Fixing A CD Player That Doesn't Read Discs - Laser Power Adjustment Tweak - Repair Guide

In this video I repair a faulty CD player that doesn't read discs anymore, instead it just makes ticking sounds. This is caused by the laser being unable to read the discs over time. You can normally do this little adjustment trick to fix the problem for a while at no cost. All you require to try this repair is a few screwdrivers and a little bit of your time for some trial and error.

You will sometimes find the player will intermittently read CDs, only read certain types of disc, or even skip and jump while playing. Almost all of these type issues are usually caused by the laser alignment which you can easily adjust internally in most cases.

This may well not last forever and the ideal option is always to replace the laser diode/module itself, but this guide is a quick way to get more time out of your CD player at no cost. While the player is open then you should also take note of any model/part numbers on the laser assembly so you can source a replacement for future. That being said I have done this many times and had players go on to last multiple years without further issue.

Most CD player mechanisms are almost identical so this guide should cover most common units.
In this video I show you the repair on a KAM KCD 960 Twin Professional Rack-Mounted Unit.

It should also be a very similar process for a DVD player that is misbehaving and not reading discs properly.
You may also have a different message like No CD Error or Disc Read Error depending on your unit.

This repair will usually last a good while the first time - providing the laser is not defective and well worn-out/dying. In this case you would need to look for a replacement laser assembly and replace that part of the mechanism, which is also fairly straight-forward but out of the scope of this video.
I will cover this replacement process in a future video.

Recorded using an iPhone 6S in 4K Ultra-HD.

[NathanPH]

I really appreciate all the support and kind comments I receive showing your thanks. Any Tips/Donation support is massively appreciated and will go back into making stuff for the channel and improving production quality. I offer everything I do for free without expecting payment from anyone for it, this is optional.
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[henac]

Thanks so much from a fellow Northerner! I managed to give myself an electric shock but fixed my son's cd player! Feel a massive sense of accomplishment!!

[pierogiengineering]

Phenomenal! It worked on my Technics SL-P1200. If you ever visit Florida, I’ll buy you a beer, or two.

[suzys]

You're an absolute star, thanks for this video. I was just about to tip my CD player until I found this and fixed it in seconds!

[geldersetrucker]

Until this day I couldn't think I could ever use my Sony MHC-501 the way I wanted to, then I saw your video, and it got up spinnin' again! Thanks a lot, I really appreciate your video !!!

[tchjjal]

Thanks man! You helped me fix a 20 year old undercounter Kitchen CD player that I had given up for trash! Back in working condition!

[EvzenEmanuel]

Just wanted to say thank you. You just saved my old radio from the trash bin. Adjusted the laser and it works like never before 👍

[sapienproductions]

Thank you, not done it yet but this might have just saved me a small fortune in buying a new player. I always thought when this issue happened the player was borked for good. Cheers.

[SLEEP-]

Just did this to an old technics cd player that I shelved a few years back. Works perfectly now. Thanks ever so much.

[neiljones]

Wow, reading the comments you have certainly saved people a lot of money. Well done👍

[spokaneslim]

Thank you so much, Nathan! Repairing my 1980s Onkyo CD player took about five minutes, thanks to your informative video. Salute!

[beastonrye]

It worked! I love repairing old technology and recently picked up a Sony mega bass boombox. The cd drive wasn’t working so I took it apart (had to anyways to clean it) and check everything and didn’t see a problem. Cleaned the laser and all. Wasn’t till I saw your video it started working and read it faster than any cd player I’ve ever had. I can’t believe I’ve been repairing technology for years and didn’t know there was a little knob to adjust the laser. Then again I haven’t had to mess around with lasers too much. Thanks for the video! I’m so gonna raise it up in the air and play music for my fiancé 😂 Anything to make her laugh

[nelsonsoucasaux]

One thousand thanks, my friend ! Though I'm not able to do it by myself, now I can show your precious video to a technician and hope they can save my new Pioneer, bought just 2 years ago. It often fails on reading some discs, intermitently. A technician opened it, cleansed the lens ( that was pretty clean ), but didn't discover anything else. So, I was ready to keep the player aside and get another one, though not of the same quality as an original Pioneer that came from Japan. Once again, thank you very much !

[andrewmaurizzi]

I bought a 5 disc cd player at auction for cheap but it wouldn't read CD's. I had to find the adjustment screw because it wasn't as clear as in the video but I found it and it works! Thank you!

[johnhickman]

Both videos very good, my CD draw not opening moved on to not reading CD later. brilliant thanks.

[stevebandit]

Just purchased a ' Kenwood XD-981 MD .. Midi Hi fi and it won't read discs so tomorrow I'm going to follow your advice and hope it works .. 😊

[spishe]

Dude, just fixed my CD player using this - thank you so much!

[briancampbell]

this may come in handy...someone is shipping me a Copland cd player and he wasn't going to ship because he was afraid the laser might come out of alignment… and this video i might be needed...👍🏼

[eclypse]

Well F me! Have a similar unit doing the same, but never trashed it. I’m going straight to the workshop today to fix it (hopefully)! THANKS!!!

[budis]

I revive my 20 year old Yamaha CD player with this hack. Thank you!! 😊