Hello all!

So, I’ve been trying to find some players locally for a while after I got my first LD not too long ago. I haven’t yet had any luck at my usual thrifts, despite having seen some there in the past (still looking, though), but I have seen a few listed online that are nearby.

All are Pioneers mostly in the 100-300 dollar range:

CLD-D503 ($200)
CLD-D504 (no price - open to offers but unit has no power)
CLD-D701 ($175 and with box)
CLD-D704 ($300)
CLD-V2400 ($200)

I’m curious if anyone here thinks any of these are worth looking at at those prices? Personally, I plan to continue digging around the thrifts as I do since I can’t justify that much on a player at this particular point in time- maybe at a later date.

Are these all generally good though? Any that should be avoided in this list? I’m also wondering if there are any I should be on the look out for. Although, then I also realize that the answer to that at this point might just be any functioning one!

I guess we’ll see.

You can compare these machines for features in the hardware database on this site.

The V2400 is an industrial player, so it likely does not play both sides of discs automatically, but the others all do, and all of them are good players. The D704 is the best player on the list, but not by any extreme amount over the others unless you are super-picky over minor video improvements. The D701 and D704 can do tricks such as freeze-frame and slow motion on Extended Play discs (most movies and music discs), the D503 and D504 cannot.

Before buying any player, play several discs near their beginnings and ends (on side A and side B), and skip to the end of one or more to verify the side-change function works. Test the remote-control functions. You can try the CD-playing function, but realistically there is no point in playing CDs in these now-vintage machines.

Good luck, and enjoy your hunt for discs and players.

I recommend the Sony BDP-S6700. They go for about $120 and ship easily, although probably there’s already one in town.

Thanks for the advice on how to test them out, I’ll keep that in mind for whenever I do end up acquiring one. Seems like a good test.

And good to know they’re all pretty decent!

I don’t have that particular Sony, but I do have two similar ones. I like them!

But I dunno, seems a tight squeeze for an LD to fit in that little tray!

Why do you want to get into LD, what nostalgia story is there?

Star Wars?
Saw them in school?
Had the friend who had a parent who had an LD player?
Saw it in that one episode of the Regular Show.

Well, I don’t suppose I have a nostalgia story proper, as I wasn’t ever exposed to them growing up the way I was with records. I guess it does come from that same fascination with older tech and media formats, though. I first learned about them when I discovered the 1984 Giorgio Moroder version of Metropolis.

I like the artwork, and some of the LD-exclusive things like certain cuts (Star Wars as you mention) or particular audio mixes (Rush’s 80s concert films) being the best versions is also enticing.

I dunno, I just find them quite cool, and I’d like some way to play the copy of Raiders Of The Lost Ark I found. And whatever other favorites of mine I stumble across, even if I do have the UHD/BD already.

I've always considered the 704 the best bang for the buck if you want a higher end player but you need to verify it is really working. usual maintenance is the spindle motor grip ring and the load belt.

As for the 504, if you clip out the power supply surge suppressor that commonly fails and replace the blown fuse and it works then this could be a great deal. Common issues are replacing the mholder if it still has the original and load belt

The 701 is a good player, it just does not have the AC-3 output if you want to try to find a separate AC-3 demodulator and then enjoy dolby digital from laserdisc.

If that's the case get the cheapest one that will work closest to you, so you don't have to ship too much, unless you get it from a reliable
seller who knows how to pack.

Then if you like it and use it more than 30 times in 1 year you can upgrade and use the first player as a backup when the second one breaks.

Hey, I have a couple of those players you listed.

Like others have said, if the D704 is in working condition, it is the best of the bunch. However, they are prone to failure due to notoriously poor quality spindle motors. I ended up having mine serviced by an LDDB forum member just last month simply due to the complexity of the repair and that I couldn't find a replacement motor anywhere online. Image quality is excellent and has every conceivable audio output capability offered to LD players.

I also have the D504 and its a good player overall, but noticeably inferior to the D704. I did end up having to replace a broken M-holder on mine just recently, which thankfully was doable thanks to LaserParts selling 3-D printed replicas of this component. However, you have to be extremely careful not to damage the laser assembly during this type of repair. If you can get the power issues sorted and it works, it's a good player.

I don't have a V2400, but I do have a V2200, which is similar to the former but the latter can't play digital audio tracks or audio CDs. Its a very solid player, and if the V2400's build quality is anything like it, will probably be the one most likely to be working. Single-sided playback also means less complex playback mechanisms, meaning less likely to break down in the future. I don't know if $200 is reasonable and you may try talking them down some on the price if you decide to pick it up.