killer cd,transport player

[smithie]

hi
i would love to see a cutting edge transport or cd player,maybe using a cdpro2 mech.
i know theres afew kits out there,but none seem to offer a complete solution in terms of build,tech detail....just a wish!
all the best
smithie

[Greg.]

Yes, I support this suggestion maybe to work in parallel with the non-oversampling dac already discussed.

Best wishes,

Greg

Good idea, I'm looking for one too.

[James]

Me to!

Hi
Iwould love a transport kit preferably with the option/space to include your own DAC. The CDPRO2 would be perfect. I am thinking of the CDPR02 as a single item but it is a lot of work to design and make a case to look the part, a kit would be perfect.

Best regards,

Ian
Was IDM

[Tony Moore]

I can vouch for how expensive one off cases can be!

I certainly think there is a market for a nice CDPro2M based kit with decent power supplies, lid switch, nice clamp (I'd buy the clamp at least!) with enough room in the case to fit DAC (I2S direct) and output buffer amp. TDA1541A would be
good but they're no longer made so a commercial design would presumably have to use a current production DAC.

Then there's the USB DAC possibility using the Burr Brown PCM2706...

Lots of possibilites here.
Tony

[Paul Welsby]

"certainly think there is a market for a nice CDPro2M based kit with decent power supplies, lid switch, nice clamp (I'd buy the clamp at least!) with enough room in the case to fit DAC (I2S direct) and output buffer amp."

Totally agree with this!!!

Ive looked into building my own to expand my horizons and because i want to be able to eventually say that ive built my whole hifi myself but it does seem rather complex and a little above me just at the minute.

Therefore a kit priced at the £400-500 mark would be perfect.


Paul

[smithie]

instead if i2s connection,i would rather see a clocklock feed that can hook to your dac/so the dac becomes the reference clock,so killing alot of the jitter issues,i2s is ok but can limit the choice of dacs as some wont interface with that arrangement,plus clook lock should be easier to interface with a wider range of gear...
just a thought!
smithie

[Tony Moore]

Hi Paul,

I think that £400-500 would be about right for the CDPro2M, a control/display board(s), psu and case. Depending upon how much the case materials cost then there's not going to a lot left over for an outboard DAC. The CDPro2M does have it's own bitstream DAC on board of course and so it is perfectly possible to build a CD player based on that as a starter kit and then provided there's space in the case, add an outboard DAC connected to the I2S lines.

My "mistake" was building the CDPro2M as a transport and not realising early enough that I'd be going on to build the TDA1541A DAC. So I didn't leave room for the DAC in the transport's case.

In hindsight I'd rather build a large case for the CDPro2M with plenty of room on the lefthand side for the DAC and plenty of room for power supplies and other things such as Tent XO3 Clock.

I have had the opportunity to try out I2S direct from the CDPro2M to the TDA1541A (via a reclocker circuit) and it does sound superb. However in my case the wiring run is too long and so it actually sounds better using S/PDif than excessive runs of the I2S signals. I am though using Tent Labs XO-DAC with master clock in the DAC and reclocking the I2S before the DAC chip, so not relying on the receiver chip for timing. (Then Tent Link to the XO3 clock in the transport to synchronise things)

A single box design could do away with most of this, keep the I2S really short and simplify the circuit. It would also give the ultimate performance provided that the DAC chip was compatible with the format from the CDPro2M. I know that TDA1541A is and I'd guess also 1543?

Tony

[smithie]

hi tony
never realised you already had a cdpro2,is it has good as people say,ive been so tempted to go this route...hence my wish in the first place!
your lucky as you seem to have found a dac that suits you, i wanted to hear the 45version of that dac but wont except i2s,plus been chatting to john westlake of decapo fame and various other things and who knows a thing or two,and he totally beleaves in slaving the transport to the dac clock hence my buzzing about it!
still has youve stated your getting good results so as with most things theres more then 1 way to skin the poor old cat!
sorry you built your casework to small...nightmare and has you point out,short cable is the only way regarding digital!
did you buy the whole thing as a kit,or built bit by bit...if so hat of to you!
all the best
smithie