Got A Dirty CD Laser? Don’t Get Ripped Off, Clean It Yourself!
Written: Mar 12 '05 (Updated Mar 12 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to use, inexpensive, works on all types of CD players.
Cons: Some tests are a complete waste of time.
The Bottom Line: Got a dirty CD laser lens? Don’t waste money taking it to the repair shop, pick up one of these and do it yourself!
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| Freak369's Full Review: DISCWASHER 1141 1-Brush Dry CD Laser Lens Cleaner |
When I get a nasty skip on a CD I am half tempted to grab it and toss it out the window. Is there anything more annoying than when a CD skips or freezes every few seconds? Well, I am sure that there are worse things but to me, it has to rank in the top ten. In the past I always relied on my trusty Discwasher CD Scratch Repair Kit to take care of these things but a month or so ago it died a most heinous death when it was left on top of the radiator [yes, the money pit has radiators]. Seeking a suitable replacement I found a lot of great disc cleaners and repair items but I never stopped to think that maybe, just maybe, the lens on the player needed a good cleaning. After going cross country and dealing with all the remodeling that’s been going on, some dust may have gotten inside it causing the skips and freezing. I already had the Discwasher Digital Wet/Dry DVD Laser Lens Cleaner Model 1503 disc but it was no where to be found when I unpacked so I figured I might as well just get a new one. Easier said than done. It seems like as soon as I find a Discwasher product that I really like or get comfortable with, they yank it off the market or discontinue making it. Ahh, my electronics curse continues …
Discwasher 1141 Dry CD Laser Lens Cleaner
When I went to Circuit City I had no luck finding anything even remotely close to this, so off to Best Buy. No luck there either. I had to have gone to at least five more stores before I stopped by Target and had some luck in the clearance section. For $4.99 I found this CD laser lens cleaner and it seemed just as easy to use as the others in the Discwasher line. I wanted something that I could just shove in the CD player, press a button and have it do all the work. Luck for me, the electronics gods were watching over me, using this product is as easy as opening the case, sliding in the disc and listening to the instructions. The best part about this cleaner is that it has a built in brush attached to the CD; it gently removes any surface dust on the lens and keeps it stuck to the brush until you remove it. The only possible downside to this is that if you aren’t careful when you put the disc back into the jewel case the bristles will get bent and render it useless. There is a small cut out area where the brush goes, make sure you have this lined up with the arrow on the CD so that it gets stored properly.
The disc walks you through seven levels of optimization; some of these are completely useless for smaller portable CD players but you might as well go through the steps so you get the best cleaning possible. If you are using this on a large home stereo it will allow you to configure the sound and do a balance check, sort of useless in my opinion since every person wants their sound system to sound the way they want. It takes about three minutes from start to finish for a complete cleaning but you can opt for a 45 second express cleaning. This is a nice feature if you are using this on a portable unit and don’t want to fiddle around with all the extras. For my portable Philips CD player this was a great purchase because it sees a lot of use outdoors and I am always getting dust or dirt inside the unit when I am changing discs when I am running or at the gym.
So, How Did It Work?
First off you have to realize that this thing has its limitations. If you are playing discs that are scratched or have been played for years, chances are cleaning the lens won’t do much. This is not a CD scratch repair kit, it is meant to clean the CD lens and surrounding area. About half the CD’s I was playing did have surface scratches and out of those, about four of them played without a hitch after I used the laser lens cleaner. That might not sound like a success but in my book it was, at least now I can listen to Type O Negative and Temple of The Dog without having songs skip or freeze on me. I wasn’t sure how to use this in my multi CD changer so I tried it out and had the disc shuffler go to the first deck. That seemed to work best and it played most of the CD’s without any trouble after I used the disc a few times. This one was never cleaned and I knew that I would have to use it a few times and check the brush [for lint or dirt] and do the process over again after the remodeling is done.
The Bottom Line
It doesn’t matter how tech savvy you are, if you can open a CD case, use your CD player and follow some simple instructions, you too can clean your CD laser lens. It is easy to use and since it is a dry method you won’t have to wait in order to use it or fumble around with liquid or wipes. For less than five bucks [suggested retail price is in the seven to eight dollar range] this is well worth it if you use your CD player on a regular basis and want to avoid having to take it to a professional to get it cleaned. It has an express cleaning for when you want to get the job done quick or the full three minute cleaning for optimum results. Either way, you’ll know without a doubt that your lens is clean and if there is still a problem, chances are it’s the disc that is giving you trouble.
As always, thanks for the read!
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2005 Freak369
Other compact disc accessories …
Discwasher CD Scratch Repair Kit Model 1163
Case Logic CD Visor Folio
Sony MDR Vertical Headphones
TDK 50 Pack CDR Media 700MB 80 Minutes
Asics Reflective CD Waist Pack
Sony MDR W20G Headphones
Memorex Multicolored Slim Jewel Cases
3M Scotch Laser Lens Cleaner AV-104
Maxell Light Beats Headphones
Discwasher Digital Wet/Dry DVD Laser Lens Cleaner Model 1503
Philips HS800 Lightweight Headphones
Recommended:
Yes
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