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| Title: | Welcome to the CD Notes Conference |
| Notice: | Welcome to COOKIE |
| Moderator: | COOKIE::ROLLOW |
|
| Created: | Mon Feb 17 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Fri Mar 03 1989 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 1517 |
| Total number of notes: | 13349 |
301.0. "PS Audio CD Player" by CRVAX1::KAPLOW (Bob Kaplow DDO) Thu Mar 06 1986 23:58
I finally got a chance to hear the PS Audio CD player. At $799 list,
it's not the cheapest player around, but I have to concur that it is
the best. While my mission (sorry) that day wasn't evaluating a CD
player (I finally bought speakers, a set of Vandersteen 2Cs), it did
beat my previous best, the Kyocera DA-910. As MArk has mentioned
before, it is yet another modified Magnavox, 2041 I think. Except for
the re-labeled faceplate, it exactly matches the 2040/2041 I've seen
advertised by the discount houses.
I haven't seen any PS literature on the CD player yet, but acording to
Stereophile they have made the following mods to the Phillips player:
Isolation of laser servo power supply
Passive analog pre-filtering
New PC board with discrete analog amplification and filtering
Direct Coupled audio output with low bass roll-off
Discrete high voltage power supply for audio amp
High capacitance power supply
High quality wires, jacks, and capacitors
As soon as it is available, PS is supposed to incorporate the new 16
bit DAC from Phillips to replace the current 14 bit DAC. If you can
wait a few months (you'll have too - these things seem to be selling
faster than the dealers can get them from PS), the new chip should
offer improvement even over the current model.
Someday, someone will build a better CD player, but today (and maybe
even tomorrow) this is the best out of the box player you can buy. I
strongly suggest that anyone considering any CD player over $500 give
this one a listen. If you can't afford this one, buy the unmodified
Magnavox, and do Marks mods, or send it off to Mod Squad. Gee, I wonder
if Mod Squad could improve this one too?
| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 301.1 | got your Stereophile last night too eh? | THORBY::MARRA | This space intentionally left blank ... | Fri Mar 07 1986 07:27 | 5 |
|
funny, I was reading my issue at about 11:30 last night also. Just
wasn't into logging in and writing a note about the PS tho.
.dave.
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| 301.2 | Didn't get mine yet <sob> | AMBER::KAEPPLEIN | | Fri Mar 07 1986 11:44 | 40 |
| RE: .0
Send a Magnavox to Musical Concepts not Mod Squad! MC is less
expensive and better!
I just sent my new 2041 off to them and will let you all know how
it sounds. MC cautioned me about doing more expensive mods because
they are too revealing for their own good! Good CDs will sound
much better, but bad ones will become nearly unlistenable. The
problems revealed might be due to bad D/A conversion, mastering,
or probably excessive errors.
I think the biggest benefit of the new Philips players will be the
improved error correction. After reading a lukewarm review of the
Philips 650 in a British magazine, it seems the DACs need more work
to get closer to 16 bit linearity.
The 650 will use the same chassis as the 2041, but will probably
use a completely different board because the whole chipset is different
except for the new servo control which is already in the 2041 (located
under the transport).
PS is going to have to do some engineering work to fit their mods
to the new board. Besides that, the 650 will probably have another
board that will cut into PS's space for their stuff. The additional
board will hold memory for the FTS (Favorite Track Selection) that
will store programs for your CD collection.
Besides PS, Mission is hard at work on a modification of the new
Philips players.
If you can't wait a few months for the new Magnavox and sending
it to Musical Concepts or buying the 16-bit PS or Mission, then
consider the PS ($800) or the Musical Concepts modified Magnavox ($480).
Mark
PS Q Audio does not have a PS player on hand as of 10 min ago
and claim nodbody has one, just as they told me that nobody had
Magnavox 2041s before they got theirs.
|
| 301.3 | Musical Concepts--Where are they? | MRMFG1::D_FOSTER | | Fri Mar 07 1986 16:29 | 2 |
| Mark, you suggested buying the Musical Concepts modified 2041 as
an alternative. Where do I go/call? Thanks.
|
| 301.4 | Near St. Louis | AMBER::KAEPPLEIN | | Fri Mar 07 1986 17:11 | 13 |
| Musical Concepts, #1 Patterson Place, Florissant, MO 63031
Telephone (2-5 pm EST) is 314-831-1822 and either John (owner) or
Mark (head tech) answers. Q Audio in Cambridge is a dealer, but
they have a bad attitude on mods and people who buy them.
See my entries in note 179 for some of the general details on what
type of modifications are done to CD players.
MC will send you a modified unit, or you might save money by buying
one and sending it to them for modification.
I like my Hafler amp and preamp mods, but can't say exactly how
good their player is 'till I get it.
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