More retro HiFi

[MajorFubar]

Still waiting for it to arrive but a couple of days ago I bought a Mission PCM II CD player to compliment my early 90's Cyrus set up, which some of you may recall already consists of a late modded Cyrus 2 + PSX and mkII Cyrus Tuner. If my memory serves me right this CD player slotted in (chronologically) between the PCM 7000 and the first Discmaster/Dacmaster dual-box units which came along with the Cyrus III, and will have been the current model when my setup was new. It uses the Philips TDA1541A DAC and CDM-4 mechanism but proprietary output electronics and power supplies. Think it was about £700 new which was way over my budget at the time; probably equivalent to double that now.

It comes with the remote, which I've seen change hands for £20+ on their own, presumably because over the years they get lost.

Anyone who can't remember it, here's a picture:

 

[Vladimir]

It's essentialy a Philips, but that is a good thing. I'm sure you will be chuffed with the sound.

 

[MajorFubar]

It's essentialy a Philips, but that is a good thing. I'm sure you will be chuffed with the sound.

Will be very interesting to hear how it compares with my HRT II DAC, or even my CD 63 KI for that matter, which I will probably sell..

 

[Vladimir]

It may come off a tad rolled off at the high end, smooth and warm. The Philips' had an electrolythic cap at the output (for some regulatory safety purposes) and that has some years on it by now. IDK if Mission removed the cap. I'm currious to hear your findings.

 

[MajorFubar]

Yeah first thing I'll do after I've established its basic working condition is pull it apart and see if there's anything in there which frightens me that I need to replace.

It has an option to have its analogue circuits fed by separate 'clean' power from the PSX. The PSX has a 4-pin DIN socket specifically for the PCM II which sends ±18V to a matching socket on the back of the player. I'll need to rig-up my own cable for that; not massively difficult, if I can establish the pin-ins on the PCM II. I only need to find out if it's a straight cable or if the wires cross. No idea if it will genuinely improve the sound, but would be nice to connect it up as Mission/Cyrus intended, seeing that I already have the PSX.

 

[steve_1979]

I think that your classic Cyrus setup looks really cool.

 

[keeper of the quays]

I have a pcm7000..for a old machine its very good..am very impressed with cyrus..my mate got a couple of days ago a cyrus cdxtse and it sounds very good but today its dac arrived! First time i have listened to high end transport and dac! Quite amazed i was...never thought i would say this..better than vinyl..it went through mf htp6000 pre to a naim power amp then to quad esl's...

 

[MajorFubar]

I think that your classic Cyrus setup looks really cool.

Cheers mate. Quite looking forward to getting my sticky little fingers on it. It was one of the first generation of CD players with a digital output so I could always update the DAC side of things. Unlikely though, my future is in streaming and I just wanted to complete my 'period' set-up.

 

[keeper of the quays]

Is that the co ax at back of machine? My pcm7000 has a coax and two sets of analogue outputs?

 

[MajorFubar]

Is that the co ax at back of machine? My pcm7000 has a coax and two sets of analogue outputs?

Yep, it's a standard RCA digital output that should plug straight into an RCA digital input on a modern DAC, digital amp or computer audio interface.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

i did not know that mission did cd players i only thought they did speakers

 

[MajorFubar]

 i did not know that mission did cd players i only thought they did speakers

They started out making speakers but branched into electronics firstly as Mission with the 776, 777 and 778 amps, then with the Cyrus sub-brand (which is now a completely different company), with the Cyrus I, II and Tuner. Interestingly they chose to brand the early CD players (this included) as Mission even though by that time the rest of their electronics had been branded Cyrus or Mission-Cyrus since 1984.

 

[keeper of the quays]

 i did not know that mission did cd players i only thought they did speakers

They started out making speakers but branched into electronics firstly as Mission with the 776, 777 and 778 amps, then with the Cyrus sub-brand (which is now a completely different company), with the Cyrus I, II and Tuner. Interestingly they chose to brand the early CD players (this included) as Mission even though by that time the rest of their electronics had been branded Cyrus or Mission-Cyrus since 1984.

so my mission pcm7000 is a cyrus machine?

 

[MajorFubar]

so my mission pcm7000 is a cyrus machine?

When it was made, Mission and Cyrus were the same company. Most electronics were branded Mission-Cyrus (later just 'Cyrus' on the fascias of the C1/C2/Tuner by the late 80s), but the loudspeakers were branded Mission. The two companies are now totally unrelated entities. Cyrus is British company trading from Huntingdon, while Mission is part of the Chinese IAG Group.

But to try to at least answer your question about whether your CD player is 'truly' a Mission or a Cyrus, the earliest CD player listed in Cyrus's 'Legacy' products on their website is the PCM II, so presumably they consider the 4000 and 7000 to be 'Mission'.

 

[steve_1979]

I think that your classic Cyrus setup looks really cool.

Cheers mate. Quite looking forward to getting my sticky little fingers on it. It was one of the first generation of CD players with a digital output so I could always update the DAC side of things. Unlikely though, my future is in streaming and I just wanted to complete my 'period' set-up.

I remember reading WHF in the early 90's when I was a school kid and lusting after that Cyrus kit and some of those big Mission speakers that were all the rage back then. It seemed so futuristic and IMO the Cyrus stuff still looks really classy all these years later.

 

[MajorFubar]

I remember reading WHF in the early 90's when I was a school kid and lusting after that Cyrus kit and some of those big Mission speakers that were all the rage back then. It seemed so futuristic and IMO the Cyrus stuff still looks really classy all these years later.

Mission 780 Argonauts 🙂 It would very interesting to hear a pair. Though I am so wary of changing my speakers it's not a task I am ever going to treat lightly anymore and I wouldn't consider it unless I could take a long hard listen (day or more) in my own home with the option to say 'no thanks'.

 

[keeper of the quays]

so my mission pcm7000 is a cyrus machine?
i

When it was made, Mission and Cyrus were the same company. Most electronics were branded Mission-Cyrus (later just 'Cyrus' on the fascias of the C1/C2/Tuner by the late 80s), but the loudspeakers were branded Mission. The two companies are now totally unrelated entities. Cyrus is British company trading from Huntingdon, while Mission is part of the Chinese IAG Group.

But to try to at least answer your question about whether your CD player is 'truly' a Mission or a Cyrus, the earliest CD player listed in Cyrus's 'Legacy' products on their website is the PCM II, so presumably they consider the 4000 and 7000 to be 'Mission'.

its ok..i quite like it being a mission..im a bit like steve too..my mate had big mission speakers! I was always jealous i had videotone minimax! Lol..nowadays my ae1mk3s would comfortably see off those big mission speakers! My old mission pcm7000 is still my cd player of choice! Remarkable machine...

 

[keeper of the quays]

Be interesting to see how your new (old) cd player compares with your current cd player?

 

[MajorFubar]

Be interesting to see how your new (old) cd player compares with your current cd player?

Indeed, even my regular player is a relic (CD 63KI), the only recent part of the kit is my three year old HRT II+ DAC, connected to my computer.

It's gonna be a long wait. Seller has posted it, but the delivery on Parcel2go's website is expected to be 03 March.