Cambridge cdp's that had TDA1541

[agk]

I've fallen back into owning a CA amp which has got me thinking about a same brand cdp. The only way I'd do it though is if the cdp had a certain dac chip or four inside.

I know there are a multitude of sites listing which cdp has which dac in it but my Blackberry doesn't like these.


Anyone have the knowledge dudes?

[agk]

CD1,2 and 3 and they are fetching silly money it seems. Forget it.

[Mr Kipling]

Only the 2,3 and the DAC 3 D/A appear to have used the 1541, that I've found.

[agk]

Hmm, the dac3 might be interesting as I could bolt that onto the Sony, thanks man good gen.

[Mr Kipling]

The DAC 3 used 2xTDA1305T. The DAC 3 D/C used 4xTDA1541A-S1

[jasonC]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cambridge-Audio-CD3-Compact-Disc-/321371615806?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiF i_CDPlayerSeparates&hash=item4ad33db23e

i see what you mean andrew
this one is £189 and it is being sold as faulty, seems problem with the drawer

have you thought about using another cdp that uses the dac
seems to be a good number, rotel, Marantz and some arcam's like arcam alpha 5,5 PLUS ,ALPHA PLUS, DELTA 70.2
SONY CDP-337ESD has two as does their SONY CDP-227ESD (New ver.) ,SONY CDP-507ESD and SONY DAS-R1 cdp's

[jasonC]

a few ebay cdp listings with that dac

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PHILIPS-VINTAGE-CD-PLAYER-373-THE-TDA1541A-CHIP-REMOTE-MANUAL-SUPERB-CONDITION-/261429279638?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiF i_CDPlayerSeparates&hash=item3cde663b96

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PHILIPS-CD460-CD-Player-with-on-board-TDA-1541-DAC-/141246931448?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiF i_CDPlayerSeparates&hash=item20e2f921f8

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Philips-CD-610-CD-Player-PHILIPS-CD-610-SAA7310-SAA7220P-TDA1541-CDM4-19-/271427871885?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiF i_CDPlayerSeparates&hash=item3f325ca48d

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Philips-CD160-vintage-CD-player-boxed-CDM2-TDA1541-/111320050264?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiF i_CDPlayerSeparates&hash=item19eb312a58

[agk]

Indeed, I've owned a few of them too. However as stated in the OP I'm thinking of a one brand setup dude.

[nat8808]

The DAC 3 used 2xTDA1305T. The DAC 3 D/C used 4xTDA1541A-S1

To correct you there, I don't think ANY of the Cambridge Audio digital products used S1 versions.

I've read a forum post from Stan Curtis saying that he matched the 1541s himself (or the company did) and so got a better match to spec than the S1 did - they needed quads all to a tighter tolerance than the S1s and I bet was cheaper that way.

I had a DAC3 and it had the standard TDA1541s (might have been 'A's but might not).

[nat8808]

Hmm, the dac3 might be interesting as I could bolt that onto the Sony, thanks man good gen.

I've owned one before. It was good but not amazing and I've only seen one other in many years of ebaying! So good luck finding one!

I'd go for the CD3 personally (the CD2 uses a very flaky mech and the display/control electronics are exeptionally flaky too).

[agk]

I just have this thing in my mind always about how much I loved a nos TDA1541 so shall keep my eyes open.
Thanks dudes for the input.

[Mr Kipling]

To correct you there, I don't think ANY of the Cambridge Audio digital products used S1 versions.

I've read a forum post from Stan Curtis saying that he matched the 1541s himself (or the company did) and so got a better match to spec than the S1 did - they needed quads all to a tighter tolerance than the S1s and I bet was cheaper that way.

I had a DAC3 and it had the standard TDA1541s (might have been 'A's but might not).

http://vintage-audio-laser.com/Blocs-optiques-convertisseurs-N-A

[DSJR]

The CD2 was a very over-complex way to kill a non existent audio-bird in my view, as other DAC circuits did just fine with one..... Nowadays, most have failed I think due to the mech and/or laser wearing out and the front panel castings were dire, through no fault of the machine's manufacturer. Best avoided like the plague. A friend bought a CD1 and it failed twice in its first month. Peeking under the hood made for a cringe-worthy experience so it was returned for credit. He replaced it with a superior sounding Nakamichi OMS-7, which sadly cannot be re-lasered these days.

The much later Cambridge machines as sold by Richer Sounds are triumphs of production engineering and do sound good overall, even if none of them are audiophool wet dreams.. I think most can be serviced too, so another bonus if I'm correct in this.

[agk]

Imo the Richer sounds era machines sound poop. My whole focus here would be to get the earlier variety with the specific dac and play with it.
The money folk are asking for them makes it unlikely I shall bother unless I see one in a charity shop.

[nat8808]

http://vintage-audio-laser.com/Blocs-optiques-convertisseurs-N-A

It's wrong - I counter that with an actual photo of a unit. http://www.lampizator.eu/lampizator/REFERENCES/Cambridge%20CD3/Cambridge%20Audio%20CD3%20CD%20player%20TDA1541A.h tml

How would most people know what kind of chip it was with the heatsink on? Then when it's taken off... the chip surface is blank! The DAC3 uses the same output board as the CD3 if I remember correctly - got some photos of my old unit somewhere.

I trust from the horses mouth - Stan Curtis himself stated that it was both cheaper and a better match for CA to pick out their own from batches of standard TDA1541As (but can't be bothered to find the forum post - have tried briefly looking for it before but I think it went out with bathwater on the hifiwigwam forum when they had their little huffy close down a few years ago! )

Sadly all those CD player lists stem from the very same info source (the russian one) and then people state claims about gear based on those very same lists therefore repeating the mistakes and even sometimes referring to the very list as proof in a discussion when someone disagrees with it..ahem :wink: As any good propagandist knows, repetition of a lie makes it become true..

The list is compiled from hearsay some of the time (there are other mistakes on there I've found - something like the Meridian 207 being marked as having an S2 chip? Has been updated now), info gained from forums and therefore over-confident people who actually aren't clued up on the details because they've never really investigated. I assume it's wrong because people want to believe they are S1s because of the matching of components for a quad set and because of the mystique surrounding them since the CD player list was created - if it's something special, it MUST have an S1.

Edit: Yes, sadly it was on hifiwigwam he said that - now only one post of his out of a total of 3 can now be seen and even that was imported. http://www.hifiwigwam.com/search.php?searchid=1566918

[nat8808]

http://vintage-audio-laser.com/Blocs-optiques-convertisseurs-N-A

Yep there you go - the list you give above is an old forum post repeating all the info from the original Russian source at the time.

Check Meridian 207 in the above link and it says TDA1541-S2 . That's wrong.

Now go to the original source which continues to be updated as time goes by (last updated 2/2/2014): http://vasiltech.narod.ru/CD-Player-DAC-Transport.htm

See that the Meridian 207 entry has been corrected now and states just an S1 which is correct - I might even have emailed him a photo of mine with the heatsink removed, can't remember.

The Cambridge Audio entries have also (almost anyway) been corrected too:


CAMBRIDGE AUDIO CD1 6 x TDA1540 / 3 x TDA1541 CDM-1

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

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO CD3 4 x TDA1541A – SAA7220P/B CDM-1 Mk II

Sadly the DAC 3 is still wrong as I doubt anyone has taken the heatsink off one of the chips on such a rare unit - people who do that kind of thing are few and far between in the first place! I didn't but just trust what Stan Curtis said would also apply to the DAC3 (doesn't make sense if it didn't..).

[nat8808]

Forgive me, for I am a pedant and a rambling one at that..

[Mr Kipling]

Jings Nat, I'm sorry. I'm really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really - REALLY SORRY. REALLY SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stake me out in the noonday sun and let me burn to a frazzle. I deserve it. I truly deserve it.

(Pretty overcast and cold so I think I'd be ok.)

[Mr Kipling]

P.S.
I wasn't disagreeing with you Nat. I added the link to show where I had obtained the information.

I won't say "SO THERE!" as that's not me. And I would imagine that under different circumstances you'd be a tad less excited. But I know what it's like Nat. I know what it's like when you get the bit between your teeth and you have to run with it. Eating into Archer's Time. Just watch that blood pressure Nat.

P.P.S.
Just had a mention from Pat Archer! Made my day.

[agk]

Great. Thanks a bloody lot guys. Now I really want a 1540 equipped CD1!
Rocking horse poop no doubt.

[Mr Kipling]

The CD4SE was a John Westlake design. I could have just made that up though!