This is my 1st post. After many moves over the past 15 years or so I decided to bring one of my Laserdisc players back into service. I just got an adapter to take SVideo and Composite video to HDMI. Now the question: I have a CLD99, LD-S9 and a McIntosh MLD-7020. Which one would you unbox and why.

McIntosh MLD-7020, it's one of the sexiest LD machines there is.

D) All of the above

McIntosh

Thanks for the inputs. The 7020 was actually the cheapest player of the bunch. I can't remember the store name, I think they were out of Atlanta, but they were closing shop and selling these players for pennies on the dollar.

7020 is essentially a cld-97 but with ac3 built in. Build wise the 7020 is probably the best of the lot. Closely followed by the Ld-s9. I'd definitely go composite out rather than s-video because I think the 7020 has a bog standard 2d comb filter. The Ld-s9 is basically a cld-99 but with better comb filter, so could be worth using s-video with the s9.

It would be if it retained the rose wood side panels of the 95/97.

I missed out on a McIntosh MLD-7020 about 15 years ago, boxed with all paperwork & in as close as you would get to mint condition - totally unmarked including the perspex bit on the front which can be a bit marked on some that I have seen for sale. Got to see it in action though & it was a great looking machine - still regret not bagging that one.

I just googled the McIntosh MLD-7020. It looks NICE!!

My friend who lives close to me has a working LD player, but I don't. We are both mild collectors.

Wouldn't that ROCK, if some investor saw that the online LD community is making such a ruckus, that they'd fund some independent company's manufacturing some limited edition LD players???

Stuff like that has been done before. The company Got Memories in Arizona, made their own, cold-running, custom built film projectors to convert old reels more efficiently!

That would ROCK!

At one point I had a 7020 and 97 at the same time. They are identical in picture and sound. Sold the 97 and kept the 7020 to match with the rest of my Mcintosh gear. Svideo is 2D and I found it to be on par with the one in commonly found in DVDO video processors.

give me a complete, well-maintained PIONEER LD-S1, and i think i'd be satisfied enough not to ask for any other player,
though my 3030 shall always retain a special, hallowed place...

I agree with this. The best way to break a LD player is to ship it. The 2nd best way to break a player is to never turn it on. If you expect these machines to last they need to be in rotation.

When I'm not getting players that were broken in shipping, I'm getting players that have been stored for years without use. Some inside, a few outside . I've found leaves inside of a player before. I always open players up and clean (and re-grease) them to prevent a debris tornado. Then I run a few discs through them before even looking at the adjustments.

Note to anyone new: do not open your player unless it is broken or you are familiar with electronics.

Great thing about anything McIntosh is, aesthetically, it will fit right in with even the most current McIntosh equipment... their aesthetic hasn't really changed in 40-50 years.