Rotel RCD-1070 replacement

Hmm, I think I'll try to contact Rotel for the ribbon cable, and do some research on the solder job. I've got plenty of experience with a soldering iron, so I think it's worth trying. At this point, I've picked up a budget replacement, which I'm actually quite happy with, for the money. So at least I can keep listening to my music, and take my time working on the Rotel :)

Thanks a ton for your input

Thanks to Rudd & Tobias, I tracked down the part number for the laser pickup and ordered one online for about $13 shipped. If that doesn't work, I'll probably see what I can get for it on ebay.

I found the Yamaha DVD-S1800 on Amazon for $80, so I went ahead and picked one of those up too. I've been curious to try SACD and DVD-A, so it looked like an inexpensive way to get started. If I'm happy with the sound of the Yamaha, I'll probably sell the Rotel either way. If it sounds bad, I'll probably just ship it back to Amazon and look elsewhere for a universal player. I can always upgrade later to an outboard DAC, when budget allows.

I appreciate your quick responses and helpful tips!

My new laser/pickup came today... just did the swap. I haven't powered it back up yet. The original one had some white grease on it where it slid on the little rod, and I was wondering if there is a specific type I should use there. I'd like to get it greased back up before I use it again.

Miner42, thanks for the tip, but $1530 is way beyond my price range right now. However, I am considering an entry level Rega turntable in the near future.

Still no luck. The new laser is in and it won't even recognize any discs I put in there. I've already tried adjusting the pot in increments all the way to both extremes with the same results. Could I have put the new laser back in the wrong position? I think I did more harm than good!

Good news! I found the solder jumper and removed it this evening. Put things back together and I'm once again listening to music from my Rotel as we speak! I even picked one of my scratched up discs and it seems to be happy so far. It's too soon to call it a success, but things are looking good so far! I will probably still put the new ribbon cable in there when that comes too, since I've had the original one out a couple times.

Since I did pick up a budget replacement which will also so SACD and DVD-A, I'm interested in doing a more critical comparison between the two, now that this one is working again.

Thanks again for the tips, I would have probably given up on the broken Rotel without your suggestions.

I had a chance last night to compare the two players side by side. Althought I could hear very subtle differences between the two, none of them were enough to make me like either player more than the other. Maybe it's the type of music I listened to, or my hearing isn't what it needs to be in order to pick up on the differences. The Rotel is a great player, but based on my own personal experience and taste, I don't see any point in spending that much on a CD player again. Maybe that will change for me in the future. For now I think I'll see if I can get at least $150 or so for it, and look for a budget turntable to add to my setup.