CD players: troubleshooting
CD player and DJ mixer sound is severely distorted
If your DJ mixer accepts turntables, the phono preamp circuit may be engaged. That circuit adds extra amplification meant for turntables, and running a line-level CD player through it will overdrive the signal and distort the sound. Check your mixer's manual to see how to connect a LINE device or how to disengage the preamp circuit.
CD player skips or struggles to read CD-R discs
CD-R discs vary widely, from the reflectivity and color of the dye to the maximum write speed the disc supports. When you burn audio discs, follow this checklist:
- Burn audio at no faster than 24x speed. The faster you burn a CD, the fewer players can read it reliably. At high speeds the laser does not have time to burn the pits with the right intensity. CD-ROM discs avoid this problem because a computer can stop and re-read a section repeatedly until it reads accurately. On an audio CD player, that same section would just stop the audio completely.
- Use quality discs. Skip the generic $5 supermarket spindle and get a reasonable-grade disc from a company that specializes in media. Once you find a brand that works well, stick with it.
- Take good care of your burned discs. They scratch more easily than commercially pressed CDs.
CD player skips with all discs or will not read them
Call our technical support department at 732-346-0061. Your unit may need to come back to our facility for service. In the meantime, if the optical lens has become dirty, you can try a wet-type CD lens cleaning disc.