"Shaving" optical discs

[Bill B]

What happened is that Tellig had to issue instructions for how to remove it after touting the 'magic' audio qualities it imparted to CDs.



Maybe you had to be there. A 'quick search on Google' shows me a few mangled versions of the story and a fair number of half-witted comments on same.

Did it just make them unplayable/unreadable by the laser or actually ruin the integrity of the plastic and adhesive itself so that the disc failed?

 

[Sonik Wiz]

I confess... I have used a disc treatment on Laserdiscs to noticeable benefit. Many LD's that I have were purchased used & surface abrasion was easily noticeable. On the worst ones I would get noisy white specs like when an LD laser rot, but I didn't really think that was it so much as mistreatment. Some of the LD's had analog only audio & newer ones had a combo of analog plus 16/44.1 digital audio. These scratches never affected the audio but it sure was noticeable on the video.

I thought back to my old photo darkroom days & was reminded of a scratch treatment for damaged film. It was turpentine based (!) and applied only to the base side of the film, never the emulsion. What I needed for the LD's was a light wax polish that would fill the abrasions & be polished up with a light buffing. The answer was:

Yup good 'ol furniture polish Pledge. The same stuff I use on my speakers oiled oak enclosures. Well, it worked great. Neil Diamond & Sheena Easton were rescued. Not quite in keeping with the snake oil aspect of this thread but I thought I would post my only experience with a disc treatment that actually worked.

 

[godathunder]

The only treatment I ever felt the need to inflict on my cds was a quick polish (radially centre to edge) with some brasso and a lint free soft cloth when they managed to acquire some scratches in my, at the time, party hearty household. Managed to restore quite a few damaged discs to playable condition that way.

 

[ssully]

Did it just make them unplayable/unreadable by the laser or actually ruin the integrity of the plastic and adhesive itself so that the disc failed?

Why don't you go look up the original Tellig articles and see what reasons he gave for first recommending then disrecommending it? Failing that, you could do some experiments on your own discs and CD player, and give us periodic updates.

 

[Bill B]

Why don't you go look up the original Tellig articles and see what reasons he gave for first recommending then disrecommending it? Failing that, you could do some experiments on your own discs and CD player, and give us periodic updates.

I am interested because back in 1998 or 1999 I had read an article in (I believe) Goldmine magazine about using something to clean and protect CDs. It was called Novus Plastic Polish #1 (there was a #2 and #3 with more abrasive ingredients to smooth out scratches in plastic but I never used them).

I treated many CDs with it and put post-it notes in the jewel cases to identify the ones I treated. Well, in retrospect, the plastic polish looked a lot like Armour All. I still use it for some things but not on CDs because I came to the conclusion that it didn't really do anything. On the other hand of the few hundred CDs I treated, they are all still going strong with no issues.

That is why I am curious. One day, when I don't have anything better to do, perhaps I will spend a little more time doing some research on-line. I was just hoping you could fill in the blanks since you remember it first hand because, above all else, I am lazy.

 

[Sonik Wiz]

I am interested because back in 1998 or 1999 I had read an article in (I believe) Goldmine magazine about using something to clean and protect CDs. It was called Novus Plastic Polish #1 (there was a #2 and #3 with more abrasive ingredients to smooth out scratches in plastic but I never used them).
View attachment 83297

I treated many CDs with it and put post-it notes in the jewel cases to identify the ones I treated. Well, in retrospect, the plastic polish looked a lot like Armour All. I still use it for some things but not on CDs because I came to the conclusion that it didn't really do anything. On the other hand of the few hundred CDs I treated, they are all still going strong with no issues.

That is why I am curious. One day, when I don't have anything better to do, perhaps I will spend a little more time doing some research on-line. I was just hoping you could fill in the blanks since you remember it first hand because, above all else, I am lazy.

I have used Novus 1 & 2 extensively over the years but never on optical discs.

Novus 2 is a fine scratch remover that looks white & much like the stuff you use to keep your ceramic stove top looking good. It is fantastic for restoring those foggy milky headlights on so many cars. I would not suggest using it on any kind of optical disc.

Novus 1 is a polish & it does a good job of that. It isn't particularly restorative but it is the right thing to keep hard plastic super shiny like new. This probably safe for optical discs and I guess you have used it. Any tangible benefit?

 

[Bill B]

I have used Novus 1 & 2 extensively over the years but never on optical discs.

Novus 2 is a fine scratch remover that looks white & much like the stuff you use to keep your ceramic stove top looking good. It is fantastic for restoring those foggy milky headlights on so many cars. I would not suggest using it on any kind of optical disc.

Novus 1 is a polish & it does a good job of that. It isn't particularly restorative but it is the right thing to keep hard plastic super shiny like new. This probably safe for optical discs and I guess you have used it. Any tangible benefit?

Nope. Like I said, I treated a few hundred of my discs back in 1999 and stopped treating them because it seemed like a waste of time. 20+ years later they all still work fine. If I have a disc that has unwanted matter on it (requiring something liquid to dissolve it) I will still use it but that is rare because I am pretty careful with my discs when I handle them (and water would probably work just as well). Likewise on the few occasions where a disc was skipping or not playing correctly I will try using it. Most of the time it helps in those situations because the likely culprit is some sort of unwanted matter on the disc. In the case of a badly damaged disc it doesn't do crap. It does do a good job on plastic around the house, clear plastic covers on some die-cast cars, plastic caps on my Def-Tech tower speakers, etc.. However as you pointed out, Pledge would probably do as good a job.

 

[4-earredwonder]

"GREETINGS, esteemed QQ Posters. I am one of 4~ears' Treated Discs!

Out of all the billions of Polycarbonate discs mass produced each and every year I AM SPECIAL.

My owner, 4 ears, has sprayed my belly and derriere [front/back] with a luxurious spray called Ultra Bit Diamond + ..... almost akin to a splash of revitalizing Evian Water on the face.

And has implemented a Waaayyy Cool indelible BLACK INK racing stripe along my outer and inner circumference for increased bass output and laser focus.

And for this luxurious Spa Treatment I have rewarded 4 ears with increased reflectivity to better focus his player's laser.

On movies: better contrast levels, sharper focus and better sonics and on music [ALL optical formats]: sharper sound, tighter bass and more oomph!

Yes, I AM SPECIAL. And thanks to 4 ear's remarkable dedication to this process, which BTW only takes 5 minutes, I do stand out from the vastly overcrowded gaggle of the UNTREATED [or to be more succinct: The UNWASHED]!"

Optically yours and hardly an illusion,

Not just a simplistic One nor zero ...anymore!

P.S. I don't SHAVE ........ but as a result have NO unsightly stubble!

 

[Bill B]

I heard Jack Daniels works too. You get a pint and spread a few drops on the disc and wipe off carefully. Then you drink the rest. Always sounds better to me every time.

Edit: But only on audio discs. It doesn't work on video disc, makes it all blurry.

 

[4-earredwonder]

I heard Jack Daniels works too. You get a pint and spread a few drops on the disc and wipe off carefully. Then you drink the rest. Always sounds better to me every time.

Edit: But only on audio discs. It doesn't work on video disc, makes it all blurry.

My Dear William,

Alcohol not only DULLS the senses but would most certainly damage my delicate composition...slurring my ones and zeros!


Sincerely,

 

[quadsearcher]

Did it just make them unplayable/unreadable by the laser or actually ruin the integrity of the plastic and adhesive itself so that the disc failed?

On glass, it makes things blurry. And it is very hard to remove. I used Lava soap with abrasive to remove it from glass.
A favorite joke from the long gone NPR radio series called Car Talk, where listeners described the noises their cars made and the hosts "diagnosed", there was a question:
Q: How do you remove Armour All from a windshield?
A: A sledgehammer.

 

[MidiMagic]

Just more snake oil, like the turntable weights and mega speaker cables.

 

[JediJoker]

...turntable weights...

A weight can actually help flatten a slightly warped record for playback. Mechanical tweaks like that do have some merit.

Weights for solid-state devices, though, like DACs?

 

[AYanguas]

When someone says “this sound better than that”, he is referring to just a personal subjective evaluation about “his” reality. It has nothing to do with technical measurements or comparative analysis. (Read that somewhere when debating what sound better CD or vinyl).

When the “believers” of such things are talked about Placebo Effect, they use to manifest that they are aware of the concept but that do not apply in this case because they can hear “lot” of differences. I have read evidences like, “…even my wife that was passing by told me: wow, now it sounds better…”.

Then when they are asked if they have done or will do a double blind A-B test, they usually don’t answer. They are not even interested in learning what a blind test is.

Technical people try to convince about the reality to the “believer” people, but it is always a wasted effort.

I’ve tried many times in the past, but now I’m convinced that is better to say them:

“I’m glad that you are so happy with your hobby. Live Long and Prosper!”

and spent efforts in other things.

 

[Bill B]

Why don't you go look up the original Tellig articles and see what reasons he gave for first recommending then disrecommending it? Failing that, you could do some experiments on your own discs and CD player, and give us periodic updates.

Well I did spent an hour plus doing some more research...

I found the original Tellig article in Stereophile magazine (page 67)...
https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Stereophile/90s/Stereophile-1990-02.pdf
I could not find anything official retracting the original article. I did find individuals' comments on message boards both praising and condemning the practice. Claims that it damaged the components of the disc (plastic/adhesive/foil) others that it affected the ability of player to read the disc (clouded the plastic) and unsubstantiated fears that residue could gunk up the actual CD player. There were even more positive comments about how it improved the sound or that there were no negative effects as a result of using it.

In my travels I also found a Snopes appraisal of greening the edges of the disc...
Green CDs

This article in stereophile attempted to quantify some claims that were made regarding CDs
https://www.stereophile.com/reference/590jitter/index.html
Here is something on YouTube on the subject:


The only conclusion I can reach is exactly what AYanguas said in the comment above.

However I can say that I did not see anything official that confirmed without a doubt that green markers or armor all negatively or positively affected CD from anyone but individuals that made claims one way of the other on message boards.

 

[4-earredwonder]

TREAT OTHERS [including Optical Discs] THE SAME WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED [with a little TLC]


Optically Enhanced ... with no room for ERROR,

 

[4-earredwonder]

A clear cut case for disc treatments: When I received D~V's new Kris Kristofferson 2 disc QUAD SACD remasters.....I played Jesus Was a Capricorn and felt the bass was somewhat bloated. I sprayed the disc top and bottom with Ultra Bit Diamond + and applied black ink to the disc's outer/inner rims and without changing any of the settings on my Pre/Pro [a Parasound P7 ALL analogue preamp...totally flat response; no EQ whatsoever] I noticed immediately the bass was fuller and had none of that initial bloat and the vocals crystal clearer and dead center and remix engineer Mike Figlio's uncanny, precise and subtle placement of instruments in all four corners was simply breathtaking. Not to make this a treatise on early subpar SQ decoding technology ...but how the hell did they expect to extract all this subtle and precise four corner QUAD from a vinyl disc or for that matter Q8 [going from 15 ips to 3 3/4 ips]??????

NO Placebo effect here, folks ... just better auditory reception through SCIENCE...via a little elbow grease!

 

[Q4Fan]

I still remember it being touted that running a green marker around the side (edge) of the CD would make them sound better. I didn't bother trying as it sounded like total BS.

 

[godathunder]

NO Placebo effect here, folks ... just better auditory reception through SCIENCE...via a little elbow grease!

Next time youre going to do this please try a before and after rip as I suggested earlier in the thread. It'd be interesting to compare the two

 

[Owen Smith]

Next time youre going to do this please try a before and after rip as I suggested earlier in the thread. It'd be interesting to compare the two

Why? They would diff to zero.