Sony CDPL no-cd error after working fine for a while

[Edi M]

Hello friends ! First i would like to say that reading some of the topics here on audiokarma was both a pleasure and very informative. This time around i would like to get some opinions on a strange phenomenon that a couple of cd players from sony displayed while using them.

So on different occasions i have bought a cdp-xe200 and an older cdp 591. Now, both players would read almost any cd very fast and without any skipping or delays.....until after some time, when both would stop all of a sudden and display the "no-cd" error. The xe200 would do this after a couple of minutes, while the 591 did it after around 30 minutes, or quicker if i skipped tracks. After switching them off and leaving them for an hour or so, this cycle would repeat. What`s the explanation? Is it something to do with the laser motor overheating or something like that? This question has been bugging me for some time, especially since i`ve never heard of other brands of cdpl doing the same.

 

[willyrover]

Not an expert here by any means but if they were my players I would start by looking into the power supply for a heat related issue.


I notice on the CDP-591 there is a heatsinked regulator very close to the larger electrolytics near the power transformer. I'd start with a visual inspection of the capacitors (bulging, leaking, etc) and solder joints below the board.

Then check that the correct voltages are present at startup (when the player is working properly) and then if you're loosing any voltages when the fault occurs. You'll probably need the schematic for this unless the voltages are silkscreened on the board.

During the fault, when you close the empty drawer, does the player attempts to load a disc? Does the lens attempt to focus? Can you see the red laser light? If this doesn't happen you're probably missing a voltage.

If you're missing voltages or if they aren't correct, investigate why. Check again for bad solder joints especially on the larger connections and those that thermal cycle like the regulators with a magnifier.

 

[Edi M]

Thanks for the answer. I forgot to mention the fact that i sold both players some time ago, i was simply wondering what was going on. Yesterday i just ordered a denon dcd-820 and a denon dvd1000 for music playing, and i really hope they would last me a bit longer than the sony-s. But in case i stumble across this issue again, it`s good to know what i should be looking for, even though i`m not really that good at fixing things.

Thank you again for the advice.