Repair Sonneteer Byron CD-player

After some Sonneteer Alabaster repairs, it was inevitable that I also received a CD-player from that same brand. It had mechanical issues: the drawer wouldn’t stay closed.

2025-05-23

The problem

The CD drawer opens itself, even after you press the close button.

The theory

The Byron uses a CDM14 mechanism from Sony. The drawer on these mechanisms is operated via a rubber belt. These rubber belts wear out over time. At the same time, the open and close detection switches corrode, worsening the problem even more.

The repair

Mechanism

I had to remove the mechanism entirely. In order to do so, I had to remove the drawer from the mechanism, as the front plate of the drawer is glued on. That means that the mechanism including the drawer cannot be pulled out via the opening at the front.

After I had removed the mechanism, I removed two gears in order to get access to the belt, which I removed as well. The belt is a Sony 4-927-649-01 and still readily available.

Finally, I could remove the motor. The motor is still good, but the sense switches on that same pcb are probably corroded, as this is a common problem with these CD mechanisms. The plastic covers on the switches can be pulled off: grab them between your thumb and index finger and give them a gentle but confident pull. A good cleaning with a piece op paper soaked with contact cleaner will make the switch as good as new again.

Digital board

One electrolytic capacitor on the driver/controller board spilled its guts out. The cap was punctured (probably during assembly in the factory). Maybe it still works, but I took no chances and replaced it with a good one.