Thorsten's old CD player - modded Pioneer DV 505

Wonderful CD replay machine. I don't think that anyone else would have attempted such a complete tuning of a player. Here is T's description. Please email me ( neill dot kennedy at virgin dot net ) for pics if you'd like.

"CD-Player - based on Pioneer DV-505

Yup, you are dead right, a Pioneer DVD Player as CD Player.

It still plays DVD's but it is modified to an extreme degree and aimed squarely at playing Audio CD's.

There are a few very unique things about the 505 player as well, which distinguished it from about all other players on the market. First, it treats the CD when played as DATA disk, not as audio disk, just the way it does with the DVD of course. This means the disk is read asyncronous and multiple reads will be attempted on error.

As a downside, as the Player uses a visible RED light laser, not an INFRARED laser, like all CD-Players (and all DVD-Players with a second laserhead for CD-Replay) it does not recognise ANY CD-R's, however certain types of CD-RW (grey playing surface) work just fine.

Secondly, this player had the last generation of Pioneers own "Legato Link" DAC (later Pioneer DVD and CD players use a rebadged ulra-cheap Burr-Brown Chip that is notionally 96KHz or 192KHz "24Bit", yet analogue performance is poor enough to disqualify it for CD replay), this limits it of DVD-Audio to 48KHz/20Bit but places the DAC in effect level with the Tom Evans Eikos CD-Player, the transport side by virtue of it's asyncronous operation is superior to the Eikos's stable platter syncronous one, IMHO.

All the above reasons made me select the player as modification platform.

The following modifications I am sure of having been applied:

1) Bottom of Player reinforced using solid wood panels (Spruce or Pine, cannot remember)

2) All circuit boards extensively C37 laquered.

3) All electrolytic capacitors in the Digital and Video sections are Sanyo Os-Con. The Switched Mode supply has been given additional filtering and bypassing for much lower noise, all electrolytic capacitors had their plastic sleeving removed as described here:

http://db.audioasylum.com/scripts/t.pl?f=tweaks&m=85194

This approach is also applied by 47 Labs and is part of the general "C37 Tuning" approach (see Audioconsulting.ch for more, this also includes using uncoated silver wire).

Further tuning is distinctly leftfield and includes chinese chass pieces and crystal points, works though.

4) An Audiocom Superclock has been fitted for the 44.1KHz replay clock.

This is one of the best clocks at any price (the 48/96KHz replay clock is unmodified making this less of an ideal transport for DVD-A/DAD high resolution Disks despite offering a 96KHz/24Bit digitaloutput). Current version is Superclock 3, I would reckon the original version as likely at least as good, if not better.

This is the original, schock full of Black Gate Nx-HiQ capacitors (Digital Supplies are about the only place where Black Gates really shine and Nx-HiQ are about as good as it gets), C37 lacquered, capacitor sleeves removed (as per 3). Wiring is solid, uncoated silver.

5) LC Audio "Zap-Filter 2" discrete, zero feedback analog stage has been fitted.

This analog stage is one of the best "off the shelf" upgrades (certainly miles past op-amp swapping, removing muting transistors etc.), applied in the DV-505 it takes the balanced output from the DAC and offers both SE (RCA) Outputs and Balanced (XLR) outputs all direct coupled with no coupling capacitors between DAC and outputs, the lowpass filtering is done using Silver Mica .

As the original powersupply was too large to fit I made my own using an E/I transformer, rather than torroid (better in this application). The PCB's are again laquered with C37, audio wiring is silver in PTFE IIRC, decent grades of connectors fitted, nothing silly though. Uisng the balanced output is highly recommended."

This player is a wolf in sheep's clothing and has impressed all who've heard it - its absolutely fatigue free for long listening sessions but has dynamics and PRAT to spare.

Please make me a sensible offer if you'd like it. If you're in/near Fife, Scotland you're welcome to come and hear it.

 

Any offers for this rather nice machine....