Onkyo CD Changer DX-C101 fails to read disc

[Denis29]

I just procured an Onkyo bundle for a good deal, including the A-RV401 amp, TA-RW303 tape deck, T-403 tuner, and DX-C101 5-disc CD changer. The amp and the tuner seem to be working just fine and deliver very nice sound.

However, the CD changer is ill - the disc spins and spins aimlessly but the player just fails to read it! The display screen shows everything like it should, all the buttons work perfectly, the carriage and the carousel moves like it should, the discs are changed perfectly within the carousel. So it seems that everything else is fine, but no reading. It sounds like it's trying - I can hear those "scratchy" sounds that CD players make when they initialize a disc and try to get its info, but this player just keeps doing that and cannot actually start any song or display any CD info.

I was wondering if there is something simple I could do to get it to read...

If not, would it be worth taking this unit to an audio repair shop and having them look at it?

Anyone ever encounter this sort of a problem or have any experience with this unit?

 

[TLS Guy]

I just procured an Onkyo bundle for a good deal, including the A-RV401 amp, TA-RW303 tape deck, T-403 tuner, and DX-C101 5-disc CD changer. The amp and the tuner seem to be working just fine and deliver very nice sound.

However, the CD changer is ill - the disc spins and spins aimlessly but the player just fails to read it! The display screen shows everything like it should, all the buttons work perfectly, the carriage and the carousel moves like it should, the discs are changed perfectly within the carousel. So it seems that everything else is fine, but no reading. It sounds like it's trying - I can hear those "scratchy" sounds that CD players make when they initialize a disc and try to get its info, but this player just keeps doing that and cannot actually start any song or display any CD info.

I was wondering if there is something simple I could do to get it to read...

If not, would it be worth taking this unit to an audio repair shop and having them look at it?

Anyone ever encounter this sort of a problem or have any experience with this unit?

You might be lucky and it is a dirty laser lens. With most players however the disc stops spinning after a period of time if a disc can't be read and the display says no disc. I fear you have deeper troubles.

However the first thing to do is get some Q-tips and isopropyl alcohol. Then open the case and clean the lens. Put it back together and try it. If it does not work, I would recycle it, since CD players now cost less than taking that one to a repair shop. It pains me to say that, as the world is awash in far too much electronic junk already.

I assume this is used equipment you acquired. If you bought it eBay you might have recourse with the seller.

 

[Denis29]

You might be lucky and it is a dirty laser lens. With most players however the disc stops spinning after a period of time if a disc can't be read and the display says no disc. I fear you have deeper troubles.

Maybe I didn't let it go long enough searching for a disc... Commonly, how long do CD players try to read before they time out?

I did get it used, but it wasn't through eBay - it was really the amp that I was after, so I'm not sour... But it looks like a really nice piece of equipment and all the buttons work, plus it matches to the other pieces I got, so I was hoping I could repair it

 

[TLS Guy]

Maybe I didn't let it go long enough searching for a disc... Commonly, how long do CD players try to read before they time out?

I did get it used, but it wasn't through eBay - it was really the amp that I was after, so I'm not sour... But it looks like a really nice piece of equipment and all the buttons work, plus it matches to the other pieces I got, so I was hoping I could repair it

Most players try for 20 sec at least before saying no disc. Start by cleaning the laser lens, you have nothing to loose and it so often fixes CD Players.

 

[MDS]

The carousel of the changers often drift out of alignment over time. My old Onkyo changer is in my brother-in-law's garage and every once in awhile it has trouble reading a disc in slot 1 but reads the others fine.

You could take it in to a repair shop to have it checked out but as TLS Guy says, electronics nowadays are pretty much disposable and it may be more money and trouble than it is worth to try to have it fixed.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I just procured an Onkyo bundle for a good deal, including the A-RV401 amp, TA-RW303 tape deck, T-403 tuner, and DX-C101 5-disc CD changer. The amp and the tuner seem to be working just fine and deliver very nice sound.

However, the CD changer is ill - the disc spins and spins aimlessly but the player just fails to read it! The display screen shows everything like it should, all the buttons work perfectly, the carriage and the carousel moves like it should, the discs are changed perfectly within the carousel. So it seems that everything else is fine, but no reading. It sounds like it's trying - I can hear those "scratchy" sounds that CD players make when they initialize a disc and try to get its info, but this player just keeps doing that and cannot actually start any song or display any CD info.

I was wondering if there is something simple I could do to get it to read...

If not, would it be worth taking this unit to an audio repair shop and having them look at it?

Anyone ever encounter this sort of a problem or have any experience with this unit?

As mentioned about changers, have you tried it with all 5 CD positions of the changer? Different Cds? Or, the same issue with all Cds and positions?

 

[j_garcia]

Considering that it will be at least $100 just for someone to look at it, I would say no it is not worth having it fixed. I had an old Sony CD changer have a nearly identical issue many years back and it cost me $80 including the part to have it repaired. For about $40 more I could have bought a new one, and I think that will be true here as well. It sounds like the laser is either out of alignment or just bad.

 

[TLS Guy]

Just one other thing that should be mentioned. Older CD players will not read computer generated CDs. Make sure you are using original factory stamped Cds

 

[mtrycrafts]

Just one other thing that should be mentioned. Older CD players will not read computer generated CDs. Make sure you are using original factory stamped Cds

Yes How soon we forget these minor details about the old stuff.

 

[Alex2507]

Older CD players will not read computer generated CDs.

Yes How soon we forget these minor details about the old stuff.

Good thing you guys are members here.
Between the two of ya, you must go back to the roaring twenties on two continents.

 

[TLS Guy]

Good thing you guys are members here.
Between the two of ya, you must go back to the roaring twenties on two continents.

Steady now my monkey!

 

[Denis29]

Wow guys, it works now!

Yesterday, I opened it up and cleaned the laser with a q-tip and isopropyl alcohol. Everything looked very clean inside.

The player is missing a chassis foot (don't ask, I don't know why), and the innards are a bit "loose", but I think it may be by design: the whole deck along with the buttons, the carousel, and the reading mechanism comes out when you press OPEN. Onkyo also has some instructions in the back about how to "lock" the unit in transit to avoid damage.

Anyhow, when I put just one CD, it did not read anything, would just spin and spin. So today, taking one of your suggestions, I loaded up the whole carousel with 5 CDs, and voila - every CD now reads and plays!!

Thank you - you guys are great

 

[mtrycrafts]

Good thing you guys are members here.
Between the two of ya, you must go back to the roaring twenties on two continents.

Well before that Cannot tell you how much before as that would insure being a lab rat to find out how and why?

 

[mtrycrafts]

.... So today, taking one of your suggestions, I loaded up the whole carousel with 5 CDs, and voila - every CD now reads and plays!!

Thank you - you guys are great

Hey, that sounds great. Thanks for the feedback. Now you can experiment to see if it will play with just 1 CD in another slot beside the 1st position. Or, just 2 or 3 Maybe that extra weight puts the discs closer to the focal plain?

 

[Denis29]

Hey, that sounds great. Thanks for the feedback. Now you can experiment to see if it will play with just 1 CD in another slot beside the 1st position. Or, just 2 or 3 Maybe that extra weight puts the discs closer to the focal plain?

I will definitely experiment!

This unit is quite a contraption in the way it was designed. I can't figure out if the device is actually mounted solid to the frame anywhere, or if the frame simply limits its movement by metal tabs. As I said above, the whole device, along with the buttons, slides out when you OPEN. When everything is closed, you can actually slide things around a little inside the chassis. Perhaps that's the reason for the lock it has on the bottom for transporting it.

The rail/frame that holds the laser and the spinner/motor appears spring-loaded on one end, and the carousel appears spring-loaded at the bottom too. I will try to take a picture of this, if anyone is interested to see... Is it a frequent occurrence that a carousel would be a bit tippy (off-balance) with age in CD changers? Even so, it makes me wonder why a fully loaded carousel solves the issue... Maybe it's been laying around so long, it forgot how to play CDs and is now doing machine learning?

 

[mtrycrafts]

... Maybe it's been laying around so long, it forgot how to play CDs and is now doing machine learning?

Wouldn't you be relearning everything after such a long time in coma?