CDplayer's Project

Transport

The transport is done by Mechanisms and Decoder-Servo Control.
There are many solution about this component:

1) use your actual CD player as transport only (you need digital output on read of your CD player)
2) buy a commercial transport
3) build a transport
4) use a CDROM

ALL on http://www.daisy-laser.nl/ and http://www.daisy-laser.nl/homeoptics/
 

An cheaper solution is get a good CDM12 as this one

This complete CDM12.1 drive, including display, power supply, keybords, bitstream DAC, ready to use for 298.00 DM. The same unit with remote control and digital output costs 369.00 DM by

Stein Hifi Systems
Scharpenberg 64a
45468 Mülheim
Germany
Tel.: ++49 208 32089
Fax ++49 208 381890
e-mail info@steinmusic.de
URL: http://www.steinmusic.de

4) Transport - use a CDROM

this must be considered this as the cheaper and easy because ofcourse the trasport of a CDROM is not optimized for an audio use but the Motors and Laser are the same and now the new CDROM have a digital output that can be used to connect an external DAC so without hard modification.
This could be a solution to start this game with few money but you need to consider also that on CDROM you have only PLAY, STOP, SKIP (next song), and EJECT.
In this case I suggest to buy the Philips CDROM as the PCA32XCD or PCA36XCD that use the last transport version.
http://www.pc.be.philips.com/cdrom/specs_pca32xcd.html
Also the DAC converter of this CDROM is not very bad and could be a complete solution use it if you take the output signal before the output amplifier, see the diagram here:
http://www.km.philips.com/laseroptics/pdf/rod1530.pdf

Today I have find the CDROM Infra series by Creative that have a remote handset with all normal functions of a CDPlayer:

The models to use are Infra2400 to Infra6000(40x) and for these models the mechanical design is done by SONY

Infra5400 manual
iNFRA Remote

and see here the result of a japan company!

This japan company have outperformed the VRDS-25X

Digital to Analog Converter (DAC)

I have many solution about this part.

           1)  modify your DAC in output stage
           2)  buy a commercial new DAC
           3)  buy an evaluation DAC board
           4)  build a DAC

1) DAC - modify your DAC in output stage

LClock2 Precision CD Reference Clock Generator
this to reduce jitter!

Analog upgrade modules for any CD player or D/A Converter.
this to increase analog stage quality!

2) DAC - buy a commercial new DAC

I suggest you, before buy a DAC, to understand what kind of solution is used (chips, configuration, power supply).
As you will see in the third point the solution are many and each one give a different result in sound.
The price of this components have a large difference, so there are commercial DAC with a price around 500us$ until 10000us$.
As for transports the internal components, that are in this case the chips, are very cheap on the price of component.
For example a DAC of Mark Levinson  as the Nº 36 have internal DAC chips for 250us$, so build a DAC is a good solution.

3) DAC - buy an evaluation DAC board

This is a solution very fast and easy to have a DAC without problems.
Many DAC chip productor as Crystal and Burr-Brown sail some evaluation boards that are complete DAC components where is requested only to create a power supply.
Look about this:

        a) Crystal - 20bit Stere D/A Conveter for Digital Audio
            with CS8412 input receiver and the new CS4329 20bit DAC or CS4390 24bit DAC
           http://www.cirrus.com/ftp/pubs/432990db.pdf
            price today 8/10/98 is lees than 190us$.

        b) Burr-Brown EVM1702 - 20bit D/A Converter for Digital Audio
            with CS8412 top level receiver,
            with HDCD PMD-100 digital filter and HDCD decoder (see down datasheet),
            with 4 PCM1702 20bit top level DAC for channel
            http://www.burr-brown.com/download/DemoBoards/EVM-1702.pdf
            price today 8/10/98 is about 2.3milioni in ITALY and 870us$ on Arrow Electronics, Inc
            The price is high but this implement the same DAC of same DAC of the Mark Levinson Nº 36 top in the world.

Many other evaluation board could be found by  chip productors, the important is
that you must be sure that there are direct interface to transport as EBU or Tosklink.

4) DAC - build a DAC

There are many chips and configuration to build a DAC.
Many project are online on internet and is possible to buy also some part or a complete kit.

        a) DAC by SDS Audio Labs
            with Crystal CS8412 input receiver and the new Crystal CS4329
            raw circuit board available!
           http://www.clarkson.edu/~stokessd/pdf/cs4329_dac.pdf

        b) DAC by SDS Audio Labs
           with Crystal CS8412 input receiver (better receiver),
           NPC5843 digital filter(better filter), the Burr-Brown
           PCM63P (could be the better DAC) and output tubes in SRPP (totem pole)
           kit available:
           raw circuit board 125$
           Populated Circuit Board (tested): 850$
           Complete DAC:1500$
           http://www.clarkson.edu/~stokessd/pdf/bDACsch.pdf

        c) DAC by Jukka Tolonen
            with Crystal CS8412 input receiver (better receiver), NPC5843 digital filter (better filter)
           and the Burr-Brown PCM1702
            raw circiut board available 100$ - shipping included
           http://www.megabaud.fi/~jtolonen/projects/jt-dac_no.3/jt-dac_no.3.html

        d) DAC by linwei ?
            with Crystal CS8412 input receiver (better receiver), NPC5843 digital filter (better filter)
            and the Burr-Brown PCM63 (could be the better DAC)
            raw circiut board available 100$ - shipping included
           circuitcircuit of power supplyparts 1parts 2pcb layoutpcb layout

        e) Extreme DAC by Limin Wu(Chinese web)
            with Crystal CS8412 input receiver (better receiver), CS4390 DAC (new 24bit DAC)
            very simple circiut board online - kit available for only 80us$
            contact by email: Limin Wu
           photo 1circuitpcb photopcb photocircuitpcb componentspcb uppcb down

        f) X - DAC 3.0 by Audio Craffers Guild
            with Crystal CS8412 input receiver (better receiver),
            with Analog Device AD1890 jitter reducer (better solution),
            with Crystal CS4328 DAC,
           - kit price here
           - parts price here

           AD1890 comments
 

        g) DAC by Thorsten

        h) DAC kit by SonicFrontiers
            kit with many versions and price
            LOOK THE NEW DAC-2 WITH VERY LOW PRICE KIT 499us$ or ASSEMBLED 549us$!
            click here!
            DAC-2 have CS8412 top input receiver, PMD-100 digital filter and HDCD decoder and
            dual PCM1702 Burr-Brown top level DAC

        i) DAC by Ryohei Kusunoki from MJ 11/96
            very simple and with four TDA1543 Philips very cheap chips
            (the 8421 in the design is wrong the correct number a 8412)

        l) Crystal Clear DAC by Chriris Found from Hi-Fi World (April 1998)
            with Crystal CS8412 input receiver (better receiver),
            with 74HC153/74HC173 custom jitter reducer
            and with Crystal CS4390 24bit DAC.
           - DAC stage circuit
           - tubes output stage

        m) 24bit DAC by Stefano Perugini
            with Crystal CS8412 input receiver (better receiver),
            with Crystal CS4390 24bit DAC and passive output filter stage
           complete article available
            The author also sell some parts as the output transformers
            60$ each and board 30$
            email: steperu@tin.it

        n) DAC by Andrea Ciuffoli
            see on my webpage
             

Canbrige CD4SE with two Crystal CS4327 per channel and Philips CDM12
Canbrige CD6 with Philips TDA1305
Quad 77 with Crystal chips and Philips CDM12
Meridian 508 with Crystal CS4329 and Philips CDM12
Mission dAD3 with TDA1305 and Philips CDM12
Copland 288 with two Burr-Brown PCM1702 per channel and VRDS
TEAC VRDS9 with two Burr-Brown PCM1702 per channel and VRDS

Wadia 850 with two Burr-Brown PCM1702 per channel
Mark Levinson N'36 with four Burr-Brown PCM1702 per channel

Table of DAC chips (someone have only SMD case)

 

productor	chipname	resol.(bit)	sample rate (KHz)	dynamic range (dB)	SNR (db)	digital filter	analog filter	external filter	output	channel	THD (0dB)	THD (-20dB)	THD (-60dB)
Burr Brown	PCM1704	24	96	112	120	no	no	yes	single	mono	-97,-110	-78,-88	-40,-44
Burr Brown	PCM1716	24	96	106	106	yes	yes	yes	single	stereo	-92,-97	-78,-88	-38,-46
Burr Brown	PCM1702	20	48	110	120	no	no	yes	single	mono	-92	-82	-46
Burr Brown	PCM63	20	48	100	120	no	no	yes	single	mono	-92	-80	-40
Crystal	CS4390	24	48	94,106	115	yes	yes	yes	differ.	stereo	-93,-98	-74,-83	-34,-43
Crystal	CS4329	20	48	94,103	115	yes	yes	yes	differ.	stereo	-93,-97	-74,-83	-34,-43
Crystal	CS4327	20	48		108	yes	yes	yes	single	stereo	-93,-93	-77,-77	-37,-37
Philips	TDA1547		48	108	111	no	yes	yes	differ.	stereo	-101	-88	-48
Philips	TDA1305T	20	48	?	108	yes	yes	no	single	stereo	-96		-44
Philips	TDA1543	16	48	?	96	yes	no	yes	single	stereo	-75		-30

Table of Digital Filter - to insert before a DAC without digital filter

productor	chipname	resol.(bit)	sample rate (KHz)	Note
NPC	SM5843	20	48
NPC	SM5842	24	48
Philips	TDA1307	20	48
HDCD by Pacific Microsonics	PMD-100	24	55	with HDCD Process Decoder
Burr Brown	DF1704	24	96	soon available

The PMD-100 is used in all top commercial products!

Table of SamplePort Asynchronous Sample Rate Converters used as Jitter Reducer
to insert before digital filter or before DAC with buildin digital filter

 

productor	chipname	resol.(bit)	sample rate (KHz)
Analog Device	AD1890	20	56
Analog Device	AD1891	16	56
Analog Device	AD1893	16	56

Table of Digital Receiver

 

productor	chipname	resol.(bit)	sample rate (KHz)
Crystal	CS8414	24	96
Crystal	CS8412	24	55