Skips are not only from dirty lenses but also from worn parts causing the laser drive head assembly to mistrack. The laser itself could be worn out, or the drive mechanisms are gummed up, loose servo gears or deformed drive belts, or a glitch in the logic circuitry.
The popping sound is most likely from loose connectors or soldered leads anywhere from the optical circuitry all the way back to the output jacks. The pops are most likely from arcing which are probably not related to the skipping.
The popping sound is most likely from loose connectors or soldered leads anywhere from the optical circuitry all the way back to the output jacks. The pops are most likely from arcing which are probably not related to the skipping.