Shigaraki Transport
Better than Wadia and affordable ! What more could we ask for ?!?
Above - the base of the transport : sanyo mechanism which can be had on
ebay - new, packed and mint for 4,60 Eu, but usually it is being
removed from JVC boombox, including the nice display, controller PCB,
and remote.
The below work is the baby of Andy, and the credit for discovering this
interesting gem for the Audio Community goes to Peter Daniels.
I myself will not work on the Shigaraki because everything has been
done already by others. I decided to do very similar job with Philips
CDM9 mechanism - READ HERE
If you google - you will find tons of information about the shigaraki
clone - I will not repeat it here. I just mention teh basics.
This is a working prototype. AS you see, this mechanism is not from
ther heavy - high inertia camp (like VRDS) , it is from light and fast
camp.
This is a prototype with all tweaks applied: new clock, power supplies
based on 3 batteries - one for the clock, one for the motor, one for
the servo mechanism.
The S/PDIF has been discovered un-used and available on one pin of the
demodulator chip on the PCB.
The signal has been empirically proven to be as good as it gets -
rivaling players without price limit. I confirm that by my own
ears.
Forget about the looks and ergonomy - this transport sound is
like opening the window after a whole day in the small class-room full
of soldiers.
The CD rotates freely in the air, the clamp comes from the boombox lid.
It reads just about every CD that exists. No problems like with old
Philips machines and their permanent PMS.
Now THAT is one clean and regular trace ! WoW !!
Same mechanism packed inside an empty shell from the old and beautiful
JVC player.
Everything fits like a glove !
Even all buttons were made to work !
As I said already - this transport (with the mods like: adding a
small voltage regulator and blackgates to EVERY point on PCB
which consumes the power - separately) - plays with very open, fresh,
energetic, musical, transparent, happy sound.
In the context of my system - it wins with the Theta by a good margin.
In every aspect.