a 14-bit data word length, they had duly developed a 14-bit DAC chip, the TDA1540, only then to be informed that the CD standard decided upon after Sony joined forces with the Dutch company would involve 16-bit data words. (Thank goodness!)

Philips having already committed the 14-bit design to silicon, they would not have a 16-bit DAC ready in time for the medium's launch in the Fall of 1982. They were thus faced with the problem of squeezing four times the resolution from their existing 14-bit DAC. The result was an ingenious digital filter that combined 4x-oversampling and noise-shaping—the latter is effectively a digital feedback loop, the error produced when the filtered digital data are truncated to 14 bits being fed back to the beginning—to give a digital system with full 16-bit resolution.

Philips's true 16-bit DAC chip, the TDA1541, followed in 1985, but the seeds of ingenuity had obviously been sown: if the combination of oversampling and noise-shaping can increase the resolution of a DAC using too few bits, then why not go all the way and implement a system that used a simple 1-bit DAC and make up for the shortfall in resolution by taking the oversampling, noise-shaping process to the limit?

The result was a D/A system, internally referred to by Philips as "DAC3" (the two earlier systems were DAC1 and DAC2, of course), which was introduced in the summer of 1989. I discussed the design of the system in detail in June 1989 (Vol.12 No.6, p.57), but briefly, the SAA7321 DAC3 chip massively oversamples the input data at a 256x rate, interpolating the new sample values to produce a 17-bit datastream sampled at 11.02MHz (footnote 1). The data words are then fed to a 1-bit DAC, with the 16-bit error fed back in a noise-shaping loop. Mathematically, this should—and does—result in the pulse stream output by the DAC having the full 96dB+ dynamic range of a conventional 16-bit system. But unlike multibit systems, this "Bitstream" DAC is inherently linear and monotonic over its entire range—the reasons why were given in Peter Mitchell's "Industry Update" in January 1990 (Vol.13 No.1, p.36)—requiring no laser-trimming of on-chip resistor values or in-production adjustment of linearity, both of which add to a CD player's manufacturing cost, hence price.

I was told by Philips last year that the Bitstream DAC was therefore intended to be used in low-cost and portable players, the company saying that they would remain with their TD1541-based chip set for high-performance players. Very rapidly, however, once designers had tried the Bitstream approach, it became apparent that, correctly implemented, it could surpass traditional D/A conversion in the preservation of low-level detail. (Even Philips has now introduced a Bitstream player, the LHH500.)



ABOUT THE CD RED-BOOK



Philips and Sony, developers of the CD technology, and of the 12cm CD, published their specifications for CD-Audio in 1980-- reportedly in a binder with red covers. The Red Book addressed the physical specifications for the CD; the tracks, the sector and block layout, coding and sampling of digital audio files, and other specifications. The Red Book was key for the high quality sound of CD-Audio, which became a standard and key for the worldwide CD-ROM industry. The International Electrotechnical Commission published the Red Book as their Doc IEC 908 (1987)

There are other "books"

Yellow - CD-ROM
White - CD-ROM XA
Green - CD-I
Orange - CD-RW, CD-MO, CD-WO
Blue - Mixed mode CD-A


A good online glossary of CD terms can be found here:
http://www.cdpage.com/Compact_Disc_Glossary/glossarym.html

ABOUT THE NON-OVER-SAMPLING modification

Encouraged by my first experience - I also modded some players - the mighty philips CD-880 and the Marantz CD-94-1 and some Naims, Marantz CD94-2, Marantz CD50,  by removing the oversampling function of digital filter SAA7220p/b. If it has the usual trio of chips - 7210 (called chip A) , SAA7220P/B called chip B and TDA1541A called chip C - means it is doable. I followed the instruction of DCAUDIO and the result was really fantastic. The owner of the first player under scrutiny, who is a first class opera singer and music lover - with his ears 100 times more trained than mine - just loved the result of this 20 minute mod. Clearly - there is no debate - no return to the oversampled mode. I agree - the listening enjoyment is increased by a whole new level.
The famous "veil" is removed, a thick veil that is.


READ MORE HERE


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