Relacing the Laser Pickup on a CD Drive

Hogg · « **on:** 10 May 2005, 04:45 pm »

Anybody done this chore? Is it difficult to do? I have to replace the laser pickup on a Sony CDM14BL equipped with a KSS-213B laser unit. Any advice appreciated. Thank you.

Jim

mcrespo71 · « **Reply #1 on:** 10 May 2005, 06:02 pm »

Here is a surefire way to replace it, Jim:

1) Throw it in the garbage.
2) Buy Naim CDX2

Problem solved.

JoshK · « **Reply #2 on:** 10 May 2005, 06:13 pm »

no idea, sorry... would be interested in what you find out though.

JoshK · « **Reply #3 on:** 17 May 2005, 04:14 pm »

don't know if you found anything out yet but here is a little tutorial on how to do it.

Hogg · « **Reply #4 on:** 19 May 2005, 05:48 pm »

Josh, thanks for the link.

I just completed teh repair this AM and surprisingly everything works. I even solved the problem that sent me down this route. My CDP now reads the CD's it was unable to.

The sony pickup is a little different than the one shown in the Marantz link. What makes its replacement a little of a PITA is the whole unit slips on to an axle like device that is used to move the pickup back and forth. The axle is difficult to remove. Additionally, a new laser pickup comes with a solder short on the unit to avoid destruction from ESD. Yes, I found this out after I had replaced it. So I had to replace a second time, after un-soldering the short. Everything else was reasonably straight-forward, although the Sony unit is plastic and comes a part easily. That meant reassembling the whole transport.
Hey I learned alot so I'm not complaining.
One thing did strike me was how cheap this transport is. After all the Talk Thunder 3.1 is almost a $4k player. BTW, this is a popular transport used in many high-end CDP's. I would have thought someone would have invented a mostly-metal tranport.

Jim

Levi · « **Reply #5 on:** 19 May 2005, 06:42 pm »

Josh, That's an excellent link.

Jim, I am glad that you are able to fix your CDp. Esoteric makes some excellent looking transport. I think they are made by TEAC.

Pictures are form Music Direct website.

ESOTERIC - X-01SACD - CD PLAYER $13,000.000

It is expensive.

Bemopti123 · « **Reply #6 on:** 19 May 2005, 10:31 pm »

Levi, wanna know something strange?

When I was in Japan last year, my host family had one good looking TEAC all in one CD player, very well build and decent looking, large heavy, gold and brown wooden sides. The unfortunate aspect with it was that it was unreliable. My host father had sent the unit for repair about 3 times, and everyone was mad at it.

Teac's high end brand is Esoteric. I wonder if Esoteric is more reliable than TEAC.

The transport components in that Transport look Awesome. All those shiny machined parts, no one needs to wonder where the $$$ went on that unit.