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To Repair or Replace

My 1995 vintage CAL Audio Icon II CD player has started skipping and is having tracking problems. The only place I know that still services CAL says it needs a new laser ($350 + shipping). Is it worth investing that much in a 13 year old player or is it smarter to invest the money in a new one? I tried a budget DVD player but it just doesn't have the presence and depth of the Icon II. Thanks in advance--Joe
jhuser
silica
2 posts
 
Jhuser,

Are you brave enough to attempt a DIY replacement of the laser mechanism? I have recently done this, successfully (!!), in my Delta. The most challenging part was finding a source for the replacement mechanism. The cost for parts was about US$80. This mechanism included motors and other mechanical parts that spin the CD and move the laser head.

Some more details can be found in the lower half of this thread (posts by Silica).

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=26009

Good Luck!

Silica
jhuser OP
4 posts
 
Silica,
Thanks for the link. Having a background in electronics and a love of tinkering, I'm certainly brave enough to try a DIY replacement. I wanted to attempt this on an old Yamaha CD player I have but ran into the same issue of not finding a source for parts. I'll check it out and see what happens.
jhuser OP
4 posts
 
Silica,
Thanks for the suggestion. I decided to give this DIY repair a shot. I ordered the transport from the source you found in the UK and it arrived yesterday (only took 7 days). Using your excellent instructions I successfully swapped it out last night and after only one minor mis-step the ICON lives on. Hopefullly its good to go for another 13 years. Thanks again!
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