Denon DN-C635 problems

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

We (Ithaca College, radio) have at least 8 of these CD players. They
are all 2-1/2 years old and at least 6 have been in nearly constant use
(24/7) in our two radio installations. Starting last spring, nearly all
have suffered "TOC error" problems. As far as I can see, it is largely
that the units fail to spin the disc properly when it is loaded. Denon
does not sell the spindle motor separately. It's your usual tiny
Mabuchi motor, and I suspect they have all developed dead spots on the
commutator. However, replacing the entire drive mechanism assembly (the
only part Denon sells that includes the motor) has not cured the
problem except when I replaced the new laser sled with the old one.
Seemed like what was really needed was a motor replacement.
Anyone have experience with this unit's trouble or something
similar? We are tempted to pitch all the units, except there are few,
if any, single CD players available any more, usable in a radio
installation. (OK, the Marantz PMD 331 is similar. We have a few but
not in hard daily service, and, since the companies have merged, I
don't trust them, either.).
If no ideas about fixing the nasty things, any suggestions for
replacements. We liked the professional balanced connections and the
ability to do remote start and stop, but I'm not going to be picky at
this point.
Thanks for any help. Yeah, I'm a newbie here but have looked at the
group for quite a while.