Vintage CD Players - What do you have?

[The Black Adder]

Hello there.

I'm after spending around £200 on a cd player. Had the ARCAM Alpha (which I may revert back to if I can't find anything) - now wanting to try something else preferably with the same DAC.

So, has anyone here had or got a CREEK CD60? - Or a Radford WS1?

I'm after something that can be modded to NOS and even possibly to a valve output stage.

Can anyone give me any advice? The CD60 seems like a decent place to start me thinks.

Cheers!

[UV101]

Ah! The TDA1541A!

I have a philips CD960 (same internals as Marantz CD94) and now have the S2 Double crown chip! See my pics in my profile here.

If you are looking for lists of players with the same chip, check this out

http://www.marantzphilips.nl/the_com...onverter_list/

Incidentally, you only need to go NOS if you don't want to properly sort the SAA7220 out. I've found in serveral players now that if you independantly drive the 7220 with a very low noise 5v reg on its own psu,and move the clocking distribution away from the very noisy chip, that the sound is miles better with the OS left in! Much fuller and dynamic. But it doesn't work without effort! NOS is the easy way out for nil cost gains. If you want proper high end sound you want the filter chip still in there!

I have a marantz cd50 with no 7220 connected (NOS) a clock and a few other bits and its good for sure. My CD960 is in another league by miles!.

Incidentally the Meridian 207MKII does not have an S2 fitted as per that link! its a std A chip!

[StanleyB]

Ah! The TDA1541A!

I have a philips CD960 (same internals as Marantz CD94)

Not strictly correct. The MKI CD94 had a few differences, and the MKII quite a lot.

[UV101]

You are absolutely correct Stanley.

It is almost identical to the MKI but there are indeed several differences in the MKII.

My player is virtually internally the same as THIS MKI CD94 which to be honest is much better looking than my CD960!

I think there are a few very slight layout changes in the CD94 + there is a psu cap change on the 5v rail (94 uses 2 caps where the 960 uses 1)(*edit the one in the picture on the link has the same layout as mine).I think there may also be a cap type change on 2 or 3 other components too. I'm not personally aware of an other differences but I would love to know of any others.

The MKII is HERE. The MKII is very similar in servo, PSU's Decoder and filter section. The final I/V and output section is also very similar with the addition of a summing section. The main difference is the MKII uses twin TDA1541A S1 Single crowns on a sub board just above where the single S2 Double crown resides in my player.

Given a choice on the 2, I'd love a MKII but then I'd be forced to try and find another S2 chip!!

[The Black Adder]

cheers guys, cool - I'll keep my eyes open for either of those models.

Would you recommend the Meridian 206 over the Creek CD60?

[UV101]

Hi Joe, If you're thinking about a Meridian 206, you need to be carefull because I think there are 4 versions. Its the std 206 you want. I'd not like to 100% guarantee that it will come with an S1 dac either!!

I've found some details on the Creek on lampizator.eu. It looks like the CD60 does come with an S1 as std. If you intend to tinker with the player a bit, the Creek may be slightly easier for you. The Meridian is ace but as I've found with my 207, difficult to obtain service information and unlikely to share any mechanical bits with other players.

All in all, I like the Merdian but looking at the internals of the cd60, it will be every bit as good and easier to source mechanical parts!

[DSJR]

As above... Bits for many vintage players have run out and it's only the heavy build of these that has kept them going for so long..

The Linn Karik 1 is now a vintage player and although Linn have withdrawn service support, I understand the laser is available still (there was a whole thread on PFM about it)..

[The Black Adder]

ok.. my quest still going on. Keeping the options open.

B&O - I've looked at a Beogram 6500 but I'm not sure if it has the TDA1541 DAC. The 5500 has and its said that this next model only had a few changes but nothing in the DAC department.

Have you any experience with B&O?

Cheers!

[UV101]

Hi Joe, No experience with B&O but woudn't mind a look inside one for sure!

This link HERE suggests that the 6500 is only a transport and facelift over the 5500 which does use the TDA1541.

Incidently, I put a low noise reg on the SAA7220 (oversampling chip) in my Meridian 207 last night and would suggest if you do nothing else to you player when you get it, do this!!! Its a MASSIVE improvement! Be carefull tho, the chip is greedy!

[twelvebears]

Ian.

Stupid question please. How do I tell what version 206 I have?

S.