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I have BC2500 (2606) with no “clamper switch” connector on board 7
Are you sure? It’s actually the microswitch that senses when the CD clamper is fully closed/open – see picture below:
(You have to create short circuit from top contact to bottom contact – hold for 2-3 seconds and the display should read TEST MODE)
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All sounds good – I might try the auto-sense with my Essence later today. I also want to check that the PL output will trigger a Passive connected to some non-B&O speakers.
Good news about the NL/ML Converter – looking forward to hearing how you get on, especially with IR control.
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I’ve just removed and dismantled the drive again. It’s a CDM12 IND (Industrial). Looks to have the correct laser pickup?
Useful photos – thanks for sharing.
In that case I think you could replace the laser with the Danish Sound Parts CDM-12.4 version. If this doesn’t solve the problem at least you will have a spare laser for future B&O fixes!! 😀 Plus it’s always worth saving some P&P by ordering a few other parts (belts etc) from Danish Sound Parts!
However, in your last photo the four solder joints on the right look a bit suspect. I have seen reference in the past to fixing CD problems by re-flowing solder joints so that could be worth a try. Maybe check for continuity between the 4 contacts on the laser head with the end of the ribbon cable. Have a check though a microscope (or microscope function on iPhone) to check other solder joints or for breaks in track.
EDIT: Also I think on that servo board there should only be 6 capacitors to replace, if you decide to go down that route. You can see my experience of changing capacitors here: https://forum.beoworld.org/forums/topic/beosound-ouverture-cd-not-working/page/2/#post-50390
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I am wondering if someone has been in here before… One of the four screws that secure the drive mechanism to the steel chassis is silver, the other three are black. I could also see what appeared to be some telltale wear to the coating on the black screws.
Further to my message above: If someone has ‘been in there before’, don’t rule out the possibility that they have fitted the incorrect laser!!! Use that ‘hifi-advice’ link to check the layout of the CD servo board also, because those are different between types (photos at the link).
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Although you have stated that the CD drive is linear, and the later Philips type, there are still a couple of model variations, and you will probably only determine the exact type when you dismantle.
Danish Sound Parts offer two laser types for the Century – see here: https://www.dksoundparts.com/product-category/beosound/beosound-century/
I purchased the CDM12.4 version from Danish Sound parts for my BC2300 (linear tracking) – it didn’t cure the faults alone and I had to also replace the capacitors on the servo board.
When I repaired my Beosound 1 (CD/FM radio model), also linear tracking, I had to source a CD Pro 2. At the time, I don’t think Danish Sound Parts offered this so I took a bit of a risk and purchased this one on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0D2D47SR8 This cured the fault without any capacitor replacement.
I suggest that you dismantle, have a look at the exact laser pickup module and make a decision from there – Danish Sound Parts will be able to offer advice once you have checked the laser type.
If you want to research further, I found this site very useful for some of the Philips CD mechanism history: https://www.hifi-advice.com/blog/classics/digital-classics/marantz-philips-classics-2/philips-cdm-mechanisms-page-3-cdm-12-and-cd-pro/
(the hifi-advice link is to page 3 where linear tracking first appears, but pages 1 and 2 cover early mechanisms such as CDM4 and 9)
EDIT: Sorry, I realised that you have already fully dismantled – hopefully you will be able to identify whether yours is CDM-12 or CD Pro 2.
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Looking forward to the Christmas Draw tonight – set your alarms for 2000hrs (GMT) !!
Good luck all! 🎅🎄🤶🍾
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With that Test Mode outcome I would be tempted to disassemble, clean what you can (and manually ‘exercise’ the CD mechanism). Check traces, components (bulging capacitors?), check that ribbon connectors are correctly inserted. Then re-assemble and run the test modes again.
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I can’t remember whether you have the service manual – available on site for Silver and Gold members!
If you do have the manual, page 5-8 has details of the CD Test Mode – with information that is more comprehensive than most service manuals and may give a good indication of the fault. It will also allow you to switch on the laser without CD fitted so that you can observe the light output, if present (view through smartphone camera for safety).
It looks to be in great cosmetic condition, so well worth repairing!
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It’s not simply muted is it? As far as I know, the MUTE button just mutes the PL outputs and not the headphone socket, which has separate volume control when PL is muted.
Otherwise, any results from repeatedly pressing mute whilst speakers are connected? (and headphones disconnected)
One further suggestion: In case the headphone socket has any muting function, try repeated insertion/removal of headphone plug (and possibly clean internal headphone contacts).
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I’m pretty much decided now anyway that I will get an NL/ML Converter, so hopefully that will allow me to control my Essence without the need for an IR Eye anyway, once it’s connected into my ML Network (which has a Beosound 4, Beovision 7, Beolab 3500 and Beolab 2000 in the network right now).
It may be worth having a read of these two threads, discussing the use of Spotify with the NL/ML Converter (i.e trying to distribute Spotify digitally) – I must admit that I hadn’t realised this limitation when I bought mine!
https://archivedforum2.beoworld.org/forums/t/36650.aspx
https://archivedforum2.beoworld.org/forums/t/15899.aspx
By the way, I have just fired up my NL/ML converter and connected the same (Timer) IR eye. It works to select/control the Essence B&O RADIO and also to select the Essence Aux-Input. I cannot select or control Spotify (but see above). There are no lights showing on the IR sensor, even when receiving an IR signal.
I will leave the Essence and NL/ML Converter set up for a few days in case there are other things you wish me to try.
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As for radio, I don’t see any ‘Your Content’ section in the app; perhaps I’m missing something or perhaps it’s because I’m using Android and you’re using iPhone?
Sorry, I am actually using my desktop to adjust the Essence settings – I simply looked for the Essence IP address on my network and opened that in Chrome.
On the B&O app on my iPhone I can get the same menu by going to Settings and then Configure – I then get this:
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I connected it now after testing for pins 1, 4 and 7 with a multimeter (you were right, the colours were no help!) but I don’t seem to be getting anything from it. If I use N.Music or N.Radio on my Beo4 nothing happens, when looking at the app.
So it seems to behave exactly as mine! I have just reconnected mine to the Aux input of a Beosound 1 so that I could update the SW to the latest version 2.6.56515.214534219. My IR still doesn’t work.
@Guy, when you connected yours to your Beolink Converter, did either of the 2 LEDs on your IR Eye light up, so you knew at least that it was getting power?
I can’t remember, but I will reconnect later and check.
Also, the Essence has RCA IN plugs but I can see no details in the manual or in the app on how to switch that as a source – does anyone know?
That input should ‘auto-sense’ and self select – but I have never checked mine. There are some sensitivity and level settings in the Sound then Line-IN menu. I think that if we could get the IR control to work then A.AUX would select this input.
By the way, my B&O Radio (BBC etc) works fine. You may have to tick the ‘B&O Radio’ box in Your Content, Sources, In Local List.
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If you have simply cut a network cable in half then the wire colours are likely to match those in the diagram picture top right – the wires that you are calling ‘white’ probably have a feint stripe of a secondary colour – this was the case for me as you can see in the photo below: (I taped off the unconnected wires)
And I have only connected +5V, Gnd and IR Data because that is all that I would expect to need with the older (TIMER) IR eye. The other two connections are ‘expecting’ the JOIN version.
But to be honest I don’t trust the cable colours and would always check end to end with a mulitmeter – to make sure that +5V, Gnd and IR data map across to RJ45 pins 1, 4 and 7.
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I do have a round IR eye going spare, but I would need a different cable for it – if anyone has a wiring diagram for connecting that type of cable, that would be really helpful.
Connections are shown on the attached document.
The diagram shows the connections for one of the newer IR eyes, with the JOIN button (rather than the TIMER button).
However, I have been trying to get one of the older eyes (with Timer button) to work, just connecting the +5V, Gnd and IR data wires. I have not got this to work with my Essence, but it will work when connected to my NL/ML Converter. Perhaps my Essence is faulty?
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An Essence Ms2 just came up on eBay for £129 including delivery, so I snapped it up. I’ll get an RJ45 to RCA cable to connect it to the Aux In of my Beosound 4, and see how I feel about controlling it on my phone with the app, but I think I will also get an NL/ML converter when I see one at a good price. There’s a few on eBay now for £250+, but I know I’ll be able to get one for £100, if I’m patient.
Hopefully you will get your Essence Mk2 soon and have a chance to experiment with settings especially Spotify and app control. I will hold off on trying out any setups with my Essence and NL/ML Converter unless there are specific questions once you have had a play. I’ll be particularly interested if you manage to control the Essence directly by IR – assuming you try connecting a hockey puck type sensor (either older ‘Timer’ or newer ‘Join’ version).
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I used my moderator powers to slightly amend your thread title, so hopefully others will respond.
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Yes it plays normal CD’s like those you would buy in any store but i’m not sure i really understood you’re second question. But the lens move on a straight line path. The CD’s i uses for doing my compilation aren’t harm or sum and they are played well on other devices like my computer or a Sony s-master digital amplifier.
The question about the CD path was just to check if it’s one of the newer CD mechanisms, which it is! There is a good chance that these were never able to play mp3s on CD-R or CD-RW. I will have a search and see if I can find out, or perhaps another Ouverture owner on Beoworld can test and comment.
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