OPPO 93 Issue

I have an OPPO 93 disc player in my second system. Aside for a recall very early in its life cycle it’s been nothing but bullet proof in terms of reliability. Lately, it’s started to occasionally skip with various CDs in unpredictable places. I’ve ruled out damage to the discs since they play fine in my new OPPO 205 in my main system.

Any thoughts about what this could be and how I might trouble shoot a solution would be most welcome. Should I start with a cleaning? If so, what’s the best way to do this?

Thanks!

My guess is a grubby lens. This is easily gently cleaned with a swab and alcohol.

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A dirty lens will cause problems with reading the DSD layer on hybrid SACDs and make playing BDs difficult if not impossible.
Another issue that may cause skipping, particularly on an older unit like your 93, is debris on the rails of the laser sled or foreign material caught in the gears that drive the sled. It would be worth your time to open the unit up and give it a thorough cleaning.

Thanks for the advice! I will give it some TLC. Is the lens an obvious landmark? Sorry for my ignorance on such simple technical matters :):grinning:

Oppo has a flat rate for any service needed, unless they discontinued it. It probably would be best to send it in and they will replace the whole transport and clean it. They even put it in a new cloth bag, as I didn’t send it in the original one.
I have the 83SE. And they paid return shipping. It was something like $78.

Thanks, Jeff! I’ve always received great customer service with Oppo. I’m going to consider this option.

No apology necessary. I was interested in the replies as well. Thanks for starting the thread. Let us know if Oppo still offers the service.

The lens and the sled are hidden under a metal cover held in place by a few screws and probably an adhesive grounding strip connected to the case. Once you remove the cover, the lens will be visible - approximately 1/4" in diameter mounted in the center of a spring-loaded mechanism that moves it from the center to the outer edge of the disc.

Very gently brush the lens with a clean cotton swab. You may consider using a bit of isopropyl alcohol to help clean the surface, but it probably isn’t necessary.
Examine the metal rails on which the laser sled travels. You may gently push the sled along the rails to facilitate cleaning. Remove any accumulated debris you find.
Take this opportunity to blow dust and and foreign matter out of the rest of the unit, too. Looking inside the player can be very educational.

If you’re uncomfortable doing this and don’t mind the unit being away for a week, send it to Oppo as jeffstarr suggested. They can also check the laser to ensure it isn’t failing. Ship insured for the replacement value of the unit and carefully document the exact kind of player you’re shipping.

Either way, I hope you get your 93 fixed. It’s a fine machine.

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Thanks for the detailed instructions! I gave the cleaning a go. Was busy today, but will test a number of CDs tomorrow to see if the problem is fixed. If not, I’ll look into sending it in.

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I had sled issues with my 93 and they replaced it, as Jeff noted. You gotta wonder how a company can seem to be doing everything right (at least on our end) and yet elect to pull the plug. Of course they were charging less than most companies would have, and probably spending more than most do. A shame.

Oppo dropped the players as it could obtain a higher ROI designing and selling other products. E.g., Oppo is the biggest smartphone maker in China. Its player division was proportionally tiny.

Oppo’s parent, BBK Electronics, is huge (mobile phones, televisions, cameras, etc.). It is the second largest cell phone manufacturer in the world behind Samsung.

So - following in the Apple mold ; )