I honestly think this player would do better with springs! It has been through a lot.

Actually, I am inept with a soldering iron. I usually request or obtain the services of others in order to do this. For example, Mark did my button hack and Stu did my digital out installation and dry solder fix last time. Worst case, I could always attempt it or send it in for servicing.

That is why backups are so important!!! Always back up your data. And redundant hardware is a must if you demand high availability!!!