terra1
Addicted Member
Check the sticky at the top of this forum.
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=354435
This discusses possible replacements.
Finally found a Denon DCD-1500
- Thread starter JarredCrowe
- Start date
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=354435
This discusses possible replacements.
Ed in Tx
Super Member
Yep I remember that now. Covers the problem but you still have to either cut out a rubber washer from Ace hardware, or make one from a felt pad. Hoping someone had found a drop-in replacement without modification or cutting.
Ed in Tx
Super Member
This is the stuff I made a clamp pad out of.
http://www.eminess.com/products/polishing_pads/poromeric/politex_hi
A "proprietary polyurethane vertically oriented pore structure with a compressible substrate" .
This material looks and feels like some sort of rubberized felt. Had a piece left over from a prior employer. Works perfectly if I just had a good way to cut it.
http://www.eminess.com/products/polishing_pads/poromeric/politex_hi
A "proprietary polyurethane vertically oriented pore structure with a compressible substrate" .
This material looks and feels like some sort of rubberized felt. Had a piece left over from a prior employer. Works perfectly if I just had a good way to cut it.
Attachments
If you can find thin-walled pipe or tubing (copper water pipe, conduit) with an ID close to the right size, sharpen the edge of one end with a file or grinding wheel so it's reasonably sharp. Put the material on a block of soft wood, place the pipe over it, then tap it with a hammer. You'll have to eyeball the inner hole to get it centered.
or
Sandwich it between some thin plywood with removable adhesive and use hole saws to cut out the proper size washer-sandwich, then separate.
bobbyonions
AK Member
I picked up a mint 1500 a few months back at a thrift store. I looked it over and was impressed by how smooth and robust the transport seemed. I was happy to find that it sounds rather nice and is built like a brick house.
Mine has been in very light duty for the time that I have had it. Seems to work perfectly. All the cueing and search functions are very responsive.
I was a little surprised to not find a bunch of info about modding these units. I have an older Magnavox/Philips player that is real popular for modding. Not finding anything on the 1500 though.
Mine has been in very light duty for the time that I have had it. Seems to work perfectly. All the cueing and search functions are very responsive.
I was a little surprised to not find a bunch of info about modding these units. I have an older Magnavox/Philips player that is real popular for modding. Not finding anything on the 1500 though.
Ed in Tx
Super Member
When I mentioned a while back I picked up a DCD-1500II, I got PMs from one or two people trying to sell me upgrades or upgraded machines, so apparently modifications do exist for a price. I have a 1500 and a 1500II, that are still stock btw.
Picked up a near mint 1500 yesterday. Nothing I need, but I looked into it when it came up on CList here and based on what most on here think of the unit I figured I would give it a go. Includes te remote (otherwise I wouldn't have bothered) and the seller was just about a mile away. Functions flawlessly thus far and not a scratch on it. Very nice sounding of course. Something fun to give a try. no rosewood side panels, but I might have to make some.
Long ago I sort of collected Denon & Sony CD/DVD players. The Denons I've had include a 1500, 1560, 1650 AR, 1800, 2560 and a 3300. The 1650 AR sounded a lot better than the others. The 1500 sounded really good. Any Denon with 4 digit number I liked. Denon DVD players I used mostly for CD's include DVD 1910 which was my first and sounded so bad I gave it away. DVD 2910,DVD 3910, 3800 bdci, and DVD 5900. All the better DVD players they made had the option to turn off the video circuitry when listening to CD's if you wanted.
The Sony's I had/have XS 111, NS 990, and 707 ESD. The 707 sounds better than anything I own except for the Denon 1650 AR and the McIntosh MCD 205.
Back then if a unit weighed under 20lbs. I didn't consider it.
Which isn't an absolute measure of quality just a quick reference. As for the sound of these it's all my opinion. YMMV. I have pictures of some I still have if anyone is interested send me a PM.
The Sony's I had/have XS 111, NS 990, and 707 ESD. The 707 sounds better than anything I own except for the Denon 1650 AR and the McIntosh MCD 205.
Back then if a unit weighed under 20lbs. I didn't consider it.
Which isn't an absolute measure of quality just a quick reference. As for the sound of these it's all my opinion. YMMV. I have pictures of some I still have if anyone is interested send me a PM.
I have a 1520. It was very good. It began to mis-read. I hoped cleaning the lens would fix it, and it wasn't a dying laser. But before I could even try, the transport began making noises, and soon failed altogether. The problems may be related, i.e. the laser may be fine.
But is a very old machine worth the time to repair? I have better now (transport + DAC) and am unlikely to use it as a CDP. I'd like to try it as a transport, but since that's what need rebuilding, it would have to be a lot better than my current transport — and I don't see that happening.
I now have a very impressive, very heavy, CDP of no use.
But that's just mine. If yours is working, it's a very good player, and at thrift shop prices a steal.
But is a very old machine worth the time to repair? I have better now (transport + DAC) and am unlikely to use it as a CDP. I'd like to try it as a transport, but since that's what need rebuilding, it would have to be a lot better than my current transport — and I don't see that happening.
I now have a very impressive, very heavy, CDP of no use.
But that's just mine. If yours is working, it's a very good player, and at thrift shop prices a steal.
"Speed is fine but accuracy is final". Wyatt Earp 1888
Great quote Mike. Where'd you find that?
Did you know Wyatt Earp was Head of Security for the Jack Johnson/James J Jeffries heavyweight fight? They feared a race riot — it didn't happen. Maybe because Johnson beat Jeffries so thoroughly.
Great quote Mike. Where'd you find that?
Did you know Wyatt Earp was Head of Security for the Jack Johnson/James J Jeffries heavyweight fight? They feared a race riot — it didn't happen. Maybe because Johnson beat Jeffries so thoroughly.
Dswankey
Lunatic Member
Nice plus it has variable out's so you can hook it up directly to an amp. I use mine with a tube console pull and it works great.
Exactly. I have a similar Sony with the variable volume on a vintage system in my bench work area just for that reason. Right now the Denon is hooked up in my office to the Pioneer SA9100 so it serves the same purpose there and gets controlled from my desk.
I've got a cool little collection of older CD players going that I've picked up for pretty cheap along the way and as they have come up:
Adcom GCD575
Sony CDP-C85ES
Denon DcD-1500
NAD C542
Oppo DV-980H
Stephen300
Active Member
Purchased my DCD-1500 new back in '86 IIRC and it's still going strong to this day. I POOGE'd (Progressive Optimization Of Generic Electronics) it according to the articles by Walt Jung in Audio Amateur magazine (1% metal film resistors, polystyrene caps, high slew rate op-amps) and it sounds as good or better than everything I've ever compared it to.
Demidemon
Speaker hoarder
So I want to give my DCD-1500 a birthday - how would I go about finding those articles you mention? I'm pretty handy with a soldering iron.
Stephen300
Active Member
They were in a magazine called Audio Amateur which if I remember correctly was published by Old Colony Sound Lab. Of course this was 30 years ago so who knows if they can be found today.
Demidemon
Speaker hoarder
Ahh, ok. I did Google 'Audio Amateur' before asking you but had no luck. That's a shame, I'd really like to fettle my DCD-1500 so that it can keep going for another 30 years. Thanks for the reply.
Demidemon
Speaker hoarder
The one that I've had for a couple decades has the original remote, yes. I've used the variable outputs directly into a power amp a few times. I'm bidding on an auction for another DCD-1500 that I hope to get cheaply. That one doesn't have a remote (but works fine apparently) and I mainly want it in case I ever need parts (such as laser assembly) for my current machine as I'm very fond of my DCD-1500.
Stephen300
Active Member
If you can find a service manual for your 1500 you can make the circuit mods very easily. Just locate the analog section and replace the op-amps with ones with faster slew rates. You might want to install sockets for these ICs so you can easily swap them out for different chips to demo. I have OPA2134AP op-amps in mine. Be sure to upgrade the op-amps for the headphone amplifier too. Replace all the carbon film resistors in the signal path with 1% metal film types. Replace any film or ceramic disc capacitors in the signal path with high quality polystyrene or polypropylene types. Teflon caps are good too but very expensive. It would also be a good idea to replace the electrolytic filter caps in the power supply section with low ESR (Equivalent Series Resistance) types. I don't recall if the player used a bridge rectifier or discrete diodes for it's rectifier. In either case replace the rectifier or discrete diodes with fast recovery types.
