CD Recorder Enigma

RMbA

Member
I recently revived my JVC XL-R5020BK CD recorder-player that had been unused for many years.

If you're unfamiliar with this machine, it has three trays to play CDs and an entirely separate tray that both records and plays CDs.

When I started using the machine again about a month ago, I found that the play-only trays would typically not read commercially produced CDs, which were the only ones I had to play on it. After using a Maxell laser-cleaning disk, the machine would mostly play the commercial CDs, but it was "struggling" to read them.

When I began dubbing from commercial CDs to CD-Rs, the newly recorded disks played without any problem, even though they were recorded and played on different trays.

Why do the newly recorded disks play without any problem, while the commercially recorded are still problematic? I suspect that somehow what seems enigmatic to me has an obvious tech answer—but I can't see it.
 
You're undoubtedly right that the recorder needs a good cleaning. Fact is, it's never been cleaned generally, like just removing dust and built-up grime—never been opened up—which I'm going to do now that I'm reminded of the need.

But I'm leery of messing with the laser lens, even though I've watched a half-dozen YouTube lens-cleaning demos.
 
Clean the other moving parts, and work up to the lens(es). The motor(s) might need a droplet of oil on the shaft(s). If the CDs aren't spinning up properly or evenly, it could affect how some CDs are getting read and recognized. Be sure to unplug the deck while working on it. Being disconnected from power for over a 1/2 hour or more can help reset some values on in some CD circuitry--possibly more often the case with player recorders.
 
If I can work up the energy next week to retrieve it from under several other components, I'll get out the service manual spend some time on it.

Thanks for the suggestions and encouragement.
 
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