Help with Duo-R - Strange CD Audio problem

[Frank_fjs]

I really want to rant but will save that for later, sigh.

Received an RGB/region modded Duo-R, everything working great except the following:

- CD Audio from games isn't playing (will expand on this later on)
- Audio in a CD game generated by the sound chip (i.e. non-redbook) seems to be playing fine
- Audio from HuCard games seems to be playing fine
- If I throw a regular audio CD in there, it plays fine. Nice and loud and in stereo

I know a cap issue is typically the likely culprit, however I think something more sinister might be wrong due to the fact that regular audio CD's play fine.

To elaborate a little, watch the video of this game on the PC Engine Bible site: http://www.pcengine.co.uk/HTML_Games/Nekketsu-High_School_CD-SOCCER.htm

Paying attention to the intro, when I run that game the first sound that you hear on the video plays for a few seconds with a nasty static sound and then stops dead. From there on all I hear is the chip sounds, like the soccer ball swoosh sound at around the 22 second mark. I do not hear any music or the character's voices/speech.

1) Any ideas on what the problem may be?

2) Any advice on how I should handle the situation with the eBay seller? I paid a lot of money for a console that was supposed to have been serviced/repaired/restored etc and am rather pissed off that my first Duo-R, which was supposed to be a happy and positive experience, does not seem to work.

[Frank_fjs]

Quick update, perhaps it is bad caps after all. I've had the system running for about 15 minutes and CD audio has started to kick in, but it's still 'staticy' and a little intermittent. It also stops altogether at times and seems to randomly kick back in at other times.

Bad caps?

[Bernie]

Sounds like caps, but im not a tech.  One of em will chime in tho.

[Frank_fjs]

I'm thinking caps too, but I have a strange feeling that it might be something else as all other audio is working fine.

I'm thinking it might be the CD mechanism, it had a new one fitted and maybe it hasn't been 'tuned' correctly?

[Hollo]

Ignore the PM on AA I sent asking for more detail about the issue Frank. 

I would definitely say caps if you're talking about a straight Duo, but as it's an R it's worth having the experts give some other options.  No matter what it is though, you definitely have grounds for a claim by your description of the problem.

Man, you have some bad luck though! 

[Frank_fjs]

Yeah, I'm beginning to think it's a cap issue as well, perhaps there are separate caps that handle the CD/HuCard audio side of things.

I've left it on for over half an hour now and sound seems to be playing fine, will have to see what happens when I turn it off, let it cool down and power on again.

[Bernie]

Where did ya get it from?

[Frank_fjs]

Doujindance.

Not sure whether I should message him first or just go straight to a PayPal dispute. I've never had to initiate a PayPal dispute before but given how much money I spent and what I've received in return, I'm leaning towards it.

I'm pretty pissed off as aside from the console not working correctly, it wasn't cleaned like he shows in his 'about me' page, it has black gunk and smudge marks on it and is a little yellowed, definitely not washed or bleached. RGB mod is working nicely, can't test out the region mod due to having no US games.

[Bernie]

Contact him first.  It isnt like him to have this kinda work.  A few of us have bought from him, including myself.  See what he says first.

[Frank_fjs]

Sent him a polite message detailing the issues I'm having, will await his response.

There's definitely a problem though, I've tested out a few more games and CD audio is hit and miss, as is the loading of CD games. I'm getting quite a few 'please set disc' errors and sometimes have to try 3-4 times before a game loads. Also, sound is definitely garbled when it decides to work, I have a briefcase setup and tested the same games in that to compare and they run smoothly with clear audio.

Last game I tested was WBIII - Monsters Lair and it runs smooth as silk on my briefcase setup, but on the Duo-R audio is intermittent and contains a lot of static. Sometimes the CD audio plays and then is just abruptly stops.

So f*cking pissed off, was super excited to finally get a Duo-R and play in RGB but this experience has stuffed it all up.

[Bernie]

I feel ya man.  This kind of thing happens from time to time though.    I am sure he will make it right somehow.  The only bad thing is he is in Japan....  ugh....

[Frank_fjs]

Yeah, I've had a bad run of late but have been pretty lucky with consoles overall.

Years ago I got a 32X that didn't work but it was an easy fix, just had to re-insert the data ribbon cables and problem solved.

Recently obtained a VB that didn't work, despite being advertised as fully working, the left lens displayed no picture and the right lens was glitchy. I ended up getting the ribbon cables soldered down and it's working flawlessly now, so I didn't bother the seller with the problem despite being out of pocket as I had to pay a technician to perform the solder work.

This Duo-R is the third console I've received that isn't working correctly, and it's beyond my skills to repair it and I don't know anyone locally with PC Engine repair experience, and I'm not forking out for return postage plus the repair cost to send it to someone.

I have a feeling that doujindance is going to request that I send it back to him, at my cost, and he'll either repair or replace it if I'm lucky. I'm not happy doing that though as postage from Australia to Japan is not cheap, and why should I have to wait another month to be playing my Duo-R that I paid damn good money for, especially when it was supposedly fitted with a new lens and serviced/reconditioned.

End of rant, think I'm going to have to buy a packet of smokes and a bottle of scotch.

[Hollo]

Don't jump to conclusions just yet Frank.  He might make good with it - he sells enough that he should.  Good luck with it, and let us know how it goes.

[Frank_fjs]

Well things are getting worse, just tried playing though Monsters Lair and the game froze after defeating the first boss, that big fish thing. The game just stopped dead. Took the disc out and ran through the game again in my briefcase setup and got through the same part no problems at all.

So whatever the issue is, the CD mechanism is definitely involved somehow. My total guess would be that he hasn't calibrated it correctly, maybe it's spinning too fast or too slow etc.

I'm calm now, just disappointed that I can't play with my new console.

[Frank_fjs]

Latest discovery, it seems my Duo-R is ultra sensitive to movement/vibration.

E.g. When the CD audio decides to play, a very gentle tap of either the console or the desk that it's sitting on will cause the audio to stop playing. Reseting the game or advancing to a new section of the game (where a new track is loaded) restores the audio.

When this happens (slight vibration messing with the CD/audio) I can hear the cd mechanism struggling to read the disc.

Any clues as to what's wrong with my Duo? Could there be a loose connection somewhere?