Should I get my CD player professionally cleaned?

[ChrisJam]

Hi,

In another thread, I mentioned my Onkyo CD player's tendency to skip. I was hoping that it was simple dust on the lens, so I ran my old Allsop two-wet brush cleaner. No joy. Ran it a few more times. That didn't help, so I bought a new dry ten-brus cleaner. That helped a little bit--maybe.

Tonight I played a CD that had never skipped before for me. (In another thread I mentioned that a few of my of my many CDs, though pristine, have always given my Onkyo trouble.) This time the CD skipped 3-4 times in the first track.

I popped it into my DVD player, set the receiver to the same program and levels, and played it. No skips. So I guess I've isolated my problem.

Questions for you experts: Should I pay to have my Onkyo six-disc carousel (DX-C540) professionally cleaned? I haven't priced this kind of job, and I have no idea if it'd work. What do you think? Is there something else you can suggest, other than buying a new unit?

TIA,
Chris

 

[mtrycrafts]

Hi,
Questions for you experts: Should I pay to have my Onkyo six-disc carousel (DX-C540) professionally cleaned? I haven't priced this kind of job, and I have no idea if it'd work. What do you think? Is there something else you can suggest, other than buying a new unit?
TIA,
Chris

From what you have described so far, it doesn't sound like a dirty lens to me. All the cleaning you did should have taken care of it. You have some other issues.

Since you have a DVD player, just use that. Nothing wrong with using it.

 

[ChrisJam]

From what you have described so far, it doesn't sound like a dirty lens to me. All the cleaning you did should have taken care of it. You have some other issues.

Since you have a DVD player, just use that. Nothing wrong with using it.

Hi, mtrycrafts, it's always nice to see your name pop up in one of my questions. Thanks for the advice; I'll drop the idea of the professional cleaning.

Yes, I can use our DVD player for CDs, and will for now. But a standalone CD player has benefits for us--convenience, mostly--so maybe I'll put one on a Christmas list.

Thanks, again, for helping.

Chris

 

[Haoleb]

Professional Cleaning = Cotton swab or lint-free shamouis swab and rubbing alcohol. Wipe lens, repate, let dry. Test disc, If working replace cover, If not repeate process.

 

[ChrisJam]

Professional Cleaning = Cotton swab or lint-free shamouis swab and rubbing alcohol. Wipe lens, repate, let dry. Test disc, If working replace cover, If not repeate process.

Thanks, Haoleb. I guess it couldn't hurt. It'd be fun seeing what's inside, anyway.

Is there something I should avoid touching at all costs, though?

Chris

 

[Haoleb]

With a question Like that I tend to want to tell people.. If you have to ask....well you know the answer.

Just unplug it first, and then you can remove the cover. To gain acess to the laser. Carousel units are generally more complicated and you need to remove some internal parts to get to the laser assembly in some cases.to clean it just use some good rubbing alcohol and GENTLY wipe the surface of the lens. Making sure not to leave any lint or particles behind.

 

[ChrisJam]

With a question Like that I tend to want to tell people.. If you have to ask....well you know the answer.

Just unplug it first, and then you can remove the cover. To gain acess to the laser. Carousel units are generally more complicated and you need to remove some internal parts to get to the laser assembly in some cases.to clean it just use some good rubbing alcohol and GENTLY wipe the surface of the lens. Making sure not to leave any lint or particles behind.

Thanks. I asked not because I was afraid of hurting anything in the CD player--if it's dying, it's dying, and a little earleir death won't make a big difference--but I was afraid of hurting myself! For example, if I unplug the Onkyo carousel CD player, is there still anything in there--a capacitor, for example--that might give me a bad shock? Other than that, I'm open to adventure!

BTW, a month or so ago I visited your web site. Nice. If I remember right, one day you'd like to have your own high-end audio shop. Too bad I'm eight time zones east of you.

BTW again, though I've said in the forums that I'm a full-time writer and editor--and that's true--most of my professional years were spent in full-time photography, which included commercial (on-location and in-studio), photojournalism, and portraits. Since you like photography, if you think I could give you a tip, feel free to PM me.

The same photo offer goes for any audioholic who reads this thread.

Thanks again,
Chris

 

[Haoleb]

There isint much danger of getting shocked in there if its unplugged, and has been for a few minutes. If you go poking around on the bottom side of the curcuit boards its possible. But unlikely. In some designs and big poweramps you need to be a little more cautious. Tv's too especially. If your not worried about breaking anything dive right in and have a ball! Thats how I started my interest in electronics. Thanks for the offer too!

 

[mtrycrafts]

Thanks, Haoleb. I guess it couldn't hurt. It'd be fun seeing what's inside, anyway.

Is there something I should avoid touching at all costs, though?

Chris

Nothing wrong with what haoleb suggests. But let me ask: how long did you have this CD player and is anyone a smoker in the house?

I don't smoke. Had a player for eons with no dust on lens issue

 

[Haoleb]

I also doubt that a dirty lens is the issue if youve run those cleaning disc's through before. The laser is probbably just getting weaker which is what happens to cd players. The two things that fail the most are the drawer/transport mechanisms and the laser assembly.

Ive actually gone as far as to buy a spare laser for my cd player because thats the most likely part to fail in the future, considering my cdp doesnt have a tray. For 8 bucks its a worthwile investment in a player that cost almost 1k new.

 

[ChrisJam]

Never!

Nothing wrong with what haoleb suggests. But let me ask: how long did you have this CD player and is anyone a smoker in the house?

I don't smoke. Had a player for eons with no dust on lens issue

No, we don't smoke, and no one has ever smoked in our house. I bought the Onkyo CD player in 1998, IIRC. It was brand new when I got it, so this has been the only house it's seen.

Chris

 

[ChrisJam]

I also doubt that a dirty lens is the issue if youve run those cleaning disc's through before. The laser is probbably just getting weaker which is what happens to cd players. The two things that fail the most are the drawer/transport mechanisms and the laser assembly.

Ive actually gone as far as to buy a spare laser for my cd player because thats the most likely part to fail in the future, considering my cdp doesnt have a tray. For 8 bucks its a worthwile investment in a player that cost almost 1k new.

Just after this CD player went out of warranty, its drawer mechanism broke. There was a local shop that was factory-authorized to fix Onkyos, so I took it there. It needed an electric switch--it was a proprietary part, IIRC--and cost about $150 for the part and labor. Since then, the drawer and carousel have been fine.

Interesting about the laser getting weaker. I doubt my old unit would be worth the trouble of getting a new laser installed, especially if I couldn't do it myself. I'm not afraid to open the box (I've read, though, that I could get a nasty shock from a CRT TV or computer monitor) and I'd have fun poking around, looking for the laser, but I doubt I have the skills to replace the laser. Does it require soldering? I never learned to solder. I'll leave that to someone like you.

But I'll probably pull it apart and try your alcohol suggestion one cold day this fall when I have a couple hours to spare.

Thanks again.

 

[mtrycrafts]

No, we don't smoke, and no one has ever smoked in our house. I bought the Onkyo CD player in 1998, IIRC. It was brand new when I got it, so this has been the only house it's seen.

Chris

Yep, not a cleaning issue then
Time to live with that DVD player or buy another CD player single or a carousel type. No need to be expensive at all. Use digital out and you are set.

 

[ChrisJam]

Yep, not a cleaning issue then
Time to live with that DVD player or buy another CD player single or a carousel type. No need to be expensive at all. Use digital out and you are set.

Thanks, mtrycrafts.

BTW, I love digital out. When I first put my system together, I used RCA cables from the CD player to the receiver. Then, after getting our first DVD player and using a digi optical cable with it, I got a digi optical cable for the CD player, too.

Chris