Denon DCD-1520 issues

[bre's dad]

I just picked up a Denon DCD-1520. Everyone talks about how wonderful of a player it is. I agree... when it works. It skips like crazy below track 3 or 4 on most any disc. I've ran a disc cleaner through it and am about ready to throw the damn thing across the room. This is the 4th cd player I've had with issues that 'works great, no problems'. Anyone have any suggestions before this thing ends up at the bottom of a lake?

[whoaru99]

Buy a new one?

Well, my DCD-1560 mistracks too and I've very carefully cleaned and lubed it inside and out. I believe the laser is weak in mine.

Besides pitching it, I'd take it apart to see if you can clean/(carefully) lube the mechanism that the laser assy moves on. If that doesn't do it, then I'd say it's probably the laser. The cost for the 1560 laser (yet to be installed) was ~$140 a year or two ago.

Don't really have anything to loose by digging in, right?

[bre's dad]

Buy a new one?

Well, my DCD-1560 mistracks too and I've very carefully cleaned and lubed it inside and out. I believe the laser is weak in mine.

Besides pitching it, I'd take it apart to see if you can clean/(carefully) lube the mechanism that the laser assy moves on. If that doesn't do it, then I'd say it's probably the laser. The cost for the 1560 laser (yet to be installed) was ~$140 a year or two ago.

Don't really have anything to loose by digging in, right?

You're right. I was mad and lost my cool and decided post this instead of taking a hammer to it. I will take it apart, probably this weekend and take a peak inside for anything obvious.

[wsjoe]

When you pop a disc and it reads the table of contents, that's a real good thing. From my experience, skipping can be electrical and mechanical problems. Skipping can be the beginning of a dying laser, you may notice that when it skips or does not play the latter tracks. If it plays track 1 and 2 good but not well on tracks 10, 11, 12,,,. then it's clearly a dying laser and you will need replacement. And you are right, they are expensive for the part alone and the labor to put a new one.

If the skipping occurs almost always in the same spot like 2 minutes into the song, then it can be dirt or grease that's impeding the movement of the linear motor.

- Turn OFF the maching by unplugging it, you don't wanna look at the laser directly
- Get some cleaning solution on a qtip (like wd-40, alcohol or someting) to remove all the old grease/dirt/crap out of the linear tracks. Might as well clean ALL old grease from tray mechanism, gears and other sliding surfaces.
- The laser assembly (KSS-141A) should slide along that tracks effortlesly. If you have really thin grease like NLGI grade 0 or 1 (see Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NLGI_Grade) then put some on very very thinly. Never put anything like automotive bearing grease which is NLGI 2 or 3, it's too thick. I think it's better to put nothing then to put a heavy grease. I like to put teflon liquidy lubricant used for bike chain. I put some on a small beaker (like tubes used to draw blood) and dab with a qtip. This stuff does not evaporate as much as wd-40. If you want, I have a quart of this nlgi that I can mail it to you in a small plastic envelope. You can use this on the small gears and sliding surface for the tray mechanism. It's also good to clean old lube in the tray and relube with this. If you want, you can pay me $2 to mail it. I got as a sample and would like to share with friends at AK.

I will try to put some pictures for you guys later tonight when I get home.

[Stanga]

I just picked up a Denon DCD-1520. when it works. It skips like crazy below track 3 or 4 on most any disc.
If you can get to the CD turntable after removing the top cover, get some cleaning spirit and a few cotton buds. Clean off the turntable (it's that round thing of about 1 inch in diameter..) of all dirt etc with the buds and spirit.
You might also have to clean and re-oil/re-grease the two metal bars that run under the tray from the back to the front. Those bars take a very specific cleaning oil/grease. You might have to look that up on the net in order to get hold of it.

After that bit of attention to the CDP, you should be OK.

[wsjoe]

Spinning 3-4 times crazy is TRULY an indication of a bad laser. Need a new laser.

[thedelihaus]

Most likely a laser getting old, but possibly an alignment- I've not done this, but have been told that the laser angle (?) can be adjusted.


I wish you luck with it- these are nice players.

[whoaru99]

I have a service manual for a 1560, and the complete laser alignment process is fairly elaborate.

To do it "by the book" requires (amongst a few other things) a dual channel 'scope operated straight up for some measurements, and in X-Y mode to display/monitor Lissajous figures while tweaking the adjustments using a specific Denon test disk.

[wsjoe]

I have not done a laser calibration nor alignment. It looks like an unexperienced person could potentially do more harm than good.

[redcoates7]

wsjoe is absolutely right. There is no magic dial that you can turn and suddenly improve performance a la DC offset on an amplifier...

If it's a decent player, you might want to send it to service. It will most likely cost you $200 or so, but if you like the player it's certainly worth it.

[wsjoe]

I have replaced the laser of a few Denons like the 1520, 1560 and 2560. KSS-151A is a very common laser for mid-high end of Denons.

wsjoe

wsjoe

[whoaru99]

wsjoe...I'm confused. You haven't done a laser adjustment, but you have replaced them?

PS: Attached is the 1560 service manual adjustment procedure.

NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCIDENTS :)

[redcoates7]

Not to be a broekn record, but I'm with wsjoe again...the better Denon players are a joy to use... THe DCD-1520 is the second to TOTL from that series and a heck of a player.

I'd fix it, but most of my friends would most likely say to heck with it and buy an Oppo multi-format player or something :)

[wsjoe]

I don't own all the equipment they list to do this laser adjustment. I am guestimating that when it fails to read the toc or skips, then, it's really time to replace. Not worth getting a year more life out of them or intermittent life out of them. The small pot on the side of the laser is probably to adjust the power of the laser or some adjustment but I never had any luck with that either because it's almost impossible to turn this when everything is assembled or not doing it right. It takes me about an hour to take out the old laser and replace with new one. Another hour to completely clean the old grease, and put new one and new belts and new opamps. I have a few dead lasers that might not be compltely dead but no time trying to salvage those. I bought 70 KSS-151A new lasers 3-4 years ago and still have more than half of them. It's worth more money than cd players!

These are the ones I still own:
DCD-1420 1x
DCD-1500II 3x
DCD-1520 4x
DCD-1560 4x
DCD-1700 3x
DCD-2560 1x
DCD-3300 3x
DCD-3520 1x
DCD-3560 1x

I own a few Sony, Yamaha, CAL and Nakamichis as well.

wsjoe

[whoaru99]

I just assumed, perhaps mistakenly, if the laser is replaced the adjustment procedure should be performed. That assumption is what has stopped me from replacing mine.

I have access to all the equipment via work, except the filter arrangement (and that looks simple enough to perf board it), but I don't have the test disk nor do I know what signals on the test disk the procedure requires.

[wsjoe]

I see.
It's probably not a bad thing to readjust and realign after a new laser is put but I never had any problems popping a new laser. Also, it's slightly beyond my skillset. Iam a mechanical engineer.

That test disk and the Denon lubricant are probably the rarest thing in this world. I have collected Denon stuff for 6 years and I never even hear people talk about it let alone have it.

[bre's dad]

Update:
As mensioned in another post, I ended up shelling out the bucks for a new Creek Evolution cd player. Made in China I'm sure its got the same underpinnings as some Cambridge & Music Hall players (a friend has Music Hall amp that is almost identical to Creek Evo amp, including display, case & remote) but the price was right compared to a few players I was looking. Plus, its 2008 (actually an unopened 2007 model) vs. 1989.

Anyhoo, I decided to not give up the Denon. After sitting in the closet for a few weeks, I pulled it out and began the daunting task of tearing in to it. There is more steel in that thing than most newer cars. I cleaned the lens as best I could, removed all the old lubricants as best as I could and gave the old girl a new lube job. So far, the only time its skipped was when my 3 year old bumped into the stand, hard enough to knock off a few cds sitting on top. I've only ran about 5-6 discs through it but it is promising. Its sailed right through where other cds have skipped all over th place before. Its too late to return the Creek cd player, not that I would but the Denon currently gets more play time than the Creek (though I need to finish breaking in the Creek.) The Denon sounds amazing on my new to me Mac 1900. I've found a good match...

[wsjoe]

That's great to hear. I really like the looks, construction and the sound of Denons. They are a true workhorse, but unfortunately the lasers are dying.