Digital Drive

Upsamplers, DACs, jitter, shakes and analogue withdrawals, this is it.

Return to Digital Drive

Message Sort: Post Order or Asylum Reverse Threaded

Replacement for Sony 213Q laserhead

149.5.23.9
Posted on December 19, 2016 at 00:52:06
akolegov
Audiophile

Posts: 979
Location: Russia
Joined: July 1, 2010
 My CDP (MHZS CD-88F) does not read CDs properly (there is some intermittent noise during playback). First I noticed this problem a couple of years ago, then listened mostly to vinyl records.

I posted this question here before and an Asylum inmate suggested that it was the problem with the laser head.

The laser head used by this CDP is Sony 213Q. I made a search in the Internet and only found 213Q with some other letters.

I also heard that the quality of the Sony 213Q laser head is not good and its service life is short.

If so, is there any laser head of better quality but structurally similar to the Sony 213Q?

The CD player sounds rather good and must be repaired, if I manage to get a suitable and reliable laser head.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

 

Hide full thread outline!
    ...
RE: Replacement for Sony 213Q laserhead, posted on December 19, 2016 at 08:10:48
Jonesy
Audiophile

Posts: 3156
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Joined: September 1, 2005
Contributor
  Since: March 1, 2018
 "Intermittent noise" like "skipping?" May not be the laser head. You could try cleaning it. Also test it's tracking capabilities with a simple triangle of masking tape on the data side. Narrow end near spindle. See when it starts to mis-track.

Otherwise, your intermittent noise may be caused by the tubes, sockets and or pins needing a clean. Also your CDP model is prone to bad solder joints.

Don't know of any laser head assembly upgrades.

Good luck!

Jonesy






"I know just enough to get into trouble. But not enough to get out of it."




 

RE: Replacement for Sony 213Q laserhead, posted on December 19, 2016 at 09:00:52
akolegov
Audiophile

Posts: 979
Location: Russia
Joined: July 1, 2010
 Thank you! I plan to invite a tech to test it when we have time.

 

""there is some intermittent noise during playback"" if it has tubes.. The noise is from a tube, not the laser, posted on December 24, 2016 at 14:59:22
3+4=5
 I Googled you model number and the images show the unit has tubes.
The 'classic' tube problem if they get old and are starting to fail:
"there is some intermittent noise during playback"
For preamp tubes (which IF you have tubes, they are preamp tubes) the real typical problem is they become noisy. IE start making some noise, but music still plays.

Whomever said replace the laser is not very smart about laser problems.
Lasers STOP WORKING, or you find it hard to start a disc, or the disc is always skipping..

But NOT noise while playing.. No way!! That is NOT a laser reading problem.
So IMO you should have a tube repair type person look at your tubes.

 

RE: ""there is some intermittent noise during playback"" if it has tubes.. The noise is from a tube, not the laser, posted on December 24, 2016 at 15:54:39
akolegov
Audiophile

Posts: 979
Location: Russia
Joined: July 1, 2010
 It's an interesting idea - I swapped three pairs of 12AX7 tubes, two pairs of vintage tubes (Mullard and Mazda) and a pair of stock tubes, but it did not cure the problem. Perhaps, I used a wrong term ("intermittent noise"), but the laser really skips the disc and the sound gets interrupted.

Re tubes, in addition to two 12AX7 tubes, this player also has a voltage regulator (I don't remember its designation) and a rectifier tube. It is worth swapping a rectifier tube (if I manage to find one) and see what happens...

 

OK. Then another thing you can try (experiment), posted on December 24, 2016 at 19:33:22
3+4=5
 Another possible problem is the small part the CD lays on as it spins may have 'dropped' enough to make it difficult for the laser to read all discs. Often this is caused by trying out a CD dampening disc on top of a CD. Or accidentally inserting two CDs, or the CD is inserted crooked, so it jams.
It only takes ONE TIME to push down the spindle gizmo enough to cause slight problems.

Take a disc you have a problem with, and place packing tape, or any sort of tape which you can later remove.. And place it so it raises the disc a tiny bit.
Many CDs have a raised circle (some do not) a inch of so away from the center. Place the tape or paper so it is only inside the raised area. (but so it also has the hole in the center left open.
Then the experimental CD will lay slightly higher.
If now it reads fine... Then the CD carrier may have fallen down the spindle a little.
MOST CD laser motor spindles have only a friction fit for the CD holder height.

I have moved some up slightly to make a player work better.
The part the CD rests on needs only perhaps the thickness of two sheets of paper higher.. IF that is the problem.
I found it can be pried upward with any old screwdriver, if one is careful.
Or you can place a permanent 'lift' over the motor CD contact area.
Again, only the thickness of a piece of writing paper or two should do it.

 

RE: ""there is some intermittent noise during playback"" if it has tubes.. The noise is from a tube, not the laser, posted on December 25, 2016 at 11:18:06
akolegov
Audiophile

Posts: 979
Location: Russia
Joined: July 1, 2010



I opened the lid today and saw the melted tube (WY2 voltage stalilizer, or, as they call it, power rectifier).

It appears that the tube exploded and smeared the socket. Luckily, the contacts were not affected.

I hope that the problem is with the tube, not the laser head...

 

RE: ""there is some intermittent noise during playback"" if it has tubes.. The noise is from a tube, not the laser, posted on December 25, 2016 at 12:54:38
akolegov
Audiophile

Posts: 979
Location: Russia
Joined: July 1, 2010
 I meant "stabilizer"...

 

RE: ""there is some intermittent noise during playback"" if it has tubes.. The noise is from a tube, not the laser, posted on December 27, 2016 at 22:32:03
akolegov
Audiophile

Posts: 979
Location: Russia
Joined: July 1, 2010
 I brought a couple of Mazda OB2 tubes yesterday and replaced the faulty tube, but the problem (skipping) remains, though to a lesser extent. The CDP requires a thorough check.

 

Page processed in 0.020 seconds.

[ Top Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]