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Rotel CD player not playing all ripped CDs

98.156.123.126
Posted on December 13, 2016 at 11:29:46
Postal Grunt
Audiophile

Posts: 3439
Location: Northeastern Kansas, USA
Joined: January 18, 2001
 I have a Rotel RCD-1072 and it has been a trouper for a long time, playing new, used, and ripped CDs without a blink of its digital eye. However, it's now has a small inconsistency in that some of my backup copies play fine and some don't. The problem copies do play when I use my desktop's Windows Media Player for playback.

I use the drive in my HP desktop to feed an old Mad Dog burner utilizing the basic Cyberlink Power2Go software and have done so for years with no problems other than deep scratches on the used CD being copied.

The problem CD-Rs all came from the same stack as many successful copies. So where should I start troubleshooting? I'm thinking a dusty lens in the Rotel, a bad lot of CD-Rs (unlikely since they play in the desktop), the burner is ready for replacement, corrupted software or is there something else that I'm overlooking?

 

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CD player spindle height.. Some can slip a little..., posted on December 13, 2016 at 14:29:17
Smelly_Socks
 The motor which spins the CDs has a platform which holds the CD at the right height. On many players this platform is just a friction fit on the spindle. So it can move of pushed on. (usually it gets wacked if two CDs are stacked, or a mat is tried...)

A way to check and find out WITHOUT taking anything apart:
On your failing CDs.. Place a layer of packing tape just around the face (data) side where the CD meets the spindle. (NO TAPE ON THE DATA AREA) So the tape is lifting the CD just a little off the base holder. Some CDs have a flat face. some a little ridge in the center area. Stay INSIDE that little ridge, and also inside taht area on CDs with no ridge. Maybe try two layers..
Anyway, if the CD now plays.. You have your answer. The easiest way is just use the tape. If you are more adventurous..

If the tape DID fix the problem.. and you are willing to try...
The way to fix is open the play top and watch a CD get loaded.
Look at how it 'fits' between the spindle and the top puck.
Usually CD players have a top puck to steady the CD. The puck is typically a loose spinner with a capture surround. So the puck spins free, but when the CD is leaving, the top puck will be 'captured' and held back.

Watch the spinning top puck and it's relation to the holder.
Is it centered?
If so, your CD base has not slipped. If it is low, and almost to the bottom of the holder, then most likely your CD base has slipped down.

It can usually be moved up a bit with a tug. Finding the right height is watching the spinning CD.
Note this height variance which works is measured in fractions of a mm. So very little is best start.

 

Also some CD-R are junk, Even CD-R are being bootlegged and can be junk, not the brand name you thought, posted on December 13, 2016 at 14:34:33
Smelly_Socks
 Plenty of garbage CD-R being made.
And bootlegged brand name CD=R.
So if you bought off Amazon seller, or eBay..
Cheap, good chance they are phoney brand name.
But from a retail company.. Like Best Buy. At least less likely to be fake brand CD-R

 

RE: Rotel CD player not playing all ripped CDs, posted on December 13, 2016 at 15:09:08
Jonesy
Audiophile

Posts: 3156
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Joined: September 1, 2005
Contributor
  Since: March 1, 2018
 SS provides good advice.

Also, definitely try cleaning the lens.

Jonesy


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




 

Another suggestion, posted on December 13, 2016 at 15:11:04
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37555
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 Minimize the burn speed.

 

You are not alone even the Expensive Club shirks!, posted on December 13, 2016 at 15:33:32
Des
Audiophile

Posts: 2110
Location: Great Barrier Reef
Joined: August 3, 2000
Contributor
  Since: August 2, 2000
 Blah--my TLO and Sondek CD12 were right little asswipes neither would play CD-Rs consistently

I tried the TYudens/ MoFi/and all manner of so called " super CD-r's--none were all conquering

in either of those players-hell both sometimes wouldn't even play brand new commercial recorded

CDs!

The along came NAIM--yes the full of PRAT brand and Glory be--it plays all in sundry CD-rs without a glitch

Thank heaven as I've just Digitised 100 odd LPs--thank you Naim!

Des

 

RE: You are not alone even the Expensive Club shirks!, posted on December 14, 2016 at 13:33:57
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15515
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Good to read- Des

I like Naim spinners as well.

 

RE: Rotel CD player not playing all ripped CDs, posted on December 15, 2016 at 15:06:56
Land Shark
Audiophile

Posts: 504
Location: South Florida
Joined: April 26, 2000
Contributor
  Since: September 6, 2000
 My Musical Fidelity M1CDT transport has difficulty playing CD-Rs intermittently, but only when playing computer CD-Rs. And it may have trouble reading the disc then play fine the next time I insert the disc. It has never failed to play a CD-R made on my Denon CD recorder. I have no idea why it sometimes doesn't like computer CD-Rs, but there it is. And the playback transport on the Denon plays everything, even badly scratched CDs that won't play on any of my other transports. Weird.
Best regards, Ralph

 

RE:Update, posted on December 20, 2016 at 09:31:45
Postal Grunt
Audiophile

Posts: 3439
Location: Northeastern Kansas, USA
Joined: January 18, 2001
 I've started eliminating some of what I thought might be at fault. I've tried playing one of the suspect discs and the original in both my desktop and the burner, using the Windows Media Player function that came with the desktop. No problems there so I think that it's rational to presume that neither of those two devices are at fault nor is the software.

While I've long used either 36X or 24X as the read speed and either 16X or 8X as the burn speed, depending on the condition of the original disc, and gotten good results, I was ripping and burning simultaneously. Since the practice wasn't broke, I didn't see the need to fix it.

The original discs were all cleaned with the same stuff I use for my glasses and then treated with Brillianize. The four CD-Rs that aren't being read came from the same stack of 100 CD-Rs that four successful CD-Rs from the same session originated. The stack came from the OP, KS Microcenter store where I've been buying CD-Rs for years.

The Rotel player still readily plays CD-Rs that were burnt before this problem occurred. Those CD-Rs primarily include the Sony, Phillips, Magnavox, RiData, and Windata brands. I haven't looked for any other stray brands that someone else might have passed on to me but I never had problems with those so I didn't spend the time to look. I haven't eliminated the player as the culprit since the suspect discs play through the desktop.

I guess the next step is to use one of the original discs to rip, then burn a CD-R in the both the burner and the internal unit of the desktop to see if the copies play in my Rotel unit. CD-Rs are cheap so there's no big loss if they don't turn out well.

The final step is to clean the lens in the Rotel. I have no faith in the efficacy of supposed lens cleaning discs because of a suspicion that they may knock the lens around and out of place. Opening up the case on the Rotel to access the lens is more of a nuisance than opening cases of other brands but that's what it looks like what it may take.

Are there any other variables that I might not have considered?

 

RE:Update, posted on December 20, 2016 at 13:45:56
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15515
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 You are on-track- Postal Grunt.

 

Fickle-- yes, posted on December 20, 2016 at 14:35:51
Des
Audiophile

Posts: 2110
Location: Great Barrier Reef
Joined: August 3, 2000
Contributor
  Since: August 2, 2000
 My $20K TL0 wouldn't play Rounder Records CDs-nor half my CD-Rs

The 10 year old MacBook Pro spins them without a wimper

Go figure?

Goo luck with yours!

Des

 

RE: Fickle-- yes, posted on December 23, 2016 at 16:35:21
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15515
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Odd indeed- Des

 

RE:Update, it looks like I need a replacement burner, posted on December 26, 2016 at 21:33:57
Postal Grunt
Audiophile

Posts: 3439
Location: Northeastern Kansas, USA
Joined: January 18, 2001
 I got around to ripping and burning CD-Rs on both the burner unit, an old Mad Dog brand unit, and the internal CD/DVD burner in my HP desktop. The internal burner result played in my Rotel with no problem. The "Mad Dog" appears to be the culprit because even though the CD-R appeared to be successfully burnt, it failed to play in either of the burner units using Windows Media Player or my Rotel CD player.

Considering that I've had the Mad Dog unit for at least eight years, I'm not upset that it finally bit the dust. My next move is to go down to the Microcenter store in OP, KS where they have some LG burners on sale for around $24+TX with a one year warranty. At that price, it's almost a disposable unit but it will have to do until I need to find a laptop and some reasonably priced software.

 

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