This makes me realize something according to my experience with Sony products.
I remember back in Oct/Nov of 2000, when I first had my first dvd player which was also made by Sony. The disc reading quality was average imo. It doesn\'t even support cd-r discs.
Then in July 2001 when I first had my ps2, after years of usage. I found out it have below average disc reading quality. I guess most of you can remember the infamous disc read errors. Now, my ps2 can read dvd games and dvd video okay, but it have problems reading CD Audio and CD games. As if with time pass, the below average reading quality of the lasers worn out or something.
I think around that time, my brother first bought a Sony CD Boombox, and everything seems to work out good, except the disc reading quality. Again, it seems like the laser reading quality is average at best. If the quality of the disc is below average or poor. the music would freeze or skips.
Judging from my experiences with most of sony products, I can see most of their electronics quality are good except the lasers pickup. Except Sony CD/DVD writers which were rebaged from 3rd party manufacturers such as Lite-On and Ben-Q which have really good to great read and write quality.
I can\'t say about later generations ps2 such as the slim ps2 having any disc read errors problem that early ps2 generations plagued. Maybe those who do can chime in. But base on my experience, most of sony early generation products have average to below average lasers reading quality.