C555ES: Loud Noises While Playing SACDs....

[GoldenBoy]

My fellow 555ES (or, perhaps other Sony players) owners, I come to ask you all if any of you have a problem with your player making very loud, almost chainsaw-like noises when playing back certain SACDs?

I recently purchased the Death Cab for Cutie Transatlanticism hybrid, and when I play it in the C555ES, the player makes a racket. Coincidentally, the Talk Talk Spirit of Eden hybrid that I purchased around the same time also makes the same thing happen. At first, I thought it was just the Death Cab disc, as that was the first time I ever heard my player make those noises, but when I got the Talk Talk disc, it frightened me. I went through my collection checking about 20 other SACDs of all sorts - hybrids, single-layer, stereo, multichannel - to see of this would happen with any other discs; nope. It only happens with the Talk Talk and Death Cab SACDs.

On a side note, when I play these two discs in my Pioneer 563a universal player, it goes without a hitch.

So what gives? Do you think my player is about to die a sudden death or what?:sigh:

[fjhuerta]

Amazing.

I own a DVP-NS900V. I just noticed that on one SACD, I got lots of noise! It was less than half a second, but it was like a burst of white noise. I didn't think too much about it.

I'll double-check the name of the disc and post back...

[GoldenBoy]

Originally posted by fjhuerta
Amazing.

I own a DVP-NS900V. I just noticed that on one SACD, I got lots of noise! It was less than half a second, but it was like a burst of white noise. I didn't think too much about it.

I'll double-check the name of the disc and post back...

The noise I am referring to is not a white noise, but rather a mechanical noise coming from inside the player. My apologies if I was not clear on that in my original post.

[Chris M]

I've had nothing but problems with my C555ES but I haven't experienced what you described. I just sent mine back to Sony for repairs. Unfortuately it appears I'm out the $120 I spent on shipping the unit (still nder warrenty) to Sony.

[Holy Zoo]

Originally posted by Chris M
I've had nothing but problems with my C555ES but I haven't experienced what you described. I just sent mine back to Sony for repairs. Unfortuately it appears I'm out the $120 I spent on shipping the unit (still nder warrenty) to Sony.

YIKES! $120 shipping? It shouldn't have been that high, should it?

[Henry Love]

I've heard some noises on my 777ES every once in a while.I've read someone thought it was one part of the chassis heating up expanding against another.

[SculptorD5]

I've noticed things like this on my Pioneer 563, but they're very subtle. Not audible when listening to music of course, but you can hear the player make sounds when the room is dead silent and you get your ear near it.

With redbook it makes the normal cd player sounds, but with SACDs it make's these "laser sounds", almost like track changing sounds, every few seconds. Does the laser read SACDs in different ways than redbook?

As long as the music isn't affected, i guess it doens't matter.

Danny

[JohnT]

I've had my 555ES for exactly two years now and sometimes hear transport chatter prior to a disc playing. Once playback starts, it goes away. I've heard others say similar things but i've never heard of a fatal unit.

[john greenwood]

I just got mine back from Sony for the second time. In each case I started to hear light thumping noises while the disc was spinning as though the platter was out of kilter. It continued to get worse and affected more and more discs.

The first repair corrected the problem for almost a year (despite increased playing of SACDs).

In both cases Sony's service center handled the matter reasonably well, although during the recent repair, their web site gave inaccurate information. The first time I was able to bring the unit into the Sony Style store in Manhattan and they shipped it. The second time I had to ship it myself. I shipped Fed Ex ground for about $10.00

[John L]

Hopefully, I don't jinx myself, but my 555 has been very good to me for some time. SACD's do make more whirling sounds from within the unit. This is more apparent at the beginning of a disk with your ear to the unit. It's nice to have the 5 yr. warranty.

John

[peterC]

This is only half serious but maybe shards of plastic are breaking away from the inner rims of your hybrids and being chewed up inside the sony!

[john greenwood]

I considered a number of things. I don't have that many of the Crest hybrid titles. (I may be the last remaining rock fan who has never owned "Dark Side of the Moon" in any format.) Also my problem first occurred before the hybrid issue arose.

I hunted around the web and saw several other reports of the problem. Let's just hope that Sony has seen enough instances that its repair technique has improved. In any event I got the unit at the $600 closeout price. If I get 5 years out of it under warranty, I'll feel I did okay. Besides, by then I'll need an SACD II player.;)

[GoldenBoy]

Well, on the Death Cab For Cutie hybrid, the sound is very loud and audible during playback other than at the loudest volume levels. The Talk Talk disc is a bit more subtle, but still distracting.

So, is it now correct for me to assume that, based on my understanding of the posts here thus far, this is problem is fairly common with this unit yet non-fatal and that I can get this repaired by Sony under the warranty?

[john greenwood]

So, is it now correct for me to assume that, based on my understanding of the posts here thus far, this is problem is fairly common with this unit yet non-fatal and that I can get this repaired by Sony under the warranty?

To the first part, I don't know how common, but it's not unheard of and Sony does seem to have a sense of what to do about it even if the first repair didn't resolve the issue permanently.

To the second part, yes it's been fixed under warranty for me twice.

[GoldenBoy]

Well then I think I'm going to have to learn to live without my player for a while and prepare it for shipment back to Sony.:sigh: It's a good thing that I have the 563a to stand in for the Sony for a while.

[KeithH]

I have two 'C555ES changers (different systems) and hear what I call a "woodpecker pecking" sound when I cue up certain SACDs. It only seems to happen on the first few tracks of a disc. When the music starts, I can only hear the pecking noise if I put my ear right up to the player. I have had no problems with either changer, knock on brushed aluminum. :)