Pioneer PD-M910

N8Nagel

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
So I took a look at my 2nd thrift store "score", and it only has the single disc cart. It will bring the disc into playing position but doesn't recognize that there's a disc there, and spits it right back into the cart. Never tries to spin up. Anyone know what microswitch (?) detects a disc presence so I can clean it?

Also, take a look at this photo. Is the laser supposed to look like this? It appears to me that I'm gonna need a new laser even if I can fix the disc detection problem.

http://imgur.com/a/uKf91

thanks!
 
After a little more futzing and searching it appears that the laser lens is in fact missing and also I swear I hear a little "chk-chk" after it pulls the disk into position, meaning the laser is probably what's used for disc detection but it's not detecting it, because it doesn't have a lens.

Does anyone know what the part number is for the laser I need, where I could find it, or a resource that would tell me what other models that laser was used in so I can keep an eye out for a donor at thrifts? (gonna need a 6 disc mag anyways, so that would be a viable option. And I've successfully found a donor before, for a high end Samsung BDP, but unfortunately that one didn't work out so well because it still won't connect to my network.)
 
I found that manual, it appears to be a supplement for a newer main circuit board, not the whole manual
 
You can look up the laser (and the DAC) in this list:
http://www.dutchaudioclassics.nl/the_complete_d_a_dac_converter_list/

Your unit has the Pioneer PWY1009/PWY1010 laser and mechanism. Hard to find and not cheap (I know because I've looked, as I have a Nakamichi with this mechanism). But there are reports that it is not uncommon for the lens on this laser to come loose:

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-source/112292-nakamichi-cdc-3a-laser.html

As that thread indicates, look carefully inside the case for the lens. It is probably not something that would be noticed unless you were specifically looking for it, but it is the most likely place for it to be, lodged somewhere in there. I don't know if that is all you are missing, as I have never seen a laser without the lens myself.
 
Also, for a manual that covers this mechanism, download the PD-M400 / PD-M500 service manual on hifiengine. It covers this mechanism quite well, lots of exploded diagrams, etc. On the basis of this, I recently bought a PD-M500 off ebay with the hopes of transplanting the mechanism into the Nakamichi; still waiting for delivery. The PD-M400/500 units are fairly inexpensive at present as they don't have HDMI or even Digital out.
 
I'[m pretty sure the lens is long gone, although I may take it apart someday if I'm bored

Thank you for the link, I'm going to make myself a list of models that use the same laser and keep an eye out at the thrifts. Hopefully I can get one with both the laser and the 6 disc cartridge... I know I've seen Pio changers before so hopefully they won't dry up now that I'm looking for one.
 
The Pio 6-disc carts are widely available on ebay, cheap. I bought some for my Nakamichi last year. If you get your unit running but can't find a cartridge, let me know and I should be able to send you one.

I will say one other thing, just in case you haven't used one of these changers before or might have overlooked any remaining labeling on the unit: the CD goes in label-side down. Even if you made this error, it probably isn't the reason you are not reading the discs presently, as I am pretty sure that a signal from the laser that it has focused on a shiny disc is needed for the spin to start.
 
no, I got that part - and the disc tray had a label on it to that effect even if I'd forgotten in the thrift store. I knew the disc went in label down, but it won't recognize it at all.
 
OK, so I found a busted PD-M500 with a good laser... A little swippy swappy and we're playing again. So now I'm looking for a cartridge and remote...
 
Spoke too soon.

Swapped the laser in (a while back) and it played well, but then started skipping.

Took player to a local tech that a friend (who isn't on here but ought to be) spoke so highly of I actually ended up picking up his B&O turntable from so it could be Pony Expressed back to Atlanta where he actually lives. I was figuring it just needed the tracking adjusted, but no such luck. Tech says that the laser I swapped in is the wrong one, ribbon is too short and something's busted, not sure what, but the bad news is the original parts are long gone as I recycled them.

So now the question. Is it actually worth fixing this unit, or is it destined to sit on the shelf until I find another unit at thrift store prices that uses the PWY-1009 laser assembly?

This is obviously the TOTL changer, beautiful copper chassis, Burr-Brown DAC chips etc... but is it really worth sinking the money in on a service replacement laser? They seem to be going for about $150 or so and I suspect that that may be the high end of the value of this unit, pretty as it is.
 
Sorry to hear that it did not stay fixed. If it eases your pain, I can commiserate as I've have had zero success in trying to fix CD/DVD players, with the exception of replacing the belts that drive the trays (using appropriate sized rubber bands). The PD-M500 I got off ebay recently came damaged (poor packing) and non-functional; I was impressed with the construction of the Pioneer even though not anywhere as nice as yours. I got money back, but the attempt to transplant its laser (it lost its lens in shipment, so I had to fix that) into a Nak did not work, possibly because of other problems in my unit, not sure. I also have a Denon DVD-2901 (nice unit) with a laser that would no longer read CDs (DVDs were ok), but I did not have success with a new laser (followed the static rules and solder shorts scrupulously). And I have other carcasses laying around as well ...

On the other hand, I have had surprisingly good luck buying older Sony CD and DVD players at thrifts recently, most in single digits and actually working. As I run these through a DAC anyway (old Adcom GDA-700), all I really need is a transport that works and a display that have what I like to see (track number and time). I have a few working spares now, so I think I am done.
 
Do you still have the laser, or even the whole transport? PD-M500 should be the same as PD-M910.

I had a run of DVD players that would play SACD and other interesting formats a while back, but I've been getting rid of them all and trying to concentrate on only top shelf or close to it stuff. So I'm keeping an Oppo BDP-95, Oppo BDP-103, was hoping this Pioneer, a Yamaha CD-X2 (not that that's really top shelf, but it's so old it's awesome) and finally a Samsung DVD player, model unknown, that looks really good with Marantz stuff. Unfortunately I only have one "going to go" unit left, and that's simply because I haven't taken it to UPS yet - all the others are already at their new homes.
 
I still have the laser. I did not remove the laser from the rail in either case, as the laser-rail assembly comes off the the larger tray/changer mechanism with just 4 screws. Of course, all the wiring attached (mostly soldered) to the laser-rail assembly had to be unplugged from the various boards they were connected to, including that longer ribbon cable.
 
That's what I did too. Just cut the zip ties and lifted the whole laser/motor assembly off the top of the changer mechanism.

I guess if you want to get rid of it send me a PM, I'd be willing to give another one a try before making this a shelf ornament - I'm kinda stubborn.
 
Back
Top Bottom