It looks like a description of a playback problem, not a duff mic.

Easiest possibility to cure: a dirty lens. You can get a lens cleaner MD - jut put in in and play it, and a little brush wipes the dirt off the lens.

Failing that it's a worn out laser. Getting a replacement could be interesting!

What's happening is its getting lots of errors while reading - the gaps are caused by re-reading. Up to a point it can do this without interrupting the music, but if too many re-reads are needed before it gets a good copy of a block of data it runs out of time and the music stops briefly, and if never gets a good copy it stops completely.

Anahata