Are Jazz CDs making a comeback?

[Stompin at the Savoy]

That last picture is a good example.  The picture is there, but degraded.  The picture doesn't cut off half way.  There are bits of missing data spotted throughout.  Q.E.D.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I have had many CDs & CD-Rs fail and ticks are the usual audible result. Static is the next one and it usually only happens with a very damaged disc. Dead discs won't play. That has only happened with a few discs in my experience and those CDs looked like somebody tap danced on them.

2 minutes ago, Stompin at the Savoy said:

That last picture is a good example.  The picture is there, but degraded.  The picture doesn't cut off half way.  There are bits of missing data spotted throughout.  Q.E.D.

But again - the audio equivalent of this is not simply a messed up sound stage. No way. An audio equivalent of this would be static or pops. Photo files are typically decoded by lines. That last picture clearly had lines of damaged data. This much damage can be shown as colored blocks in a photo but that is likely the photo display programs method of interpolation. Audio can't "patch up" that much blank space and will mute the audio or even stop playing.

[Dub Modal]

While on this subject, anyone have tips for cleaning CD players? Mine is having issues reading discs consistently, skipping frequently. At first I thought it was the discs themselves but figured out it was the player. 

[T.D.]

If you google cd lens cleaner, you can find:

Products (discs with brushes) that claim to clean the lens;

Videos on how to clean the lens manually.

I think the former work to some extent (on at least some players), have never tried the latter. I also think that laser units sometimes just die, which in the price range of players I use means "get a new one". I'm not sure about high-end models...maybe those lasers get replaced.

[mikeweil]

7 minutes ago, T.D. said:

I also think that laser units sometimes just die, which in the price range of players I use means "get a new one". I'm not sure about high-end models...maybe those lasers get replaced.

The laser unit of my Marantz SACD player started malfunctioning after 17 years. Replacements hard to find and you need a competent technician. A costly procedure. New players are one grand or more.

[Dub Modal]

1 hour ago, T.D. said:

If you google cd lens cleaner, you can find:

Products (discs with brushes) that claim to clean the lens;

Videos on how to clean the lens manually.

I think the former work to some extent (on at least some players), have never tried the latter. I also think that laser units sometimes just die, which in the price range of players I use means "get a new one". I'm not sure about high-end models...maybe those lasers get replaced.

'get a new one' sounds about right then. damn

[T.D.]

1 minute ago, Dub Modal said:

'get a new one' sounds about right then. damn

I'd buy one of those "CD laser lens cleaner" discs. They only cost $10-15. If that doesn't help, then it's probably time to get a new one. Unless you want to take the top off and try to clean the lens yourself...worst case is you mess it up and have to replace it anyway.

I saw some links estimating the effective life of a laser unit at 10,000 hours playing time. So if the player is more than 10 years old, there's a good chance the laser is dying.