If the machine sounds better with a new mech it is because of components changed at the time. The newer (less good sounding/reliable mech) was used as the old one was no longer available and so modifications had to be made. Lets face it, if the newer cheaper mech was better they’d have used it in the 1st place. It’s the same with the CDX2, i once heard my Vam1250 model CDX2 right next to a 1202 model in the dealers and the difference was very obvious in favour of my Vam1250 machine, and the dealer was rather taken aback at the big difference. My 12 year old CDS3 is still on the original 1250 mech and sounds sublime. In fact its the most reliable and best sounding source i’ve owned and i once owned a CD555.
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I own a cds2
Is there a way to tell what transport mechanism you have by looking at the tray where cd is placed?
The spindle plate and the pucks are different. Edited: The 1250 has a puck 4 with three rubber bits and three metal pins on the underside. The new 1202 requires the puck 5 without the rubbers and pins. These two pucks are shown in older CD manual version.
Edited, spindle plate and puck photos:
VAM1250 in my CDS3:
Puck 4 for 1250:
My CD5i-2, I think that’s the VAM1202:
Puck:
I have the same question concerning the CDX2… when was the transport mechanism changed?
Around 2008/9. Also see my other post directly above yours
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Question to those in the know: The insertion depth of the three metal pins on the old puck 4 is not 100% fixed. I.e., it is possible to push the pins farther in, until they touch the puck’s cover on the other side. What’s the correct depth?
In the replacement puck I got, one of the pins was pushed in a bit more (maybe my own doing when I took it home in the wallet as I had not realized this was possible and I had to take care). The puck’s cover can be taken off and you can push the pin back out from the other side, but how far? I compared to the original puck and fixed it as best I could. It works, but:
Do the pins have to be absolutely level?
How would you do that?
And how to know what’s the correct depth?
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