Micromega mech

[Jonboy]

I have got a stage v that has stopped reading discs, so i bought a new laser assembly from a guy in Germany last year, this came without wires so i had to un solder my old ones and fit to the new, tried it in the machine and nothing happed just came up with error or no disc, so i put the old one back in and it started working again, anyway the cd player got put away for about a year then i decided to sell it, so out it came and low and behold it won't read discs again i spent an hour or two fiddling and regreasing but to no avail i was given the name of a uk firm called Cricklewood Electronics by another forum member as he has had some success at getting them going again using mechs from them, so i duly ordered a new mech and tray belt, the mech arrived (the belt is on back order) but had a different plug that goes into the pcb and different coloured wires so i emailed them with pictures of both old and new mechs which incidently looked a lot older than mine an asked them if it was infact new, there responce was yes it was NOS and if i wanted to return it they would give me a full refund. so i then thought i would phone them for a chat about changing the wires and plug for my old one and if i did this would they still take it back they said that they thought it was worth a go, but would not take it back if i changed the wires, fair enough i suppose,
Right that brings me up to this morning i have changed the wires over reassembled everthing and it still won't read discs, i have just phoned them again and they can't help me anymore, i also commented that they had now reduced the price to £15 plus vat between the day i ordered it to the day it arrived were as i paid £22 plus vat, they have told me they won't refund the difference but if i buy something else from them they will give me free postage
So my question to you lot is have you got any suggestions as what i could do next as i'm pissed off throwing money at a sinking ship

[trailer]

Sell it as is.

The Micromega Stage machines were/are notoriously unreliable.

[Themis]

Same opinion here, if you don't have an emotional relation with it, you should get another CDP. Don't bother with it, I know tens of people having had reliability problems with MIcromegas.
Perhaps Andre knows something about it, though. PM him, you never know.

[Spectral Morn]

I hate to say it, but I agree with trailer, the stages were a pile of crap. It probably needs an entire new mechanism, not just the laser. Sorry.

Regards D S D L

[Spectral Morn]

Same opinion here, if you don't have an emotional relation with it, you should get another CDP. Don't bother with it, I know tens of people having had reliability problems with MIcromegas.
Perhaps Andre knows something about it, though. PM him, you never know.

Just to clarify the bit in bold. Imho/e it was the Stages which caused Micromega many issues. They jumped from small production runs relatively speaking to mass production runs with The Stage series, which with its upgrade aspect caused them no end of grief. They did sort it out eventually but it was to late.

The other CD players and transports Micromega made were generally quite reliable and sounded very good. However like all Cd players the lasers have a finite life and with some older Philips CDM1 using machines they are now very hard to/impossible to fix unless you have a spare mech so CDF1, Trio etc are best left alone. The later ones are okay such as the Data which uses Philips Pro 2 mechs (easily got)

I remember seeing a colleague (20 years ago) surrounded with Stage 1/2 and 3 in bits, fitting new parts. I would not sell them at the time...I thought they sounded good but represented way to much hassle for me and my customers.


Regards D S D L

[Themis]

You're quite right, Neil. With Stages I meant, thank you for this clarification.

[Spectral Morn]

You're quite right, Neil. With Stages I meant, thank you for this clarification.

No problem Dimitri.


I remember the horror of the Stage problem, every player sold came back faulty within days or a few weeks of being sold. The design and idea behind them at the time was exciting. However within a few weeks of the problems coming to light, I told my bosses at the time that I would not sell them until the problems were solved.


Regards D S D L

[DSJR]

We had a Stage 5 that a client wanted to get going again. This was several years ago when the distribution in the UK had folded.

The mech used isn't a standard Philips 1203 as I remember and a replacement had to be ordered from France at huge cost and much delay.

Personally, I loved the sound quality from the better Stage machines, the 5 and 6 especially, but echo the dreadful unreliability of these machines - dry joints and cracked tracks on surface mount laden boards ain't fun...

[Primalsea]

Hi Johnboy,

It initially looks like its not the mech as you have replaced a laser and mech. However you can never rule out that the new ones are also faulty.

I suspect you have another problem and think you should check the PSU with a scope if you can. It can be a real pig without a service manual but try to fine the digital +ve rail (probably 5V) and the analog + & - rails (probably 12 to 15 volts).

Then reseat all plugged connections and with a light and a magnifying glass check all the PCB tracks and solder joints.

IMHO you can't really say you fixed something unless you cover the basics starting with the PSU and then the PCB for physical damage.

[Rare Bird]

Sell it as is.

The Micromega Stage machines were/are notoriously unreliable.

Total rubbish Mechs cost 20 quid, the drawer belt 40pence..