Does laser deterioration affect sound quality?

[Mcbrion]

This may be the wrong forum, so, if the moderator wishes to move it to a more appropriate forum, fine.

Does a laser "going bad" affect the actual sound quality? Read on.

My longterm affair CD player, an Arcam FMJ 23, has started having problems reading discs. Due to COVID, I wasn't as focused on it, but over the past year (something I just FINALLY realized), I came to see (hear) that the music didn't sound the way I expected it to (some harshness, and the high frequencies were so dull, I feared the mild COVID case I had had damaged my hearing) , and the music overall was less emotionally involving and then I consciously acknowledged to myself that the CD player had been "rejecting" (not "seeing the cd in the tray") several nearly new-condition Mercury Living Presence box set CDs for maybe the past year. When I would then turn the CD a quarter turn in the tray, sometimes it would then read it. But even then, some songs still skipped.

Since the CD player is 14 years old (I've used it as a transport with a couple of DACS, but that would have nothing to do with the CD player itself reading the CD, methinks), maybe it's losing its mojo. I've ordered a new player, but then it occurred to me to ask, would the laser issue affect the sound quality? I thought my hearing was going bad because some things I KNEW were on disc (a sneeze on a disc, as well as very low-level information) was missing. And then I noticed some Nordost ECO 3x sitting atop a tube trap, and thought, "hmmm, lets try this out; I haven't done this in ages."

WELL. THAT was certainly ear-opening. I had no recollection of static build-up being THAT significant an issue in sound. The upper midrange and highs reappeared as though I'd figuratively wiped the soundfield with Windex. And, not trusting that this was unique to my system, I sent a wet paper towel with the 3X thru the mail to a friend in a town 40 miles away (it arrived the next day) and called him two days later. He started off in a deadpan tone about applying it , so I extrapolated that he was going to say he didn't hear it - until he paused, then laughed (he likes to play tricks) and said he had used it across the faceplates of his integrated amp and CD player and the difference was spectacular. (He was the one who came up with the Windex analogy). He was shocked at how much better it sound; I was just glad it wasn't completely due to my hearing deteriorating. ( I then decided to have a hearing test, since I'm now 70, and I hadn't tested them in 4 years. Hearing's close to the same, just a slight increase in deterioration of the highs). But the music still doesn't sound the same. The tonal quality is less Kodachrome and now a bit more "grey" in tone. Other things I notice, too, even with the ECO 3X treatment, but my question remains: does the laser affect sound quality?

 

[DonH50]

Not reading a CD can be a sign of a deteriorating, or just dirty, laser. It can cause skips, dropouts, and maybe an occasional "fuzzy" sound when it cannot correct errors whilst reading the disc. It cannot affect the overall "tonality", however, but short dropouts that are (almost) inaudible could cause your perception of the music to change. I seriously doubt it would cause a "sneeze" to disappear unless there was a large drop-out (which would be very audible) and cannot affect "low-level information". It is possible the little amplifiers inside the player have also degraded.

I would ping Arcam and see what they say. If you or a friend are technically-savvy you could take the player apart and clean the laser; that may be all that is needed. (The contactless cleaning discs don't really do anything and won't help in this case.) If it has lost enough power that it no longer sends enough light to read the disc reliably, then the laser diode can be replaced, or they can swap out the entire transport. I cleaned my Oppo's laser a couple of times but the last time the laser was gone. Unfortunately it was a couple of years ago, right before Christmas, and we had family coming in so I got a cheap player to fill in. I got a very reasonable repair quote from Oppo but they folded shortly thereafter and I never got it fixed.

HTH - Don

 

[microstrip]

(...) I got a very reasonable repair quote from Oppo but they folded shortly thereafter and I never got it fixed.

HTH - Don

If it is just the laser sometimes people manage to replace it, taking it from a similar reading mechanism. I have got laser blocks from specialized companies in Germany and Holland, probably there are similar companies in the US.

 

[DonH50]

If it is just the laser sometimes people manage to replace it, taking it from a similar reading mechanism. I have got laser blocks from specialized companies in Germany and Holland, probably there are similar companies in the US.

Thank you, that is a good idea. I still have the player so might as well try to fix it. It is almost mint otherwise.

 

[Mcbrion]

Thank you all for your replies. I'll take your advice.

 

[Phillyb]

The laser works or it does not. I worked for Sony. The laser sled can go bad also, so most of the time that is replaced along with the laser. Keep your CDs cleaned for years I use high-quality car wax a very small drop on the playing side after cleaning a CD, one it protects them, 2 the sound because more open and present and detailed. Anyone who's been to my house has shaken their heads, well we clean and treat our LPs right? and you can hear the improvement. CD is not different. Not no need to ever buy audiophile treatments that cost an arm and a leg.