Advice on under-counter CD player?

A

Al Cunniff

Guest
Our GE Spacemaker under-counter CD player, which is about
6 years old, worked fine until a year or so ago, when it
began to get picky about which CDs it was going to play.
The problem eventually deteriorated into not playing any
CD, so I took it to the shop.

The repairman said it needs a new laser, so I began looking
for a new GE unit. I'm disturbed, however, by the poor
consumer reviews I'm reading at several electronics sites.
Are there some defects in the new GE under-counter players?

The only other makes of under-counter CD players that I'm
aware of are Sony, Memorex, GBX and JWin. If I don't go with
GE, which of these four do you think would have the best
product?

Thanks,
-Al
 
Without opening them up, there's really no good way to tell which might be
better. Sony has a good reputation, but there's lots of guys out there
who've had bad experience with Sony's and would never buy another. If I
could look inside, I'd look for a KSS-213 type pickup, which is available
generically pretty cheap, and not a Philips pickup assembly, which costs
more and break more often.
They're probably all made in China by Hu-Nos-Hu.

Mark Z.

--
Please reply only to Group. I regret this is necessary. Viruses and spam
have rendered my regular e-mail address useless.


"Al Cunniff" <acunniff@NOSPAMPLEASEerols.com> wrote in message
news:acunniff-04B3B9.22401824022004@reader3.news.rcn.net...
Our GE Spacemaker under-counter CD player, which is about
6 years old, worked fine until a year or so ago, when it
began to get picky about which CDs it was going to play.
The problem eventually deteriorated into not playing any
CD, so I took it to the shop.

The repairman said it needs a new laser, so I began looking
for a new GE unit. I'm disturbed, however, by the poor
consumer reviews I'm reading at several electronics sites.
Are there some defects in the new GE under-counter players?

The only other makes of under-counter CD players that I'm
aware of are Sony, Memorex, GBX and JWin. If I don't go with
GE, which of these four do you think would have the best
product?

Thanks,
-Al
Click to expand...
 
could look inside, I'd look for a KSS-213 type pickup, which is available
generically pretty cheap, and not a Philips pickup assembly, which costs
more and break more often.
They're probably all made in China by Hu-Nos-Hu.

Mark Z.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Mark. One question: do you mean the desirable (KSS-213)
pickups are made in China?

-Al
 
In article <acunniff-04B3B9.22401824022004@reader3.news.rcn.net>,
acunniff@NOSPAMPLEASEerols.com says...

Our GE Spacemaker under-counter CD player, which is about
6 years old, worked fine until a year or so ago, when it
began to get picky about which CDs it was going to play.
The problem eventually deteriorated into not playing any
CD, so I took it to the shop.
Click to expand...
<snippety>

Silly question. Have you tried cleaning the lens? Any laser
mechanism is only as good as the optics that pass the light.

Some gentle work with a cotton swab (don't use Q-tips -- get some
designed expressly to clean tape drive heads from Radio Schlock or
whoever) and 99% isopropyl alcohol can do wonders.


--
Dr. Anton T. Squeegee, Director, Dutch Surrealist Plumbing Institute.
(Known to some as Bruce Lane, ARS KC7GR,
kyrrin (a/t) bluefeathertech[d=o=t]calm -- www.bluefeathertech.com
"If Salvador Dali had owned a computer, would it have been equipped
with surreal ports?"
 
On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 05:08:35 -0600, Mark D. Zacharias wrote:

Without opening them up, there's really no good way to tell which might be
better. Sony has a good reputation, but there's lots of guys out there
who've had bad experience with Sony's and would never buy another. If I
could look inside, I'd look for a KSS-213 type pickup, which is available
generically pretty cheap, and not a Philips pickup assembly, which costs
more and break more often.
They're probably all made in China by Hu-Nos-Hu.
Click to expand...
Or one of his many brothers, Won Hung Lo, Fuk Yu, Hoo Flung Dung. Suk Mai
Kok.

--
Michael Turner
Email (ROT13)
zvxr.gheare1963@ivetva.arg
 
Try cleaning the laser lens. Use a Q-Tip with some alcohol. Take care to be
careful with it.

Most of the time, the laser fails in these units. These units are all about
the same. Considering that yours is 6 years old, you got your money's worth
from it. The GE has a direct exchange for most of their products during the
warranty. For most of their products, for a few dollars more you can have an
extended warranty, which can be worth it.

As for the brand name, I found the Panasonic and the Sony to be good. There
are others who will think differently. I think the lasers and total parts in
all of these are made by the same manufacture group in China, even though
some of them have different names on them, and are configured differently to
fit to the particular design of the machine.

If you get more than 3 years out of one of these, you are doing very well
with it.

--

Greetings,

Jerry Greenberg GLG Technologies GLG
=========================================
WebPage http://www.zoom-one.com
Electronics http://www.zoom-one.com/electron.htm
=========================================


"Al Cunniff" <acunniff@NOSPAMPLEASEerols.com> wrote in message
news:acunniff-04B3B9.22401824022004@reader3.news.rcn.net...
Our GE Spacemaker under-counter CD player, which is about
6 years old, worked fine until a year or so ago, when it
began to get picky about which CDs it was going to play.
The problem eventually deteriorated into not playing any
CD, so I took it to the shop.

The repairman said it needs a new laser, so I began looking
for a new GE unit. I'm disturbed, however, by the poor
consumer reviews I'm reading at several electronics sites.
Are there some defects in the new GE under-counter players?

The only other makes of under-counter CD players that I'm
aware of are Sony, Memorex, GBX and JWin. If I don't go with
GE, which of these four do you think would have the best
product?

Thanks,
-Al
 
"The repairman said it needs a new laser, so I began looking
for a new GE unit"
Why not let the repair man FIX it with a New laser?



"Al Cunniff" <acunniff@NOSPAMPLEASEerols.com> wrote in message
news:acunniff-04B3B9.22401824022004@reader3.news.rcn.net...
Our GE Spacemaker under-counter CD player, which is about
6 years old, worked fine until a year or so ago, when it
began to get picky about which CDs it was going to play.
The problem eventually deteriorated into not playing any
CD, so I took it to the shop.

The repairman said it needs a new laser, so I began looking
for a new GE unit. I'm disturbed, however, by the poor
consumer reviews I'm reading at several electronics sites.
Are there some defects in the new GE under-counter players?

The only other makes of under-counter CD players that I'm
aware of are Sony, Memorex, GBX and JWin. If I don't go with
GE, which of these four do you think would have the best
product?

Thanks,
-Al
Click to expand...
 
Probably, but they seem to work OK, and generic suppliers in the U.S. carry
them for around 15.00 as a replacement part. Of course I'm a technician, and
it's not a problem for me to install one. Might be a daunting task for a
doit-yourself-er.

Mark Z.

Thanks, Mark. One question: do you mean the desirable .(KSS-213)
pickups are made in China?
Click to expand...


--
Please reply only to Group. I regret this is necessary. Viruses and spam
have rendered my regular e-mail address useless.


"Al Cunniff" <acunniff@NOSPAMPLEASEerols.com> wrote in message
news:acunniff-041137.07321525022004@reader3.news.rcn.net...
could look inside, I'd look for a KSS-213 type pickup, which is
available
generically pretty cheap, and not a Philips pickup assembly, which costs
more and break more often.
They're probably all made in China by Hu-Nos-Hu.

Mark Z.

Thanks, Mark. One question: do you mean the desirable (KSS-213)
pickups are made in China?

-Al
Click to expand...
 
Q-Tips are fine for the purpose - some cheaper store-brands aren't.

Mark Z.

--
Please reply only to Group. I regret this is necessary. Viruses and spam
have rendered my regular e-mail address useless.


"Dr. Anton T. Squeegee" <SpammersArePondScum@dev.null> wrote in message
news:MPG.1aa645845612250f9896a2@192.168.42.131...
In article <acunniff-04B3B9.22401824022004@reader3.news.rcn.net>,
acunniff@NOSPAMPLEASEerols.com says...

Our GE Spacemaker under-counter CD player, which is about
6 years old, worked fine until a year or so ago, when it
began to get picky about which CDs it was going to play.
The problem eventually deteriorated into not playing any
CD, so I took it to the shop.

snippety

Silly question. Have you tried cleaning the lens? Any laser
mechanism is only as good as the optics that pass the light.

Some gentle work with a cotton swab (don't use Q-tips -- get some
designed expressly to clean tape drive heads from Radio Schlock or
whoever) and 99% isopropyl alcohol can do wonders.


--
Dr. Anton T. Squeegee, Director, Dutch Surrealist Plumbing Institute.
(Known to some as Bruce Lane, ARS KC7GR,
kyrrin (a/t) bluefeathertech[d=o=t]calm -- www.bluefeathertech.com
"If Salvador Dali had owned a computer, would it have been equipped
with surreal ports?"
Click to expand...
 
Just a guess, but I would think it's probably the cost involved, but also GE
/ RCA are less than consistent with their parts support / availability.

Mark Z.

--
Please reply only to Group. I regret this is necessary. Viruses and spam
have rendered my regular e-mail address useless.


"Mr Bungle" <Mr Bungle@aol.com> wrote in message
news:Bj4%b.20693$M8.1434614@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...
"The repairman said it needs a new laser, so I began looking
for a new GE unit"
Why not let the repair man FIX it with a New laser?



"Al Cunniff" <acunniff@NOSPAMPLEASEerols.com> wrote in message
news:acunniff-04B3B9.22401824022004@reader3.news.rcn.net...
Our GE Spacemaker under-counter CD player, which is about
6 years old, worked fine until a year or so ago, when it
began to get picky about which CDs it was going to play.
The problem eventually deteriorated into not playing any
CD, so I took it to the shop.

The repairman said it needs a new laser, so I began looking
for a new GE unit. I'm disturbed, however, by the poor
consumer reviews I'm reading at several electronics sites.
Are there some defects in the new GE under-counter players?

The only other makes of under-counter CD players that I'm
aware of are Sony, Memorex, GBX and JWin. If I don't go with
GE, which of these four do you think would have the best
product?

Thanks,
-Al
Click to expand...
 
Thanks to all previous posters for their advice.

To answer a couple of you: I chose the replacement route
because the shop said it was the laser, and their charge for
replacing it and my lack of ability to replace it make it
(unfortunately) a no-brainer. Yes I tried cleaning before
bringing it to the shop, and the shop said it tried
cleaning.

We loved the GE unit, because it sounded great, and was the
only under-counter unit with a built-in light. Now it comes
with a digital tuner and station presets...but it also
comes with some troubling consumer complaints, based on what
Ive seen at a couple of sites.

Given all the hoopla, I'm definitely not going to buy the
new unit over the web--I want a bricks and mortar store that
I can bring it back to if it doesn't work!

-Al
 
Updtae: the Sony ICF-CD534 looks great...but it's too deep
for my kitchen cabinet. So I might have to stick with the
new GE unit and purchase one of those extended warranties
from Best Buy.

-Al
 
"Mark D. Zacharias" <mzacharias@yis.us> wrote in message
news:c1kp2s$1jai3c$1@ID-180484.news.uni-berlin.de...
Just a guess, but I would think it's probably the cost involved, but also
GE
/ RCA are less than consistent with their parts support / availability.
Click to expand...
But you didn't ask how much to fix it? I'm guessing that no matter which
new one you buy, you won't like it as much as your existing one. Isn't that
worth a couple bucks to you?
 
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