How high is the player in the equipment rack? The front panel display is set back a bit from the face of the player due to the front panel design, and I think the IR sensor is somewhat similar. If you have the player really high and are aiming up at it sharply it's possible you're in a blind spot. I haven't had that problem, but I also have used my original remote very little (mostly using the IR emitter that's fed from my MX-900's RF receiver, which makes aim a complete non-issue).