My GF’s PST occasionally stops, then restarts playing or sometimes just freezes. It doesn’t happen often but often enough to put one in a foul mood.
Is there a way to clean the inside of this thing?
It has the latest firmware.
Maxell Safe and Effective Feature CD Player and Game Station Compact Disc Cleaner CD-340 190048 CD/CD-ROM Laser Lens Cleaner - CD Lens Cleaner
Amazon sells this at a reasonable price.
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What makes you think the laser assembly or other internals needs a cleaning to resolve the playback issue? I’d consider contacting PSA Technical Support just incase the drive has a glitch, or is failing.
Just a wild-ass guess. If there’s a magic guzinta that fixes it, it’s much easier than sending it back. Although I think you and I know where this is headed.
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If the unit is years old, been in a dusty, smoky pet filled environment a cleaning is a simple, inexpensive try. K.I.S. approach is a good fist step. Amazon has the cleaner for ~$5 USD.
It fixed my intermittent problem on my PWT a few years back.
Hopefully a simple cleaning resolves it. 
In general I agree, it’s just that the PST hasn’t been on the market long enough, maybe 18 months, for this to be the most likely concern. However a simple cleaning isn’t likely to cause harm and hopefully I will resolve it.
Good point. 18 months is short time even for a smokey etc environment. Hopefully a new drive is not the solution
Guzinta, as in Jethro Bodine’s math genius?
You just either added or subtracted 30 points from my IQ!
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Well no, not math. This would be a thing that guzinta the PST to clean the readztheguzrounda.
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Does it have the latest firmware? Could be a firmware issue. Mine does exhibit similar behavior on occasion. Like once every few months–and mine is used 30 to 40 hours a week. A reboot gets me back on track. I just discovered mine does not have the latest firmware and I’m going to fix that.
Mine does have the latest firmware. I called Boulder and the nice fellow suggested that I reinstall the 2.4.4 but the PST will not allow that once it’s been updated.
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This dates you, you realize that.
Of course it dates me too—knowing it dates you. Oh well
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After all, I don’t think the issue is about cleaning the head(s). The unit was shut off overnight and has been working fine all day. Who knows?
IMHO, Your problem seems to do with FW.
I have my PST since beta testing, went through all the FW update. All the playback glitches I have are linked to FW. Each FW update stabilizes the playback. I have FW2.4.4 now, glitch still occurs, but less often. As usual, main power cycle PST will fix ( or should I say “reset”). I guess in your case, when playback in the middle, if the PSA logo is also flashing, then this indicates a “fatal software problem” (this is what PST developer told me.). Sometime, glitch I have might not trigger PST logo flashing, but similarly all ctrls don’t work. Need a main power cycle.
Two things I learned from my PST.
- Had better get my disk clean. Yes. My PST can play dirty disk, but I notice, for problem one, clean it seems working.
- Leave FW alone, I did try to reload the “current” FW during my beta test. The only way to reload current FW for PST is to load the old FW first, then PST now will take the current one. But by doing so, my PST did not like it, (more problems). Eventually, my problem solved with a newer FW release.
Be super careful about messing with the laser optics if that’s what you’re thinking. Hard to believe you have enough hours on the transport to be worrying about the optics. Were that my piece, I won’t consider touching the laser optics or transport until all other causes are ruled out. Even then, using a cloth or cleaning solution on the lens … not without consultation and an affirmative yes that won’t do more harm than good. And that affirmative yes should be based on discussing exactly what method you intend to use to clean the optics or the mechanism. Btw, as an aside many years ago I had a similar problem with another transport and discovered after much work ruling out causes it was due to an improperly seated ribbon connector from the transport to the main board. I reseated it (which also cleans the contacts simply by demate-remate) and the issue was solved. Bit errors, read problems, can be subtle and due to a number of causes.
This PST was at my gf’s house. I took it home after she felt fed up with it.
After a couple days in my system, it’s unreliability gives me the impression that it’s an electrical performance issue, not mechanical.
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I used a head cleaner on my MCT450, and think it helped it to better read SACDs. Glad you inquired.
My PST is almost always ready to go, and it gets a bunch of use, but once it behaved oddly and the power cycle fixed my baby right up. Once in a couple years is manageable. Not thrilling, but certainly manageable.
A call to the MotherShip, for some Tech Support or dilithium crystals may be in order.
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