An Issue with Discs Showing Up "Dirty" From My Marantz CD Changer...

IntelliVolume

Here's an oddity to ponder...

I own a Marantz CC4001 five-disc CD changer that I've had since 2007/2008 or so, bought new via the catalog retailer giant Crutchfield, and while the unit's been quirky all of its life (sometimes refuses to follow programming patterns, ignores tracks on certain discs, won't play certain discs recorded on CD-RW media and other abnormalities), something truly strange has been happening as of late, an issue sparking my sincere curiosity and frustration now after experiencing problems with the Marantz reading a brand new undamaged The Best of Diana Krall CD.

As I mentioned, this CD was bought brand new about a year or so ago, and my wife and I listened to it regularly in that time -- however, the CD sat in the "number three" carousel spot in the Marantz changer for a LONG time (ever since owning the disc, almost), not being removed or moved around at all because we listened to it so much. More recently, I removed the disc to load the changer up with other CDs to attempt to re-make a mixed rock CD I burned years ago (because of the aforementioned problems the Marantz has exuded, including not recognizing programming patterns for listening to multiple tracks from different loaded discs, the recording attempt was a failure, ultimately making me waste valuable professional recording CD-R media in the process, which I was FURIOUS about) and when I loaded the Diana Krall CD back into the Marantz but in a different carousel slot (number "one"), the changer didn't seem to want to read the CD correctly. It took about a minute or more for the Marantz to be able to register that a disc was even in the slot, and then begin playback...sometimes it wouldn't play at all.

Here's the kicker: Today I removed the CD to see if moving it to another slot in the changer would work, and alas -- the Marantz wouldn't read this (again, BRAND NEW undamaged) disc. I removed it once more and looked at the playing surface and was shocked to find nasty black marks/stains on it, as if someone has mishandled it...but I NEVER touched the CD since owning it on its playing surface. I wiped down the disc with the cleaner I use and removed the black "gunk"/dust on it, and the Marantz didn't seem to have an issue reading the CD again.

Here's my issue -- why would a BRAND NEW CD that's NEVER been touched on the playing side suddenly get these black dirty marks on them just from sitting in a CD player/changer? Is it because the disc sat for so long in one slot in the carousel without being moved? I regularly clean the laser lens of the Marantz with a Maxell disc-based cleaning system, but what would cause this layer of gunk to appear on the CD when it never left the changer?

What's even odder is that I have seen these weird marks appear on OTHER CDs in my collection...though they don't sit as long as the Diana Krall disc did in the Marantz. Could my changer be "dirtying up" the CDs like this? What would cause it?

mushii

Given the age of your changer, my best guess is that some internal components are starting to break down or wear, probably due to any lubrication (grease) having long since disappeared. The dust is probably friction of internal components causing plastic (or metal) parts wearing against each other.

IntelliVolume

Thanks very much for the reply, mushii; wow -- I didn't even consider that (or perhaps I had and just didn't want to face it). Is this common with CD players and related electronics?

I had assumed that it was perhaps because the disc, as I said in the original post, was sitting in the same carousel spot for so long without moving, and that a thick layer of "something" stuck to the CD, most likely dust...but this wouldn't have accounted for the black color of the stuff which, like you mentioned, is most likely from the breakdown of internal components.

Is there any way to handle this outside of, of course, replacing the changer (I was actually looking at Onkyo's six-disc model) or having the internal components removed and cleaned?

The unit isn't THAT old, though; I mean, shouldn't these things last more than 11 or so years?

RBZ5416

Sounds like the player was faulty from day one but you lived with it rather than returning it, but that doesn't help you now. I'd suggest that it's time to retire it as the days of CD changers are long past. I had a pair of Sony 400 disc players linked together to give playback of 800 discs. But I retired them & moved to streaming before you bought your 5 disc Marantz!

So in your position I'd giver serious consideration to a streaming solution. With the services available now you don't even need to go through the pain of ripping your own discs. Although obviously you can if you wish to run your own server.

I'm afraid the CD changer belongs in retirement with Minidisc, DAT, DCC & 8 track.

JohnnyNapalm

Sounds like a setup fault after re-reading you post. Have you anyone local who could check and adjust?

IntelliVolume

Nope, not gonna stream or give up on physical media, even in my two-channel system. But thanks.

FWIW, I posted this in a section of a hobbyist forum that focuses on hi-fi separate components, with many threads here dealing with CD players and corresponding hardware; it makes sense that you'd run into a member who is passionate about keeping his/her disc players, turntables, et al. rather than turning to streaming (in this case, I don't want to give up on physical media for music...or films, for that matter).

IntelliVolume

What do you mean a "setup fault"? How is it possible I "set the CD changer up" incorrectly?

That would be a first -- being that I've been using CD players since nearly the advent of the format....

Don't know of anyone local in my Southwest U.S. region that could look at this and service it.

gibbsy

That's two of us then. Save the silver disc that's what I say.

Still plenty of good quality CD players available to suit all pockets. I've been surprised by the prowess of the Denon SACD players and the amount of detail that they can get out of a standard CD. Like listening to my collection all over again. At the moment I've got two SACD players and one CD player.

IntelliVolume

Couldn't agree more about "saving the silver disc," gibbsy.

Thanks for your suggestions; I was thinking of looking into Onkyo's six-disc changer, as I happen to be a fan of the brand's products for both two- and multi-channel hardware, and it's crazy affordable, to boot. I just hope I could get more than a decade out of that one, because with two Marantz changers under my belt thus far (both of which failed kind of prematurely, along with a DR700 CD recorder) I don't trust the longevity of these things...

gibbsy

To be honest I've never been a fan of multi changers, too many moving parts, in fact the only one I ever owned was in a Ford car. I have just bought a Denon DCD 2500 NE player and it is superb, so much detail from the AL32 processing it's pushing quality CD recordings to almost SACD perfection. The engineering of the tray is something to behold.

I use it connected to a headphone amp only at the moment as 80% of my listening is late night on 'phones.