TDA1451 DAC question

[zkgkg]

Greetings
Can anyone tell me a little about the TDA1451, why it is well regarded (yet old!) and what the "A" version and "single crown" means?

cheers
John

 

[Duncan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zkgkg /img/forum/go_quote.gif Greetings Can anyone tell me a little about the TDA1451, why it is well regarded (yet old!) and what the "A" version and "single crown" means? cheers John

Hi John,

Welcome to Head-Fi

The TDA1540 was the first DAC in commercial use (14-bit) but the TDA1541 is a second gen chip that has a full 16bit bandwidth, There is a certain loyalty to the chip as the newer versions that came out (TDA1543 and TDA1545) plus I'm sure there are some technical reasons (tolerances etc??) as to why the 1541 is still looked out for today for NOS DACs...

The 'A' version is an improved (second) revision of the original (the 'A' version is the one to really look out for for NOS DACs), with the single crown (and double crown) being 'audiophile / reference' grade versions of the TDA1541A...

I'm sure that someone will come into the thread with a full-on answer, but that is the basics to get you going...

 

[audiofil]

I've attached a comparative table of the TDA1541 chip variations.

It's fame has been built over the years, especially in the last decade with the rise of NOS DACs and cd-players.
It is a true R2R DAC chip with impressive performance given a good implementation.

 

[Roam]

Cult status in my opinion. In the realm of R2R DACs they are severely outdated and rather crude sounding to my ears. There are much better choices such as the PCM1702 & 1704 as well as the PCM63.

 

[zkgkg]

Thanks for all that info. I tried hard to find original Philips datasheets...no luck. I have both a straight 1451 and an A S1. I have 2 Studers so am going to try to hear the difference now I know. I plan to sell one so I guess the AS1 would be best to keep!

Regards
John

 

[AllenJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audiofil /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've attached a comparative table of the TDA1541 chip variations. It's fame has been built over the years, especially in the last decade with the rise of NOS DACs and cd-players. It is a true R2R DAC chip with impressive performance given a good implementation.

Thankx for the info.

But does sound worth the extra cost (between s1 and double crown)... ? Anyone done a AB review in here?

 

[Duncan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AllenJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thankx for the info. But does sound worth the extra cost (between s1 and double crown)... ? Anyone done a AB review in here?

Well, the cost difference is quite scary...

The Philips CD880 had a single crown way back when, and was about £500 new iirc... The Marantz CD7 with the double crown configuration cost £3500 in the late 90s...

As to true worth, I'd love to hear a CD7, but don't think I ever will

 

[AllenJ]

Couple of months ago I saw a TDA1645A double crowns selling on Ebay asking for $500 USD... It was labeled "made in Taiwan"... are they for real?

 

[anubisgrau]

what does R2R stand for?

is it possible to reprogram TD1543? i am wondering if the trick of altmann attraction performance could be in reprogrammed DA chip. it is hard to believe that plain 1543 can deliver that performance.

 

[becomethemould]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zkgkg /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for all that info. I tried hard to find original Philips datasheets...no luck. I have both a straight 1451 and an A S1. I have 2 Studers so am going to try to hear the difference now I know. I plan to sell one so I guess the AS1 would be best to keep! Regards John

hi john what studer players do you have? i have a a727 which uses the regular 1451 i believe. i like it compared to all the other source components i have/had, but my experience is limited

 

[zigo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by becomethemould /img/forum/go_quote.gif hi john what studer players do you have? i have a a727 which uses the regular 1451 i believe. i like it compared to all the other source components i have/had, but my experience is limited

I read that a727 uses TDA1541A S1 single crown. Have you took a look inside?

 

[Ori]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zigo /img/forum/go_quote.gif I read that a727 uses TDA1541A S1 single crown. Have you took a look inside?

Seems like everybody is assuming the 1541 is the king. Here is some food for thought. I had no clue when I bought a used Revox 225 about 10 years ago. It's a 14-bit based machine with Studer boards and it sounded amazing at the time. My friend heard it and started looking for a similar unit. He ended up with the Revox 226, a 16-bit machine. Well, 16 gotta be better than 14, right? A big big "NO"!
The converter core is only one aspect of the sound quality of the unit. I still have that "Golden B225" although I believe it was dethroned by a few (not many) recent units.
A single-beam laser with 14-bit converters, mfg date 1983... hmmm...

 

[power]

anybody know the specs of the head amp in the cd880, the manual dosen't seem to say much about it. I am quite impressed with the sound might give me some bearing regarding other amps 

 

[power]

bump-  second question anybody ever ad usb connectivity to a cdp?