+1 tothe Sony ES players. My 9100 ES still singing with no issues.
CD player reliability.... good and bad.
Since the mid late 80’s I have gone through probably 15 + CD players, some lasted me many many years, some were non working out of box, some lasted a week, some months, and as said some lasted years.
Is the shipping process causing some jolting of the unit, and innards get jolted and the tray or a small piece gets damaged? Or just the way they are made?
We take great care of our CD players, dust cover when not in use, don’t drop them, hit them, shake them.....yet they just stop working or things go bad, skipping, display goes out prematurely, tray rubs on something, or any number of issues...!! ??
BUT,....my cheap pickup truck CD player still works after 13+ years , dust, bumps, filth, exploding pops, lots of dust in my truck from my profession, dash, floor, everywhere, years of dust, caked all over, yet I put in a cd, and the darn thing still works.
But , recently it has started to act up, it plays everything I put in it, but sometimes won’t eject,...
anyway, why is it most CD players have a reliability problem. NOT all of them, but there seems to be a %10-15 of new players that arrive in non-working, or only last a short time.
Any thoughts......
Is the shipping process causing some jolting of the unit, and innards get jolted and the tray or a small piece gets damaged? Or just the way they are made?
We take great care of our CD players, dust cover when not in use, don’t drop them, hit them, shake them.....yet they just stop working or things go bad, skipping, display goes out prematurely, tray rubs on something, or any number of issues...!! ??
BUT,....my cheap pickup truck CD player still works after 13+ years , dust, bumps, filth, exploding pops, lots of dust in my truck from my profession, dash, floor, everywhere, years of dust, caked all over, yet I put in a cd, and the darn thing still works.
But , recently it has started to act up, it plays everything I put in it, but sometimes won’t eject,...
anyway, why is it most CD players have a reliability problem. NOT all of them, but there seems to be a %10-15 of new players that arrive in non-working, or only last a short time.
Any thoughts......
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Pretty satisfied with mine, which have all lasted 5-10 years or more. (except for the car ones, which not only suck, but tend to scratch the discs I use in them. Or maybe it's just because I don't handle them as carefully when I'm driving. Now I just get them used. Even changing out the laser assembly is much easier than one would think. But whoa! Leaving one one w/ disc causes wear on the laser? (Oops). |
"Are any top loading CD+SACD players currently made?" Great question. Qualia 007 used to be some sort of a top-loader, but not exactly what comes to mind as "top-loader". I wonder how was the realiability on them. I doubt it was many of them, though. It was really cool to watch and pleasure to listen to... Sony Qualia 007 Integrated SACD Sytem. ULTIMATE high end Statement from Sony. Gorgeous! | CD/SACD Players | South Bend, Indiana 46614 | Audiogon In action... Qualia 007 - YouTube |
My experience mirrors skypunk, Mahler 123, georgehifi and others. Tremendous reliability and service from CD players and transports with many years of frequent use. And if chosen wisely one can expect excellent sound quality and music reproduction with Redbook CD. Depends on what has been purchased. Charles |
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Yes, what roxy said. I've had $500 NAD CDP's that have lasted over 10 years. I have one in my office system and another in the garage. I also have a Rega Apollo-R that's been in service over 5 years. I have a feeling that top loaders might be more dependable, however, no data to prove it. There are many more expensive players like Bryston, Marantz, etc. that should last for many years. |
Very good reliability, better than amplifiers. I still have 80’s 90’s transports coming through here that are still 100%. But there are some do’s and don’ts to keeping them good. Never leave them powered up with a cd in them, this actives the laser and chews up it’s life expectancy very quickly. If ever a new laser is installed, good idea to change any belts and lube all plastic tray sliders and any plastic gears, but ONLY" with "non petroleum" based lubes. I like the blue coloured PBR (Rubber Grease) or similar made from castor bean oil myself, from auto supply shops. https://www.ebay.com/itm/PBR-RUBBER-GREASE-FOR-LUBRICATING-RUBBER-BRAKE-PISTON-BOOTS-CUPS-17-5ML-/12... Cheers George |
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why is it most CD players have a reliability problem. NOT all of them, but there seems to be a %10-15 of new players that arrive in non-working, or only last a short time.Look, they are CD players. Everyone knows they are disposable, including most of all the manufacturers. If they last out the 90 days warranty, great, another 90 and they are obsolete, so if they die right out of the box, no big. We just send another POC to replace it. Not like a turntable, where you expect a good 30 years after which it is worth more than you paid for it. Once you understand the market forces it all makes perfect sense. |
A CD player is a much higher precision machine than your pickup truck. I haven’t had problems with CD players myself, but there’s no doubt that lasers and transport mechanisms do break down. You can always check the warranty before buying. If it’s 90 days, the player is probably not built for the long haul. Bryston has a reputation for being built like a tank and offers a 5 year warranty. Bryston is also known for good customer service before and after the warranty expires. |
