Cd player drawer problem....help??

[audio]

I've got a vintage 1985 Realistic cd player I've been using. There is a problem with the drawer that I'm wondering if anyone can comment on. Basically, when you press OPEN/CLOSE, the drawer does just that. It opens and then closes right away. Sometimes, like maybe one out of ten times it will open and stay open for a few seconds before closing itself again. VERY rarely, it will stay open and wait for you to close it yourself. The problem is that you either have to be EXTREMELY quick with putting in a cd or taking them out or you have to grab the tray and hold it open, putting strain on the motor and the mechanism. I mentioned the problem to my tech and he said that it's probably not an easy fix because all that stuff is usually computer controlled. Has anyone seen/repaired a problem like this before?

[Metralla]

Have you tried pulling the power cord out of the wall and leaving it unplugged for a few minutes. This can reset the microprocessor.

Regards,
Geoff

[Steve Hoffman]

Does this player sound exceptionally wonderful or something? I'm just curious as to why you are bothering with it. Most older players don't sound that hot...

[audio]

Originally posted by Metralla
Have you tried pulling the power cord out of the wall and leaving it unplugged for a few minutes. This can reset the microprocessor.

Regards,
Geoff

Tried it. Doesn't help.

[audio]

Originally posted by Steve Hoffman
Does this player sound exceptionally wonderful or something? I'm just curious as to why you are bothering with it. Most older players don't sound that hot...

It sounds fine. The system it's part of isn't very accurate, so it's hard to tell just how good or bad it is. I'm really impressed with the warmth, punch, and shimmering decay, but that is probably more a result of the tube amp than the cd player. Basically the reason I bother with it is because it's cute, looks nice, and is a smaller than usual size that is the perfect match for the small amp that it's paired with. It's actually part of my 2 1/2 year old's system, filling in while her 8 track player is in the shop. If I can get the drawer to function, she'll be able to use this player without scratching all her discs to hell when the tray closes on them. It's also kind of cool that these are both vintage Realistic pieces; the Realistic Stereo 24 tube amplifier and it's futuristic cousin, the Realistic CD-1200:

[Gary]

A friend had this problem. It was the mechanism. It had to be profesionally fixed. I think it cost about $150.00.

In his case, the CDP was worth more than the cost....

[cosmikdebris]

You could probably just power the unit down when the drawer fully extends, swap cd's and then power the unit back up until you find another cdp.

[poweragemk]

reminds me of the early generation JVC cd player I had back in the day that would skip on every CD 15 seconds into the disc. No exceptions.

Bizarre behavior.

--MK

[audio]

Originally posted by Gary
A friend had this problem. It was the mechanism. It had to be profesionally fixed. I think it cost about $150.00.

In his case, the CDP was worth more than the cost....



Gary, I don't suppose you have any idea what specifically was wrong, do ya? Do you know if the entire mechanism had to be replaced?

[Todd Fredericks]

Prix, I hate to say this but if the CD player needs to be professionally repaired then I suggest spend the money on a new one......

[Sckott]

Yeah.

No offense, Prix but take a hint. Go throw that smelly thing in a shallow grave in the dump. Most any consumer-based unit is too costly to repair. Furthermore, Steve's right. Old CD players can suck...BAD! No detail. Just spotty.

That, and absolutely NO ONE is going to collect parts for that poor thing. You would need a drawer molded that would fit and the motor would have to be the EXACT same size and then calibrated. A $8 CD ROM drive has more usefulness and possible detail in playing a CD.

Let it go, doode. Let it go.

[audio]

Originally posted by Sckott
Yeah.

No offense, Prix but take a hint. Go throw that smelly thing in a shallow grave in the dump. Most any consumer-based unit is too costly to repair. Furthermore, Steve's right. Old CD players can suck...BAD! No detail. Just spotty.

That, and absolutely NO ONE is going to collect parts for that poor thing. You would need a drawer molded that would fit and the motor would have to be the EXACT same size and then calibrated. A $8 CD ROM drive has more usefulness and possible detail in playing a CD.

Let it go, doode. Let it go.


Actually what got me interested in old cd players was Grover. He told me that certain pre-1989 models can sound BETTER than newer ones. I think he said the reason was that in 1990, they started to use the crappy digital filters.

[Dave]

Originally posted by prix



Actually what got me interested in old cd players was Grover. He told me that certain pre-1989 models can sound BETTER than newer ones. I think he said the reason was that in 1990, they started to use the crappy digital filters.
I could see that the top of the line players perhaps sounded better than those post'90 digital filters, but surely not anything mid-grade or below. Just my take.

[Sckott]

If it was anything above most NAD, Rotel or Sonys that went for $400 in the late 80's to early 90's, you may have something. That D/A can't be that smart in that Radio Shack box. Most any player they sold HAD to be at a consumer level that was affordable...And by selling direct, they had a huge cut off the top.

So, it doesn't add up to more than a can of beans.

[audio]

Originally posted by Dave

I could see that the top of the line players perhaps sounded better than those post'90 digital filters, but surely not anything mid-grade or below. Just my take.

That makes sense to me. Maybe Steve can ask him about it next time they hang out.

[Dan]

I have a Sony that does the same thing about 75% of the time. It must be something with the sensitivity of mechanism. I just hold on to it gently if I need to keep it open. It's 10+ years old and my #3 CD player at home, so I don't care if I break it.

[sharedon]

My very first CD player was a fine-sounding Fisher from the same year which eventually did the same thing. I put up with it somehow till it finally ground up a disc before thoughtfully spitting it out. Sounding good is important, but anything that risks damaging a disc is trash in my redbook!!

[cosmikdebris]

I just love my circa 1985 NEC, warm, smooth, sweet sounding. As for the drawer - I'm tellin ya - just press the on/off button off when the tray reaches full outward travel, swap the disc and turn it back on. I bet you'd get another 10 years out of the thing. If you were a bit more into it. I bet it would be a pretty easy fix with a little ingenuity. Sounds like a cam, or ratchet, limit switch type mechanical problem.