Rotel 865Bx sounds super fast

Is this skipping forward or it the pitch high like the chipmunks ?

player. If it is skipping forward one of the sensors in the pickup may be partially occluded. If you can figure out how to set the tracking you might be able to compensate. Also, pickups are not all that expensive anymore, that is if you can get it.

Is there anything special about this player that makes it worth fixing ? Even if it is an older unit and serves you well, that might make it worth it. If it has a metal to plastic ratio that can be detected, it may be worth it.

If it is new junk just toss it.

JURB

If the pitch has gone way up, I would look at the oscillator driving the DAC, that's about the only thing that can affect the playback speed.

That ain't quite exactly so, James. If the player is 'skipping' continuously, that can give the impression that it is going fast in the same way as when fast forward is pressed. Just about all 'standard' players fast forward by 'grab a block - skip five, grab a block - skip five etc '. If the player is really going fast as a result of clock trouble, the pitch of the playback sound will be altered, much as the pitch control alters things on disco CD decks. Otherwise, yes, I agree with you that it would have to be a clock issue.

Perhaps the OP could confirm what he means exactly by "super fast". If it is a rapid skip, as I suspect it might be, the very first thing is to make sure that it is not something really simple like a button-push issue, and that the fast forward button is not being mechanically pushed somehow, in a way that gets resolved when the player is tipped / twisted. After that, it would be a case of removing the top, and observing the actions of the optical block and its drive gears when the problem is occuring. The drive for the sled should only be activated every 2 to 5 seconds or thereabouts. You should see the drive gear rotate a few teeth, and then stop. No overshoot, no shuffling about. Overshoot is often a sign of mechanical issues with the sled sticking. Erratic behaviour or shuffling is often a sign of a weak or dirty laser. You might try cleaning the lens just for sport.

Other than that, it will be a case of just gently poking around the PCB with the butt end of a ballpoint pen, to see if you can locate an area which instigates or clears up the problem when disturbed. It could of course be an issue internal to the laser, in which case, poking the PCB is unlikely to yield a result.

Finally, do not be tempted to make any adjustments - mechanical or electronic. Even if it has any adjustments - and many players don't now - it is unlikely that they would be the cause of the sort of problems that you are experiencing, and adjusting them without an intimate knowledge of what they do, is likely to compound the original problem, and in the case of the laser power pot, may cause irreversible damage to the laser.

Arfa

Thanks gents. Sometimes it just sounds like Alvin for a whole song. Other times one just hears a blip for an instant, sounds ok for several seconds, and then blips again, randomly. Sometimes, I can lift the player on one side and it reverts back to normal. I have cleaned the optics, cleaned the CDs etc.

Again, thanks for your replies. It is much appreciated. Steve

Open it up and poke around with a stick, ballpoint pen works well. Sounds like a bad connection somewhere is causing a clock issue, could be a cracked timing crystal as well.

Thanks James.

I think I found the problem. I soldered alot of suspect connections, but still no luck. Then I worked around the basket and low and behold, touching the top that holds the Cd in place would cause the problem. I checked the springs and one seemed a little loose. One of the plastic 'retainers' the spring connects too was cracked and bent. I repaired it and reattached the spring and all seems ok, at least on the bench. I will check tonight at home and see if it still works ok.

Thanks again James and others. Steve