CD ticking or clicking sound as it spins

It's a fairly recent acquisition (Marantz CD7300 s/h) and all has been well, but a recent CD purchased does that annoying ticking as it spins - I hear it between tracks. I've not noticed this before.
So two questions:

1. What is actually the cause of this? All sorts of theories on the net, but nothing conclusive I could find.
2. How do I stop it, is it a fault with the player or the CD? Would replacing the CD simply mean I got another ticking CD or might it go away?

In the back of my mind I think of ticking as the precursor to doom - just as a ticking hard drive is in a PC. I remember a cheap player that I still have that ticked on every CD for years but actually played fine.

Might be the cd. Does it do it on all cds?

It's the first time I've noticed it - but being a 2nd hand player from early 2000s I worry that it's a bad sign of things to come. I tried a couple of CDs with the speakers off so I could sit right close to it and noticed a couple of others making slight noise, but nothing serious.

The CD likely has a lot of errors, making the CD player's servos & error correction work extra hard, often heard with a clicking sound.

Why would this be? Poor cd manufacture?

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Originally Posted by beelzebomb

Why would this be? Poor cd manufacture?

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Yes, most of the time due to too high burning speeds.

That's interesting, at least if this is the reason it doesn't indicate a failing player. I wonder if it's worth exchanging the cd - though I'd imagine the whole lot will be produced the same way. Do more expensive high end players suffer in the same way when poorly manufactured discs are played I wonder?

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Originally Posted by Yomanze

Yes, most of the time due to too high burning speeds.

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I don't think the OP mentioned CDR.
Commercially produced CDs are pressed.
That said, there are many discs out there that are referred to as CDs, but they're nothing of the sort. They do not conform to the Red Book standard.

Well Ive just fired up my 7300 for you and there is no ticking noise and Ive been right up close. Ive heard hundreds of cds on it and Ive never noticed a ticking noise. Its a very quiet player and effectively silent in operation....Im not sticking my ear right on it

A google search reveals all the possible cause of ticking from laser tracking motors to warped and off centre discs. Most players will make tracking noises as stethoscope level but you shoudnt hear it even close up to the box

It could be that your mechanism is on the way out. You can replace that Philips mechanism in there. Its more likely to be a tracking tick but obviously there are spindle motors and moving parts so it has to be process of elimination

I have heard a ticking over the years as Ive owned players since 1983 but its usually a problem with the disc or a very cheap mechanism.

Its one of those niggly things that you will have to prove either way. It would help if you can get a fresh pair of ears on it locally to you.

A regular tick that you can hear clearly will annoy you so further detective work and comparisons should throw light on it. I understand that its one of those issues that can be the wrong side of technically easy to diagnose.

I would say that the 7300 is worth the expense of servicing and restoration

I wonder if the CD grooves are out of center? Causing the head to mode back and forth trying to track?


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I really hope it's a poor cd and not my cd7300 as I love the player and yes, I would try and get it serviced if need be. I had a very cheap CD player once and it ticked on every cd - this is so far just on the last cd I bought, so fingers crossed.

sounds like the mechanism having trouble of focusing on the cd - if all cd then its the mechanism and you may not be able to get a replacement - one reason when I bought my Audiolab 8200cdq I obtained from Audiolab a spare mechanism as I keep my gear for 10 years+

if you really like the player then you should investigate whether a replacement mechanism is available and get one while you can?

I used to utilise a Marantz universal player (UD5007), as my CD/SACD/DVD-A/HFPA reading and processing source, and it worked fantastic. But my audiophile obsessive (slight) disorder demanded a pure CD transport. And this way that affordable, good-looking Cambridge CXC landed on my rack. It ticked, which I noticed quite fast, but only in a "pause" mode. I asked for a replacement and the replacement also ticked (again in its "pause" mode only). Not a problem, really, alas, I must admit, pretty annoying. I returned the Cambridge CD transport and invested in Cyrus transport instead. No problems at all. So to summarise: ticks do exist in some CD players/transports.

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Originally Posted by KindOfDaz

........It ticked......... but only in a "pause" mode.................and the replacement also ticked (again in its "pause" mode only)...........

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That is quite normal behaviour.
When in pause mode, the Laser is reading the same few bits of information over and over and over...........ad infinitum. By its very nature this is bound to cause some mechanical noise.

Noises during normal playback can be caused by the Spindle Motor or by the Servos controlling the Focus and Tracking coils trying to cope with minute imperfections on the disc. These can sometimes be invisible to the naked eye but the train of ones and noughts are so thin that the imperfections don't have to be much bigger to cause mechanical noises.

Are the noises experienced by the OP audible over the music?
If not, does the OP think there is some distortion or audible artifacts caused by excessive error correction?

Jim.

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Originally Posted by JimC

That is quite normal behaviour.
When in pause mode, the Laser is reading the same few bits of information over and over and over...........ad infinitum. By its very nature this is bound to cause some mechanical noise.

Noises during normal playback can be caused by the Spindle Motor or by the Servos controlling the Focus and Tracking coils trying to cope with minute imperfections on the disc. These can sometimes be invisible to the naked eye but the train of ones and noughts are so thin that the imperfections don't have to be much bigger to cause mechanical noises.

Are the noises experienced by the OP audible over the music?
If not, does the OP think there is some distortion or audible artifacts caused by excessive error correction?

Jim.

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that surprises me I would hope pause shuts the laser down.

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Originally Posted by JimC

That is quite normal behaviour.

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It may be, but in my new CD transport it doesn't exist. And I prefer it that way

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Originally Posted by KindOfDaz

It may be, but in my new CD transport it doesn't exist. And I prefer it that way

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Even in Pause Mode?
I find that difficult to believe.

Jim

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Originally Posted by mercalia

that surprises me I would hope pause shuts the laser down.

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'fraid not. Certainly in older Players and all of the modern ones I've had apart.

Jim

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Originally Posted by JimC

I find that difficult to believe.Jim

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I'm being honest with you. No ticks whatsoever. Even in the "pause" mode. Both in Marantz UD5007 and Cyrus transport. But there were ticks on both Cambridge's CXCs.

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Originally Posted by KindOfDaz

I'm being honest with you......

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I never thought you were lying !! Just have never found this on any Player I've ever seen. I'm amazed !!

Jim