I picked up an old Sony CD player, a CDP-591. Surprisingly good sound for what looks like a fairly old and simple machine. I don't think I have ever had a player that reads the disc so quickly.
It is however ridiculously sensitive to any knocks or bumps. If I place a mug of tea on the same table it is sitting on then it skips. If I place a remote control on the top of it, it skips.
Is this normal for this model, or has something become worn with age. Is it curable?
Cheers
It is however ridiculously sensitive to any knocks or bumps. If I place a mug of tea on the same table it is sitting on then it skips. If I place a remote control on the top of it, it skips.
Is this normal for this model, or has something become worn with age. Is it curable?
Cheers
Attachments
Is it a KSS240 pickup?
It is not normal to be that sensitive so something is amiss. It may well be the laser pickup that is the problem but you should diagnose it properly if you can using a scope to look at the RF. If you don't at least do that then it is all guesswork.
I believe the lens suspension (internal to the pickup) was a problem with the original devices, but we are going back decades now.
Cheap generic KKS240's are reported as being generally pretty good and should be 'plug and play'.
Sony CDP790 and KSS240 Restoration Project
It is not normal to be that sensitive so something is amiss. It may well be the laser pickup that is the problem but you should diagnose it properly if you can using a scope to look at the RF. If you don't at least do that then it is all guesswork.
I believe the lens suspension (internal to the pickup) was a problem with the original devices, but we are going back decades now.
Cheap generic KKS240's are reported as being generally pretty good and should be 'plug and play'.
Sony CDP790 and KSS240 Restoration Project
OK, I will take a look inside again later. Cheers.
The person who had it before said it would start skipping erratically. I have not experienced that yet. Maybe when it heats up.
The person who had it before said it would start skipping erratically. I have not experienced that yet. Maybe when it heats up.
I’ve had several Sony CD players of this model and similar models on my workbench over the course of the past several months.
Although all were functional after cleaning & replacing loose tray open/close drive belts, they tended to be sensitive to skipping as a result of mechanical shock & vibration, similar to what you observed.
All of the skipping stopped after I replaced the original factory KSS-240A optical pickups with new generic KSS-240A pickups. I almost have to hit the workbench hard with a hammer to force a CD player with a new KSS-240A inside it to skip.
These new generic KSS-240A pickups rarely need any adjustment of their trimpots. They are basically a “drop-in” replacement.
I obtained generic KSS-240A pickups from Amazon & eBay. Prices ranged from $14 to $24 USD. Some of the vendors were in the US while others shipped from China. I didn’t observe any variation in performance or appearance. All of them looked the same and all of them worked well.
At this time I’m inclined to replace nearly every old KSS-240A pickup with a new generic pickup. To me these new generic pickups work better than the originals.
-EB
Although all were functional after cleaning & replacing loose tray open/close drive belts, they tended to be sensitive to skipping as a result of mechanical shock & vibration, similar to what you observed.
All of the skipping stopped after I replaced the original factory KSS-240A optical pickups with new generic KSS-240A pickups. I almost have to hit the workbench hard with a hammer to force a CD player with a new KSS-240A inside it to skip.
These new generic KSS-240A pickups rarely need any adjustment of their trimpots. They are basically a “drop-in” replacement.
I obtained generic KSS-240A pickups from Amazon & eBay. Prices ranged from $14 to $24 USD. Some of the vendors were in the US while others shipped from China. I didn’t observe any variation in performance or appearance. All of them looked the same and all of them worked well.
At this time I’m inclined to replace nearly every old KSS-240A pickup with a new generic pickup. To me these new generic pickups work better than the originals.
-EB
Erratic intermittent skipping, or stopping altogether partway through a disc, is often caused by a faulty sled drive motor. These motors sometimes develop “dead spots” where the voltage provided by the servo system is insufficient to cause the sled motor to rotate.
Both the sled drive and spindle motors can be tested by applying 0-6V DC from a variable power supply. The motor current should be <50mA at voltages up to 6V. The motor should begin to rotate smoothly when the applied voltage reaches 1V. At 6V the motor should rotate at 1,000 to 2,500 RPM. The motor should perform the same in both directions of rotation. This can be tested by reversing the DC polarity applied to the motor.
Important: When testing a sled motor, always remove one of the plastic drive gears first, or test the sled motor while the optical pickup is removed. This prevents driving the optical pickup sled against the end stops which may damage the plastic teeth on the gears or the rack.
-EB
Thanks for that. Sounds relatively straightforward, I must look into replacing the pick-up. Sounds like just the job.
Well, it is set up in my bedroom system and is working fine. If it gets erratic, without any external influences, then I will probably just let it go. I could replace the pick up, but then it may be one of these other things at fault, and I am just not sure it is worth the time and cost.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Tilting the whole player somewhat left or right (as looked at from the front) and retesting will show whether it’s spindle motor.
Otherwise a new laser would be on the cards
Otherwise a new laser would be on the cards
Just sharing my experience.
I ordered the same KSS240A pick up from China and replaced the pick up of my Sony CDP-311 single cd player.
Though it reada faster now, the skipping part happens when unit is bumped or a vibration is felt on the table/rack where the unit is placed.
I ordered the same KSS240A pick up from China and replaced the pick up of my Sony CDP-311 single cd player.
Though it reada faster now, the skipping part happens when unit is bumped or a vibration is felt on the table/rack where the unit is placed.