Recycled Audio (Part 2)

I think my appreciation for bare-bones audio equipment drew me to the YouTube video "The cheapest CD player ever made is surprisingly good."

I was intrigued with how VWestlife described this JC Penny CD player from 1988 as, "One of the first CD players to cost less than $100. It lacks many features, but actually has several things in common with much more expensive CD players."

I really enjoyed this video. VWestlife made fun of the player while also praising it. He pointed out that it was built in Japan, and most of the chips on the circuit board were actually made by Sony. When the music played by this unit is analyzed on a spectrum analysis graft on a computer (shown at the12:30 mark), you can see how the sound is de-blurred to allow for a much more "analog-like characteristic."  

Yes, it's a very simple player that is big and clunky. There are only six buttons that perform ten functions (including eject and power). That's not much, but then there's not much to go wrong, either. 

Each day was basically the same for us during the summer of 2020. Videos like this gave me something new to think about / obsess over. In short, I really wanted to play with one of these CD players. I checked all of the internet hideouts that I could think of (eBay, Etsy, Craiglist, ect..), but I came up empty-handed... until last month. 

While browsing shopgoodwill.com, I spotted this:

It's almost embarrassing to admit how excited I was. That's it! That's the player from that video! I can't believe I found one for sale! I dug around to find that "old" YouTube video to comfirm that I was right. Not only was this player the same model in the video, it was even manufactured in the same month of '88!

I suspected that this was going to be a revival project, though. I didn't believe the item's description: "Tested for power only, no further testing." Give me a break. You can't tell me that the people working at a Goodwill store couldn't find a CD to test in this unit. 🤥 Still, I went for it and won the auction.

The player didn't work when it arrived, of course. The player would spin the CD, but it couldn't produce music. The laser mech was stuck in place because the worm drive (long threaded piece at the top of the picture) and the rails (parallel silver poles in the middle) were gunked up with dried grease. A little nudge with my finger got it going, but the player had to be cleaned.

I cleaned the drive, the rails, and the laser lens with isopropyl alcohol and Q-tips. I then added too much white lithium grease to the rails and the drive, and had to clean all that off, too. Everything is a learning process... 

The rewind button didn't work, and the play button needed a lot pf pressure to operate. I sprayed each button's contacts with DeoxIT D5, pressed the button 50 times, and now they all work with a light touch.

CDs play all the way through, but I'd rate this project at 98% complete. Once in awhile the laser mech hesitates and fails to return all the way back to the "home" position by a millimeter or two. Then it requires an encouraging, light tap. I'm betting that the problem is mechanical: it's either unseen gunk or the belt needs to be replaced. Or it might just fix itself with some more use - you might be surprised how often that works with vintage equipment. Who knows how long this has sat dormant?

The CD player sounds really good, and it's currently pulling duty in my classroom. I appreciate how its design has become unique. There's not too many players out there that are the size and shape of a shoebox. (But there's also a reason for that...)

I like how the front-loading window allows you to see Jack and Meg hanging out in there.

Action shot: watching the CD spin is an added bonus.

The player does fine with burned CD-Rs, and it also played my scratched-up copy of The White Stripes' De Stijl without missing a beat.

Is this really the cheapest CD player ever made? That's doubtful. But it might have been one of the cheapest CD players sold in 1988.

Handwritten on the back masonite panel, presumably by a store clerk, in descending order is: O - 199.95, N - 99.95, 69.99, and 49.99. I assume those are prices.

Since the last price was not crossed out, I also assume someone bought this player for $49.99. That would be quite a deal for a brand-new CD player back then. 

Even I paid $2.89 more than that.