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lfc jon View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lfc jon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Aug 2022 at 4:52pm
Has anyone got any tips for removing scratch's from CDs. I've seen a few items on the likes of am--on and the reviews have been mixed. I have read that toothpaste works or brasso but I'm sceptical!
The CD I'm having trouble with (it plays up to track 4) came in one of those cardboard book style box's where you slide the CD in and out and I suspect this is what's made the scatches, all the rest of my CDs that came in cardboard I have now replaced them with the sleeves I have.The one I looked at seems to work but at over £30 "if it don't work" the cost of a new CD is only £7 so you see what I'm saying.
Reflex M, Solo (both with PSU-1) CuSat50, Lautus, Spatia & Spatia links cables. Ortofon Bronze.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote patientot Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Aug 2022 at 5:33pm
Originally posted by lfc jon lfc jon wrote:

Has anyone got any tips for removing scratch's from CDs. I've seen a few items on the likes of am--on and the reviews have been mixed. I have read that toothpaste works or brasso but I'm sceptical!
The CD I'm having trouble with (it plays up to track 4) came in one of those cardboard book style box's where you slide the CD in and out and I suspect this is what's made the scatches, all the rest of my CDs that came in cardboard I have now replaced them with the sleeves I have.The one I looked at seems to work but at over £30 "if it don't work" the cost of a new CD is only £7 so you see what I'm saying.


I would be very careful about using Brasso because the formula was changed in recent years.

What you can try, as long as the scratch is not too deep or through the aluminum layer, is to clean the CD. Use a couple tiny drops of washing up liquid (I think that's what you call it in the UK?) and lukewarm water.

From there I would try to rip the disc to WAV or FLAC using a program like dBPoweramp or EAC. Make sure you use the gap detection function with EAC. With both programs, turn secure ripping on medium and turn on AccurateRip.

Once the CD is copied error free to the computer, get a blank CD-R and burn a copy of the album. That is your new play copy.

IME, this is far more successful than trying to polish a CD surface at home.

Now, there are ways to polish a CD but I never had luck with homebrew methods like toothpaste or those home CD scratch repair kits. I know some folks have had success with plastic polish meant for motorcycle helmet visors and headlights on a car, but you have to be careful with that stuff. It is also not cheap.

Very expensive commercial machines can polish a disc IF the operator knows what they are doing and the machine is functioning correctly. If not, it's also very easy to ruin the disc. One shop I used to go to would polish used CDs on their machine meant for Blu-Ray discs and video games because they also sold that stuff. As long as I purchased the disc there, they would polish it for free. If I brought a disc from home, they would charge a nominal fee. Sometimes they would waive the fee if I was buying other stuff that day.

Long post but hopefully this helps you in some way. There are some discs that you may just have to replace if they are too far gone. In those cases, hopefully they aren't too expensive to replace.
SL-1200 MK7 (modified) + Reflex M + PSU-1 used with AT150-40ML, AT VM95ML, Stanton 680mkII + Ogura, and Shure M35X cartridges.
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lfc jon View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lfc jon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Aug 2022 at 9:38pm
Thanks for your post David
I have a back up copy in FLAC so I think the way to go is to burn it to a CD-R. Thanks again for reminding me of burning CDs I had forgoten that, just so happens a have a few CD-Rs and a M/C to do it with. What gets me, who thinks it's good to store CDs and vinyl in paper or cardboard. By the way storing my CDs in plastic sleeves as saved me a lot of space which now I will be filling with records, I have have a box set of Blondie records coming my way from mum & dad for my birthday, well it doesn't get released till the day after but I have been reassured by the shop that I WILL get it the day after. I also have ordered A live album of theirs on CD so I'm well on my way to building up my collection of their live albums. Next up will be Pink Floyd.
Reflex M, Solo (both with PSU-1) CuSat50, Lautus, Spatia & Spatia links cables. Ortofon Bronze.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jwatson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Aug 2022 at 9:25am
Hello Jon,

I've heard stories of people being able to polish the surface of a CD with toothpaste which, in common with Brasso is a mild abrasive.  I would steer clear of Brasso though as the smell suggests the presence of solvents which may damage  the polycarbonate layer of the disc.  As suggested by David - burning a new disk is probably the easiest path.  If you decide to have a go at cleaning the CD, you could practice on an old disc first to double check that the cloth you're using is suitably soft and doesn't actually do more damage.

- jim
"I bought some more old vinyl today 'cos old vinyl won't ever let you down"
Majestic DAC -> {Proprius -> Tannoy Stirling | Solo UL -> HD820}
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lfc jon View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lfc jon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Aug 2022 at 6:46pm
James
I did just that today on an old CD I don't like.
I used the toothpaste method and the out come was not good and now the CD is unplayable. But a charity shop has now got my money, for £1 I picked up a copy of that album (the one I do like). I was well lucky, pity I didn't see anything else I would have liked. The lady in the shop said, your becoming a regular you have had a few CDs off us.Smile


Edited by lfc jon - 06 Aug 2022 at 6:49pm
Reflex M, Solo (both with PSU-1) CuSat50, Lautus, Spatia & Spatia links cables. Ortofon Bronze.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Fatmangolf Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Aug 2022 at 3:11pm
It's good to support a charity and get good music👍
Jon

Open mind and ears whilst owning GSP Genera, Accession M, Accession MC, Elevator EXP, Solo ULDE, Proprius amps, Cusat50 cables, Lautus digital cable, Spatia cables and links, and a Majestic DAC.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lfc jon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Aug 2022 at 3:49pm
Originally posted by Fatmangolf Fatmangolf wrote:

It's good to support a charity and get good music👍

I only pop in to hand over a donation so it was a bit of luck to find it, she did say they have been selling a lot of CDs recently and she asked me if CDs are getting popular again, she said there was a time we couldn't shift them.
Reflex M, Solo (both with PSU-1) CuSat50, Lautus, Spatia & Spatia links cables. Ortofon Bronze.
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