California Audio Labs Aria Tube CDP

I picked up a California Audio Labs Aria CD player that is essentially a modified Magnavox CDB-460 or 560 with a tube output stage. I did not get the original remote but luckily Magnavox remotes work fine with this player.

I was able to get this player to play but it is a little shaky. The sound is different but I won't be able to assess the difference until I get the Aria sorted out. Because it is a Mag, I have the parts and will probably swap the entire transport and laser block.

Anyone have one or heard one? Opinions?

I think you're talking about the one that have tubes...?!
I wonder what air force have to do with audio.... even the other day i was question the same when i was talking about the NuForce digital amps...
I mean, the guy in front of California Audio Labs _ Dan Donnelly _ comes from the air force; the same also happens with Tranh Nguyen with the Tomahawk cruise missiles and the NuForce amps....
Anyway, from what i know it's a great cdp.
Enjoy.

This post has been edited by clint e. on April 28, 2008 04:12 pm

After testing the Aria and determining it needed work, I remembered seeing a CDB-460 at the swap so I drove back and bought it. The transport and laser block are a straight swap in the Aria. Because Magnavox are modular, the swap was easy and the Aria worked right away.

I did an A/B with my stock CDB-650 using an RCA switchbox. The Aria is smoother and more open. The 650 has better frequency response which results in a slightly brighter sound that is more forward. I'm going to have to get to know the Aria better to discover its true talents.

Attached Image (Click thumbnail to expand)

Looks great.
Two power suplies, philips mechs and is it 6922 tubes? and, what kind of dac does it have?

The Aria is definitely based on the CDB-460. It looks like the DAC is the original Philips. I will have to compare the Aria to the stock 460 DAC to be sure. This surprises me as the stock 460 and 560 are definitely not as good as the TOTL CDB-650. Oh well, I guess they couldn't do everything with the Aria.

I found some second hand info on the Aria Mk III and this had a MSRP of $2,200! I'm not sure what those tubes are, I'll have to look. The Mk III has 12ax7 (not 100% sure, sorry not good at tubes) so I suspect my Aria has the same.

Very cool Sam. I need to find something like that for here at the house.

To Social Sam, Moderators or other knowledgable List-members -
--- Request for Assistance / Advice ---
I too have a Cal Audio Aria. The disc drawer has always opened & closed rather anaemically since it was brand new. Recently. I encountered the same problem as Sam reported; namely that after powering up, the disc drawer would not open.

I do not have the technical knowledge nor expertise Sam appears to have yet I would like to have the deck repaired. I live in the Washington,DC-Baltimore Metro area. Where can I turn for parts and/or assistance in servicing my Aria ? Any info, guidance or advice will be greatly appreciated.

Feel free to respond either on- or off-list. Thank you.

sstrippoli
sstrippoli@hotmail.com
.
.

The lazy tray is an easy fix. The tray is driven by a rubber band that is easy to replace. Sometimes you can take the existing band out and wash off the oily build-up from the rubber breaking down but that is temporary.

If you take your old belt (rubber band) to a local repair shop they would be able to match width and lenght possibly to something they have in stock. I did this with a friends Kenwood and got one that worked fine even though it wasn't specific to the Kenwood model he had.

Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

Jim

This post has been edited by Jim Eck on June 02, 2008 11:09 am

First, make sure the drawer-loading belt is still tight and elastic. If not, it can be replaced with a belt obtained from an electronic-parts supplier. The replacement should be of equal or slightly greater thickness and should fit snugly but not so tightly that it strains the motor.

Second, check for broken or loose gears and have them replaced.

Third, check for obvious sources of contamination such as pet hair or foreign objects that are preventing smooth operation of moving parts. Small children have a habit of inserting items into CD players.

Forth, use electronics-grade contact cleaner to clean the door-position contacts.

Also imo, you must check the laser trolley, with the plastic spring thing doesn't come far enough forward, the drawer will not open . I'm afraid this is a job for an expert, but you can check if the grease on the trolley is dry and hard...

Or.... Your problem might not be mechanical.
You can test the loading motor by applying a 9V battery across and see if it is alive. If it is alive then test with a multimeter if you get any voltage going to the loading motor when you press the eject button. If you don't, then you have a problem with cdp board. I found the same fault in my old Philips CD recorder so it must be a common fault amongst these machines especially if your CD player has a Philips loading mechanism, which is the case here.

Hope this help.

First, make sure the drawer-loading belt is still tight and elastic. If not, it can be replaced with a belt obtained from an electronic-parts supplier. The replacement should be of equal or slightly greater thickness and should fit snugly but not so tightly that it strains the motor.

Second, check for broken or loose gears and have them replaced.

Third, check for obvious sources of contamination such as pet hair or foreign objects that are preventing smooth operation of moving parts. Small children have a habit of inserting items into CD players.

Forth, use electronics-grade contact cleaner to clean the door-position contacts.

Also imo, you must check the laser trolley, with the plastic spring thing doesn't come far enough forward, the drawer will not open . I'm afraid this is a job for an expert, but you can check if the grease on the trolley is dry and hard...

Or.... Your problem might not be mechanical.
You can test the loading motor by applying a 9V battery across and see if it is alive. If it is alive then test with a multimeter if you get any voltage going to the loading motor when you press the eject button. If you don't, then you have a problem with cdp board. I found the same fault in my old Philips CD recorder so it must be a common fault amongst these machines especially if your CD player has a Philips loading mechanism, which is the case here.

Hope this help.

Clint is the PRO! For Magnavox's, I replace the whole tray mechanism from a donor.

Imho, a very wise decision.

To SoCal Sam & Clint:
well, I want to genuinely thank you both for the info and suggestions.
i apologize in advance if this post is overly lengthy, but i tried to fit in what I thought might be pertinent to answer any questions someone might have as a followup.

while i am not mechanically dumb or "challenged" (for example, I've done some minor repairs or upgrades to my laptop), i feel i should re-iterate that i am clearly much less knowledgable or proficient with electonics as you both. nonetheless, you inspired me to at least open up and inspect the insides of my deck; a Cal Audio Aria MkIII.

all the processor boards were clearly etched or embossed with California Audio branding. the two tubes on the main board were marked OTK1 and have been in either from when i got the deck new _ or _ since a servicing in 1995. Besides some loose dry dust, there were no loose or broken parts evident.

The disk transport assembly had no markings or labels which would have identified it to me as Magnavox. Did yours? Or did you just know/recognize it as such? The round cd-tray belt was intact and appeared fairly clean and elastic. I cleaned both the larger front & smaller rear pulley wheels with a Q-tip and a little alcohol. I did not use alcohol on the belt thinking it might dry it out or make it brittle. the only solid (non-liquid) lubricant I had was white lithium grease. I applied sparing amounts of this on various obvious surfaces with a small clean swab.

I plugged the deck in and tried opening & closing the tray. at first, it seemed fixed. then, it began to display some problems occasionally. it always CLOSES as it should but, intermittently it would remain stuck shut and not OPEN. after a long while of inspecting & fiddling around, I noted that what seemed to keep the tray from opening was that the upper-side of the disc clamp was not raising as it should for the tray to open. after a long while, i found out that when the tray closes, the spindle on the top clamp is centered and drawn to the lower spindle by a magnet in there somewhere. well, it seems what's happening is for some reason the upper clamp at times cannot overcome the magnetic attraction of the upper & lower spindle/clamp. I dont know why ?? @#$*

i noticed that there was a small thin white sticker-bumper that the top arm rests on when the tray is closed. i wondered if maybe this was worn or compressed. so i tried sticking a small piece of flat Scotch mounting foam over the original thin sticker. that did help (though it did still get stuck shut once in a while). however, it seems the added foam pad may be just a bit too thick. it appears to keep the top arm from lowering as much as it should and thus interferes with the top spindle spinning freely. i will try to find some other thinner replacement for the foam and see if this helps the situation.

1)
In looking at it, I didnt think I would know how to even remove the whole transport assembly, much less installing a replacement. Reeeally didnt want to mess up my deck beyong this relatively minor prob. Any comments on this?

2)
I was uncertain about what cleaning fluids and lubricants SHOULD and just as importantly SHOULD NOT be used inside electronic devices such as these. any guidance here would be gratefully received.

3)
Would either of you (or anyone else) care to offer comments or feedback on what I've tried so far?

Thanks in advance for any info or assistance extended.

sstrippoli
.
.

Mine is an Aria Mk. I. I believe your Mk. III is still based on a Philips or Magnavox tranport as the CDM laser block is well regarded. A photo or two would be helpful to us to identify your specific problem.

A couple of tips: I clean the belt and pullies with soapy water. Sometimes this works, sometimes not. This is purely temporary as the belt has probably stretched, the belt should be tight on the pulley and elastic. After cleaning, does the belt grip the pulley? If not, time to replace. In a pinch, you can try a regular rubber band to test the tray mechanism. If the tray mechanism sticks and you have tried greasing the gears, the plastic is probably worn out. Time to look for a donor machine, which can be had for relatively little money.

A few more tips:

The Hard Way.

- At that age, careful inspection and resoldering of critical components is a must.

- The microswitches (there are at least 3, in each CD mechanism) sometimes has lossed contact.

- Time to check electrolytics, a visual inspection of solder joints, and overheating check -just with finger.

- New Laser?


The Easy Way.

The transport may be misaligned. Replace and installing a new one.
Nonetheless, imo you should check solder joints and make a recap in all the lytics.
Btw, it's time also to trying another set of new valves.

Choosing the hard or the easy way, the service manual is a must!!!