Hi!

I have a CLD-R7G, but recently found a CLD-959 that I could perhaps trade for it. How do the two compare? Keep the R7G or go for the 959?

Are you nuts? Have both.

And if my budget only allows for one?

Sell some non-LD related thing don’t need, like jewelry or your dog. Then buy both.

Having only one LD player honestly doesn’t make much sense. What are you going to do when it breaks? Put your LDs on the wall?

Then you are SOL.

Instead of just having only one or two expensive players, you should just get a bunch of low to mid end players instead. Sure the picture may not be as great but the differences can be pretty minute. In the end, it’s just about having machines around to play this software.

I actually have backup player (CLD-3070) if my R7G kicks the bucket. And while I share you sentiment of having both a 959 and R7G, I was mostly interested in knowing if a 959 would be an upgrade or not.

Well I’m a former R7G owner and considered it to deliver excellent PQ which I thought tended towards the digital look, at the time of purchase I also had the opportunity to purchase a 959 (at a considerable extra cost) which I was advised was capable of presenting a somewhat better image quality (e.g.less noise) than the 7G albeit with a more analog look. I think the superior comb filter onboard the 7G is likely what elevates its performance to greatness more than anything else, whereas the 959 is an older and built like a tank superior low noise high quality player and when utilising its composite output to a modern comb filter will likely be considerably better the 7G overall. At the end of the day though its probably going to be down to personal taste.

Having had both an R7G and a CLD-97 (US version of the 959), it basically comes down to what flaws do you prefer?

R7G has a sharper but noisier picture
97 has a softer but cleaner picture

So whichever of those scenarios sound best to you, go with that one.

Logical, but impractical. People don’t have a choice of which players to buy. Facebook collectards are breaking them in the mail every day. I’d advise all LD fans to stockpile players of any kind they can get. Don’t pass on 97 because it’s too high end. Next year they’ll be selling S201s for that price and you’ll feel like an idiot for not buying the good stuff when you had access to it. Not everyone lives in the Bay…

Anyone with a player now needs 8 more.

Anyone with no player should stay away and not ruin what’s left of the hobby.