I'm the new owner of a Magnavox CDB460 (one of the models with a TDA1541 inside) that I picked up for $80 shipped. The seller said it "works great" but of course now that I've got it here, it won't read any discs. It wasn't packed super well, so something could have rattled loose in transit.
It powers on, the tray opens and closes, the disc spins, but then reports "ERR" on the readout. Interestingly, it does the same thing without a disc inserted -- motor spins for a couple seconds, then reports "ERR".
I popped off the cover to observe, and I don't see any light from the laser at any point in the process. I don't have a service manual, so I haven't broken out the multimeter just yet.
The seller is offering to refund 20% and let me keep it, or refund the whole amount if I send it back.
I'm a tinkerer -- I've cleaned and recapped a Marantz 2215b, I've put together a shortwave radio from a kit, and I've built some simple guitar pedals. I don't have any experience servicing CD players, but I'm happy to learn. Does this sound like it's worth repairing?
Another possibility is to harvest the relevant bits from this unit and put together a TDA1541-based standalone DAC for use with other digital sources. But I don't have any experience with that, either.
It powers on, the tray opens and closes, the disc spins, but then reports "ERR" on the readout. Interestingly, it does the same thing without a disc inserted -- motor spins for a couple seconds, then reports "ERR".
I popped off the cover to observe, and I don't see any light from the laser at any point in the process. I don't have a service manual, so I haven't broken out the multimeter just yet.
The seller is offering to refund 20% and let me keep it, or refund the whole amount if I send it back.
I'm a tinkerer -- I've cleaned and recapped a Marantz 2215b, I've put together a shortwave radio from a kit, and I've built some simple guitar pedals. I don't have any experience servicing CD players, but I'm happy to learn. Does this sound like it's worth repairing?
Another possibility is to harvest the relevant bits from this unit and put together a TDA1541-based standalone DAC for use with other digital sources. But I don't have any experience with that, either.
You can't see light from an infrared laser.
Best to just return it for a full refund, including shipping. You can always get another one that does work.
People on eBay try to pull this stuff all the time, hoping you'll forget about it, or wait too long.
These sell for $50 - $100 on eBay.
If you just want the TDA1541 mainly, here are some players that have it.
https://www.dutchaudioclassics.nl/Overview-Philips-TDA1541-based-cdplayers/
Best to just return it for a full refund, including shipping. You can always get another one that does work.
People on eBay try to pull this stuff all the time, hoping you'll forget about it, or wait too long.
These sell for $50 - $100 on eBay.
If you just want the TDA1541 mainly, here are some players that have it.
https://www.dutchaudioclassics.nl/Overview-Philips-TDA1541-based-cdplayers/
Ah ha! I have a little wifi camera that can see infrared, and using that I was able to detect light from the laser. So the laser isn't dead after all!
I'm really curious to what a TDA1541 player sounds like, and those seem to fetch $200-$300. There's currently a bare TDA1541 chip being offered by itself for over $90. That may be terribly overpriced, but these chips do seem rare and expensive, which is why I'm wondering if it might be worth keeping this unit for $80 if I can possibly fix it.
Much too expensive, it's absurd and probably due to a fashion phenomenon...
Again, not at all...
the TDA 1541 is (was) very common in many cd players from the 80s/90s and is easily found in an organ donor cd player.
At least, on this side of the tub.
We've come to an agreement! I think the prospect of paying return shipping for a non-functional unit motivated the seller to give me a substantial refund and let me keep it here. I don't think he had any interest in it parting it out.
So now I have a non-functional CDB460 to play with!
So now I have a non-functional CDB460 to play with!
you can easily try to increase the laserpower in these players by adjusting the pot-meter below the CDM2-mechanism. This is usually enough to get it working again. I have done this a couple of times now in the Philips CD460 players (which is the same player: Magnavox was the brandname of Philips in the USA). Just recently I adjusted a Mission PCM 7000 with the same CDM-2 which could not read certain CDs, but after this it worked again. The kind of players are rarely really dead. Most players do still function without any replacement of any capacitor.
Ok I've opened it up and poked around a bit.
Here's a top view of the main board:
I'm curious about those blobs of solder. I presume those are for attaching leads to important test points?
Here's a close-up of the back left corner, what I believe is the output stage.
Are these Nichicons likely the original electrolytics, or has someone already swapped them out for me? I think that's glue under the big one?
Here's the main board attached to the CDM2/10:
Some odd things here to my eye. That resistor stretched across the top of the TDA5708?
And what looks to be an added capacitor between a resistor and a diode:
Someone's definitely been in here modifying things, yes?
Here's what was under that board:
I found a scan of a service manual, but it's in German. I managed to get it into what appears to be a service mode by holding down the TIME/TRACK button along with the <-- TRACK and TRACK --> buttons while powering it on. I can't get it do anything after that, though. You're supposed to be able to get the arm to move by hitting "SEARCH FORW" and "SEARCH BACK" No matter what buttons I press, the unit seems to stay in the "standby" mode, with "0" on the display.
I think I need to get a real service manual. I also think this service manual, even if it were in English, wouldn't tell me much about how to troubleshoot the CDM2/10. I think there might be a separate service manual for that? If anyone knows where to find it, I'd be grateful.
Ok that was tonight's adventure!
Here's a top view of the main board:
I'm curious about those blobs of solder. I presume those are for attaching leads to important test points?
Here's a close-up of the back left corner, what I believe is the output stage.
Are these Nichicons likely the original electrolytics, or has someone already swapped them out for me? I think that's glue under the big one?
Here's the main board attached to the CDM2/10:
Some odd things here to my eye. That resistor stretched across the top of the TDA5708?
And what looks to be an added capacitor between a resistor and a diode:
Someone's definitely been in here modifying things, yes?
Here's what was under that board:
I found a scan of a service manual, but it's in German. I managed to get it into what appears to be a service mode by holding down the TIME/TRACK button along with the <-- TRACK and TRACK --> buttons while powering it on. I can't get it do anything after that, though. You're supposed to be able to get the arm to move by hitting "SEARCH FORW" and "SEARCH BACK" No matter what buttons I press, the unit seems to stay in the "standby" mode, with "0" on the display.
I think I need to get a real service manual. I also think this service manual, even if it were in English, wouldn't tell me much about how to troubleshoot the CDM2/10. I think there might be a separate service manual for that? If anyone knows where to find it, I'd be grateful.
Ok that was tonight's adventure!
I made some pictures of one of my Philips CD460's as comparison. As far as I can see the big Cap on your 1st picture is new, but the rest seems to be original. Also the small Cap which seems to be a Mod is original. Some prints were modified during manufacturing in the Philips factory in Leuven in Belgium (I think they were all built there). That was cheaper than renew the prints in those days. As for the service manual, see this link: https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/philips/cdm-2.shtml. There are multiple types, so you need to check which one you have, although I think it's the first PCB.
Attachments
Interesting! Yours appears to have one of the inserted capacitors, but not the other, and it doesn't have the resistor running over the top of the IC like mine does.
Thank you for the link to the CDM2 manual! Sadly my hifiengine login expired at some point and there doesn't seem to be any way to revive it or make a new one. But if it's there it's likely elsewhere too. I'll keep looking.
Thanks!
Thank you for the link to the CDM2 manual! Sadly my hifiengine login expired at some point and there doesn't seem to be any way to revive it or make a new one. But if it's there it's likely elsewhere too. I'll keep looking.
Thanks!