Modding a DVD-V/A SACD player

Systems

I have been using a Pioneer DV563 universal CD/DVD player for several years.Although it is a quite capable player it does have some areas where Pioneer did take some cost cutting measures to keep it costs down as it is a budget unit.Unfortunately most of the short cuts where in the important analog section and power supply.One area they didn't skimp on was the digital ,for the DAC chip they used a BurrBrown DSD1791 for the main left and right channels.They used lower grade Burr Brown chips for the remaining surround/center and sub channels.A nice touch and unusual for a budget unit is that SACD data is not converted to PCM.Most budget universal players do convert the SACD data to PCM which limits the resolution you can get from this excellent sounding format.

The player in stock form was lacking in the dynamics and detail department so I undertook some mods to try and improve on what is really decent player.
The reason for the lackluster dynamics was that Pioneer used the cheapest op amps (4560's) and powered them from a single pos 12 volt rail with a switching power supply.These are the areas that I felt needed the most attention and would reap the most benefit.I consentrated on only the main left and right channels.

Here is a list of what I did and a few pics.Sorry pics a bit blurry.

1. removed the stock opamp and passive components for the left and right analog output and low pass filter section.

2.added a new circuit board above the main board that has a new hi quality opamp (BB OPA2604)and better resistors and capacitors.

3.I added another circuit board that contained a pair of class A discrete buffers as the final output section.This board also contains the new 24 volt regulators that power all the new opamps.

4.I didn't have enough room in the chassis to put the new transformer and filter caps for the upgraded linear power supply so I used a separate chassis just for it and added a connector at the back of the Pioneer to allow for the raw DC to be piped into it.

5.I also added a pair of gold RCA's because the stock ones are very poor quality.

Although my opinion can't be taken as unbiased I believe the players sound quality improved substantially with this rather involved but fun and educational mod..

schwarcw

There is a large thread over at DIY Audio Forums on this player. A lot of folks are doing cartwheels over the new National Semiconductor 4562 opamp. I is supposed to make the 2604 and some of the other more expensive TI units obsolete. Do a search ovet there on the 4562. combine it with some Silver Mindorf or Auricap coupling capacitors, a low jitter clock and a tube output buffer amd you'll have a real jaw droping sound.

F1nut

Impressive...to say the least.

Systems

Thanks Carl for the suggestions.Ive heard about the LM 4562 and it is supposed to be a goody.The choice of the 2604 was based partially on the fact that it is one of the few that can operate with same 24volt DC rails that the discrete buffer needs.Most IC opamps will only work with voltages up to 15 and some 18 volts.
I believe the discrete classA opamp Im using as the output buffer is very good but a tube design would certainly be interesting.As far as output coupling caps I use the very best...none.I completely removed them as DC offset was not going to be a concern.The caps I did replace where the ones that were in the low pass filter section.

Systems

F1nut wrote: »

Impressive...to say the least.

Thanks F1,this unit has to hold me over for another year or so until the dust settles on the Blu-ray HD-DVD battle.

Systems

I snagged another 563 off ePay for less than $20.I plan to mod this one also but not sure of all the specifics but I plan to do some different things then what I did on the other unit.This should be a fun and it will be interesting to compare the two modded players.

engtaz

Great job. Must patience.

Systems

engtaz wrote: »

Great job.

Thanks.

Systems

engtaz wrote: »

Great job.

Thanks.

jakelm

No heat problems? I know some of those players (and many DVD players in general) are very particular about how much heat they can tollerate. Layering boards, but no problems right?

Systems

jakelm wrote: »

No heat problems? I know some of those players (and many DVD players in general) are very particular about how much heat they can tollerate. Layering boards, but no problems right?

The only part that gets fairly hot is the discreet buffers which are biased heavily into class A.(They are the two small vertically oriented boards in the center by the gold RCA's connectors in the second pic).They sit just under the top panel so it gets quite warm but the main circuit board below does not.I was concerned about mounting these buffers in an enclosed space with no circulation but the tempurature does not seem excessive so I don't expect any reliability issues.

billbillw

Nice job. Were all the extra circuits assembled from scratch or were some of them off the shelf type items? Do you have an EE background type or just learning on the fly? This is far beyond what I can do, that's for sure. I can upgrade a few parts and trouble shoot problems, but designing new output sections, that's something else!

Systems

billbillw wrote: »

Nice job.

Thanks.

Were all the extra circuits assembled from scratch or were some of them off the shelf type items?

I assembled everything from scratch onto small small hobby circuit boards except the 2 buffer boards which are custom PC boards that I also had to stuff and solder the parts into.

Do you have an EE background type or just learning on the fly?

No Im not an EE just a lowly Quality Control Technician.Im not a designer but I can implement a circuit design from a schematic.I learned most of my electronics from building DIY audio projects for the last 15 years or so.Much of the reworking of the analog outputs was a matter of using the same circuit Pioneer used but implemented with superior parts.

bikerboy

Nice job on modifying a lowly dvd player. They have so much potential and are cheap to start with. I wish I could get to the level you are so I can understand more of this diy stuff. What are you going to do to the second player that is different compared to the first? I think I have another Toshiba I can mod on the way and will keep the op amps like you did and improve the components. The first Toshiba I modded I used two caps straight out of the dac chip. A Swenson mod. Simple, less processing of the signal but I have been told not as dynamic. I will see. But I have an Adcom dac on the way so that may make me go another direction. Thanks for the detailed post on what you did. More motivation on the diy front.

Systems

bikerboy wrote: »

Nice job on modifying a lowly dvd player. They have so much potential and are cheap to start with.

Thanks.Yes the basic overall design of this unit does have a lot of potential.Unfortunetly to build it to the intended price point they shortcut two critical areas,the analog stage and its power supply.

What are you going to do to the second player that is different compared to the first?

I wont use the discrete opamp this time.Instead I will experiment with some of the premium IC op amps.Also on the first unit I only modded the front left and right channels.On the second unit I will do the front left and right as well as the center and subwoofer outputs.I will probably build the new power supply within the chassis this time instead of using an outboard unit.

btw.The stock op amp Pioneer used was removed and replaced as it is a nasty little device and a simple cap upgrade was not going to save it.

These players will be my DVD movie and Multichannel music sources,I use an outbourd DAC for redbook CD.

McLoki

schwarcw wrote: »

There is a large thread over at DIY Audio Forums on this player. A lot of folks are doing cartwheels over the new National Semiconductor 4562 opamp. I is supposed to make the 2604 and some of the other more expensive TI units obsolete. Do a search ovet there on the 4562. combine it with some Silver Mindorf or Auricap coupling capacitors, a low jitter clock and a tube output buffer amd you'll have a real jaw droping sound.

The 4562 is a really nice opamp (I used them in my NAD preamp project, click the NAD link in my sig) however it is only rated to 17 volts.

At that voltage, your options are pretty limited. (from the common opamps choices anyway)

Looks like you did a great job. Congrats on the upgrades.

Michael

Systems

McLoki wrote: »

The 4562 is a really nice opamp (I used them in my NAD preamp project, click the NAD link in my sig) however it is only rated to 17 volts.

At that voltage, your options are pretty limited. (from the common opamps choices anyway)

Yes my choice was pretty much limited to the OPA 2604.I know no other "good" IC opamp that could be used with the +-24volt rails.With the second unit I intend use + -15 volt rails to open up lots of other choices like the LM4562.

Looks like you did a great job.Congrats on the upgrades.

Thanks.

schwarcw

Nice work guys!

GV, are you considering a new clock & regulator? Lots of options, but none are dirt cheap.:(

Systems

schwarcw wrote: »

GV, are you considering a new clock & regulator? Lots of options, but none are dirt cheap.:(

No I'm not going to mess with the clock but Im toying with the idea of improving the regulators that feed the 3.3 and 5 volts to the DAC chips.

jakelm

:cool: HMMMMMMM>.....Shall I dare open my Oppo??? HMMMMMMM

Systems

jakelm wrote: »

:cool: HMMMMMMM>.....Shall I dare open my Oppo??? HMMMMMMM

From what I have read about them OPPO apparently uses some good opamps in their players.But hey when the warranty runs out it might be fun to try some things.

schwarcw

GV#27 wrote: »

No I'm not going to mess with the clock but Im toying with the idea of improving the regulators that feed the 3.3 and 5 volts to the DAC chips.

Good luck GV! I know the tweakers are watching:D

Carl

dorokusai

Excellent DIY example.

jakelm

schwarcw wrote: »

Good luck GV! I know the tweakers are watching:D

Carl

I always keep one eye out for GV's tweeks.;)

Systems

schwarcw wrote: »

Good luck GV!

Thanks.

I have made a few decisions of what Im going to do.

I have been reading through the datasheets for the particular opamps I was considering, namely the Burr Brown OPA 2132 and OPA 2134 and the TI LM4562 that schwarcw and McLoki mentioned. I have decided to use a pair of LM4562's.Although the datasheet spec's can't tell you how an op amp sounds the 4562 has some very good numbers that make it a must try.
I will use them for the output of the sub,center and front left an right channels and they will replace the stock parts.Im leaving the surround outputs stock as they are to my mind far less critical.
For the front L&R channels the DV 563 uses a DAC with differential outputs so very little DC offset occurs.This combined with the LM4562's very low offset will allow me to eliminate the output coupling capacitors.
A different DAC is used for sub, center and surrounds and it does require that the use of a capacitor at the input to the opamp to block DC.
I still have to decide on the tranformer for the new power supply.

I may add some chassis damping as well.Does anyone have suggestions of what would be good to use?

rtart

Wow! I thought I was Mr. Cool cause I made my own RG-6 subwoofer cables.

Systems

I made some progress over the weekend and partially completed the two op amp boards.I still need to install the components that form the low pass filters.I used chip sockets which will allow for easy swapping and comparison of different op amps in the future.
The blank double sided copper board shown in the pic will be mounted underneath the new boards.This should help shield them from RF produced by the digital circuits on the main board directly below.

Can't do much more until I recieve my parts order from Digi Key.:(

Systems

It has been a month but I finally got back to this tonight and did the most tedious part of the mod.I removed the main board and desoldered a number of components from the bottom side that won't be needed.

hypertone

Awesome work. I'm going to mod my cdp this weekend. I'm not ambitious enough to add a complete new board as you did, but I'm going to add some IC sockets, some OPA2604's and bypass the mute circuit, and anything else unnecessary in the signal path.

Systems

hypertone wrote: »

Awesome work. I'm going to mod my cdp this weekend. I'm not ambitious enough to add a complete new board as you did, but I'm going to add some IC sockets, some OPA2604's and bypass the mute circuit, and anything else unnecessary in the signal path.

Great,what model of CDP and what will the 2604 be replacing?You should post some pics.

Systems

I'm getting nearer to completion on the second unit.The op amp boards are 90% done then its a matter of connecting everything together.

pic #1 shows the stock unit (minus a few capacitors).

pic#2 is the new circuit assemblies that will be added ,the two analog boards and the new power supply to power them.On the PS board I used a very compact Amveco toroidal transformer and a pair of 5600uf filter capacitors.

The parts for the analog boards aren't exotic but are very good.I used Panasonic polypropylenes in the low pass filter sections and used Panasonic FC series low impedance electrolytics for all the power supply decoupling.These were then bypassed with Panasonic stacked film types.

pic#3 shows the 4 new RCA output connectors that where added to the back panel.

pic #4and 5 show how the new boards will be mounted in the chassis.There is a open area in the front left that was a perfect place for the new power supply.The new anlog boards are mounted on to a blank dual side copper PC board that will serve as a ground plane and provide some shielding from the digital section.