Happy Holidays Alan! Glad to see you here! Yes - still very much enjoying the 960. Sounds like you are getting some terrific synergy with the Master 7 and Tidal/Amerro!
The Phillips DAC960...circa 1987
- Thread starter AlphaEcho35
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Happy Holidays Alan! Glad to see you here! Yes - still very much enjoying the 960. Sounds like you are getting some terrific synergy with the Master 7 and Tidal/Amerro!
Daunia 70
Lunatic Member
Congrats on a great buy!
I have a Marantz CDA-94 DAC (twin TDA-1541 D/A converters),sounds mighty impressive when hooked up to a Micromega Solo H CDP which I use as a transport. In fact,the only CDP that sounds better is the NEC CD-903... That one has 4 (quad) dac's.
IMHO,the biggest rip-off in audio today is with all these new hi res/numbered dac's. Also,their build quality is usually crap too!... I've never heard one that can compete with the above which were both from the 80's.
I have a Marantz CDA-94 DAC (twin TDA-1541 D/A converters),sounds mighty impressive when hooked up to a Micromega Solo H CDP which I use as a transport. In fact,the only CDP that sounds better is the NEC CD-903... That one has 4 (quad) dac's.
IMHO,the biggest rip-off in audio today is with all these new hi res/numbered dac's. Also,their build quality is usually crap too!... I've never heard one that can compete with the above which were both from the 80's.
I think the excellent build quality and simple design has a lot to do with the sound quality of these older devices. The DAC960 is built like a tank. I am sure the early Marantz and Nakamichi components are the same way. Once DAC's were miniaturized and squeezed down into a couple of chips on the corner of a circuit board, the sound quality had to suffer.
And this is certainly not to say that new DAC's don't sound good - I have heard some excellent ones recently, but the cost is much higher (but probably equivalent to what the older devices cost new back in the 1980's when adjusted for inflation.)
And this is certainly not to say that new DAC's don't sound good - I have heard some excellent ones recently, but the cost is much higher (but probably equivalent to what the older devices cost new back in the 1980's when adjusted for inflation.)
giants11214
New Member
Hi gguillot, I recently acquired a marantz cda94 dac. Its the same dac as your phillips. I'm very happy with it but wonder if it can sound even better. Have you considered modifying it to NOS? I'm not tech savvy at all, do you know anyone in the states who can perform this modification? Thanks.
Hi,
No, I have no plans to modify it. I prefer to leave it completely original - I like the way that it sounds now. Unfortunately, I don't know of anyone that would do that kind of work - you may want to pose the question in a new thread in the forum - someone may be capable or know of someone.
Good Luck,
Greg
No, I have no plans to modify it. I prefer to leave it completely original - I like the way that it sounds now. Unfortunately, I don't know of anyone that would do that kind of work - you may want to pose the question in a new thread in the forum - someone may be capable or know of someone.
Good Luck,
Greg
SoNic67
Well-Known Member
I did try to mod my TDA1541 in NOS and I didn't like what it did to the sound. Bypassing the digital OS and filtering leave all the work for the next stage. That's the analog filters and they cannot cut out the false image products and that it was disturbing to me. Some people like that added "fuzz", but I am more of a purist, I like my music to be how it was mixed/recorded.
Alternately I did try the Deon player that have Alpha Processing as the upsampler/digital filter and those definitely sound better (to me) than the 4x OS provided with TDA1541 - SAA7220P. Sony and Marantz fitted some of their TDA1541 players with a different 4x OS (CDX1088), but I didn't have the pleasure to hear one.
Alternately I did try the Deon player that have Alpha Processing as the upsampler/digital filter and those definitely sound better (to me) than the 4x OS provided with TDA1541 - SAA7220P. Sony and Marantz fitted some of their TDA1541 players with a different 4x OS (CDX1088), but I didn't have the pleasure to hear one.
I like the way this Phillips DAC960 sounds so much, that I would be hesitant to do anything more than wipe the dust off. This thing exudes highly quality in its build (it is through-the-board rather than surface mount) especially from such a high volume seller like Phillips. It is obvious it was a first of breed and that build cost was not the issue at the time.
I don't "hear" the DAC. The better the recording quality of the source, the exponentially better the the output from this DAC.
I don't "hear" the DAC. The better the recording quality of the source, the exponentially better the the output from this DAC.
SoNic67
Well-Known Member
It's a true multibit, that's how the CD format was supposed to be played 
Even if you think that it sounds perfect, probably some TLC won't harm - electrolytic capacitors after 20 years tend to loose from original capacity and that can be heard (in different ways, depending where those capacitors where).
Also the OpAmps that they had avail those days are not really as good as you can get today, you can get today trough-hole LM4562 that, IMO, blows away any of the "oldies".
Even if you think that it sounds perfect, probably some TLC won't harm - electrolytic capacitors after 20 years tend to loose from original capacity and that can be heard (in different ways, depending where those capacitors where).
Also the OpAmps that they had avail those days are not really as good as you can get today, you can get today trough-hole LM4562 that, IMO, blows away any of the "oldies".
It's a true multibit, that's how the CD format was supposed to be played
Even if you think that it sounds perfect, probably some TLC won't harm - electrolytic capacitors after 20 years tend to loose from original capacity and that can be heard (in different ways, depending where those capacitors where).
Also the OpAmps that they had avail those days are not really as good as you can get today, you can get today trough-hole LM4562 that, IMO, blows away any of the "oldies".
Now that is something I hadn't thought about. I'll have to look at the opamps in there. Regarding the electrolytics, I recall seeing all high quality brands in there, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to cost out a recap with equally or better caps.
Yes, when I was researching the 960, there was practically nothing out there. The VintageKnob, DutchAudioClassics, and a Lampizator'd DAC960 was about all I found. The Dutch Audio Classics site does have a lot of info though.
I hear ya. Mine is completely stock. Sounds better than any DAC I've put in my system, so no, I will not be changing out any of the internals.
runnin'
Super Member
Hi there, I've heard good things about this chipset as well, and almost bought an old cd player containing one. I have since acquired a Bifrost Multibit, and can't believe how good it sounds, better than 3 other DACs I've owned.
I would only suggest that in your quote above, you compared(at least with the Schiit Bifrost Uber) a more entry level Schiit DAC. The Bifrost Multibit is a big step up. Then there is the various Schiit Gungnir and Yggdrasil models with options, all better than the Bifrost Multibit. I'd suggest that while the Uber has decent detail, it by no means is the last word in detail. So from your impressions one can deduce that the Phillips TDA1541 is about as good as the lower tier Schiit products.
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There was a series of articles in the Audio Amateurs from 80's on modification of the DAC960, which involve replacing the power supply regulators with Walter Jung's super regulator and replacing the all output opamps, but remember the articles are over 20 years old, many parts have been improved since then.
Been playing with the TDA1541 DAC for 30 years, my first DAC build was a Joe Curcio design DAC using TDA1541A single crown, at that time one of my friend work at a high end audio store and I took my DAC in to compare to the best dac they have, a Krell and he could not believe it brew away the Krell, today I am using parallel TDA1541a non-oversampling, transformer I/V conversion and tube output stage and I have not find anything better yet, it has beat a highly reviewed $ 12K dac which should remain nameless. There is a lot of potentials in these chips just have to discover a way to unlock it.
Been playing with the TDA1541 DAC for 30 years, my first DAC build was a Joe Curcio design DAC using TDA1541A single crown, at that time one of my friend work at a high end audio store and I took my DAC in to compare to the best dac they have, a Krell and he could not believe it brew away the Krell, today I am using parallel TDA1541a non-oversampling, transformer I/V conversion and tube output stage and I have not find anything better yet, it has beat a highly reviewed $ 12K dac which should remain nameless. There is a lot of potentials in these chips just have to discover a way to unlock it.
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