TDA1541A-R1 & SAA7220P/A DIY DAC from CHINA

[drp1003]

'The Chinese have done it, my friend. The Chinese have done it!'

-- Ancient Seinfeldian Proverb

I got this old CD player from my uncle a few months ago; it's a PHILCO CD2471 with the venerable TDA1541A DAC inside

The damm thing sounded fantastic and I spun many a CD on it until it started to crap out. I tried to fix it myself - but what do I know about CD players? They're the devil's device, filled with all sorts of evil electrical gremlins. I recapped it to no avail, and I also tried my hand at readjusting those potentiometers for laser power and laser focus via a service manual. No luck.

The board is a mess to begin with. There are all kinds of teeny tiny surface mounted resistors (or capacitors?) soldered to the underside near the DAC and oversampling IC chip. Crap everywhere. If you were to design a CD player that would be prone to failure, then this would be it. Jeez.

I have a feeling the CDM-4/11 transport and laser are still good, and the problem lies somewhere on the board, but could never figure it out. Oh well. I'm gonna keep the transport for perhaps a future PHILIPS CD player project.

I ended up unsoldering all of the new caps I put on this CD player, and repurposed them for another vintage CD player I had. You'd be surprised at how many of them I was able to reuse. That CD player sounds great now.

You should always have a backup plan - which brings me to why I'm here now typing this post:

I scoured the Interwebs for any diy DACs that use the TDA1541 IC chip and SAA7220P IC filter chip. I found someone's diy project on the DIYAUDIO website, and another one on the PINK FISH MEDIA website. That made two successful projects that I found online. So a few weeks ago, I pulled the trigger and bought the same (or very similar anyway) diy DAC board (and a power supply), both off eBay, both products originating from CHINA (PHOTOS BELOW).

The power supply is an R-core type. It seems to be a quality product. So far so good with it. I have a feeling it's gonna be a keeper. I know a little about these types of power supplies, because there's one in my ELEKIT TU-8500 tube preamplifier kit I built six months ago.

The DAC board looks great. I thought I was gonna have to solder all the components on it, but to my surprise, the damm thing came already assembled; for the price (75 bucks!) I couldn't be happier.

It comes assembled with what looks like a counterfeit SAA7220P/C filter chip, though I could be wrong. And a CS8412 CMOS digital audio interface receiver (whatever that is). And four (4) NE5534 op-amps. You have to supply the TDA1541 DAC chip.

I have a TDA1541A-R1 DAC IC, and a SAA7220P/A filter IC. Both pilfered from the PHILCO CD2471 CD player I spoke about above, and now reside on the new DAC board.


Next I'm gonna buy or find an enclosure for it. I haven't done that before, build an enclosure, so it should be fun!

HOW DOES IT SOUND?

I have a TOPPING D20 DAC with an upgraded power supply, and I always thought it sounded really good. It's what I've been using for years and years as the means for listening to my collection of 1000s of CD rips I have in APPLE LOSSLESS FORMAT. I use a PC to play these music files through the D20 DAC.

The new TDA1541 DAC simply sounds better. It does everything better. There's a better sense of openness, and more of a 3-D wrap around effect with some of my better audio recordings. Audio tracks make more sense now. I've had some A-HA moments already where I'm like: 'Oh, that piano and that guitar sound more cohesive now, I get it!' It just has a very nice, very pleasing sound. I like listening to music with it now more than I do with the TOPPING D20.

This whole experience has been a lot of fun and I think the results have been highly successful. Here're the links to the eBay webpages:

TDA 1541 DIY DAC: https://www.ebay.com/itm/273808925090

Power Supply: https://www.ebay.com/itm/273790508088

 

[setup1]

The TDA1541 chip is a classic!

Here's my Chinese DAC board with a couple of tweaks. I replaced the 5534s with BB OPA604s = slightly smoother sound. More significant (for my taste) is the removal of the SAA7220 oversampling filter chip so it functions in NOS = non-oversampling mode. This is a controversial issue but I prefer this sound with the output terminated by a pair of 1:1 UTC A20 line transformers or similar...

I breadboarded another TDA1541 DAC board that bypasses the op-amps and the DAC chip output feeding loctal tubes. That sounds even better!

Happy listening!

JE

 

[drp1003]

If I had to guess, there are many many Audiokarma members with dead PHILIPS CD players with the TDA1541A dac inside just dying to be used in these cheap DAC kits from China.

 

[setup1]

If I had to guess, there are many many Audiokarma members with dead PHILIPS CD players with the TDA1541A dac inside just dying to be used in these cheap DAC kits from China.

Agreed! My TDA1541s came from Magnavox players with dead lasers.

 

[drp1003]

Are those WIMA output caps by the RCA plugs on your board? If so, then what's the number for those? I'm probably at some point gonna do some op-amp rolling - and output capacitor rolling as well. Thanks!

 

[setup1]

Yup, 4.7uf/50V polyester WIMAs.

Enjoy!

 

[mjw21a]

I don't have any experience with that particular board however I do have a DAC based around this board and it sounds fantastic:

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Hifi-DA...634633?hash=item1eec5e7e89:g:c6AAAOSwlxxbvbuv

I have confirmed that it will accept DSD input though I notice not real advantage to doing so. Instead I just set my media player to up or down sample all content to 16 bit 48k. The board has a very nice Amanero USB interface so you just download the appropriate Amanero Combo384 drivers to use it.

I also changed the 2x OPAMPS to LME49860NA which made a very nice improvement on what it comes with stock. The board fried any Burson OPAMPS I tried in it so I got the higher voltage version of the LM4562NA. I've been quite impressed with this all up with a Holland made TDA1541A S1 installed. I plan to try bypassing half of the OPAMP at somepoint and use a pair of output caps instead. I believe a pair of Arizona Blue Cactus caps will have a very positive impact on sound

 

[mjw21a]

Actually, I just managed to locate the exact DAC I have. I upgraded the chip and OPAMPS in mine though

US $295.20 | Hifi Fever DAC Decoder TDA1541A Fiber Coaxial I2S Supports USB Digital Interface DSD384K
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/Nr8l9B48

 

[xdd]

For those that don't have their own TDA1541, there's this poor man's version based on TDA1387s : https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?sp...qOnqIx&id=539337411433&ns=1&abbucket=4#detail

 

[mjw21a]

For those that don't have their own TDA1541, there's this poor man's version based on TDA1387s : https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?sp...qOnqIx&id=539337411433&ns=1&abbucket=4#detail

I bought one of those out of curiosity. It's important to note that these do not work in every DAC. I tried it in my Muji Studio DAC II and it didn't work with sound cutting in and out. I need to try it in my other DAC and see how it goes.

I am curious as the 8x TDA1387 USB powered DAC/Headphone amps that I run for my work and home computer have the deepest bass response of any DAC I've ever run. Quite impressive. That tends to be a weak point with the TDA1541A. I wish their were some higher end Ch-Fi DA1387 implementations as they've impressed me so far.

 

[xdd]

I've not got a TDA1541-based DAC and haven't tried that board. Its very interesting to hear feedback from someone who has tried one - what strikes me as odd is the TDA1541A has a 4mA full-scale output current whereas a TDA1387 has 1mA. Meaning that the 8*DAC board will have _double_ the full-scale output current of the 1541A.

As you're a TDA1387 lover @mjw21a you might like to follow my own design using lots of the chip in parallel here : https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/dig...grossly-parallel-multibit-dac-adventures.html. Eventually there will be kits to build one yourself, that's the plan anyway

 

[mjw21a]

I've not got a TDA1541-based DAC and haven't tried that board. Its very interesting to hear feedback from someone who has tried one - what strikes me as odd is the TDA1541A has a 4mA full-scale output current whereas a TDA1387 has 1mA. Meaning that the 8*DAC board will have _double_ the full-scale output current of the 1541A.

As you're a TDA1387 lover @mjw21a you might like to follow my own design using lots of the chip in parallel here : https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/dig...grossly-parallel-multibit-dac-adventures.html. Eventually there will be kits to build one yourself, that's the plan anyway

Aha, I've already read that thread and we've discussed it a little earlier in the year

For me, no modern DAC I've tried at any price point can match the realism of the old TDA1541A and 1387 based DAC's. In all fairness I've not tried many other old DAC chips (apart from 1543) though I believe their are a few others that have similar legendary status the the 1541.

 

[xdd]

Ooops, sorry another geriatric moment for me.

 

[drp1003]

I have a busted SHARP CD player with dual Analog Devices AD1856 16-bit DACs. Two of them suckers! I went on a futile internet search to see if I could find another DIY dac project that used them. Futile as Fck. No luck.

Before the laser in this CD player died, I kinda remember thinking it too sounded really good.

Anyone out there know of a DIY project dac that uses dual AD1856s???

 

[xero-D-hero]

I have a busted SHARP CD player with dual Analog Devices AD1856 16-bit DACs. Two of them suckers! I went on a futile internet search to see if I could find another DIY dac project that used them. Futile as Fck. No luck.

Before the laser in this CD player died, I kinda remember thinking it too sounded really good.

Anyone out there know of a DIY project dac that uses dual AD1856s???

IIRC you could also look for any kits that use the BB PCM56 DACs as they are supposed to be pin compatible with the AD1856.

HTH

Bret P.

 

[drp1003]

So I looked up the timestamp code on my TDA1541 IC.

The TDA1541A-R1 (HSH8744) was made in (H)Nijmegen, Holland, assembled in (S)Kaohsiung Taiwan, tested in (H)Nijmegen Holland (H-S-H). And its manufacture date was the 44th week of the year 1987 (87-44). The week of Halloween!

The SAA7220P/A (rSG8744S2) was made during the same week (87-44).

Both of them are just over 32 years old....

 

[drp1003]

Yup, 4.7uf/50V polyester WIMAs.

Enjoy!

The TDA1541 chip is a classic!

Here's my Chinese DAC board with a couple of tweaks. I replaced the 5534s with BB OPA604s = slightly smoother sound. More significant (for my taste) is the removal of the SAA7220 oversampling filter chip so it functions in NOS = non-oversampling mode. This is a controversial issue but I prefer this sound with the output terminated by a pair of 1:1 UTC A20 line transformers or similar...

I breadboarded another TDA1541 DAC board that bypasses the op-amps and the DAC chip output feeding loctal tubes. That sounds even better!

Happy listening!

JE

I soldered on some of those WIMA caps and installed four of those BB OPA604s. Sounds great! Even Better!

 

[mjw21a]

I soldered on some of those WIMA caps and installed four of those BB OPA604s. Sounds great! Even Better!

Yeah, I really don't know why the Chinese and Taiwanese keep using the NE5532/5534 OPAMPS. They make everything sound so bland and boring. Good at nothing in particular. My preference is the LM's in their stead though many seem to like the BB's for their warmth.

 

[xdd]

My guess is they keep on with NE553X because they're so damn cheap - a quick visit to Taobao shows plenty advertised under $0.02 each. Don't diss them until you've heard them with a very low impedance power supply though, a large proportion of opamp sound is the power supply.

 

[setup1]

I haven't had a chance to listen to an op-amp output stage fed by a very low impedance PS.

However, after living with the modified kit above, my ears preferred the NOS Arcam Delta Black Box with discrete output stage. I also have a stock Adcom GDA600 (PCM63 + op-amp out) and an Audio GD R2R11 (discrete) for comparison.

All these experiments led to my work in progress - similar Chinese TDA1541 (NOS mode) board (bypassed op-amps) > tube output > line transformers.