In browsing E-bay, I noticed that the Pioneer CLD-D504 and D505 players do not have optical digital output jacks. Both models do have AC-3 jacks. This begs the question: When you play an LD which lacks surround sound, where does the digital sound come out of the player? It looks to me like you can only get line level sound out the RCA jacks which should degrade the digital sound.

Perhaps, the owners of either player could speak up and answer my burning question (lol).

(Inquiring minds want to know....)

Yup, if you want to get regular ol' Dolby Surround on one of these players, you have to use the RCA outs to your receiver and engage Pro-Logic from there.

I have a D505 and always thought it odd that it had no digital out, but it is what it is.

Very interesting. I notice that both the D504 and D505 are karaoke players. I have a CLD-D406 player and it lacks the karaoke mrcrophone jack; but, it has the digital optical jack as well as the AC-3 jack. I guess you lose the digital optical jack and gain the microphone input jack on the D504 and D505 models.

I have a proscan plsd 46 which from what I can tell is a rebadged 504, looks identical except for the jack in the front. I have a optical and AC-3 out on the back, you may want to look for one of the proscan or marantz(another rebadged 504) players. Not my picture but it gives you an idea of the layout. Just be warned, it is a but ugly player in the front of it. The marantz looks divine compared, blue lighted face plate and a metallic finish.