CD player repair

Cool Dude Ted

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Bit of a long shot, but would any fellow members know of anyone in Gloucestershire (Wiltshire at a push) who can repair CD players.
From various conversations, I understand it is most likely the output relay (RCAs) that is faulty. Brand is Cambridge Audio if relevant.
Thanks.
 

Lurch

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TBH, unless it's a CD1, then Cambridge or other makes of CDPs are cheap as chips on eBay so wouldn't really be worth repairing. I would be inclined to grab another CDP of eBay and stick your knackered one on for £20 spares or repairs.
 

Cool Dude Ted

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TBH, unless it's a CD1, then Cambridge or other makes of CDPs are cheap as chips on eBay so wouldn't really be worth repairing. I would be inclined to grab another CDP of eBay and stick your knackered one on for £20 spares or repairs.
Thanks for the reply. I’d been under the impression that the CD player was worth ‘saving’ but I’ll think again now.
I stream 95% of my music anyway, with around 5% TT.
There was always the danger that I’d get it repaired, only to see it sit unused.
Thanks again.
 

tackleberry

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Thanks for the reply. I’d been under the impression that the CD player was worth ‘saving’ but I’ll think again now.
I stream 95% of my music anyway, with around 5% TT.
There was always the danger that I’d get it repaired, only to see it sit unused.
Thanks again.
What player is it?
 

rabski

Everything in moderation
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A quick search suggests you could find the same model, used and fully working, for under £150. Basically therefore, worth repairing if the repair comes to less than that.
 
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Andy Stephenson

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A quick search suggests you could find the same model, used and fully working, for under £150. Basically therefore, worth repairing if the repair comes to less than that.
Do Richer Sounds not do repairs? Take it back to where you got it, if only for a quote.

Andy
 

rabski

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Do Richer Sounds not do repairs? Take it back to where you got it, if only for a quote.

Andy
They do, but AFAIK, they make a £40 non-refundable change to assess anything and then offer an estimate for repair. No criticism, as I totally understand the necessity. Most commercial repairers do something similar.

It's simply that there seems a pretty high likelihood of the total repair cost exceeding the value, so you're immediately £40 or so out of pocket just to establish that.

Each to their own. I can't say 'if it was mine....', as if it was, I'd attempt a repair here. However, assuming I couldn't do so, with anything worth not much more than £100, I'd personally sell it for peanuts as 'needs repair' and throw money at something better.

Do you (OP, as your profile suggests) have a separate DAC? If so, why not run the Azur just as a transport? The 'fault' is noted as being the RCA outputs, so it should still output a digital stream.
 
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Cool Dude Ted

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They do, but AFAIK, they make a £40 non-refundable change to assess anything and then offer an estimate for repair. No criticism, as I totally understand the necessity. Most commercial repairers do something similar.

It's simply that there seems a pretty high likelihood of the total repair cost exceeding the value, so you're immediately £40 or so out of pocket just to establish that.

Each to their own. I can't say 'if it was mine....', as if it was, I'd attempt a repair here. However, assuming I couldn't do so, with anything worth not much more than £100, I'd personally sell it for peanuts as 'needs repair' and throw money at something better.

Do you (OP, as your profile suggests) have a separate DAC? If so, why not run the Azur just as a transport? The 'fault' is noted as being the RCA outputs, so it should still output a digital stream.
Thanks.
I’ve had it running happily on both optical and co-ax into my Schiit DAC.
It’s just that I’d read a couple of views (not here) suggesting that the internal circuitry/Inbuilt DACS produced an excellent SQ output and I just wanted to try it to make my own mind up.
But not at any cost. And unless I could get it repaired for no more than (say) 50% of what it would be worth to sell it on, then I’m not going to bother and the suggestion of selling for spares and repairs is probably they way I’ll go.
 

Hi-Fi Choice

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It’s an Azur 640c version 2 with twin DACs.
I’d been told by someone (not on the WAM) that the v2 was a totally different kettle of fish to the v1 and potentially worth repairing.
Yes...worth to repair! 👍
640C V2.0 is excellent CD player and mostly (99%) have laser issues!
Brand new, complete mechanism (SF-P101N - 16pins), free postage...is 11£!
I just replaced old laser, couple days ago!
IMG_20220807_110436.jpg IMG_20220807_110428.jpg
 
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Jules_S

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Sorry to hijack your thread, @Cool Dude Ted - I've been using my old Cambridge 740C as a DAC for a long time (prior to the arrival of the Arcam) as the transport mech on it is not working correctly. When loading a disc it seems the clamping mechanaiam doesn't engage, so after a few seconds of whirring it just spits out the CD again.

If these machanisms are cheap enough and easy to change I might do that to mine, just so I can keep it for a second system. It's a nice enough mid-range player with the twin Wolfson DACs (as opposed to the Analog Devices ones used in the 840C).

@Hi-Fi Choice was that a genuine or aftermatket mech, and where did you get it from?
 
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Hi-Fi Choice

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Sorry to hijack your thread, @Cool Dude Ted - I've been using my old Cambridge 740C as a DAC for a long time (prior to the arrival of the Arcam) as the transport mech on it is not working correctly. When loading a disc it seems the clamping mechanaiam doesn't engage, so after a few seconds of whirring it just spits out the CD again.

If these machanisms are cheap enough and easy to change I might do that to mine, just so I can keep it for a second system. It's a nice enough mid-range player with the twin Wolfson DACs (as opposed to the Analog Devices ones used in the 840C).

@Hi-Fi Choice was that a genuine or aftermatket mech, and where did you get it from?
PM sent!
 

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