Audio Systems: Bad CD Player Sound, cd lens cleaner, darth vader

Question
Kevin, Re RCA 5 Disc CD Changer, Model no. RP8055B built in January 1995.  Subject distorts sound badly.  I have played a test CD on another player and my problem is not the CD's themselves  I also purchased a CD lens cleaner (the CD with two brushes to clean the lens and this did not help at all).  For a while, I thought the problem was related to specific CD bins, ie position 3 and 4, say but this no longer is the case (if it ever was).  I get sound but I need to crank up the volume alot to hear anything and then it is rather warblely and very distorted. It seems tobe slowly getting worse and then I turn it on after a nights rest and it works fine for a while.  Do you have any idea what might be wrong and how it might be corrected?  Thanks in advance for your ideas.  Should you have no suggestions on how to fix this, your thoughts on how to shop for a replacement would also be welcome. John

Answer
Dear John,

Whatever it is--and it does sound rather dire--it's not worth the considerable expense to fix it. I suggest the DVD player of your choice to replace it. I no longer recommend stand-alone CD players. DVD players will handle CDs just fine, and the electronics are better. There's really not a whole lot of sonic difference among DVD players. Get one that is solidly built, has the features that you want, and is at the right price.

WalMart (I know, Darth Vader, etc.) sells DVD players for as little as $40. At that price, when it breaks, you just toss it and buy another. If that sounds a bit scary or simply wasteful, then the standard manufacturers all make excellent DVD players: Sony, Toshiba, Onkyo, JVC, Denon, Panasonic, Pioneer, and so on. Carousel changers are as abundant as single disc players.

Good luck. And thanks for choosing allexperts.com!

Kindest regards,

Kevin