Cleaning cd-lens with Q-tip and alcohol - Good or bad?

Bad idea.  Only as a last resort and be extremely careful, a Q-tip is too brutal - lens is plastic and easily scratched or misaligned.  Much better to get a qualified service agent to to it unless you're used to working on miniaturised high precision optics.

If you MUST clean it yourself, use a small soft brush just dampened with high purity propan-2-ol on rather than using denatured alcohol (CDA) on a Q-tip, as denatured alcohol has other solvents in it as well (typically MEK in the UK and many parts of Europe).

well i made the mistake once, won't do it again.

it doesn't really matter now coz i will eventually send my player for re-cap and mechanism lens swap.

thanx for clarifying

OK, if it's working: Leave it alone (we have a saying: If it ain't broke, don't fix it!).  Get the service agents to clean the mechanism at the same time as service / re-cap.

Huge posted:

OK, if it's working: Leave it alone (we have a saying: If it ain't broke, don't fix it!).  Get the service agents to clean the mechanism at the same time as service / re-cap.

When Naim service agents replace old lens for a new lens, isn't lens integrated with the whole mechanism unit?

Don't they replace whole mechanism unit with lens?

CD5 is still woking great, no problems with it on playback

Yes, if it needs replacement, it's replacement of the entire CD mechanism - the mechanisms are assembled and adjusted (mechanically at least) by machines to get the necessary precision.

Huge posted:

Yes, if it needs replacement, it's replacement of the entire CD mechanism - the mechanisms are assembled  and adjusted by machines to get the necessary precision.

I thought service agents also did a cheapo by only replacing lens as a cost effective tune up?

Just to confirm, a lens swap also includes a new cd-mechanism not only a lens replacement?

If they do a lens only replacement, I'd be wary of that, the adjustment tolerance is measured in μm and the levelling necessary is measured in nm.

Kowalski,

see the FAQ thread How to clean your CD player lens

https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...-your-cd-player-lens

Richard,

Didn't I read somewhere on here that Naim no longer have replacement CD mechs. for the CD5.

Graham, I think i read the same thing.

sheffieldgraham posted:

Richard,

Didn't I read somewhere on here that Naim no longer have replacement CD mechs. for the CD5.

the VAM1205 unit is it NLA?

for replacement they will put another model mechanism? New lens mechs do they play CD-R/CD-RW discs?

Does it also include a new cd clamp with the new mechs?

kowalski posted:

sheffieldgraham posted:

Richard,

Didn't I read somewhere on here that Naim no longer have replacement CD mechs. for the CD5.

the VAM1205 unit is it NLA?

for replacement they will put another model mechanism? New lens mechs do they play CD-R/CD-RW discs?

Does it also include a new cd clamp with the new mechs?

It's not that simple to put an alternative mech in. The original mech of the CDX2 was changed through lack of availability, but it required a reworking of the electronics by Naim to do so.  It hasn't been done for the CD5.

well it's good idea to know before shipping out my unit for repair if there's still correct replacement mechanism available for my CD5?

I don't want to send my unit to UK for nothing only wasting money on expensive shipping costs.

Naim dealer must contact Naim about replacement parts if they are still available before I ship out my unit. Need confirmation

Yup, good idea.  Have your dealer liaise with the factory for the latest info on what can and what cannot be done/replaced/serviced.