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Topic: Life of a CD-Player (Read 9342 times) previous topic - next topic
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Life of a CD-Player

Hi guys!
I use the CD-Player of my stereo (AIWA LCX-150: cassette, turner, CD) about 5 hours a day. Before two years, it got problems reading CD's. Few years ago I bought a portable CD-Player (also AIWA) and before 4 years using it, i got the same problem. I don't know if there's a problem of AIWA or all the CD-Players have the same problem. My question is, What is the life of a CD-Player? (lenses, mechanical parts, laser etc.). Does everybody in this forum buy a new CD-Player every 3 years?. I think not, so What is the trick?. I'm thinking to buy a standalone-modular-CD-player to avoid buy a new stereo in 3 years...
The AIWA cost me about 150 $, but I think cheapest standalone-CD-players costs the same so, what is the benefit? (they live longer?). I don't know. Any suggestions?
Thanks to all and sorry for my english...
"Every man dies, not every man really lives"

Life of a CD-Player

Reply #1 –
Both should last about 10-15 years.  You should try a CD lens-cleaning disk that may help.  Also, treat them well; remember these are quite sensitive pieces of equipment.

Life of a CD-Player

Reply #2 –
I guess it's simply a case of bad luck. I have a Philips CD-160 from 1986 or so and it still plays my CD's.
But now you have to replace your CD player, why not go for a DVD player that supports mp3 as well.
You might get one within your 150 $/€ budget 

Life of a CD-Player

Reply #3 –
What is the exact problem?

If you get tracks skiping on 1 and 2 then i may be able to help you!

It is possible for a user to take apart a stand alone unit and then adjust the laser power to improve reading. I have recently done  the proccess on my sisters 3 year old Sony Mini System.


If this is the fault i wwll write in detail what you need to do! (sometime tommorrow though)


Cheers,

Kristian

Life of a CD-Player

Reply #4 –
AIWA it's a CRAPPY SHITTT!!!!
Always the AIWA cd players have problems. I have a friend that work in an Audio Shop and the AIWA cd players always have a lot a trouble, the lens and the mechanics is a shit.
Keep away from AIWA.
I have a Pionner CD Player from 1995 and works like the first day that I bought, in last november I bought a Pionner DVD (DV-354), read DVD, DVD-RW, Audio CD, CD-RW,C D-R, VCD, mp3, jpg,etc. for only $179, very cheap, the sound and mp3 support it's excellent.
MPC: --quality 10 --xlevel (v. 1.15s) (archive/transcoding)
MP3:  LAME 3.96.1 --preset standard (daily listening/portable)

Life of a CD-Player

Reply #5 –
I also have an AIWA, a NSX-520 and it fell apart on me after 3 years of normal use. First the tape decks gave up , then the CD player started to reject more and more CDs. Right now I only use it as an amp for my soundcard, the speakers are really good for a small room like mine. I even gave up on its tuner and I use a PCI radio card. My father bought a portable CD player from AIWA and it was dead within a year. It seems they have quality problems, even though they have a nice sound and a lot of features.
So much music, so little time...

Life of a CD-Player

Reply #6 –
Quote
What is the exact problem?

If you get tracks skiping on 1 and 2 then i may be able to help you!

It is possible for a user to take apart a stand alone unit and then adjust the laser power to improve reading. I have recently done  the proccess on my sisters 3 year old Sony Mini System.


If this is the fault i wwll write in detail what you need to do! (sometime tommorrow though)


Cheers,

Kristian

I'm very interested how you adjust the laser power.
My previous Sony did work two more years after adjusting the laser power by a reaper-centre.
Who knows next time I can do it myself 

Life of a CD-Player

Reply #7 –
Yes, Aiwa is at the very bottom end of the hifi-market. Crappy sound, crappy components and crappy build quality. My experience is that low- to midlevel CD players were built better during 1985-1995. Nowadays many break down after only a few years, and it's usually more expensive to have them repaired (if at all possible) than to replace it. Which, by the way, is basically how the consumer electronics companies remain profitable. My only advice is to buy something that is not as cheap as Aiwa and preferably from a manufacturer with good reputation. For reviews and stuff http://www.audioreview.com is usually a good bet. Good luck!

-- Uosdwis

Life of a CD-Player

Reply #8 –
I bought a Kenwood DP-4020 11 years ago ... apart from RW playback, it still plays any media type I feed him ... I am really amazed by this long-time performance and will buy Kenwood devices again whenever possible ...

IMHO it would be a clever decision to buy a standalone player that supports both DVD-A & SACD ... whichever format wins the race for customer's choice won't matter anymore ... what sucks is that these Multi-Platform-Players are still very expensive ...
The name was Plex The Ripper, not Jack The Ripper

Life of a CD-Player

Reply #9 –
Quote
I'm very interested how you adjust the laser power.
My previous Sony did work two more years after adjusting the laser power by a reaper-centre.
Who knows next time I can do it myself  ;)

Open the CD player and near the lens there is a trimmer that you can ajust with a screwdriver.  B)

Life of a CD-Player

Reply #10 –
A JVC player worth 300 € in 1987 held until about 1997. It began to skip. Using glossy adhesive tape on the parts sustaining the optical block movement, in order for it to move as smooth as possible, the metal of which they are made having become rough, it lasted two more years.

Two Yamaha players, CDX860, 450 € in 1991, lasted until about 1999, and they begain to skip too. I used adhesive tape on them too, and they both still works now in 2003. One of them is the one I use for the SPDIF output tests, and there are still no errors at all comparing to wavs ripped by EAC, neither with pressed CDs, nor CDRs.

Life of a CD-Player

Reply #11 –
Quote
Quote
I'm very interested how you adjust the laser power.
My previous Sony did work two more years after adjusting the laser power by a reaper-centre.
Who knows next time I can do it myself  

Open the CD player and near the lens there is a trimmer that you can ajust with a screwdriver.  B)

Thanks for the info.

PS
My previous Sony CDP-557ESD worked good for 10 years.

Life of a CD-Player

Reply #12 –
Yep, there is a potentiometer behing the laser assembly, if you rotate it Slightly anti/counter clockwise it will incease the power of the laser.

It is wise to do it in small increments say turning it 10 degrees at a time and then testing it again, if you increse the power drastically to quickly it can damage the laser and also damage some CD's especially CD-R's!

Also dont do it when it's on because the laser can damage your eyesight, it a different wavelength to those red one you see people shining about the place,

Cheers,

Kristian

Life of a CD-Player

Reply #13 –
Have 2 JVC's here that just plain refuse to play certain retail CD's, even though one of these JVC's is less than 2 years old and has even been brought in for repair for the problem.

Stay away from JVC as much as from AIWA.

Right now I'd say a low-end Sony is the way to go for almost anything.

Life of a CD-Player

Reply #14 –
My experience with Sony was the most various. From utter crap to top of the best. Example, Walkmans.
WM-4 : rock-solid old monster.
I don't remember what cassette-Fm model of 1998 : broke after 7 days, exchanged, new one broke after 8 days...

Life of a CD-Player

Reply #15 –
Quote
Does everybody in this forum buy a new CD-Player every 3 years?. I think not, so What is the trick?

I can only speak for myself but ever since I started making audio CD's out of CD-R's I've had one CD Player after another die very soon afterwards.

I had a Sony CD Player dated from 1989 for 12 years (my first CD Player) and it died within one week after playing audio CD's made from CD-R's.

Life of a CD-Player

Reply #16 –
According to a technician with whom I spoke, CDRs can overheat and damage the optical circuits of the laser (noted on some dead players that he had to check). It seems player dependent, since, many people use CDRs without problems on hifi players since years ago.

Life of a CD-Player

Reply #17 –
Among others I have one Sony CDP997 since Dec 1992 and it still works fine in my older son's room... and only God knows that young people (around 15  ) aren't very careful when listening to THEIR music...  Media in such "condition" I wouldn't even take into my hand let alone let it play in MY CD PLAYER... It doesn't play CDRWs, but with CDRs it has no problem since 1997 or so...

Life of a CD-Player

Reply #18 –
Most cd readers require to be cleaned after a few years.
Not the lens, as:
*usually it's clean
*cheap plastic lens could be damaged (scratched) by cleaning)

But the moving parts are getting really dirty. In most cd readers, there are 2 "rails" where the lens block is sliding. This is the part that need to be cleaned. Because of the grease on this part, dirtyness  is glued.
Remove carefully the dirtyness, and put some grease back.

Most cd readers are working a lot better after.

Life of a CD-Player

Reply #19 –
That's right. I cleaned two or three times the lens of the JVC player with no effect. It seemed as shiny after than before, and the drive skipped no less.
But sometimes, of of the "rails" on which the optical block is moving is just a metal surface on which a plastic, or ceramic (?) part is sliding. This surface is rough, it can be felt moving the tip of a screwdriver on it. I improved the skipping of the JVC player twice by scratching this surface with the screwdriver, so that the sliding is les rough. But the scratched metal oxydizes fast. A more durable solution was to put some glossy adhesive tape on it very carefully, with no folding mark on it, so that the sliding is done on the top of the tape.
The other "rail" was a cylindric rail encompassed by the moving part. Applying a polishing liquid for copper/steel can improve its smoothness much, but use it carefully. Such liquid may be harmful to other parts, not mix with grease, and reoxide the metal fastly.

In the Yamaha drive, this problem is reduced, because the sliding is done mainly on a plastic surface. Only the downside, IIRC, slides on metal.

Life of a CD-Player

Reply #20 –
Quote
I improved the skipping of the JVC player twice by scratching this surface with the screwdriver, so that the sliding is les rough. But the scratched metal oxydizes fast. A more durable solution was to put some glossy adhesive tape on it very carefully, with no folding mark on it, so that the sliding is done on the top of the tape.

Another option might be to treat with Caig Progold... it should prevent further oxidation and it makes metal surfaces "slippery" (permanently) -- I think by filling in the cracks & irregularities on a molecular level.