do cd disc degenerate?

[Gilman]

I have copy of Nimbus Records Elgar Nursery Suite NI7029. I bought it new. I play it occasionally, and it has always played well. When playing it today there was a distinctive "bumping" in the background. On close examination of the disc, I noticed a shadow which I could not remove by cleaning. It would seem that the "shadow" has appeared between the metal surface and the plastic coat. The disc is in a set of four, and one of the other discs has developed a similar mark.

Someone will probably tell me that this well known phenomenon is caused by storing discs along the axis of a layline, or under a power cable, or that it's a sign of radon gas contamination, or just metal fatigue, or plain oxidation.

Has anyone else had this problem? Does anyone know why it is happening? How can I protect my 1000 silver spinners?

 

[meninblack]

Regardless of the hype, they don't last forever. It sounds like yours is delaminating, which is bad but a fairly random occurrance.

Keep them in their cases, aviod too much heat and (especially) daylight. They still won't last forever though....

 

[JANDL100]

There is a known problem with some Nimbus-pressed discs (they used to do a lot of CD pressing for other labels, so it's not just Nimbus discs that are affected) - IIRC the paint/dye used on the label side writing/printing corrodes thru the disc after a while and the disc slowly becomes unplayable.

They used to have a return-for-replacement scheme - but it's a long time since I heard about it.

 

[JANDL100]

.......

I don't think there's anything you can do except replace the ones that are affected ... although you could try CDR-copying the bad disc(s) - a CD copier is often a more robust reading machine, so may work where your normal player craps out. This form of copying (for backup purposes) is legal too!!

 

[Gilman]

Thanks guys. Most interesting!

 

[cjr]

Worth also pointing out to everyone who puts a label or write with felt markers onto CD-Rs that these will eventually destroy the innards of a CD.

 

[JANDL100]

If you do try making a CDR copy, let us know how you get on.

 

[meninblack]

cjr wrote:

Worth also pointing out to everyone who puts a label or write with felt markers onto CD-Rs that these will eventually destroy the innards of a CD.

Nonsense! If I write "Love" or "Peace" on the label side of my CD's using the "special" pen from Mr Belt, the sound is enormously improved - even if I'm not playing that particular CD....

Nurse! I think I need another one of those Blue pills...

 

[Hawk]

Your pills are green

Thank god you have nurse too look after you :bounce:

 

[mosfet]

meninblack wrote:

It sounds like yours is delaminating, which is bad but a fairly random occurrance.

Give it a few years. Wait for all the tits who have shaved the edges of their CDs. There may be an epidemic of CD rot just around the corner.

 

[meninblack]

mosfet wrote:

meninblack wrote:

It sounds like yours is delaminating, which is bad but a fairly random occurrance.

Give it a few years. Wait for all the tits who have shaved the edges of their CDs. There may be an epidemic of CD rot just around the corner.

I was just thinking that myself, Mossie.

In a similar vein, the thing that shines a very bright light on the CD isn't going to be helpful either. I've had a fewdelaminate - heat and daylight are the killers.

 

[Injector]

Oh great. I've got 700+ cds, all mint and unscratched yet you're telling me these are eventually going to need replacing??? I always knew these shitty 20p discs {which sell for anything up to eighteen quid} weren't up to much.

 

[JamPal]

Make sure you "treat" them all Injector. Makes a palpable difference....

to their longevity.

 

[Injector]

HiFiWigWam wrote:

Make sure you "treat" them all Injector. Makes a palpable difference....to their longevity.

What, for real an' that?

 

[epca]

Sounds like some form of delamination or pressing defect; you should be able to get a replacement from Nimbus if you write to them.

Hyperion used to have a problem with 'bronzed' discs some time ago; FWIW you can read about it here: http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/bronzed.asp

I think the earliest CD's are now about 25 years old. I don't see a particular pattern of deterioration amongst my cd's (provided they have been kept in their cases, or plastic sleeves); the large majority are fine but the odd few have started to show physical signs of deterioration around the inside and outside edges (bits of the aluminium seems to have been eaten away) but as I said this could be more down to pressing faults or rough handling rather than any fundamental durability problem with the media.

Of course, they haven't been around long enough for us to know that they will last a lifetime...

Ed

 

[JamPal]

Injector wrote:

HiFiWigWam wrote:

Make sure you "treat" them all Injector. Makes a palpable difference....to their longevity.

What, for real an' that?

Yes Sir.

 

[Injector]

HiFiWigWam wrote:

Injector wrote:

HiFiWigWam wrote:

Make sure you "treat" them all Injector. Makes a palpable difference....to their longevity.

What, for real an' that?

Yes Sir.

I've noticed threads before about 'treating' cds and how it 'improves' the sound but I hadn't realised it made 'em last longer too. Can you point me in the direction of more reading material? Ta. :nerd:

 

[Dick Bowman]

To date I've had no problems with manufactured CDs.

But CDRs are a different story (and there's a trend toward CDRs among short-run labels).

 

[Gilman]

Just for the record (sic) my Nimbus are stored in the case (holds four discs and opens like a book) AND the original box, and is also stored in rack between other discs. So absolutely light proof.

Regarding the diffusion of ink from the label: hard to tell, but the pattern of the stain does not match the pattern of the label, even allowing for spreading effect.

I suspect that the glue - or whatever - that was used to bond the plastic surface to the metals disc is breaking down.

I'll try making a copy and report back.

I've got about 1000cd's, so I'm also a little concerned about the self life!

One other option that worried me is the existence of an strain of a mould called Aspergillus that eats the glass of camera lenses. I wondered if a similar organism might have colonised these discs. I can't see the any hyphal threads.

The suggestion that delamination through chemical instability seems to be the most likely explanation.