In praise of the Philips TDA1541/A/S1/S2 chips.

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by SKATTERBRANE, Apr 14, 2018.

  1. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    I have never owned any OPPO components since I always avoid buying audio components made in your-know-where ...
     
    Deano454 likes this.
  2. SKATTERBRANE

    SKATTERBRANE Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tucson, AZ
    Ha, ha. Yes, I understand. It is easier to avoid "made in Germany" than it is "made in China" though. I personally avoid "made in Antarctica" myself.
     
  3. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    I am willing to pay higher prices in order to make that choice!
     
    Sneaky Pete likes this.
  4. SKATTERBRANE

    SKATTERBRANE Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tucson, AZ
    Hey, I commend you.
     
  5. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
  6. SKATTERBRANE

    SKATTERBRANE Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tucson, AZ
    Well, I don't know. I would never buy a CD player from a German! :cussing::crazy::whistle:
     
  7. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Apparently, there is a website named Hi Fi Shark that listed a good number of CD960 for sale and they were all priced in Euro. That must be a European website ...
     
  8. SKATTERBRANE

    SKATTERBRANE Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tucson, AZ
    Hi fi shark compiles what is for sale all over the world/internet. Most of these players reside in EU (220v) where they have a cult following.
     
  9. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    So you have the real Philips CD960 and not some rebadged Magnavox?
     
  10. SKATTERBRANE

    SKATTERBRANE Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tucson, AZ
    Oh yes. I am on my third one! I bought one new, sold it. I bought one a few years later, sold it and recently bought my 3rd. I kept selling them for the "next big thing" but was always disappointed. So, I have learned my lesson there is no "next big thing". The Philips 960 is the CD player I prefer over all others I have owned or heard. The exception has been the Nakamichi CDC-3A and the CDP-2A. And, after I get my Sony CDP337ESD, that may also prove to be another exception. The Sony has superior parts and the Nakmichi has superior circuit design. But those units will round out my TDA1541 collection, unless I stumble upon a Philips 880 and/or a Marantz CD94 MKII. I've had a few Magnavox, and they are cheapo plastic units based on the more expensive Philips/Marantz units.

    I am trying to get ahold of this guy: Thornton hifi audio restorations and mods -    LOVE THE MUSIC-LOVE THE gear< to do his total parts upgrade on a few of my units, but he does not answer his emails. When I had a business, I made a POINT of answering all my emails within 24 hours (typically within 2 or 3 hours) even when on vacation!
     
  11. But so good is the Philips CD960 CD player, does it really sound so good compared to Today's "serious" CD player's? The way I see digital is a "don't look back" thing. Nobody is looking for old computers with Intel processors (386, 486) from the 90's from example with 128 megas of RAM, maybe for a museum but not to use it and work with it as they are tecnically obsolete.
    I think (beware, I think, I'm not saying I'm positive) those Philips TDA1541 as good as they were in their time they are obsolete now and the've been outperformed by current's D/A converters. I'm sure the D/A converter on my Fiio X3 Mk II (CS4398) outperforms by a great margin the Philips TDA1541, but I don't see people searching for any kind of player with the CS4398 in 25 years.
    I think all this cult around the Philips TDA1541 is just a nostalgia act, just like the Nintendo's NES and Super NES Classic Mini are nostalgia acts but no one can deny a PS4 Pro or an Xbox One 4K is better than the classic Nintendo reissues.
     
  12. SKATTERBRANE

    SKATTERBRANE Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tucson, AZ
    It may be nostalgia, but then it also my include people who prefer a certain sound that the modern DACs and designs lost in search of other parameters. It may be a bit like those who prefer vinyl even though the technology and specs of digital in general are superior. I think some advances in technology can be explained with the idiom "throwing the baby out with the bathwater". And much like "I do not know art, but I know what I like". I do not know of technology, but I also know what I like. It is not like I have not tried others, some serious, some no so. I just like the sound of the Philips 960. In fact I did not know TDA1541 from a hole in the ground until recently. Upon learning, I started looking at other CD players with that chip.

    I have no one to please buy myself as it comes to stereo equipment.
     
    The Beave likes this.
  13. lance b

    lance b Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    Couldn't he just buy the part himself and then give it to the repairer?
     
  14. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    I did suggest to him to do just that. But he insisted the repair shop owner should order that laser pickup from the German parts supplier. I washed my hands on this ...
     
    lance b likes this.
  15. nosliw

    nosliw Delivering parcels throughout Teyvat! Meow~!

    Location:
    Ottawa, ON, Canada
    I, too, am a proud owner of a Nakamichi CDP-2A and I really like how sweet sounding it is, coming from various low-end CD players that myself and my parents used to own. It pairs quite well with my Nakamichi TA-2A receiver!
     
    The Beave and c-eling like this.
  16. apesfan

    apesfan "Going Ape"

    Wow, Im the only one that owned a 960 and thought the sound tinny. To me it sounded like what analog lovers hated about digital. It resided in three diferent system upgrades and it was not the greatest listening experience. I too had a Sota, a Saphire in my case, and it destroyed the sound the philipps made.

    Then about 4 years later after playing a CD on my Pioneer laserdisc player, the 3070 or 3080, I bought the lowely CAL dx 2 ( had a hunch) and to me that player convinced me that I should give digital a chance.
    The Cal dx 2 is nothing compared to the Philipps 960 at first but to me it had a pleasant sound similiar to the Mash 1 bit Pioneer laserdiscs.
    I ended up giving the 960 to my daughters in 1992 and of course they destroyed it. I didnt think. Even though I did not like the sound I never would of let them have it if they werent going to take care of it. Thought my habits rubbed off on them, it didnt.

    All my CD players since, Cal dx2, Pioneer 79 avi(used as a cd player for 2 months) Meridian 506 20 bit, Musical Fidelity dm25, Esoteric sa50 all sounded incrementally better and better. In a way the Esoteric has the best of the 960 and the dx2. When remastered CD and lp are from same master the Esoteric beats the Sota in sound quality by a hair.
    Just wanted to show the history of my digital so my dislike of the Phillips 960 can be understood. John M.
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2018
  17. SKATTERBRANE

    SKATTERBRANE Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tucson, AZ
    Understood. Actually you are not the first I have known to hold this opinion.
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2018
  18. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US

    I actually carry this list as a note on my iphone for when I'm thrift shopping.
     
    Bananas&blow, The Beave and c-eling like this.
  19. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US

    I love Tandberg and how on those models they put the big industrial model numbers. Genius!
     
  20. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Tandberg 4025 CD player, another European-made vintage CDP ...

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    nosliw and c-eling like this.
  21. SKATTERBRANE

    SKATTERBRANE Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tucson, AZ
    That is gorgeous. Too bad the TANDBERG TCP 3015A doesn't look like that!
     
  22. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    The 4025 may be a second generation CD player from Tandberg ...
     
  23. luckyno13

    luckyno13 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London UK
    I'm a big fan of the TDA1541a and bought the Marantz CD75 mk11 new in the mid 80s.

    When the tray started to fail on this a couple of years back, I was lucky to find a Marantz CD50 in a charity shop for 40 quid!
    This one sounded similar but slightly better and is in regular use.
    I may get the CD75 modded, keeping the TDAs but adding better outputs and clocking.
     
  24. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    I had a Marantz CD75 and it was a very solidly built unit weighing at least 25 lbs. Eventually, that metal tray started to fail though it continued to play and I gave it away to my sister ...

    [​IMG]
     
    Mbe likes this.
  25. SKATTERBRANE

    SKATTERBRANE Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tucson, AZ
    A lot of the mechanical problems can be attributed to worn out belts. Belt sets that sell for $30-$40 online my local tech only charges a couple of bucks for. For the cost difference and a bit more, I can afford to pay my tech to change the belts and give a general tune-up and lube! There are a LOT of "for parts, not working" great CD players on Ebay, most needing only a new belt set.
     
    The Beave likes this.

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