Price Paid:  $199.00 from hifi shop in Holland

Summary:
II've been using my HK DVD-25 as a CD player for a number of years, because it sounded so much better than all my budget CD-players that preceded it. So when I saw an add of the local hifi shop of the Rotel RCD-971 for only 249 Euro, I decided to go back to dedicated two channel hifi and to purchase this gloriously reviewed CD-player.

The salesman and owner of the shop however, recommended this 2nd hand Pioneer PD-S901 (European PD-65 without sidepanels), he had laying about wich was modified with a silver powercord and a few minor silver-solder touch-ups as well. So I tried it at home and was completely blown away by the sound of wich it produced.

A few days later I tried the Rotel RCD 971 and just couldn't listen to it for more than 5 minutes. I've had trouble believing the difference of these two players. I didn't even knew it was possible...

I think the HK DVD-25 to be a wonderful CD-player and regard it as a truly secret hifi gem, but the Pioneer really eclipsed it by some margin and is uncomparible with any other dedicated CDP I've ever had. I don't believe in Black hifi Magic, but I do believe in solid engineering. As a producer/sound engineer with 13 years of experience, I know true sound when I hear it and the PD-S901/PD-65 really delivers.

It's now 2006 and this player's been produced in 1992. This confirms my belief that companies (in general, as a whole, not just hifi) don't produce goods to make things better, but how to produce it more cheaply and still keep it acceptablly good in order to keep making profits). This product however excells and is definitely produced and engineered by people who knew - and listened(!) to - what they were doing. Buy without hesitation when you see one. They're dead cheap now. (But really become harder and harder to get) You'll never be wanting for anything else. I can even see prices going up again as years go by...as it's so special.

I use it in the following configuration:
- Luxman LV-107u int. amp.
- Harbeth speakers and two Harbeth subs
- Ocos LS-cable
- handmade silver interconnects (by the shop I bought the CDP from)

Strengths:
- Very well built and sensibly engineered by people who knew what they were doing.
- Great channel separation wich produces a well defined soundstage.
- Tonally evenly balanced and musically engaging. Has a 'see through' quality.
- Great transport, two separate DAC's for each channel, everything copper shielded
and two dedicated power supplies, great looks and construction.
- Legato Link is actually a very well thought out system of controlling that 'digital'
sound. I think it works, though probably not in every other Pioneer player...

Weaknesses:
Bass is a tad lean, but very honest and very controlled, never overblown. It's there when it's there...
And it really helps to upgrade the standard powercord and to use good interconnects. Both silver based makes the PD-65 really sing.
Of course not everythings 'works', depending on your system. Always try before you buy...even if it comes cheap(er).

Price Paid:  $400.00 from www.hifi.nl

Summary:
This is a review about the brother,The Pioneer pd-75 reference (in america the use ELITE) same player.

I had before a sphinx project nine, and after that a much cheaper pioneer pds507 high bit legatolink. This is my second platter i bought and it will be the last unless i can buy de XTREME rare pds95. What a great player this is people, the looks are fantastic. In my country the are very rare on the secondhand market so the soon i saw one i had to have it. The sound is very relaxed and very dynamic. Ubelieveable you will not hear any notes that will crack your skull open. Like the man above said it sounds like a record without de dust and speckels lol.

Iff you see one BUY it...just buy it and even iff you have a high-end player. The sphinx i had cost about 3000euro back then. The pd75 plays the crap out of that one!!

Strengths:
Relaxed sounding no listner will get the tired listing to this player. A true topmodel player you can hear that compared to other lower platters.

The build is as tough as it gets like a leopard tank.Copper inside casing great lookt 12kg heavy just marvelous.

Weaknesses:
you will laugh...................................................No standby rofl

Similar Products Used:
My current setup

Pioneer vsx1011d 7.1 receiver
Pioneer Pd-75 elite
Denon dv2800mkII dvdplayer
Vincent Hybrid poweramp sp331
Scanspeak eVe final II fronts
Magnepans smg modified filters

Price Paid:  $414.00 from e bay

Summary:
I purchased this player on ebay,after reading several reviews on it.If you find one grab it as they are hard to come by.Very warm sound, excellent range and a good match to my jamo 707i speakers.

Strengths:
Warm sound not bright or abrasive, can listen to for hours.Pioneer needs to start making them agin.

Weaknesses:
none in this price range

Price Paid:  $800.00 from Rsound

Summary:
Each review is a personal opinion and should not be considered absolute in its declarations. My review is no different. These are my observations of the Pioneer Elite PD-65 CD Player. When the '65 first came out I noticed that it was the CD player of choice in many High End Auditioning Rooms. I was always impressed with how it sounded in every system. Finally, I bought a demo (1yr old) in perfect condition and full warranty from a dealer. The unit was fully broken in. Similar to many other reviews I found the player warm, detailed, with above average soundstaging.
Now the really good part. This player plays every CD I own. Including my most defective disks. I own more than 500 CDs and everyone of them plays perfectly. No other player I have owned (Denon, Philips, Sony, Marantz) can do this. There is always one or two discs that are unplayable for one reason or another. Not on the PD-65. Hello...Stable Platter Mechanism! The big answer: The disk is fully supported on the Platter (Just like a Record!). Other transports "Float" the disk using a disk clamp. With Floating Disks you will ALWAYS have some WOBBLE. NO WOBBLE with SPM! So my question is; Since they figured out the best transport for CD's (why not DVD's), WHY DID THEY DISCONTINUE THE STABLE PLATTER MECHANISM.
Maybe Pioneer will read this and tell us All the reason!

Strengths:
Stable Platter Mechanism (of course)
Warmth
Detail
etc!

Weaknesses:
I want my Stable Platter Mechanism!

Similar Products Used:
Pioneer PD-59 (with, you guessed it, SPM)

Price Paid:  $340.00 from Audiogon

Summary:
Being a vinyl oriented listener I can't listen to CDs for long before getting fatigued by the brittleness of CD sound. Well, in search of a more analog sound I sold my Classe CDP .5 to finance the "upgrade" to an MSB Link DAC III Full Nelson with upsampling and HDCD, Monarchy DIP and transport. Sounds weird, huh? Adding MORE digital stuff in search of more analog? Looking around for an inexpensive transport I found and couple of Rega Planets for around $400 and a Pioneer PD-65 for $340 and read these reviews about how great it is. I bought the Pioneer because I was curious about the legato link. Well, tonight I took out the Classe and hooked up the Pioneer. My DAC and DIP won't get here for another 3-4 days and now I'm actually wondering if I will need them. In all honesty, the Pioneer is a clear upgrade from the Classe. The music is so warm, smooth and much closer to the liquidity of analog than the Classe. I don't think that it's imaging is on par with the Classe, which imaged with razor sharp edges, but I really don't care. In fact this sounds more like music and less like a bunch of clearly dilineated instruments and a voice floating center stage. The MSB DAC and Monarchy DIP are going to have to really wow me to stay in my system. The Pioneer sounds so good in my system that I could easily sell the DAC and DIP for what I paid and used the money for more CDs - which I actually feel like I can listen to again.

Strengths:
Smooth, no digital hardness or glare. Liquid presentation. Great sound!

Similar Products Used:
Classe CDP .5
Rega Planet 2000
NAD C540 + MSB Link DAC I