CD-ROM drive functioning as a high-end CD player

Hi all sifus and gurus,

First, please take at look at this:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=260423272895

Now my question is:

1. Can CDROM be a hi end, hifi worthy CD Player?
2. Do note that the CDROM internal DAC won;t be used, external DAC will be used instead. However will headphone DAC such as ZERO DAC be used and the connected to a amp, be it tube or SS? How will the SQ be like?
3. Anyone tried this before?

Thanks for the help

Personally, I won't consider any PC CDROM drive as a mid to hi-end transport. To me its just a cheaply made drive, flimsy, vibration prone, tin can metal casing, noisy operation, summarized to what the heck you want for a hundred bucks mass produced product that was entirely for PC use.
Having said that, if you insist on the fun factor and DIY adventures, why not?. OTH, I think newer drives are now SATA interface, and I think IDE is phasing out soon or getting rare. Current production CDROMS are cheap made and perhaps you could fare better with older CDROMs from say a decade ago where it may have a heavier build quality and provided the optical lens is still functioning properly.
If I want a good transport for hifi, I'll look out for some established hifi rated component and splash the money for it. At worst case and really on a tight budget, I could think an old but functioning LD player (though bulky) could serve well as a CD transport. Don't underestimate an old LD player, they're with the most heavily built digital optical mechanisms ever.
Just my 2 sen, by no means definitive and no malice to anyone wanting to DIY this project.

if all CD mechanism is the same then Meridian no need to sell higher price than others liaw..

I was thinking to disable the CD ROM, put the lens/ transport in another casing, which it houses a DAC. I won;t be using the CDROM's DAC, will straight away use the Digital Out from the CDROM to the DAC.

Vibration wise, the casing will be much heavier than the CDROM, and I plan to convert the tray loading to top loading.

If it really doesn't make it as hi end equipment, then I rather go for the cheapest NAD CDP, which should be lower than RM1k, or any second hand here.

The purpose is to save money here, but if it really doesn;t cut it, then no point forcing into it as well

Perhaps you could look into the ideas of those who attempted the DIY Shiragaki Clone (DIY version of 47labs Flatfish CD transport).
They took out "JVC" minicompo mechanism with PCB and built a very rigid chassis...go google it. Of course along the way lots of different opinions and views about the quality of mechanism and the DIY build.
Perhaps the key essentials to a high end CD transport is chassis rigidity and the top load puck/clamp that improves the sonics greatly. Sorry, I'm not guru at this to explain further. Many have their own views and can expand on this. Anyway, personally I'm not in favor of PC CDROMS for hi-end sound. Perhaps industrial CDROMS?..but where the heck to find them?

To my knowledge, Sony makes hi-end transports for themselves and their ES range, OEM the cheaper and economy models to other manufacturers. Philips CDM 1, 2, 9 and 4 were the best Philips mechanisms. They later changed to cheaper plasticky types found in many CDP's. They were mid-fi at best. Now Philips don't manufacture laser optics anymore, and I think all their current Marantz are with Sony mechanisms.
My 2 sen again.

It is your two cents and everyone else that I am seeing, and am grateful for it. You guy obviously know more than me^^

I read about it before I post here, maybe I should pay more attention and read it again^^

Thanks a lot

Actually a CDRom mechanism is quite interesting. It's build (within its short lifespan) to be able to read data up to 52x times which means a hell lot more precision than the old CD transports of say 10 years ago. Of course, u can only read 52x on yellow-book and other forms of cooked data. Reading redbook anywhere faster than say approximately 4x~8x would result in alot of error correction of even worse, unrecoverable errors.

A few catches. Can you control the signalling of the CDROM so that it'll just read at 1x and then, how to buffer stream it into your own custom D/Filter & D/A section.

Or are you just planning to use some CDROM's S/PDIF output at the back ? If you do, recommend that u experiment using a jitter reclocker (ie Audio Alchemy DTI, they're cheap in the s/hand market if u can find one) as well coz i would suspect PC CDROMs with SPDIF outputs and its meagre electronics **might** be really jittered.

I got one denon cd player got digital input. I try to connect my cec pure transport to denon. The result is cec + denon is sound worst than standalone denon. But I add one jitter reclocker, the story is different. CEC + jitter reclocker + denon will be better than standalone denon. Jitter reclocker is playing very importand role.

which anti-jitter device did u use ?

kkthen wrote:I got one denon cd player got digital input. I try to
connect my cec pure transport to denon. The result is cec + denon is
sound worst than standalone denon. But I add one jitter reclocker, the
story is different. CEC + jitter reclocker + denon will be better than
standalone denon. Jitter reclocker is playing very importand
role.

mugenfoo wrote:which anti-jitter device did u use ?

monarchy dip first version, very old design. I heard the latest version is far better.

Google for kwak clock, its DIY doable but only the IC compartor chip have to be ordered from RS or Farnell. I DIY'ed one (using local source common parts) for my budget CDP and I've benefitted from it for some years now. Further improvement was a simple seperate DC regulation PSU but tapped from the raw DC output. Of course a separate tranny can be installed but just didn't do because of space constraint.

Ok..here's a link to this DIY project (courtesy of DIYParadise)

http://diyparadise.com/clock.html

Sorry, I don't have measurements or data for comparison with other established and more expensive designs like Tentlabs or LC Audio. I reckon those could be much better but then again, Kwak clock is quite a viable project at a small expense.

I thought Kwak Clock is to replace the clock all together? no?

runemaster wrote:I thought Kwak Clock is to replace the clock all together? no?

So does all the other Tent Lab or LC Audio modules, they replace the existing clock and the installation/mod varies from player to player. Of course the established brand modules supply instructions to tried, tested and proven CDP's. Its similar for Kwak Clock and of course you're to do your own research and figure out installation on your own.

don't be surprise if u saw CD-ROM when you open the cover of that many high end CD players

JamesBond wrote:don't be surprise if u saw CD-ROM when you open the cover of that many high end CD players

So ... did u see a CD-Rom drive inside your "high end CD player" ?

Mugen,
>>>If you do, recommend that u experiment using a jitter reclocker (ie Audio Alchemy DTI, they're cheap in the s/hand market if u can find one

Have yo any experience on how the Audio Alchemy DTI fair compared to the Genesis Digital Lens ?

Mugenfoo has definately heard the Audio Alchemy DTI. I might even say he was impressed that night.

I do have the DTI and i'd say it does its job pretty well. Though there is a Stereophile article that says it will actually degrade the sound of high end and ultra low jitter transports. My own experience proved quite contrary to the article though.

Try googling for that article, I think they also compared the Genesis Digital Lens if memory serves.