Are Jazz CDs making a comeback?

[mikeweil]

There are special alcohol based sprays for CD cleaning and treatment. Some are really costly. Sometimes they work wonders with skipping discs, and they can improve the soundstage, depending on your player. Many  consider this voodoo, but I trust my ears, and my wife confirmed what I was hearing during before/after comparisons. It is just 0s and 1s, but a cleaner data signal can make a difference.

[Stompin at the Savoy]

1 hour ago, Kevin Bresnahan said:

There have been several reports over the years of people washing CDs like this and having the label side and reflective layer wash away. After reading this, I stopped washing CDs.

Well, washing is not indicated if you have something with a glued on sticker - it will come off and screw up the reflective layer.  Most cds and dvds you get are not like that.  Washing is ok for most cds if they don't play, IMO. 

[Kevin Bresnahan]

2 hours ago, mikeweil said:

There are special alcohol based sprays for CD cleaning and treatment. Some are really costly. Sometimes they work wonders with skipping discs, and they can improve the soundstage, depending on your player. Many  consider this voodoo, but I trust my ears, and my wife confirmed what I was hearing during before/after comparisons. It is just 0s and 1s, but a cleaner data signal can make a difference.

The science of the CD playback system says that this cannot be true. The 1's and 0's are converted to an analog signal. That's it. If the 1's and 0's are messed up beyond the ability of the error correction, you don't get different analog, you get no analog or noise (ticks, pops).

[Big Beat Steve]

2 hours ago, Stompin at the Savoy said:

Well, washing is not indicated if you have something with a glued on sticker - it will come off and screw up the reflective layer.  Most cds and dvds you get are not like that.  Washing is ok for most cds if they don't play, IMO. 

Any hints on how to remove label stickers without impairing the "rest" of the CD-R? 
(A question because of my problems described in my earlier post about labels that have come detached along the outer and inner circumference(s) - but not nearly enough to allow them to be peeled off yet apparently enough to upset playability of the CDs)

Not that I have high hopes because the data layer may have become damaged anyway, but a try is a try ...

[Pim]

For stickers on my vinyl sleeves I use lighter fluid. Let it soak for 3 minutes and then try to peel it of gently 

[optatio]

25 minutes ago, Pim said:

For stickers on my vinyl sleeves I use lighter fluid. Let it soak for 3 minutes and then try to peel it of gently 

Me too ...

[Big Beat Steve]

Well, I'm talking about full-size LABELS on CDs (i.e. CD-Rs). I.e. almost the same diameter as the CD itself. Price stickers (or similar) are a totally different category, and I'd guess cardboard LP sleeves (that the sticker is attached to) are MUCH less sensitive to mistreatment (with potentially dire results) than CD-R discs. 

[JSngry]

Just hold everything up to a light. If there's even the tiniest pinhole, it's game over.

[Stompin at the Savoy]

1 hour ago, Big Beat Steve said:

Well, I'm talking about full-size LABELS on CDs (i.e. CD-Rs). I.e. almost the same diameter as the CD itself. Price stickers (or similar) are a totally different category, and I'd guess cardboard LP sleeves (that the sticker is attached to) are MUCH less sensitive to mistreatment (with potentially dire results) than CD-R discs. 

Those are going to be pretty tough to work with.  I suppose the best you can do is try to rip the disk as soon as you get it and keep backups in case of sticker failure...

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Most solvents, alcohol, acetone etc. could damage the playback layer. The physical action of peeling it off could also affect it. I think I would use one that you'd be less unhappy damaging and trying alcohol first, acetone (some nail polish removers are pure acetone) second and see if that works.