[Haoleb]

Ive got one of these I picked up off audiogon about a year ago, And Ever since I have noticed the darn thing doesnt like certain cd's, It will skip constantly on certain cd's at certain time's and will play others flawlessly. And im talking about store bought cd's that are flawless. I have lubed the sled rails and that helped for about a day, I really dont know what is causing the skipping, I can see no defects in the mechanism itself, like places it could be getting hung up on or something.

I have even replaced the entire laser pickup which didnt really do anything. One theory I have is that because of the nature of this player where the entire pickup and sled assembly are mounted to the chassis, that It might be because of vibration. The new pickup is even more sensitive to vibration and I can make it skip with the slightest touch on the top of the player, But i can pick it up and shake it all around and it works fine.

Does anyone else with this player notice it skips very easily due to vibration? Im about ready to get rid of this player and try something else because nothing is more annoying to really get into a song and the damn things skips on ya. I really love the player itself, The design and engineering that was put into this is really far above the average, And its quite evident when you take it apart and see how everything is put together, But my old cambridge played any old thing with no complaints and this is one whiney SOB!

I would also like to add that when it does skip it will sometimes skip through an entire track and minutes at a time, or skip, go back 5 or so seconds, and keep doing the same.

 

[gz76]

This isn't that uncommon with higher-end cd players. It's one of the quirks of esoterica! I know this is no excuse, and it really shouldn't be accepted. If you want a player that'll work flawlessly on every format imaginable, then buy a no-name $50 player from your local discount store!

 

[tbonner1]

Quote:

I have lubed the sled rails and that helped for about a day,

I was told to use a high tech lube and mine also seemed improved...for about a day. Mine seems to skip more when it is hot. Vibration does not seem to be a factor and I have tried all kinds of feet.

Sad, but replacing the transport will be very expensive. I am leaning toward staying with a cheap modified Philps 642 as a transport and going to a DAC. When the transport dies, just get a new one.

 

[dura]

I had a Planet2000 and never noticed this. It played every CD I put in, including CD-Rs.
Once in a few months it would only give a very faint sound, switching it off and on was enough to cure it.
But there are some reports about the Planet2000's puck (in the lid) starting to wobble, giving eratic results. Maybe you should look there.

 

[Haoleb]

Thanks for the replies, I had it apart again lastnight to try and diagnose the problem, So i cleaned all the gears and surfaces where the sled rides and lightly lubricated them with a high viscosity gun oil which probably isint the best but its all i've got. I put my new laser assembly in again for the heck of it and then started playing with the amount I tighten down the screws which hold the entire mechanism to the lid and I think I have found the optimal amount of where they should be tightened. Too tight and the mounting is too rigid, and skips more easily. So I have loosened them enough to allow the rubber grommets to try and do their job. I can see how if someone tightened these down too much at the factory a customer would have a problem.

It seems to definetly be a vibration related issue because It doesnt skip at low volume, Or If i physically lift the player up. But its still sensitive enough to skip with vibration through both the stock feet and an innertube type isolation platform.

I would also like to note you can get replacement laser pickups for about 8 bucks for this unit. And the only other thing that could die is a motor, You can pick those up pretty easy as well. The laser itself is a breeze to change. 15 minute job from start to finish tops- That is, Once you figure out how to take the thing apart.