Thanks Spiky.

I did think it was strange that my amplifier wasn't losing the signal, followed by a 1 second pause while it regained it. What puzzles me though is this: even if it's not a cable problem, and the player is actually faulty, why isn't my amp still losing the signal? It's just weird.

I might have to contact www.hifistore.co.uk for advice :-(

PS. No, these are not bootleg discs. They're from Amazon/HMV.

John