Vintage CD players are a pain

[TommyTomTom]

Vintage CD players are such a pain in the a$$. I've sold a good number over the years after servicing them and they're the only type of equipment I've ever had complaints about, weeks or months after initial satisfaction from the buyer or owner. Only a few, but that's enough for me given the rest of my customers are always very happy. Never had a complaint about a turntable or amplifier out of very many.
I think the issue is that I can't find the test discs and manufacturer specific tools to align the servos and that that really needs doing after 30-40 years. Maybe it's foolish of me to try to get away without doing that. I just bank on the factory adjustments and cross my fingers as far as component value drift is concerned. I'd never to that with amplifier specs and adjustment. I think I'll stop doing them altogether, because it's not possible to find the test equipment and it seems silly. I think they're ultimately all destined for the bin at some point in the next decade. Many have already made it there.
Anybody else had similar issues?

 

[daybreak2350]

Agreed, they don't hold up over time given rubber belts and flimsy plastic gear mechanisms. As any Generation Alpha would say: "What's a CD?"
If going retro, I prefer vinyl or reel-to-reel unless you're into Edison wax cylinders. And I believe most audiophiles can tell the difference between analog and digital. Suit yourself . . . I do.

 

[knotscott]

But I have so many CDs, and can shuffle 5 at a time! Ignorance WAS bliss, but now I have something new to fret about, LOL Hope I don't jinx it, but my Denon CD player is pretty old, and running well....on a positive note, it does have a digital output so I run it through a DAC and don't have to worry about that portion of the Denon. There are a lot of cheap moving parts, so am honestly a bit suprised that it runs so well....sometimes you just get lucky. Is it worth opening up and cleaning and lubing, or should I let that sleeping dog lay there?

 

[daybreak2350]

But I have so many CDs, and can shuffle 5 at a time! Ignorance WAS bliss, but now I have something new to fret about, LOL Hope I don't jinx it, but my Denon CD player is pretty old, and running well....on a positive note, it does have a digital output so I run it through a DAC and don't have to worry about that portion of the Denon. There are a lot of cheap moving parts, so am honestly a bit suprised that it runs so well....sometimes you just get lucky. Is it worth opening up and cleaning and lubing, or should I let that sleeping dog lay there?

What a coincidence!--I have a Denon mini-system (two cassette decks also) and managed to replace the little belt used to open the CD tray, IIRC from the front using a hook probe; that was about five years ago and I think that repair lasted for a few years before the drive failed again for unknown reasons.
Yeah, I understand wanting to preserve your collection. Since a CD itself will not last forever I'd copy them to digital format and store on SS device or the cloud.
I see the five-CD changers occasionally in thrift stores but if you like multi-CD decks . . . aren't there ones holding more than five disks (like, a lot more) that you can mount in the trunk and operate from a remote control head in the car?
Taking a deck apart, lube, etc. requires some expertise and/or courage, especially if jammed/broken. Helps to know what you're doing but how ya gonna learn unless you try? You are so right, basically a big pain. No doubt YouTube is a resource on the subject.

 

[knotscott]

What a coincidence!--I have a Denon mini-system (two cassette decks also) and managed to replace the little belt used to open the CD tray, IIRC from the front using a hook probe; that was about five years ago and I think that repair lasted for a few years before the drive failed again for unknown reasons.
Yeah, I understand wanting to preserve your collection. Since a CD itself will not last forever I'd copy them to digital format and store on SS device or the cloud.
I see the five-CD changers occasionally in thrift stores but if you like multi-CD decks . . . aren't there ones holding more than five disks (like, a lot more) that you can mount in the trunk and operate from a remote control head in the car?
Taking a deck apart, lube, etc. requires some expertise and/or courage, especially if jammed/broken. Helps to know what you're doing but how ya gonna learn unless you try? You are so right, basically a big pain.

Opening up broken, or otherwise unusable devices is a great way to learn about them. It's already broken so there's really little downside (unless you get hurt somehow). I've managed to fix a lot of things that way, and had no success with others, but it's a great learning experience every time regardless of the result.

 

[daybreak2350]

Opening up broken, or otherwise unusable devices is a great way to learn about them. It's already broken so there's really little downside (unless you get hurt somehow). I've managed to fix a lot of things that way, and had no success with others, but it's a great learning experience every time regardless of the result.

And be sure to recycle all that scrap plastic, right?

 

[gadget73]

I had one here the owner wanted an op amp swap in. Old Magnavox, one of the early ones with the two mono DAC chips. It worked on arriving and I listened to it so I could get a judgment on a before and after sound. New op amps and I replaced the caps in the analog path. Tried it again and it would not read discs, the laser seems to have died.


Need to see if I can find something to use those dac in, supposedly they are good.

 

[Sgt Shultz]

I've purchased 4 vintage Sony decks and all have been perfectly reliable for 6-8 yrs now.

At $80 or less for each i think I did ok







All were $1000 or more new.

 

[WizardWG4]

I had one here the owner wanted an op amp swap in. Old Magnavox, one of the early ones with the two mono DAC chips. It worked on arriving and I listened to it so I could get a judgment on a before and after sound. New op amps and I replaced the caps in the analog path. Tried it again and it would not read discs, the laser seems to have died.


Need to see if I can find something to use those dac in, supposedly they are good.

If it's one of the top loader trap door models check to see if the lid switch is dirty or corroded. Could be a simple fix.

Also, the little blue axial caps below the CDM-0 can be an issue as well.

Also check the power supply voltages. The caps and regulators tend to go out.

 

[dosmalo]

I said the same thing when I chucked 8 track and cassette tape all those years ago.

 

[gadget73]

If it's one of the top loader trap door models check to see if the lid switch is dirty or corroded. Could be a simple fix.

Also, the little blue axial caps below the CDM-0 can be an issue as well.



Also check the power supply voltages. The caps and regulators tend to go out.
View attachment 2817025

It's a tray load type. It loads and spins but the laser makes a few attempts at focus and gives up. Honestly the thing sounded bad anyway so I don't know if its worth the trouble.

 

[Doug G.]

Actually, the only real reason they are a pain, compared to other audio equipment is the unavailability of the laser assemblies at this late date for the older ones. The plastic parts rarely fail and the rest of troubleshooting them is not unlike anything else. Cleaning switch contacts, moving parts, etc. One thing is it is unfortunate some manufacturers chose to use belts in the mechanisms instead of all gears but that;'s no different from, say, cassette decks, R-to-R decks, and some turntables.

All you really need to adjust them is a DMM and oscilloscope. Actually, an IR detector too, if you suspect the laser is gone.

The laser assembly is the big difference and if an old one fails, you're pretty much out of luck.

The attempt to focus should happen before any spinning. If the laser sees the disc and successfully focuses, then the disc spins and the tracking circuits take control to read the data.

I'm actually kind of bumming because I bought an old Fisher AD-923R, in great cosmetic shape, for 5 bucks and I'm pretty sure the laser is bad. I'm waiting for the service manual so I can verify. I don't really need it because I have others. It's just the...you know...principle.

Doug

 

[gizzyman47]

I've been lucky I guess with the two vintage units I have. Got a Sony cdp-x77es and a Sony dvp s9000es. Only had to replace a belt in the cdp-x77es that activates the drawer. Using both as transports to feed a PS Audio digital link lll.

 

[Sgt Shultz]

I've been lucky I guess with the two vintage units I have. Got a Sony cdp-x77es and a Sony dvp s9000es. Only had to replace a belt in the cdp-x77es that activates the drawer. Using both as transports to feed a PS Audio digital link lll.

The better Sonys are tanks, they just keep working, and sound outstanding.

 

[gizzyman47]

Speaking of cdp's. I have a Linn Karik (rather spendy player) that I bought new back in the mid 90's. Worked flawlessly up until about 7-8 yrs ago. It would skip on the first several tracks then play fine the rest of the disc.
I was swapping out my vintage system in the bedroom today. Was using a Pioneer SA-8800 integrated, a Pioneer PL-600 (silver) turntable and the Linn. Hardly used the Linn as it was irritating that I couldn't play the whole disc.
Decided to put my Yamaha CR-2020 receiver back into rotation and taking the PL-600 out. Didn't play vinyl much in the bedroom anyway. Thought I'd try opening up the Linn and see if I could do anything about the skipping issue. Saw that the laser travels on two tube rails. So I cleaned them with some Isopropanol alcohol and then lube it up with some really light household oil. Put It back together, plugged it in and hit play. Oh my gosh, it works! Rather proud of myself!

 

[DrRick]

I had one here the owner wanted an op amp swap in. Old Magnavox, one of the early ones with the two mono DAC chips. It worked on arriving and I listened to it so I could get a judgment on a before and after sound. New op amps and I replaced the caps in the analog path. Tried it again and it would not read discs, the laser seems to have died.


Need to see if I can find something to use those dac in, supposedly they are good.

Which one is it? You can sell it to me, I room for a few more early CD players to futz around with one day.

 

[Doug G.]

I have to revise my statement, above, about the focus sequence happening before any disc spinning occurs. There are some players that start the disc spinning first. However, the vast majority focus the laser first and, if that's successful, start the disc spinning to read the TOC and then stop to wait for a command from the user.

Doug

 

[GearHead454]

Wow,
Fun topic.

 

[gadget73]

Which one is it? You can sell it to me, I room for a few more early CD players to futz around with one day.

next time you're near New Jersey, stop in and I'll give it to you.

I have to revise my statement, above, about the focus sequence happening before any disc spinning occurs. There are some players that start the disc spinning first. However, the vast majority focus the laser first and, if that's successful, start the disc spinning to read the TOC and then stop to wait for a command from the user.

Doug

at this point its been long enough that I may be wrong on the spinning part. I know I can see the laser lens move in and out several times before it gives up.

 

[daybreak2350]

I've purchased 4 vintage Sony decks and all have been perfectly reliable for 6-8 yrs now.

At $80 or less for each i think I did ok

View attachment 2817014

View attachment 2817013

View attachment 2817012

All were $1000 or more new.

Thanx for the good pics above, nice. You done real OK there, the way I like it~less than "dime-on-the-dollar" !
Regarding comparing these high-end Sony decks to the cheaper ones most of us have used: I'm wondering why they hold up so much better, particularly the transport mechanism.
* Do they use any rubber belts, or is there something similar to a "direct drive" turntable?
* Are there plastic gears that break easily if someone forces it, or beefier metal parts?
* Any solenoids?
IMHO, this is like comparing the cheapest Harbour Freight battery drill to a Bosch in terms of quality parts, design, and longevity.
The electronics I get. We had a discussion lately on motherboards, why some outlast others. Basically a case of "you get what you pay for".
As Sergeant Shultz would say, "I know nothing. Nothing!" (He wasn't a real Nazi, ya know. The irony. Achtung. ;>)

The better Sonys are tanks, they just keep working, and sound outstanding.