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Resuscitating a RioVolt SP-250?

post #1 of 4
4/25/11 at 6:41pm
Thread Starter 

I dug out my old RioVolt SP-250 - a cracking little unit when I got it, could read Audio CDs with CD-TEXT, CD-Rs and CD-RWs with MP3s & WMAs on and also played said MP3s gaplessly :-D plus an integrated FM radio.

 

However I think it had one too many knocks for its own good during daily commute, and the CD mechanism slowly gave up the ghost. I plugged it in today - it still powered up! - but unfortunately it hadn't magically fixed itself. Has anybody had any experience with replacing the RioVolt SP-250 CD mechanisms? There's no obvious faults, the laser isn't scratched, it moves up and down when trying to focus and also tracks back and forth seemingly ok... It just can't read discs, neither proper replicated CDs nor burnt CD-Rs.

 

Anybody got any idea what the problem could be here?

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post #2 of 4
4/25/11 at 7:14pm

The RIO was a nice CD player a few years back for functionality. But it was not great for durability as you found out. I ended up just getting a new Sony portable CD player from amazon to replace the RIO and it's good enough.

 

Something like this (there are a couple cheaper models too):

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-D-NF340-Walkman-Player-Tuner/dp/B000MVGBFA/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1303782973&sr=8-12

 

I don't know how much longer Sony is going to make quality portable CD players. So if you really still want one, I'd snatch it up before all that's left are Cobys... or just use a DVD/Bluray drive to transfer CDs to MP3/FLAC and listen on iPod/Fuze/etc. With flac, it's the same digital signal and there's no more scratched discs. I only used my new "portable DVD player" once before I realized I just didn't need it anymore.

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post #3 of 4
4/26/11 at 2:56am
Thread Starter 

After my SP-250 died I became an ardent iRiver fan; first the iHP-140 then an H340 which still sees regular service today. (Both with Rockbox of course). My cheapo Panasonic CD walkman never sees daylight these days - I was so amazed that the Rio still powered up after years of non-use I thought it would be nice if there was any realistic chance of ever getting its guts sorted so it could see discs put in it.

 

I also got a bonus: Disc 2 of a two CD compilation which I'd been looking for for almost five years :D so it wasn't a complete waste digging this little player out. 

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post #4 of 4
4/26/11 at 3:52pm

If you are so inclined take it apart and spray some contact cleaner (deoxit is best) into the small cresent shaped openings in the bottom of the spindle motor....hope it helps!

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