Does the MDS-JA333ES have a DAC?

[bluecrab]

I did a little poking around online and found that my MDS-JA20ES deck has a CXD8735N DAC, the same as Sony's CDP-XB9*0 series of CD players (UK only, I think). Similarly, the MDS-JA3ES - Sony's first ES MD deck - is reported to have the CXD8505BQ DAC, same as my Sony CDP-XA20ES. So I have, actually, a couple of questions.

1. What is the DAC in the MDS-JA333ES? I cannot find one at all in its service manual. I don't mean the DSP chip, I mean the DAC. What's going on here? It has to have one somewhere, doesn't it? I must be missing something.

**** I did find the DAC for the MDS-JA333ES. It is the CXA8042AS, also found in many of Sony's better CDPs, including my own XA20ES (2 of them if the 20ES, as well as the 8505BQ). The MDS-JA555ES has a CXD9521Q DAC, also found in Sony's CDP-XA555ES. Given that a lot of MD decks share the same chip (depending on ATRAC version), I'm thinking that things like which DAC is in there are a critical factor in the sonic qualities of a given deck.

2. Does anyone own or is anyone familiar with the MDS-JA3ES? True, it is only ATRAC 3.5, but I like the idea of its having the 8505BQ DAC and I am wondering how the JA3ES would sound and whether its sonics might be similar to my JA20ES and/or the CDP-XA20ES, especially the latter. (Really what I mean is a lot of bass extension.)

I'm kind of curious why so many of Sony's higher-end CDPs have multiple DACs, while MD decks have only one. Any ideas?

You can see the CDP DACs here:

http://www.dutchaudioclassics.nl/the_complete_d_a_dac_converter_list/#S

Also interesting that the Sony ES MD decks share their DACs with those Sony CDPs that have the fixed pickup mechanism.

Esoterica, I know, but maybe relevant stuff.

[Nobu68]

Hi Sorry to reply so late I did not see your post before..

may be it's still time.

I do not know exactly what you are looking for as you have the answers it seems...

You are right, the DAC is the Sony CDXA 8042S

It just does the D/A conversion

the MDS-JA333ES has 2 DACs one for the left and one for the right channel. Without these there would be no analog output... the same as in the CDP-XA50ES by the way.

The chip are the IC nr. respectively 505 for the left and 503 for the right channel on the DA board. But I guess you found it...

I have a JA-3ES and a JA-333ES. For me the JA-333ES has a better sound and is capable of LP2 LP4 recording and playing and handles 48kHz/24bit digital signals.

I can not compare with the JA20ES since I don't have it nor with the XA20ES I have the XA30ES (!).

I'm electronics engineer, and as I could see there a not more than 2 DACs in the CDP players or MD palyers.(2 in fact. one per channel to avoid cross talk).

Hoe this helps.

BR, N.