Arcam alpha 5 Plus CD Player

[tomandjo2]

I have just received a Arcam Alpha 5 Plus CD player, which needed a new CD drawer pulley gear (common fault all the teeth had broken off).
When I open the drawer and it reaches the fully open point the drive motor still runs for a second longer, is this normal?
When fully closed motor stops imediately.
Tom

 

[mr magnolia]

I've just checked my alpha 5 CD player and it does exactly as you describe; I think it always has, and I've had it since new in 1994. You can see the drawer tension loosening as the motor noise - or creak in my case I would say - ceases after opening; the drawer realigns slightly too. It had replacement drawer gubbins an unremembered number of years ago (lets say 10) too.

i don't know if there are any differences between the alpha 5 and the 5+ that might make my experience non comparable with yours though.

Donald

 

[tomandjo2]

Thanks for your reply.

Must be a design fault hence why they sheer the teeth off old pulley gears as the gear plastic ages and weekens.

I was worried the front micro switch was faulty.

I think the 5 Plus is was just rebadged as Alpha 6.

Tom

 

[CornishExile]

My Alpha 5+ (purchased in '95 from Graham's HiFi using insurance payout from the theft of my previous Denon DCD-820, amongst other kit!) also behaves in exactly the way described.

It too has a broken drawer mechanism, which is on the to do list for repair if the parts are still available. In the interim I loop a thin flat ribbon around the tray to facilitate it's opening.....

As for differences between the 5 and 5+, there are some serious fans of the Philips TDA1541 DACs who have drawn up a list of players benefiting from that chipset. This list also identifies the drawer mechanisms where known:

Philips TDA1541A d/a converter information - DutchAudioClassics.nl

Philips TDA1541 dual 16-bit information, specifications, photos and datasheet

www.dutchaudioclassics.nl

The difference stated between the 5 and the 5+ seems to be the CDM9 vs CDM9/44. Further research suggests that the /44 variant is powered by a cheaper motor.

 

[mr magnolia]

interesting note about the onboard DAC in the alpha CD players. I keep swithering about whether the analogue or digital output is the better option when paired with my Audiolab 6000A and 8000p; atm I am using the digital out simply because I don't have decent short analogue interconnects to hand, but my past self wants to run with using the onboard DAC just because its part of the original package and sounds fine still.

 

[tomandjo2]

CornishExile ebay item number 202662102658 for replacement pulley.