For those who want to save for a better transport, a clone of the Shigaraki transport, look no further. The claim transport using JVC boom box and some mod has results better than the Mark Levinson and the renowned CEC TL0.

Here is the component list

http://tim.cheapo.cc/images/CD%20player%20mods.pdf

This is the famous transport

http://www.sakurasystems.com/products/shigacd.html

Here is the documents to start the mod

JVC RC-EZ31 Manual - dismantling and schematic

Available model for mod

1. RC-EZ 31
2. RC-EZ 32
3. RC-EZ 51

If u check the price, u will find it $$$

but using a cheap JVC boombox, it can be converted



Now here is the picture of the RAW transport torn apart from the JVC Boombox. Pls compare it with the Shigaraki transport.



and here is the results. Time taken for the mod is about 5 hours for beginners. [not the bottom one of course]







here is the story

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread....0229&highlight=

This post has been edited by ccschua: Nov 15 2008, 08:23 AM

I have no doubt the digital world has produced bit perfect technology. However, I would love to see one that implement that technology, with common availability and low costs. I could actually use computer or streaming wirelessly to USB port, output USB direct to DAC which support 20ps jitter. At this moment, to support USB with 1 ppm jitter is still not commercialy friendly.

However, to cut that computer chain, I have some time till that technology is common and user-friendly. else I would still stick to the transport.


I manage to hunt around and found quite a few sets of JVC RC-EZ31a lying around. Looks like time to learn some DIY electronics. I need to do this :
1. power supply board.
2. 75 ohm output, spdif/BNC out.
3. Low jitter clock
4. cap mod. Black Gate N, Rubycon.

Components purchased
1. 10 uF x 1
2. 33 uF x 1
3. 4.7 uF x 2
4. 47 uF x 1
5. 10 uF x 1
6. Resistor to be confirmed.
7. Crystal - get PEter help.

This post has been edited by ccschua: Oct 27 2008, 09:57 PM

Oh yeah. I check the EZ31a at jusco too, and found too many of them. to have the remote at this price is great.

but I hope someone can have a creative solution as to the casing. I roughly have the components fixed up.

---

Added on October 20, 2008, 12:51 amthere are two approaches to HIFI.

the scientific and technology way.

the next way is philosophical.

This post has been edited by ccschua: Oct 20 2008, 12:51 AM

guys, here is the starting point.

Look at the items required for a basic mod.

---

Added on October 20, 2008, 2:25 amsome of guys just switch from PS1 to Shigaclone for the fun of DIY, and it is not complicated.

This post has been edited by ccschua: Oct 20 2008, 02:27 AM


Attached File(s)
 CD_20player_20mods.pdf ( 535.29k ) Number of downloads: 624

Well DAC 1 will cost USD 1000 for the proper implementation. If one use the USB to SPDIF converter, then the clock has to be properly done up, independent suspension, power supply. I just discovered my PCM 2902 usb to spdif converter (using computer power supply thru USB) has 500 ps jitter, as compared to 20 ps reference.

I am almost tempted to get that JVC on the upcoming members day at jusco.

This post has been edited by ccschua: Oct 20 2008, 06:41 PM

hope the price is not high, otherwise I would just consider a wooden board.

That's called a puck. there is magnetic and non magnetic type.



This post has been edited by ccschua: Oct 26 2008, 01:14 PM

Updated the pdf at page 1 on the components required.

I am placing order for the

1. capacitors and resistors. No black gates, only panasonic. resistor is Vishay Dale.
2. Voltage regulator. AC in 25V and DC out 8V

Who knows the source for Hammond Transformer 2x25V

I am using it for transport.

This post has been edited by ccschua: Oct 26 2008, 06:05 PM

Not really. but it would serve the job, I am thinking of putting the servo on a wooden board, then have it tied to the marble. The servo needs about 15kg of mass to stabilize !!

Something about the PUCK.
------
Hi,

http://www.audiostereo.pl/zalaczniki/1067737_1.jpg

CD tracks are 1.6 micron apart, that's 625 tracks in each mm, CD transports use a lens with focussing comparable to a good microscope, both the focussing and tracking need to be extremely accurate (1 micron / 0.16 micron or better, a hair is about 100 micron, you'll get the point...)

If guess it's difficult for a magnetic puck not influence the tiny coils controlling the lens. (And even if the magnetic field was perfectly symmetric: the lens is constantly moving in that field because of servo corrections, CD eccentricity, I think that could still influence the coils.)

I almost don't dare to say this here: even a static field of a non-magnetic puck has an influence. If we demagnetize (remove static fields) screw-on type pucks, we can hear an improvement (can be heard easily in a very good system). Of course you won't hear a difference if your CD or other parts are static/magnetic too.
Observed differences are similar (higher resolution, more variety in timbres, more micro and macro dynamics, more quiet, silent background). It's time for some serious jitter measurements...

Btw. we distribute the Shigaraki transport in two versions with magnetic and screw type puck, screw type is always preferred in A/B comparisons. However some find the difference small and choose for the convenience of the magnetic puck (and lower price).

But there are more reasons why the non-magnetic puck sounds different. For our research (we're trying to make the best possible CD player we've created and tested a large range of pucks and spindles (all screw-on type), and everything in the design seems to matter, not only weight, weight distribution and pressure, but also the contact points/surfaces with the CD, materials, etc. It all influences the vibrations (and so the jitter pattern and the sound).

On the other hand, I don't want to exaggerate the problem of a magnetic puck, there are good transports with magnetic pucks. Usually there are bigger problems in CD-transports (also the expensive ones). The puck is not the weakest link.

And all of this wouldn't be a problem if we could get rid of the jitter at the DAC, but I haven't heard that in practice yet. It would be very cool if we don't need ridiculously expensive transports anymore to get the best from CD.

source

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread....ht=#post1330555

---

Added on October 27, 2008, 7:39 amhere is what it says about CDPRO
--
Here are my experiences with the CD PRO (with a few other persons we evaluated different mechanisms for developing a transport):

The mechanism of de CD PRO is very good, altough not as perfect as the VRDS NEO, but you can't buy these for a sensible price (and the electronics of the VRDS probably limits it's capabilities).

The laser is ok, but unfortunately not balanced, which means that focus- and tracking corrections influence each other more than neccesary. The corrections introduce jitter that can't be removed. A cheap Sanyo laser does this better.

The weakest link is the circuit board, and I guess it's almost impossible to modify properly. The clock can be improved but there are far worse problems on this board: the 4-layer layout and it's components.

Btw: I notice many people focus on the clock, but usually there's more to gain elsewhere (solving hf problems, power supply, layout etc.). Besides that: most clocks we've evaluated introduced new hf-problems, new jitter in other parts of the spectrum. I think "Plug-and-play" clocks are a gamble, proper implementation is critical.

source

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread....832#post1173832

This post has been edited by ccschua: Oct 27 2008, 07:41 AM

DIY job is for Enthusiasts.

I have placed an order for the cap. it is all Panasonic for audio. no FM/FC series for small cap. also I hope to get the crystal 16.9 MHz. if not, i go for full audio clock.

I am quite happy with the cdplayer. it is quite responsive.


Just in case not to miss the boat, I have got the boombox and I am buying the components soon.





This post has been edited by ccschua: Oct 27 2008, 09:55 PM

so here come the victime no 1. waiting for operation room.

I hope my unit dont end up ICU. Still gathering the component. I am split between ELNA and Panasonic ECA. Looks like Blackgate is out of reach for me.

---

Added on October 29, 2008, 7:24 amany takers. I found these items.

2 x MSR860
0300-8441 oscillator
LM7808
Dale 100R
Dale 300R
ERO 10n
PS PCB


This post has been edited by ccschua: Oct 29 2008, 07:24 AM

I think this mod the most important thing is power supply. So I am taking time to get the correct item.

Phase 1 : power supply, citizen clock

Phase 2 : Audio-gd clock, separate power supply for clock.

if support MP3, that means this model use diff controller, so it can not be used.

Jazzy, any news on the metal block ?

Hi Vincent,

U need to go deeper into what Empy has to say. I totally dont deny the fact digital is the future, just that how cloce is that corner.

Somehow more parts arrive.

This post has been edited by ccschua: Oct 31 2008, 08:01 PM

Quote "
Just got my RCEZ31. My first impressions:
RCEZ32 (the one kevink talks about) has a better DSP chip (and one much closer to original Shig) than the RCEZ31 (which benefits/suffers from Sanyo's integration program which is meant to reduce chip count for low-end designers).
The fact that LC78601RE has to devote significant die space to an integrated u-controller w/ display block, lcd driver, and control processing means corners were cut in other areas and RFI interference between the blocks will be more common. I would rather see the influence of the display and control processing in the signal-processing block minimized by separate physical location, supplies, and decoupling of two separate packages. U-controllers are some of the nastiest sources of noise in a digital system...
On the other hand, what is nice about the RCEZ31 (and which improves on Shig even) is the connection between laser pickup and ASP is made as short as possible, with the ASP located directly under the laser sled. Note however that reducing the distance here increases the influence of spurious radiation and cares should be taken to shield the two blocks with shield lines or anti-EFM material (in early Flatfish it was a ground shield around the eight-lead harness carrying the pickup photodiode and track error signals). Note also that the direct connection between main pcb and laser sled mechanism means that there will be mechanical disturbances created by the servo motors on a pcb stuffed with microphonic ceramic chip caps and digital ICs. I would strongly advice detaching the pcb from the laser sled assembly, and making the connection to the motors via short wires, rather than letting the motors have their ways with that pcb. I would also recommend removing that plastic housing guard over the laser pickup--less is better here--and (unlike 47 Lab Shig) mounting adjustable spikes for the CD player directly on the four stand-offs that support the laser assembly unit, with some added mass, rather than spiking a traditional chassis at some point located a distance from the stand-offs or placing the whole thing on some wood/metal/ceramic plinth. The resonances from the CD mechanism need to leave it as directly as possible, and there is no more direct route than the stand-offs. Also, the manufacture of a precise delrin platter/clamp which fits tightly to the motor shaft without need of any bonding substance is also very desireable.
One thing: do not waste your time. The ASP and DSP will present a bottleneck in terms of spec and number, but have little to do with sound quality: I spent hours playing with different RF amp configs, and putting high-quality passive components into the PLL clock generation circuit (two years of tinkering with Caddocks and BGs on an old Flatfish, where the board was through-hole and parts were easy to swap) to no avail. Besides mechanical construction (which is very important), the biggest bottleneck for a system like this will be the supply regulation, grounding and decoupling. Indeed, some regulators are better tha others, and the 5V regulator sitting inside the MM1469 has at best 75dB rejection at 1kHz during steady state operation (they do anything to optimize their specs); during heavy servo operation, it is far worse, and there is quite alot of noise of all frequencies modulated into the 5V reg block, esp. during TOC and track skip operations. Being a linear reg means that it cannot filter out HF and RF noise, but passes it through: result is a white, bodyless presentation, without fundamental tones (my main criticism of 47 Lab digital players). I won't criticize JVC: budget is budget. It cost me Eu39! Their player is fast, and rhythmic. But the PSRR at 10MHz or at 100MHz is next to nil. The noise will get into your chips, get stored in parasitic capacitances, released a little later, generate offsets, modulate or be modulated by your RF digital signals, generating all kinds of intermod products, noise modulations, etc. etc. My advice: Do not use MM1469 as your final reg. Using the LM7808 as a pre-reg for the MM reg is only half a solution. Using a low-noise, low-output-impedance 5V reg with good dynamic performance (like the ALWSR super-reg or other) for your ASP/DSP combo (and another separate one for the internal 1-bit DAC if you are using the analogue out option) while adding some series resistance before good local decoupling will suprise you even further how good this chip combination can sound.

" unquote

This post has been edited by ccschua: Nov 3 2008, 09:28 PM

Not really the USB, but the thingie serves digital data with accuracy to the DAC via coaxial/BNC.

Several people reported coaxial better than BNC and vice versa. it is sometimes confusing. I will just stick with BNC with the RG59. I think RG 6 is overkill ?

To connect USB to DAC it will need a converter. Common in the market is PCM 2702 + Xitel + a host of others. These solution dont offer good jitters.

Another way, the I2S, is a promissing tech but most dac dont have this.

not too long from now, there will be solution in this. and it is not costly. For the meantime, I just want to get this simple transport to run, to see if it is a real killer of CEC / ML or just another hype.

So, my clock, pcb supply board and caps are in.

I am ready to rock and roll this week.

This post has been edited by ccschua: Nov 4 2008, 07:37 PM

Hi,

Please email Peter Deniel directly. He would be able to reply directly.

As for the rest, u need transformer, with 30VA 12-0-12. U can get the transformer at Jalan Pasar.

For RCA/BNC connection, I chose BNC because I think that is the lowest jitter.

With the above components, and mounting all those items on wooden board, it is ready to rock and roll.

Well looks like the parts from peter will take some time to arrive. plus I will be attending to phase 2 of ZERO DAC mod. I hope to receive the parts by next week, if not, I will still tear apart the EZ31.

just send him a PM. check the diyaudio thread.

also the items are better off purchased at the Pasar road.

EZ 31 about RM 200.

mod items : RM 80

Transformer : RM 30

others....

I use BNC.

want to know more BNC, try google BNC, SPDIF and TOSLINK, in the acsending order of Jitters.