What about a product can irritate you?

I have a system for removing the wrapping from CDs that works well for me.

First, I run my thumbnail along the front crease where the spine[black plastic on some] and clear front lid join when closed. This is a natural gap that aids in splitting the plastic. From there it is easy to remove the rest of the wrapping.

Second, CDs usually only have that fun tape on one side. So I unhinge the pivot on the opposite side so the lid comes off the CD tray. The only thing holding it to the tray now is the tape, so all you have to do is pull it off the back of the tray, then using the full intact leftover tape as a handle, peel it off the lid.

Very quick and easy once you get the hang of it, and best of all the tape comes off in one piece. No more digging with your fingernail and smearing goopy glue all over the case.

DVD movies are another thing. An Xacto or pocket knife does the trick on those. Just cut a slit between where the front and back meet at the top and bottom of the case. Cut through the tape and wrapping. From there peel everything off. Not quite as neat as the CD trick, but it works just the same.

Mezmo, yeah five seconds is damn quick. I'm somewhere between five and ten, because I'm always careful not to break anything when unhinging the lid. It's much better than picking at a plastic scab for 30 seconds, heheh.

Good luck with it Ray! Just go slow when unhinging the lid. I cracked a few when I first started experimenting.

I followed Tvad's link to the EZ Opener. For a buck fifty, that's something worth having around.

I agree with George. I used to have a Cardas Golden Cross IC that was one tough sumbitch to remove from the jacks. Especially if I only had SIDE-RACK-ACCESS! At that angle I was only using finger power.

My other pet peeve besides "tight terminators" is overly stiff and fat interconnects and power cords. I remember a few years ago, one of them fat cables was practically balancing my Bel Canto DAC1.1 in the air like a brick at the end of a fat pipe cleaner!

Working with skinny cables like the Audience AU24 or Kimber Illuminations D60 is great. They're so flexible you could probably tie them in a knot in your mouth with using only your tongue just like young chicks do with cherry stems. Hahah!

Sony product failure is something I don't personally have much experience with, but I've heard about it from friends. None of them are audiophiles, and their Sony stuff always breaking was mass consumer Best Buy or Good Guys items.

Am I wrong to assume that this wouldn't be the case for something like an SCD-1 or the like? I don't think I've ever seen posts regarding high end Sony stuff taking regular dumps. Heheh.

LOL!!

Rannagarden, every time I get new cable[s] to try out in my system I always think to myself "2 or 3 minutes". Yeah right! 15 minutes later, raw fingers, sweaty t-shirt and arising with stiff, creaky knees, I'm reminded how much I hate doing this. Changing out a component is often easier!

Da Weel? wat dat?

It's amazing when you think about how absolutely vital the wheel is in OUR daily life. And then find out the ancient Egyptians built the Great pyramids without it and 13th century Mongols transported over 100,000 soldiers, support people, food, and construction equipment all over Central Asia, the Middle East, Russia, and Eastern Europe without it. And kicked everyone's arses who used them damn wooden donuts too!

Weez wimps!

Edesilva, it sounds like you're describing one of the old Billy Crystal/Christopher Guest SNL skits.

BC: You ever get a, a, ah, ah, ah...

CG: A CD jewel case?

BC: Yeah!

CG: ...and you rub your thumb up and down it until you get a Saran Wrap paper cut?

BC: Yeah, yeah! Then you grab a, ah, ah, ah...

CG: A fistful of buffalo wings with your raw fingers?

BC" Yeah!

{BC & CG together]: Boy, I hate when that happens!