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Philips CD104/204 with external tube clock?!

I wonder how long those CDPs have been sat idle? Those BG caps will take 100s of hours to break back in and show what they're capable of.

https://sw1xad.co.uk/technology_post/black-gate-capacitors/

https://sw1xad.co.uk/black-gate-vs-kaisei-capacitors-review/

My experience is aligned with the above. YMMV

For sure, with 7 CDPS I bought, only light use - his main player is another heavily modified early 90s Philips TDA1541a player (can’t remember model - basic one with buttons presented on a lip at bottom of facia). But I don’t usually leave tube gear, like the external clock, on 24x7, and suspect the CD104 will go a bit nuts if I turn just the clock off :) Shit, maybe I need to re-instate the magic crystals :D
 
Thx for cap recommendations all!
I would not fit anything Nichicon - very average
Pana FM are extremely low ESR and I find them to 'add pace' which you may not want
You'll never improve on the Black Gates, if they have good ESR and capacitance then leave them, they seem to last forever - they are not 'normal' lytic caps.

The only thing that comes close is an AN Kaisei or Kaisei BP

The dark blue Panasonics are a really solid all rounder as are the std Elna Cerefine IMHO

Blah, blah, what an idiot, all caps sound the same etc etc etc
 
Are the SMT caps on the bottom of the boards (and that dale resistor) OEM? I'm surprised that a diyer who's into Reiki crystals and Exotic ££ caps isn't also into tantalum / shinkoh resistors
 
Are the SMT caps on the bottom of the boards (and that dale resistor) OEM? I'm surprised that a diyer who's into Reiki crystals and Exotic ££ caps isn't also into tantalum / shinkoh resistors

some original, some new - an engineer did the work, the owner added the crystals :) And thanks, that Dale resistor forces the player into 14 bit mode (I’d missed it before) - quite why you need a high quality resistor to deliver 5v rail to switch pin on chip is beyond me.

oh, I’d forgotten PSU PCB side when counting black gates :)
 
Oh, does anyone know what those little boards fitted to the regulators are? Never seen similar before - they have blue or white leds on them (guess depending on positive/negative) - not sure if they’re fitted to stock 78/78 series regulators, or different. Thanks
 
Utterly- this.

Some years ago, discussion elsewhere proved the utter-idiocy (... it did not take long ...) of using a valve in a clock reference circuit. The 1/f, let alone higher orders, is ..utterly, despairingly, wild / F'idiotic.



Bin that, restore local order: enjoy.

I disagree! A valve oscillator can be one of the best available, but I certainly wouldn't have done it anything like the unit here which has been made to appeal to "steam punk" sensibilities. Linearity, lack of signal modulated internal capacitance's, lack or Early effect, high impedance's at RF and ability to work at high voltages and power levels (especially with the larger old type crystals which can take some power through them) can, when done optimally, result in a cleaner output spectrum and lower noise sidebands etc than most SS oscillators. Type of oscillator also makes a big difference and IIRC from RF days the Franklin and especially the Butler oscillator are well suited:)
 
Just googled a bit - I think they are Sparkos Labs discrete regulators, fitted as default to a lot of Hypex builds it seems
So they just copied what’s inside the regulator and stuck a tiny PCB on a regular power transistor? Really or there’s more to it?
I’ve used 78/79XX regs since about 1980 I think and have never had to complain about them.
 
So they just copied what’s inside the regulator and stuck a tiny PCB on a regular power transistor? Really or there’s more to it?
I’ve used 78/79XX regs since about 1980 I think and have never had to complain about them.

I assume it's an LM series 3 pin to replace the 78/79s, but have not checked. A 78/79xx series reg can be bettered - see @martin clark Acoustica site for lots of great information. Somewhere on here is a thread covering a deadbugged 7815 (or 7915) reg I created out of an LM. Same concept, somewhat inexpertly implemented :)
 
I disagree! A valve oscillator can be one of the best available, but I certainly wouldn't have done it anything like the unit here which has been made to appeal to "steam punk" sensibilities. Linearity, lack of signal modulated internal capacitance's, lack or Early effect, high impedance's at RF and ability to work at high voltages and power levels (especially with the larger old type crystals which can take some power through them) can, when done optimally, result in a cleaner output spectrum and lower noise sidebands etc than most SS oscillators. Type of oscillator also makes a big difference and IIRC from RF days the Franklin and especially the Butler oscillator are well suited:)

This was has what looks like a stock sized xtal in it, but I saw a post on a forum somewhere that they are specially selected - look normal to me. Abass is a special type - he even only uses certain old vintage wire in his builds...quite interesting though, audio as art...
 
Just fitted BB 2134pa op-amps to replace the MC1459Ps I used to confirm one of the original Bursons was faulty. Wow - now, I haven’t listened to my hifi for 2 weeks (been cat sitting at an ex-ex wife’s place), and it must be 2 months now that I have not listened to my CDI. But this NOS CD104, with ceramic DACs, stuffed full of black gates, regulator mods and an external tube (sorry Jez, valve) clock is bringing tears to my bastard eyes, and I’m only listening to crowded house! The word layered keeps springing into my head - it’s fantastic, especially bass performance, gentle but strong.

need to do a serious bake off at some point with my various new sources - but later, I like this currently. The CDI is sulking in the corner :)
 
The old TDA1540 chips have a following. I understand that they can do wonders when properly implemented.
Old first generation Philips CD players have always had great bass, even unmodified.
I know, I almost have all of them.
 


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