Help repairing Sony CDP-X339ES CD player

[oldway]

You notice how difficult it is to make a diagnosis with such CD players.

In general, the type of failure that happens in electronics are either no signal or ripple, or a completely wrong signal.

Here we have a normal signal except during a short period of time.

There is a strong interaction between the electronic and the optical block, making it difficult to locate the fault in the electronics or the optical block.

In such a case, you should have a complete optical unit block functioning to replace the unit.

This would let you locate the fault.

Without this, we can not really draw a conclusion about the measurements you have made.

I have never met such a defect (lens that hits the disk), perhaps is it a usual drawback of this CD player model.

Did you try to send an email describing the problem to customer service/support from Sony?

[mzacharias]

I think you guys are really over-thinking this one.

I've worked on hundreds of Sony CD players. The laser failing to focus makes the "click" as it bounces back from its highest physical extension when the focus "ramp" voltage reaches its end. It is normal to hear three clicks; then, having failed to focus, the sequence is over.

The water is now muddy due to the repair attempts, but yes, a new pickup should fix it. Probably a good idea to replace the flat flex cable as well if this model is a (somewhat) newer one that uses one.

Do not forget - there is normally a protective "solder blob" or some other method shorting two adjacent connections, usually on the laser pickup pcb, which needs to be cleared before the new pickup will work.

Here is a tip: You can use your cell phone camera to "see" the laser pickup light up. This applies to IR remotes as well. The IR output will appear as a white spot on your cell phone screen.

[oldway]

Remembering what I wrote:

You should know that most CD players failures are wearing breakdowns or mechanical defect (wears: motors, lens, laser, play in gears, - mechanical failures: broken tooth in the gears, motors, belts) rather than electronic failures.
When it comes to electronic failures, it is usually power supplies or output stage of motor control failures.

The great thing is to have in reserve a reading unit (optical unit + mechanical transport block) in perfect working condition and test the CD player with this unit.

Also:

For sure, you already tried to clean the lens. In this case, the first thing to do is to replace and adjust the optical device KSS-272A. But I am afraid this part can not be found easily.

New pickup optical unit KSS-272A is no longer available and it is probably beyond economic repair.

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-source/148561-laser-diode-successor-sld-104u-sony-esprit-kss-series.html

[mzacharias]

This is the sound of me slinking back to my little corner...

[cat87]

Well, I do have a KSS-271A that I'm willing to use for this player, but before I start on modifying it, has someone around here tried to  replace a KSS-272A with a KSS-271A ?
I mean, besides the polarity of F+ and F- and tying  pin 11 to pin 10, are there any other traps I should be weary about ?

[oldway]

This is the sound of me slinking back to my little corner...

Not at all, your experience with Sony CD players is highly welcome and valuable.

I repaired (or attemped to repair) a lot of different brands and models of CD players , but few Sony ones.

When I buy a faulty CD-player, I only pay very cheap (no more than 10 bucks) because I know that they are often beyond economic repair.

CD players with TDA1541 are more expensive.

Some optical pickup unit are easily available and cheap as KSS-213B.

[cat87]

This is the sound of me slinking back to my little corner...

Now, when things are getting interesting ? 

[mzacharias]

Some optical pickup unit are easily available and cheap as KSS-213B.
[/quote]

Yeah - the cheaper consumer stuff is more my speed. Done a few ES models but never seen the 272 pickup before.

[cat87]

So. after some searching around on the net, looks like some other brave soul was having trouble with a KSS-272A and decided to replace the optic block with something else. The replacement  was a KSS-240, and apparently, it kind of works.

For anyone curious, this is the link (in Polish) : http://electronicstructures.blogspot.ro/

So, I;ll give it a shot myself

[cat87]

Some progress report on the repairs on the CD player: I've swapped the KSS-272 with the KSS-271 on the 333 player and unfortunately, it looks like something is totally dead on the 333  laser block, because that did not work at all, not even the linear motor (probably some broken tracks in the flex cable) so, as things stand right now, I'm back to square one.
And yes, I've soldered pins 10 and 11 together on the KSS-271, like it was on the defective KSS-272.  As far as compatibility between these two pickups, they should be almost identical, pin wise.The only difference are the voltage levels applied.
No idea about what to do next, except try to sell this a defective   

[ElektroQuark]

I don't know about those pickups, but the anti static solder bridge is to be removed before use. Are you sure you have to bridge pins 10 and 11?

[cat87]

The KSS-271 was from a defective 333 CD player, so no solder blob on that one. As to bridging pins 10 and 11, if the service manual is right, then yes, the would have to be connected together.  I mean, the chips seem to have the same parts layout and pin assignment.

[cat87]

After some investigating, seems that the KSS-271A that I wanted to replace the laser pickup with is  more or less FUBAR. For starters, one of the coils on the linear motor is dead, also the focus coil. So, like I said, until I  get a functioning KSS 272A replacement that actually works, I can't do much more.

A shame really, because these are really nice CD players. Too bad the laser pick-ups are  Unobtanium.

[Manolo Mos]

A bit late...  Well, the PCB that is in the CD mechanism, where is the CPU, is the same in the 339, 559 or 779es.  In the 339 I've seen, the motor for the disc is a typical Mabuchi motor, and in the 559 and 779 is a bush-less motor. This is the motor wich moves the disc. You can use a  mabuchi or brush-less motor, you only have to change the two pin connector. The pcb is prepared for to run whichever motor you connect.
I've read that focus coil is bad, this is a very very rare fail. The focus and tracking coil is about 8 or 20 ohms, I don't remember, but is very robust.

I've opened some threads in Diyaudio.com about how to replace a laser diode in this KSS laser pickups.
In youtube I have some videos too. ManoloMos channel.