• Please note that Audiokarma will be offline briefly for updates early on Monday morning, September 28th.

Best 80's Nakamichi CD Player?

onanysunday

onanysunday

chasing realism
Subscriber
CDP-2A, CDC-4A, OMS-7,7AII or other?

Just curious whether anyone has any experience or comparisons between these particular late 80's Nak players. Which is the best sounding one? These models appear to have been at, or near TOTL models at some point- which is what I am interested in. I know the OMS-7AII debuted in 1986 @ $1,995 and the CDC-4A in 1989 @ $1,195. CDP-2A in 1989 @ $?? I know there is a Dragon model, but I'm not interested in that.
 
Register to hide this ad
They have made some nice sounding units, but they are mechanical disasters to maintain, go with Sony and just get a lable that says Nakamichi and get over it.
 
Freddymac2 said:
They have made some nice sounding units, but they are mechanical disasters to maintain, go with Sony and just get a lable that says Nakamichi and get over it.
Click to expand...
I don't mind working on such things- necessarily. In addition to listening, you already know I enjoy the repair side of this as well, as I actually look forward to the challenge and in fact look forward to it. Slap on a Nakamichi label and "get over it"? You're such an ass with no impulse control. You just can't help yourself, can you..hhahah I love it!
 
Last edited:
You are right, I am an ass, but I get the absolute best sounding equipment I can find and put it together no matter what color or label is on it. The fact is Nakamichi CD players are not the best sounding ones out there. Just keep in mind you wouldn't be listening to the Nak without this ass.
 
CDP-2A is Philips TDA1541A w/a Sony Transport.
CDC-4A is Phillips TDA1541A-S1 w/a Pioneer transport.
OMS-7 is 2x Philips TDA1540 w/a NEC Transport.
And the OMS-7 II is 2x PCM54HP-K w/a Sony transport.

And the TDA1541 equipped players are arguably some of the best sounding CDP's out there...

The TDA1540 was the first DAC chip from Philips,the TDA1541 was the improved version of that chip.
So it stands to reason the TDA1541 sounds slightly better than the TDA1540,though some may still debate that deal.
I say that as many feel that the TDA1540 is a very "musical" sounding DAC.
But the same is said for the TDA1541 DACs as well,both are very analog sounding and highly sought after by those "in the know".

Also,note that the TDA1541A-S1 is the upgraded TDA1541A chip.

The Burr Brown PCM54HP-K is one of their older DACs from that era,and while they're an OK DAC,understand they're nothing exceptional.
Certainly not in the relm of their PCM63/PCM64 equipped breathren.

And like I said here before,the Sony trasnports are known to have laser P/U issues with those eventually failing and finding replacement lasers being a hit -or- miss proposition.

So keep that ^^^^ in mind for sure.

HTH

Bret P.
 
Sold Nakamichi during this time. Although the early players are beautiful, I wouldn't touch one unless is just too cheap to pass up. Terribly unreliable.
 
The main reason I'm asking about 80's Nak CDPs is I found these units have the Philips TDA1540 & TDA1541A DACs which were more analog sounding and of course used in the very well-regarded mod friendly Belgian made Philips / Magnavox CDB players. I am interested in the sound signature of these particular DACs. Apparently, Nak engineered the best (stock) implementation of these chips. I want to hear for myself as these are no longer produced or implemented in newer equipment. Thank you Bret!
 
Last edited:
ggregg said:
Sold Nakamichi during this time. Although the early players are beautiful, I wouldn't touch one unless is just too cheap to pass up. Terribly unreliable.
Click to expand...
This includes both single loading variants as well as the multi-loaders as well? I was hoping one CD loading mechanism would ultimately prove more reliable than the other, perhaps not? I have no problem with the physical repair work on a CD mechanism. It would be easy to do but I imagine parts could be hard to come by without cannibalizing other units as spare decks..
 
xero-D-hero said:
CDP-2A is Philips TDA1541A w/a Sony Transport.
CDC-4A is Phillips TDA1541A-S1 w/a Pioneer transport.
OMS-7 is 2x Philips TDA1540 w/a NEC Transport.
And the OMS-7 II is 2x PCM54HP-K w/a Sony transport.

And the TDA1541 equipped players are arguably some of the best sounding CDP's out there...

The TDA1540 was the first DAC chip from Philips,the TDA1541 was the improved version of that chip.
So it stands to reason the TDA1541 sounds slightly better than the TDA1540,though some may still debate that deal.
I say that as many feel that the TDA1540 is a very "musical" sounding DAC.
But the same is said for the TDA1541 DACs as well,both are very analog sounding and highly sought after by those "in the know".

Also,note that the TDA1541A-S1 is the upgraded TDA1541A chip.

The Burr Brown PCM54HP-K is one of their older DACs from that era,and while they're an OK DAC,understand they're nothing exceptional.
Certainly not in the relm of their PCM63/PCM64 equipped breathren.

And like I said here before,the Sony trasnports are known to have laser P/U issues with those eventually failing and finding replacement lasers being a hit -or- miss proposition.

So keep that ^^^^ in mind for sure.

HTH

Bret P.
Click to expand...
This is the kind of comparative information I was looking for, thanks. Looks like the CDC-4A would probably be the best bet if I were to go the Nak CDP route because complete Pioneer laser assemblies and transports are still available for this model. I believe these are two of the major wear items on the unit (unless I am mistaken) Looks like one of the biggest problems on this particular model is that either a protective clear plastic bubble or laser lens itself (not sure which) falls out because it is adhered with a water-soluble adhesive that dissolves in high humidity environments causing it to stops reading discs. In this instance, you simply have to re-adhere it. The Pioneer laser assembly (while not bullet-proof) is rather robust, and if it fails I can just install an OEM replacement. Because of this, I am considering purchasing one.

Or, it's a toss-up for me between the brand new Marantz CD5005 on sale for $250, the Onkyo C-7030 for $150, or Cambridge Audio Azur 640C V2 $285. Between those three what's your pick? The Sony DVD/SACD are the better bargain, I guess. I don't quite like the look of them as much as the dedicated CDP. The Marantz looks really sharp..I am thinking the new CDPs are going to sound much more digital, crystal-like, analytical and precise? Not a bad thing at all, just liked the idea of toying with a more organic, warmer, analog sound for my digital tracks. Silly, right?
 
Last edited:
onanysunday said:
This includes both single loading variants as well as the multi-loaders as well? I was hoping one CD loading mechanism would ultimately prove more reliable than the other, perhaps not? I have no problem with the physical repair work on a CD mechanism. It would be easy to do but I imagine parts could be hard to come by without cannibalizing other units as spare decks..
Click to expand...

Initially, there were no changers. They did not become common until a few years later. The problem is parts. It's been a long time and I don't remember exactly what the issues were. I think transport design was the least of the problems.
 
As far as new CDP's go,I dont really have much of an opinion to share on those beyond the fact that after researching them I chose the Yamaha CD-S300(RK).

The Yamaha uses a Burr Brown PCM1780 DAC (24bit/192kHz).
Another nice feature for that unit is the "pure direct" mode that turns off the digital audio output and the display for optimum playback SQ.

For me this was the "bang for the buck" winner.

JM2¢

Bret P.
 
Just purchased the CDC-4A. It appears to be the most reliable, high-end used Nak model available in the marketplace. The CDC was still made in Japan before production moved overseas. It uses the "select grade" Philips TDA1541A-S1 DAC. The Pioneer loading magazines are good, fewer moving parts to go wrong and they're still available. OEM Pioneer laser assemblies, while pricey, are still available new. I'll check back in with listening impressions for anyone interested.
 
Last edited:
Received CDC-4A in good working condition with original remote and two CD magazines. One is the single loader, the other a 6-disc. Everything looks good under the hood as far as the eye can tell- no loose parts rattling inside or bulging capacitors. Internal disc loading mechanism operates smoothly and well-lubed. Even though I have the 6-cd mag. I'm probably just going to use the single loader CD magazine (less wear and tear on the cdp) Nice bright display.

Music sounds much closer to an actual live performance than any other CD players I've heard. It is engaging, slightly warm and natural as it doesn't try too hard to be over-resolving: it doesn't need to be to produce very good realism. It is close to, but not quite as convincing as a good vinyl setup. At first I noticed the mids and some vocals were a bit recessed, with more clarity and emphasis on the very top and bottom end. However, after listening for a couple hours it appeared to improve and completely balanced, full-spectrum sound really emerged. Possibly the caps needed to re-form themselves because the cdp hadn't been used in a while? I'm not completely sure how this works (as I've heard it before) but it really does sound better the longer it stays on continuously. Basically, this cdp/dac combo seems to emphasize realism and the "feel" of an actual live performance moreso than modern delta-sigma types (I've heard) that appear to focus more on micro-detail retrieval, tech-sheet superiority, brighter and over-emphasized crystal like sound. In contrast, the CDC is slightly dark sounding and not necessarily in a bad way. The dynamic range and soundstage are both very impressive on this player. It may lack 1% of the "polished" sound compared to modern cdps. But it leads me to believe this "polish" I am used to hearing may have been an artificiality after all. All in all, I am very happy with the CDC-4A.
 
I remember when I was looking for my first "good" CD player. I auditioned the baby Nak OMS-1A against comparably priced Yamaha and NAD units. The NAK mopped the floor with the other two, so I bought it. It broke down two weeks later and it was a nightmare to get repaired. The store eventually just exchanged it for a Nak CD Player 4 which had just been released.
 
onanysunday said:
Received CDC-4A in good working condition with original remote and two CD magazines. One is the single loader, the other a 6-disc. Everything looks good under the hood as far as the eye can tell- no loose parts rattling inside or bulging capacitors. Internal disc loading mechanism operates smoothly and well-lubed. Even though I have the 6-cd mag. I'm probably just going to use the single loader CD magazine (less wear and tear on the cdp) Nice bright display.

Music sounds much closer to an actual live performance than any other CD players I've heard. It is engaging, slightly warm and natural as it doesn't try too hard to be over-resolving: it doesn't need to be to produce very good realism. It is close to, but not quite as convincing as a good vinyl setup. At first I noticed the mids and some vocals were a bit recessed, with more clarity and emphasis on the very top and bottom end. However, after listening for a couple hours it appeared to improve and completely balanced, full-spectrum sound really emerged. Possibly the caps needed to re-form themselves because the cdp hadn't been used in a while? I'm not completely sure how this works (as I've heard it before) but it really does sound better the longer it stays on continuously. Basically, this cdp/dac combo seems to emphasize realism and the "feel" of an actual live performance moreso than modern delta-sigma types (I've heard) that appear to focus more on micro-detail retrieval, tech-sheet superiority, brighter and over-emphasized crystal like sound. In contrast, the CDC is slightly dark sounding and not necessarily in a bad way. The dynamic range and soundstage are both very impressive on this player. It may lack 1% of the "polished" sound compared to modern cdps. But it leads me to believe this "polish" I am used to hearing may have been an artificiality after all. All in all, I am very happy with the CDC-4A.
Click to expand...

All bets are off. Listening remarks were all made at lower volume with a colder unit that hadn't been played in a while. After giving it more hours of playtime at higher listening levels there is absolutely no weaknesses in the sound, at all. It gives up nothing to more modern CDPs.

The one thing I noticed however is that there is a fair amount of variation in the quality of sound going from one CD to the next as well as the quality of different tracks within the same song. They don't all sound equally great. Some sound absolutely fantastic while you definitely pick up some of the limitations on other recordings and even different musical equipment used within the same song.

Take for instance Billy Joel - "Just the Way You Are". The very beginning synth. lead sounds much grainier, low-res and harsher than what I've heard before, but once the vocals come in, they sounded better than I've ever heard them. I'll take the good with the bad here as it seems this player is more honestly reproducing the sound without trying to normalize everything just to sound "decent" overall..
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom