This Philips CD614 was not what I was keeping a lookout for, I'd hoped to stumble on a silver CD350 but no such luck. Although black, it was cosmetically good and had the remote so for less than a McD's combo meal, I could not pass it up. It was not intended to be my main player but I let it do it's thing for a couple of weeks before taking it out of the system. Everything worked well and it played fine.
After acquiring it, I did the Google searching and found a somewhat extensive post regarding simple modifications. For the hell of it, I decided to make the "mods" a few months later. All that was involved was disconnecting the headphone amplifier and lining interior surfaces with vibration absorbing material. Once done, I did notice a difference but also found that the player now skipped and fairly frequently.
I cleaned the lens and did a little trimming to the Dynamat equivalent I used on the interior but skipping persists. I cannot comprehend why the problem arose after the "improvements" were done except that it's a complete coincidence.
I own another "Philips" CD dubbed Magnavox CDB460 that externally shows much more wear/use that the 614 yet it plays fine. Not really sure what to do with it at this point. Posts from others about Philips players claim the lasers last forever and track anything". How does one go about increasing laser power a tad?
After acquiring it, I did the Google searching and found a somewhat extensive post regarding simple modifications. For the hell of it, I decided to make the "mods" a few months later. All that was involved was disconnecting the headphone amplifier and lining interior surfaces with vibration absorbing material. Once done, I did notice a difference but also found that the player now skipped and fairly frequently.
I cleaned the lens and did a little trimming to the Dynamat equivalent I used on the interior but skipping persists. I cannot comprehend why the problem arose after the "improvements" were done except that it's a complete coincidence.
I own another "Philips" CD dubbed Magnavox CDB460 that externally shows much more wear/use that the 614 yet it plays fine. Not really sure what to do with it at this point. Posts from others about Philips players claim the lasers last forever and track anything". How does one go about increasing laser power a tad?
Not much. Disconnected the headphone amp and lined interior flat chassis surfaces (vertical & horizontal - all plastic) plus inside surface of metal cover with a Dynamat equivalent.
I've looked at an article advising those mods and the only thing i can suggest is that ,as stated in the article, there is a very fine tolerance for clearance on the mechanism with the drawer open and lining added.
Possible that the laser transport is hitting something and got knocked out of alignment or somethings snagging it as it moves during playback?
Possible that the laser transport is hitting something and got knocked out of alignment or somethings snagging it as it moves during playback?
Pardon my tardiness in offering thanks for the replies. What little spare time I have was commandeered by a power amp I'm doing battle with. I think I won.
I thought too that the deadening material was somehow at fault. A PM in particular mentioning a ribbon cable. I lined the entire inner surface of the cover and the material is probable 3/16" thick. Could be that something needs that 3/16" for clearance. The player is out of system so readily accessable and I should have an hour or so after work tonight before I must get to sleep.
Might just be a matter of removing a patch of material that's right above and along the laser's path.
I thought too that the deadening material was somehow at fault. A PM in particular mentioning a ribbon cable. I lined the entire inner surface of the cover and the material is probable 3/16" thick. Could be that something needs that 3/16" for clearance. The player is out of system so readily accessable and I should have an hour or so after work tonight before I must get to sleep.
Might just be a matter of removing a patch of material that's right above and along the laser's path.
Well, there was nothing impeding movement of the laser but I took off what vibration there was immediately above the transport. To listen, I reconnected the headphone amp (I'm doing this in the kitchen) and played a CD I picked up today that was flawless beginning to end. Next I got the disc I was playing which first triggered the skipping. At that time, the first few tracks played fine but this time, 30 or so seconds into the first and it skips like crazy. I am now playing that same disc in a NAD 502 and there has been no skipping thus far.
Seems that for whatever reason, this Philips can't tolerate discs that a Sony transport equipped player can handle. I'll hook it to a system and over the next few days give it a go with different CD's to see if this an isolated incident or not.
In case the performance repeats itself, any guidance on how to increase the laser's light output a bit?
It is BTW clean - first thing I did after peeling off the sound deadening.
Seems that for whatever reason, this Philips can't tolerate discs that a Sony transport equipped player can handle. I'll hook it to a system and over the next few days give it a go with different CD's to see if this an isolated incident or not.
In case the performance repeats itself, any guidance on how to increase the laser's light output a bit?
It is BTW clean - first thing I did after peeling off the sound deadening.
Just a thought but is the problem disc a commercial or homemade one ?
Early players won't play cdr's etc .
I have come across cd's that play fine in one player and not at all in another though.
I did initially post about a ribbon cable getting caught but i deleted the post after looking at the layout of yours as it seemed unlikely.
I don't know enough to advise on increasing beam intensity but i'm sure there's someone who does .
Early players won't play cdr's etc .
I have come across cd's that play fine in one player and not at all in another though.
I did initially post about a ribbon cable getting caught but i deleted the post after looking at the layout of yours as it seemed unlikely.
I don't know enough to advise on increasing beam intensity but i'm sure there's someone who does .
The service manual can be downloaded for free as long as you are a member of a particular website! This will tell you how and where to measure from.
Not affiliated with the manual site but do use it a lot. It rhymes with hifi-engine.
Good luck,
Mark K.
Not affiliated with the manual site but do use it a lot. It rhymes with hifi-engine.
Good luck,
Mark K.
Checking HFE was the first thing I did but no SM for a CD614 - user manual only. Did find an SM for a different model with a 4/19 mechanism but it wasn't very helpful.
It should be known that the only piece of test gear I own is a DMM. So if I was able to identify an adjustment pot without knowing what voltage is normal, it could be a wasted effort.
When available, I'll spend some time examining SM's to locate more models (if there are any) using that transport. Perhaps that spec exists somewhere and the adjustment pot pointed out.
It should be known that the only piece of test gear I own is a DMM. So if I was able to identify an adjustment pot without knowing what voltage is normal, it could be a wasted effort.
When available, I'll spend some time examining SM's to locate more models (if there are any) using that transport. Perhaps that spec exists somewhere and the adjustment pot pointed out.
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