- Aug 10, 2019
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Not so long ago I got into terrible trouble on another forum for pointing out that CD mechs were no longer made and that the ones we'd (AVI) been buying for the last few years had been troublesome. Lots of people have very old machines that are still working and found what I'd said difficult to believe. I don't blame them, older and more expensive (relatively) machines did last longer. For the last few months as demand has eroded we've been selling off our remaining stock at heavily discounted prices and with a spare mech and sadly many have given trouble simply because they've not been used since test.
All the problems revolve around sticking laser sleds. If they aren't used regularly they get sticky and won't read discs or can't find the last tracks, if they are used regularly, they last a couple of years upwards, if they get too hot, they last rather less and any static discharges near them can cause failure too.
I tackled Philips about it, they admitted unreliability but explained that all modern mechs are designed for use in Computers where they run at much higher speeds. In these they give little or no trouble, presumably they get less use too.
I mention this because it's something anyone considering a new CD player needs to think about. Regardless of the price you're paying, it's likely that the mech will have been intended for something much cheaper and probably a "throw away", it may not last very long and spares may be difficult.
This was one of many factors that gave us the idea of ADM9s, or anything without a CD transport in it!
Ash
All the problems revolve around sticking laser sleds. If they aren't used regularly they get sticky and won't read discs or can't find the last tracks, if they are used regularly, they last a couple of years upwards, if they get too hot, they last rather less and any static discharges near them can cause failure too.
I tackled Philips about it, they admitted unreliability but explained that all modern mechs are designed for use in Computers where they run at much higher speeds. In these they give little or no trouble, presumably they get less use too.
I mention this because it's something anyone considering a new CD player needs to think about. Regardless of the price you're paying, it's likely that the mech will have been intended for something much cheaper and probably a "throw away", it may not last very long and spares may be difficult.
This was one of many factors that gave us the idea of ADM9s, or anything without a CD transport in it!
Ash