Micromega Stage 2 and 3 problems - some cure
E.Borgers
It is well known that from some series of Micromega Stage 2 and 3 CD
players have shown the same kind of troubles to their users after a
few months of use: short skippings or random stops. Making normal
listening stressfull and impossible.
Apparently the basic culprits were some series of E-Proms proprietary
to Micromega. However most of the users found back the same kind of
troubles after the replacement of the Eprom.
As this was always after a few months, a lot of people were thinking
it came from the same source: Eproms... A lot of confusion aroused
from these repeated troubles, in many countries.
Recently, my second time defected Micromega Stage 3 ( and therefore
unused for 8 months) was given to an expert in CD and video overhauls
in Europe for a check.
He was not at all familiar with Micromega players, so he looked with
fresh eyes to the problem.... and found that the defect was in fact
the laser diode mobile system that was erratic.
As this is a Philips system for the reading mechanism (CDM 12.4) he
could find easily the part to substitute.
After replacing it, the player works now perfectly.
His theory is that (as apparently found in a lot of current CD
players), the light emitting levels are "pushed up" to facilitate the
reading of the CDs.. with the consequence to shorten the life of the
diode or inducing wear that reduces the light level in a rather short
time.
This explains maybe why, as I remeber, there was such a lot of
criticism about Philips 12.4 after the first year of use by
manufacturers- in a lot of different brands of players.
My Stage 3 is now 3.5 years old but there was only a little more than
2 years of normal use, because of the defects (I was using a Meridian
506 now since the last defect of St 3- 8 months ago).
The "funny" part of this long story is that with different origins,
the symptoms were similar in both troubles, doing that Micromega
dealers (in good faith..) were probably obnubilated by the EProm
catastrophy and did not check further- IMO
Stage 3 is a bloody good player in his category of price, and I still
regret the lack of energy of the maker to face the troubles in some
countries.
I also regret the attitude of most HiFi magazines (especially US and
British ones) that never catters for the troubles and/or lack of
support found in some brands... they recommand.
On the contrary of what some Geman publications do, and which is a
real eye opener about some unrepented makers.
E.Borgers