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CD player - skips and static pops ... related?

Over the last 5,6 months or so, my Meridian 506.24 has started skipping. Initially, it was just once every couple of weeks, but recently its been once a day. Also, recently, I hear a static pop coming through the speakers usually accompanied by a skip but NOT always. Are these two issues related? Is this typical behavior for a dying cd player? Ugh ... I love my Meridian and don't want to start auditioning players again.

I'm reasonably sure that the pops are not related to my amps. Both power(SS)and pre (tube) have been upgraded recently and the problem existed before the change. I'm also sure that it's not a tube issue, replacing with new tubes has no effect. This popping occurs at low volumes and normal volumes so I don't think I'm clipping the amp. I'm reasonably sure the speakers are fine, they went back for a refinish job a couple of months back and were also checked out and given a clean bill of health.

Other than the skipping & popping everything sounds great, no obvious distortion of any kind.

The Meridian is getting up there in age. This static popping has me worried that maybe there is another issue involved here. Could electrical surges being causing this?

Thanks in advance for any advice.
tooter
7671
163 posts
 
a Q-tip will work but compressed air is preferred unless there is an actual dirt film on the lens. I have used a q-tip dipped in alcohol,pressing ever so lightly and using compressed air to blow off residue on my 508.24. Hope this works. I'm assuming your CD's are also clean? I had a problem when I first got my 508 skipping and I had to send it back to the factory for repair. It was something minor but was repaired under warranty. The Meridian should last you many many years.
gs5556
769 posts
 
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.
tooter OP
85 posts
 
I think I will try the compressed air first. If that doesn't work then the q-tip/alcohol route. Hopefully that will do the trick.

Gs5556 - my first hunch was what you are describing - arcing. Hopefully we're wrong, and a lens cleaning will do the job. The thought of putting significant $ into repairing an older CD player isn't particularly appealing ... hopefully it's an easily repairable issue.
rudd
51 posts
 
Hello, my CD player suddenly began skipping and the fix was an optic lazer replacement. The "quick fix" for my particular situation was to elevate the front of the CD player approx 4-6 inches when inserting a CD. Once the CD was mounted and all track were initialized, I could then lower my cd player into its original position and let the music play without error. It was a pain but it worked....good luck
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sfar
1,352 posts
 

Besides a dirty lens, the other cause of skipping I'm aware of that's user-fixable is heat. If the player is sitting on top of your amp or is in an enclosed cabinet, or both, the heat can create enough change in the dimensions of the player parts to cause laser alignment problems. That probably wouldn't explain the static pops, though.
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