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2-Part Help Needed

I’m hoping this august audiophile community can help me. 

For many years now, I’ve really enjoyed listening to music portrayed from my PrimaLuna Prologue Classic CD player (not the earlier Prologue Eight) through a PrimaLuna Dialogue HP Premium integrated amp and Joseph Audio (pre-graphene) speakers. It offers a subtly unique sound that I enjoy as much as I do music from streaming (Rose 150b) or analogue (Linn Sondek LP12). 

 

Unfortunately, the CD player failed last week. It loads a CD, reads it, and displays number of tracks & total play time; but will not play any tracks. 

 

I contacted Upscale Audio (The PrimaLuna US distributor) for advice on how to repair my beloved CD player. Unfortunately, they were unable to help me saying they no longer repaired this vintage ~2012 CD player and specifically “We are unaware of a shop to recommend. The reason we stopped was because the Laser Mechanism was hard to get, and sometimes the repair didn't last.”

 

1st Help Needed: Can anyone recommend a repair path forward, repair shop point of contact, etc…? I really don’t want to have an expensive 25 lb boat anchor.  

 

Feel free to stop reading here if you don’t want to go down the rabbit hole with me if Help Needed #1 doesn’t bear fruit. 

 

2nd Help Needed:  This is a path I really don’t want to go down and one I hesitate to even ask because it opens 3 cans of worms!  If there is no practical way on gods green earth the repair my current CD player; what would be a good current production affordable replacement CD player?

   - Can of worms #1:  should I just buy a CD transport and use the Rose 150b DAC or an all in one player/DAC?

   - Can of worms #2: I’m going to the upcoming Axpona after which I plan to replace my PrimaLuna integrated amp. Right now the leading candidate is to replace with a Pass Labs INT-60 integrated to take advantage of its 30 w/ch Class A bias and high (compared to the Primaluna amp) damping factor to achieve a more natural sound, note attack/decay, and tighter bass. 

   - Can of Worms #3:  Budget!!  I will already be stretching a retirees budget (and wife’s loving support of my audio obsession) to purchase a new/used integrated amp. Buying a CD player was not in the plan so if I do need to go down this path, I need to make a very cost effective purchase. Used is perfectly ok. 
 

Thank you in advance for any advise you are willing to share (especially in regards to Help Needed #1. 

ezstreams
ezstreams OP
80 posts
 

@mattw73 Amen brother!  You hit my nail on the head in your 1st and last paragraph. 
In regards to your last paragraph, I’m going to try what @zlone ​​​​and @mark200mph suggest by cleaning the laser which I’ve never done in my 8+ years owning the Primaluna CD player and not knowing if the previous owner ever cleaned it. That is a great first step. Does anyone have experience with the CD laser cleaning CDs (that have little brushes attached to the CD to clean the laser see example at link below)?  
CD laser cleaner
I’d like to try that before opening up an expensive tube CD player to access the laser. 


If that fails, I’ll call your Primaluna CD player savior @audiovicker .  Thank you for that contact. I’m glad someone else understands my attachment to this unique player!

If that fails, I’ve looked up the Primaluna home office contact info in The Netherlands and will reach out to them for help fixing my unit.  
 

I really appreciate everyone’s thoughts and recommendations!

mark200mph
825 posts
 

I still would use q tip only as I have talked to many techs that tell me not to use cleaner as it may damage lens. Light pressure as to not set alignment off.

ezstreams OP
80 posts
 

@mark200mph Q-Tip with or without isopropyl alcohol? 

devinplombier
1,637 posts
 

@ezstreams 

Cleaning the lens as a way to fix the issue you are experiencing is a waste of time. Your player reads TOCs, therefore the laser pickup is working.

Cleaning the lens as routine maintenance takes a Q-tip (preferably the non-shedding type) damped in isopropyl.

I think it’s a damn shame that one can’t get a $3k cd player repaired that was made by a "reputable" company 13 years ago.

@mattw73 

Fixing CD transports is a combination of fiddly work and specialized knowledge. Any skilled tech could do it if they put their mind to it, but it’s time-consuming, so - unless they have prior experience - most will either give you an exorbitant quote to subsidize their "education", or straight up decline the job.

In other words, the real issue isn’t that CD transports can’t be repaired but rather that most folks who are expected to repair them won’t touch them with a ten-foot pole.

jetter
3,160 posts
 

A cd player/transport are the only audio items I would never consider buying used.

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