Tweaker's Asylum

Posted by David Toatley on September 18, 2000 at 08:30:06:

I picked up a Sony C390 CD player vintage 1990 and I am interested in tweaking it. I got it only to perform tweaking experiments. I have read various upgrades on the TNT-Audio web page and some suggestions on theis forun via FAQ and the Search page. I have already established to my own satisfication that dampeneing the transport and the chasiss and adding mass (weight) to the player stabilizes the image.

The printed circuit board (PCB) is vetically aligned and that seems to me to preclude the dampening the crystal. There is a single ribbon cable from the transport to the PCB, and dual very thin cables running from the PCB to the output jacks. There appears to be two small polystyrene caps for the coupling caps.

1. Has anyone had any experience with tweaking this CDP?

2. I got the unit for $10. Is it worth even mucking with?

3. The coax cables to install in various tweaks are these the cables from the transport to the PCB as well as the coax frm the PCB to the outputs to be upgraded?

4. Would a snubber circuit be beneficial?

5. The Power Supply may need attention. Would Freds or othe diode upgrades be beneficial?

I have not analyzed the PCB to see if resistor bypasses and a possible consideration. There is considerable micro circuitry on the PCB.

I don't have a tech manual and I am hesitant to purchase one if the unit is basically trash and will end up being no more than a rhinestone after polishing (tweaking) rather than a gem.

Any suggestions or directions to specific tweak websites would be appreciated.

Dave