CD Player Won't Read One CD Only


So, I have an original MF Nu Vista 3D CD player (bought new in 2003), and it has worked flawlessly. Yesterday, I wanted to play a CD (Disc 1 from Grateful Dead Road Trips, Summer '71), and the player won't read the disc. It just keeps whirring and then reads "No Disc." I tried the disc in the car and the computer and it plays fine. I've subsequently played a bunch of other discs in the MF and there's no problem. So, is the player starting to go and, if so, what can be done about it? Or, is it just this one disc since everything else has and continues to play without a hitch? Thanks for your advice.
rlb61
@jafant ... Sorry, but I have no duplicates or spares. If you want really good GD '74, I recommend the GD Movie Soundtrack ... 5 discs of great performances (except of course for Donna), for about $30 on Amazon.
rlb61
would you have an extra or spare GD Dick's / Dave's picks CD sets for sale? You can PM me if you wish.
Happy Listening!
2010challengercodec(s) are weird in general, specifically, digital / optic variations. Interesting that a slight difference in a 1 or 0, can throw the whole disc off?
Happy Listening!
Hey Now! rlb61
I do not have much in the way of 1974 GD. I love that wall-of-sound concept and must get caught up with those releases as well. There could never be too much GD, IMO. Good to read that your disc is playing well.
Happy Listening!
I have a 24 year old CDR (one of about a dozen that old) in my car right now, that still plays fine on both my PC's DVD burners and my ancient Sony lazy susan player, and it played fine on my old laptop. It does play on my car's stereo ONCE. When it gets to the end, it just sits there and thinks for a long time and then says "error". If I elect it, and reload it, it plays again. I've copied and actually made another CD out of the same individual cuts off other CD's, and it does the same thing, regardless of the track order when I burn it. I'm guessing that one of the tracks is corrupted on the original, but I don't understand why changing the track order makes no difference. I solved the issue by copying the CDR to my stereo's hard drive, where the same tracks play without issues. Weird.
@jafant ... My favorite period is GD ’71-74. The only downside is that they had Donna during some of that period ... the band needed her like Jerry needed more sugar in his diet. The new PNW discs are very cool. However, I bought the 3 CD sampler set because I think it’s the best value: it provides approximately 85-90% of the highlights from the $189 19 disc box, including the 46 minute PITB, all for $25. I just can’t justify the cost of the entire box set. Plus, I am so far behind in my GD listening, that another 19 discs would be way "too hard to handle." :-) Thanks again for the burning suggestion.
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Math is right, sentence structure is so so.  The MF CD PRE24 is 15 years old, which is old for a CD player and frustrating that you can not get a new replacement drive for it.  I believe the Nu Vista from that time uses the same drive.  

Not that companies should stock replacement parts for an eternity, but when the component sells for a premium price, there is/ should be an understanding that it can be repaired when it needs to be.  That or sell the component with a spare drive, so you will have one available when it needs to be replaced, given that that is the part that actually wears out.   

I am remembering the interviews with Rega, when it introduced the Apollo CD player almost 13 years ago and all the hoopla that they developed a new CD drive, etc.  They were very specific in mentioning that they had a warehouse full of replacement drives for when these things wear out.  I had the drive in my Apollo replaced last year with an absolute minimum of fuss.  Easiest repair experience.  Rega will get my CD dollar every time now.  

God, imagining aging backwards.  No thanks.  Started in this hobby when I was 10 (Webcor reel to reel recorder and a Philco table top radio).  Dad had a store and he fixed TVs and appliances.

Rich 
The dude with 10,000 CDs. - He chose this hobby 50 years ago but is only 15 years old. I just did the math. He’s aging backwards! 

rar1


10,000 CDs- Man, I want to hang with you. That is quite a collection to treasure. After 50 years in this hobby, I hope to own that many and more!


Happy Listening!

Thank You for the update - rlb61

are you excited about the new boxed set from the GD- Pacific Northwest 1973-74? I like any/all of 1974 strictly due to the "wall of sound" the band was hauling around at that historical time.


Happy Listening!

UPDATE ...IT WORKED!!!!! Burned the screwed up disc to a CD-R and it plays like a charm.

What this tells me is the original disc had a problem (errors) that your MF players error correction couldn’t correct.
And by burning the original disc with I take it with a computer that player/burner had better error correction in it, threw in the 1’s or 0’s that were missing and made it playable for your your MF.

Cheers George
UPDATE ...IT WORKED!!!!! Burned the  screwed up disc to a CD-R and it plays like a charm. Many thanks to all for their suggestions and comments. A special "thanks a bunch" to jafant and elizabeth for the burning idea and the cogent explanation about the defective disc. Loving the GoGD circa '71 ... awesome!
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Hi Rlb61 -

There were always 'proceed with caution' warnings with the lens cleaners, but the SONY product seemed well reviewed and I figured what the hell.  I had probably played the CD several dozen times with no issues.  In any event, it worked.  

The frustrating thing with the MF CD PRE24 and this may be the same as your NuVista 3D player (since the two share the same laser and transport mechanisms) is that new mechanism replacements are almost impossible, if not impossible, to find.  So at 15 years old, I am also wondering how much time is left on my baby, since of all the equipment I own, this is my favorite piece.  Given that MF has been sold to Pro-ject and any remaining UK facilities are just about all shut down, manufacturer's support for these pieces is probably about zero.  

So, I find myself stocking up on new CD players.  With 10,000 or so CDs and no desire to convert to files, and probably 20 years or so left in the tank, a man has to be prepared.  Strange hobby I choose 50 years ago.

Rich 
Try repositioning the disc in the tray. This always works on my old Marantz player. YMMV
@rar1 ... After some research, I'm concerned that a lens cleaner will do more harm than good, particularly to the MF itself. I'm gonna try the suggestion of burning a copy of the offending CD and then playing it in the MF. If that works, then mission accomplished.
Funny enough ... I have a MF CD PRE 24 from 2003 and the laser started speeding up the playback of Paul Simon's Live Rhymin' for the first time ever a few weeks ago.  No other CD was misplayed.  No other CD player misplayed the Paul Simon disc.  

I used a SONY CD lens cleaner and that did the trick.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00080H5WI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Rich 
@jafant "try burning a CD-r copy and attempt to play that disc in your MF player."

+1. Perfect advice.

@rlb61 because you don’t have an issue with any other disc, I can assure you there’s nothing wrong with your laser, and nothing to worry about. It’s just one of those things with this particular disc...

My pleasure - rlb61

I sure hope that the laser within the MF player is not on its way out?

Keep me posted.

@jafant ... Good idea! Thanks. Although, if it were a mfg defect, I don't think it would have worked in the car and the computer.

Very odd indeed- rlb61

try burning a CD-r copy and attempt to play that disc in your MF player.

I wonder if the disc is a manufacturer defect or watermark?

@jafant ... the other GD HDCD encoded discs play just fine. It's just this one disc that's the problem, AND it's got a great version of "Big Railroad Blues" from '71 for Heaven's sake. Geeze, I can't catch a break.

rlb61


I am a big GD collector myself and these newer discs/re-masters are HDCD encoded. Try other HDCD discs to estimate if this is the culprit?

I am not certain if the Road Trip series is Plangent processed or not?

This may be another explanation. Keep us posted on this development.

Happy Listening!

If you can play other CD’s before or after you insert the Grateful Dead, then the disc may be dirty enough that the laser in the MF can’t detect it or the laser is dirty and needs to be cleaned.

You could try some of this on your CD's
https://www.musicdirect.com/equipment/optrix-cd-cleaner-clarifier


Just my two cents