Nothing lasts forever! It could be time for a new CD player. If there is any good news, it's that there are lots of choices now. Sorry for your loss.
Linn Karik's CD drawer cannot be closed
I bought my beloved Linn Karik 19 years ago. It was a high end product back then and it still is...as a transport.
Lately it has an intermittent issue with the drawer that cannot be closed.
I opened the CD case and put a tiny amount of lube on the (too dry) thread that controls the vertical movement of the photocell and indeed the door would open and close and the vertical movement which used to be noisy is now quieter.
A day later...the problem is back : The tray would not close.
Anybody had such an experience ?
Lately it has an intermittent issue with the drawer that cannot be closed.
I opened the CD case and put a tiny amount of lube on the (too dry) thread that controls the vertical movement of the photocell and indeed the door would open and close and the vertical movement which used to be noisy is now quieter.
A day later...the problem is back : The tray would not close.
Anybody had such an experience ?
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My 1989 and 1992 model year Sony players are still working perfectly. The Karik not so much. In the automotive world, my 1970 BMW which I've owned for 44 years is still running although it has been modified and updated to suite my demands. BTW a 2015 BMW will not be running in 44 years no matter what care is lavished on it, not that they receive much anyway. Most products today are designed to be disposable. I tend to like those which are not. |
Not too many techies left to actually troubleshoot and finding gears that get stuck and belts that lost tension. Getting matching replacements may also be challenging as it might require browsing in huge commercial catalogs such as McMaster or Granger... Yep BMW models are truly disposable after 2004. My favorite are 5- series of early...mid 90's. 7- series are sweet as well of the same years vintage. They're built to last. |
The 80's 5-series was a good car too. My '83 lasted me twenty years and over 200,000 miles, at which time parts cost made keeping it running any longer a bad investment. But the gears and belts for CD transports can be found cheap on ebay. The drawer on my Theta Data Basic stopped opening, and in a call to Theta I learned that they no longer service that model. I was informed that the problem with the drawer in my Data was a common one, a result of the plastic gear that opens the drawer breaking down. It seems that the toxins in the air in Southern California affects the plastic the gear is made of! Luckily, the gear is available from Japan and China on ebay for $5-$10, and can be changed by a non-professional such as myself. Took about 30 minutes complete---very easy. |
Guys, my KarikIII broke down. Can anyone have a schematic diagram? I will be many thanks if you send an email to [email protected] |
Hello fishhunter2. I see this an old thread, but what/who was your fix for the Karik? My tray is starting to drag and not open reliably. Of course this is happening right when I'm replacing my other old Linn stuff (same era) and only wanted to keep the transport in service. Go figure. Opened it up and cleaned a little here and there, which helped only slightly. As for the joy of getting a new one. The offerings these days for transport only are less than exciting to me. I want the half rack size of the Karik and also don't want to give up the random access to individual tracks from the remote control that a number of the transport only units offer (Woo Audio, NuPrime which I like otherwise for the money). Also don't want a total entry level unit to go with my new gear. The Bel Canto seems to fill the bill, but hard to find any recent reviews on it at all. Weird. It's a slot loader too, which I'm not crazy about, and it's too expensive to go with blind at 1700 bucks. May just go with the little Pro Ject for now. Anyway, any advice on the Karik appreciated. |