I tided up the circuit a bit and added another couple of stages. I have been using it ever since and nothing has surpassed it. Oh yes, I also reclocked it but that is another story. Its sound is free from that in your face-ness that has become known as CD sound. It was almost as if the sound receded and became darker, but at the same time became more detailed and transparent.

I more recently I designed a fairly ordinary circuit based on a Crystal delta sigma D to A. It is almost an application note circuit. You are a bit stuffed with these kind of chips. Some have opamps and filtering in already, how are you supposed to keep it simple? And even doing it discrete becomes a bit of a challenge. Still I did a couple of tweaks to try to keep it clean. It has been considered to sound very well (to my surprise) by a number of people who consider them selves to be knowledgeable. I still prefer the cheap and cheerful dac at the moment.

It is my opinion that the digital is actually a very good medium, and the complaints heard so frequently about it should really be laid on to the indifferent analogue electronics before the A/D converter and after the D/A converter. The experiences with the philips CD player have been the foundation for this theory. Further support has come from the subsequent years of enjoyment I have had with it, and inconjunction with the rest of my system the relatively clear window it provides on to the recording. Some of the CDs I play are very beautiful to hear some have their faults laid bare, but all are listenable.

Other people who have hacked this player

AH!

Hint, It can be very rewarding to modify this CD player!!