Noisy spinning disc in Arcam Alpha 7se CDP

[anb]

Hello,

I've got an Arcam Alpha 7se CDP which still sounds great, but there is an annoying noise coming from the transport mechanism on certain tracks. I can best describe this as the sort of noise you get when you run your finger around the top of a wine glass.

I've tried the idea of putting coins on top of the disk clamp but unfortunately this doesn't cure it. I was just wondering if anyone had any other suggestions?

Many thanks, Adrian

 

[gfiandy]

I think the most likely possibilies the spining motor bearing could be wearing out or it sounds like the servo is starting to struggle to keep the laser in the groove on the CD. I would go with the second one as I think you would notice some difference with your extra puck load if it was the bearing (Probably would have made it worse).

Problems with the servo are normally caused by the laser amplitude starting to reduce due to the laser diode waring out. It is probably time to replace the laser. I think the CD73 uses a KSS213 Sony Laser optic but I could be wrong, its normally writen on the side of the laser optic itself so you can check by looking inside the player. You can order a new one from www.cpc.co.uk usually about £30.

The optics are all calibrated and ready to use. They don't need any fine tuning as all of the complex adjustment parts are alreay included in the optic assembly. It is quite fiddly to replace the laser but if you are a DIYer you should be ok.

Regards,
Andrew

 

[anb]

Thanks for the reply Andy.

I was over in the UK recently and I had an Arcam dealer look at the machine. He said he just serviced it (cleaned it up and oiled it) but for the moment the noise seems to have disappeared. However, if it comes back again I'll certainly try your suggestion before resorting to buying a new machine!

Thanks again,
Adrian

 

[anb]

Hi Andrew. Yes you were right - it was the motor after all. A couple of days after the dealer looked at it the noise came back again. When I originally said putting coins on the disk clamp didn't cure it, it did however shift the noise to different tracks. So after re-reading what you suggested, I decided to try replacing the motor before the laser.

I's been running for over a week without even a whimper coming from it, so I'm pretty sure that was it. I actually found the 7se reasonably easy to work on - it's quite nicely constructed, and easy to get to all the bits.

Thanks very much for pointing me in the right direction - I'm quite tempted to try fixing a few more old pieces of hifi I've got lying around!

Adrian