Xindak cd player won't play 20% of my CDs

Got this cd player for free! I like the sound, a big improvement from my Phillips CD player from the early 90s. Supposedly it had an MSRP of $1695 back in 2003.

The only problem is it won't play ~ 20% of my CDs. It just says "NoDisc". Is this the laser going bad or some compatibility problem? The CDs seem normal and are not "enhanced" ones..

 

The laser is likely going bad. More and more CDs will stop playing on it as time goes on. If you could find someone with a spare laser and know-how, it could be fixed. That could be tough.

 

This would have a lot to do with why it was free to you.

 

Could be just a dirty laser. Remove the cover from the unit. Using a lint-free microfiber cloth and some alcohol, gently (VERY gently!) rub the laser with the moistened cloth. Should only take a rub or two. Be careful not to press too hard as that could scratch the laser and/or misalign it. Reinstall the cover. Hopefully, your problems will be solved (for now).

 

The odd thing is it only won't play certain CDs. Other CDs it has no problem with. If laser is going bad wouldn't all CD's have random play issues? In other words a CD may work today but not tommorrow. That is not the case now.

 

Is there anything in common with the CD's it won't play? From my past experience, excessively long CD's started not to play in one of my CD players, I had to send it in to get the laser realigned, although in the long run it probably had other issues as well.

 

This. Do they, for example, come from the same manufacturer?

 

Not all CDs have the same reflectivity. There is a tolerance that doesn't matter when the laser is correctly working.

 

I have the same player, amazing sound once you have selected the preferred tubes.

Mine has the same problem but only on SACDs. Appears to be either with certain SACD discs , be it smaller, warped or manufacturer. For the ones where I have problems which is Unidisc and high spin rate or serious noise on spin, it’s like the disc is not centered or flat. After multiple tries, it plays fine once I center the SACD correctly.

Alignment?

Any ideas?

 

Can you post a pick of the insides? A PM might be all that is needed as stated above.
Hand tighten the screws and clean the lens. I've fixed older CD players by simply replacing
the belt that open and closes the door. Depends on what you have...

 

I opened it up and gently cleaned the laser, but it did not make any difference. It's always the same CD's that will not read.

 

I do not see anything common in the CD's that it will not play ( sorry for the double negative ).. These are random $1 bin rock/pop cd's from the mid 90s..

 

Do the ones that don't play play on anything else? Including your Philips? (You imply that they do, but I want to pin that down.)

 

What is the condition of the $1 bin CD's?

 

All the CD's that won't play on the Xindak, play great on the Phillips.

 

Hi, looking this up it uses the Sony KHM234AA mechanism. Player looks to have good build so worth picking one up I think.

 

I had a thread about my CDP's death, not recognising or stop playing discs, although I knew the laser was clean.

One drop of 5W oil on the rail and it's working now, I had given up on my Meridian.

Perhaps 2003 is significant 15 years just like mine.

 

I ended up selling this for parts on ebay . It sold within an hour of my listing it for $90 ! I am amazed. I thought I would have to pay someone to get rid of it... I suppose someone out there knows it's value and how to fix it.. I'll message him and ask him what he did in a few weeks and report back here.

 

I had to do the same thing with an old Philips unit I picked up used. It had read issues and needed some recapping. I couldn't find anyone locally to do it for a reasonable price. The guy that bought it was an electronics tinkerer.