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 Post subject: [LD-X1] Review
PostPosted: 27 Jun 2018, 10:04 
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LD-X1 Review

Image

It took me one month to get a prefect working LD-X1 and lot of money.
First, I did a bid on Yahoo for a superb version of the player : absolutly
no tears, no scratch. With the original box, remote control, and manual.
And the big, very big thing is the official RF-AC3 mod added by MSB. It
costed me 750 $.
The bad news were that image quality was far from perfect. Lot of artefacts
and waves.
One month after, I decided to call Pioneer to take care of my player. Today,
the King has returned ! it came back in perfect working condition ! It's third
time I use the service of Pioneer. I have to say that the technician I met each
time is really professionnal. We had some discussion about LD players, and
Pioneer great days (longtime ago...). It costed me 200 $ more for reparation.
Problems came from old condensators. He changed it. He also changed all the
grease, and belds. The player should work for years without problems now !

Review : (you can find it also in my site : https://retro-visual.jimdo.com/laserdisc/ld-players/)

Brand : Pioneer
Release : 1989
Media : Laserdiscs, Single Side
Format : NTSC
Video Output : RCA out x1, BNC x1, S-Video out x2
Audio Output :Stereo out x2, Optical out x1, AC3 out x1 (MSB version)
Size : 457×458×182
Weight : 28kg
Release Price : 3700 $ (400.000 yens)
Today price (used) : 300 - 1000 $

The LD-X1 is maybe the best LD player (not hi-vision) ever created.

it's a very specialized player. It can read only single side. CD are not playable.
But it reads LDs so smoothly ! not any sound from the player, even from a
CAV disc. The tray is strong. All is heavy and construted with super quality
material. The player weight 28kg, at the entire service of reading perfectly discs.
I personnaly prefer the metal rending of the HLD-X0, but I have to say that the
LD-X1 with his black piano rending is really a beauty.

Now the intersting part : picture quality. Yes, Pioneer repaired my player,
and they changed lot of condensators. That is certainly the reason why
the picture is now so good. But I have to say that I never saw that on a
LD player, even on my ex-HLD-X0 (RIP). The picture is so soft, colors so
warm, noise near 0 (except in fushia red, and some blue, like every players).
You can choose a pure signal from the disc by BNC, passing through without
any DNR. If you have a good DNR machine, this is clearly the best option. But
you can also choose to use DNR inside the player. It completly erase any trace
of noise, with a very good render.

The analog audio out deliver a very good sound. But because of the age,
the DAC is limited to 18bits. (But it is sometimes better to have a good
18bits DAC dans a bad 20 bits.) If you have a good DAC, you can connect
the player by optical out.

Conclusion : 10/10

Clearly the best player for me. But it takes time, effort and money to get a
working well machine. For people who start LD, or can't risk too much money,
I recommand a CLD-959 (CLD-97).

pictures :

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 Post subject: Re: [LD-X1] Review
PostPosted: 19 Nov 2018, 22:04 
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Nice looking player, I've never had one of these but the S1 also has a slightly soft picture, but its so nice to enjoy LDs on.

This player is also twice the weight, but great looking.
Glad to hear the service center is still repairing these.
Enjoy that great looking player!!
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 Post subject: Re: [LD-X1] Review
PostPosted: 19 Nov 2018, 22:25 
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What's a condensator? (Do you mean "capacitor"? I take it English is not your first language.)
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 Post subject: Re: [LD-X1] Review
PostPosted: 19 Nov 2018, 23:01 
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Thanks mimylovesjapan.

I don't think I will ever own a "high end" player like that but I can dream, great to see it though & PIONEER serviced to boot.

Enjoy!!!

Cheers :thumbup: .

,
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 Post subject: Re: [LD-X1] Review
PostPosted: 19 Nov 2018, 23:19 
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thefringthing wrote:
What's a condensator? (Do you mean "capacitor"? I take it English is not your first language.)


Yes ! Sorry, capacitor !
My english is so bad !
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 Post subject: Re: [LD-X1] Review
PostPosted: 20 Nov 2018, 04:34 
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je280 wrote:
Thanks mimylovesjapan.

I don't think I will ever own a "high end" player like that but I can dream, great to see it though & PIONEER serviced to boot.

Enjoy!!!

Cheers :thumbup: .

,


You can get a LD-S2, or a CLD-97 (that I found sometimes better for some movies !) in US.
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 Post subject: Re: [LD-X1] Review
PostPosted: 20 Nov 2018, 16:07 
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mimylovesjapan wrote:
je280 wrote:
Thanks mimylovesjapan.

I don't think I will ever own a "high end" player like that but I can dream, great to see it though & PIONEER serviced to boot.

Enjoy!!!

Cheers :thumbup: .

,


You can get a LD-S2, or a CLD-97 (that I found sometimes better for some movies !) in US.


Thanks for that.

I am in Scotland so transportation costs can become rather restrictive with the cost & risk of damage while in transit.

Had a few nice players over the years & picked them all up here in the UK but now only have a couple of players, a CLD-D925 PAL/NTSC player & a CLD-1010 as a back-up.

Quite happy with what I have now but I do enjoy looking at nice interesting units so thanks again for posting the pictures, great to see.

Cheers & enjoy your "new" player :thumbup: .

.
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 Post subject: Re: [LD-X1] Review
PostPosted: 20 Nov 2018, 23:05 
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The LD-X1 and US LD-S2 are the same player. In the U.S. just buy a LD-S2
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 Post subject: Re: [LD-X1] Review
PostPosted: 21 Nov 2018, 01:18 
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je280 wrote:

Thanks for that.

I am in Scotland so transportation costs can become rather restrictive with the cost & risk of damage while in transit.

Had a few nice players over the years & picked them all up here in the UK but now only have a couple of players, a CLD-D925 PAL/NTSC player & a CLD-1010 as a back-up.

Quite happy with what I have now but I do enjoy looking at nice interesting units so thanks again for posting the pictures, great to see.

Cheers & enjoy your "new" player :thumbup: .

.


Yes, LD-X1 is not specially better than a CLD-959, but like you I love the design !
I will continue to to other player picture in the future !
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 Post subject: Re: [LD-X1] Review
PostPosted: 21 Nov 2018, 23:46 
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Once properly adjusted the LD-X1 or LD-S2 will have lower background noise than the CLD-959 or CLD-97. The 959 or 97 will give you the lowest noise for dual sided players.
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 Post subject: Re: [LD-X1] Review
PostPosted: 23 Nov 2018, 14:48 
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for sure. X1 has almost no noise on all LD I saw. But the image has less details than a CLD-959. It has also more outline errors.
X1 also cannot emit close caption, even with a CC decoder.
CLD-959 has more artifact when reading bad LDs (rotten, or other problems).
Both are better in my opinon than a X0 for reading normal LDs (but maybe it's because my X0 were not in good condition...)
For 4/3 movies/animation I usually prefer X1.
For letter boxed zoomed movies with subtitles CLD-959.
For US LD without subtitles, X1 or CLD-959, depending on the quality of the movie.
In fact, it depends on each LD... I test it with both, and have very different results each time.
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 Post subject: Re: [LD-X1] Review
PostPosted: 23 Nov 2018, 14:55 
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Great review! I agree with Kurtis. X1/S2 has significantly less noise from already stellar CLD-97.I think 97 is a tad sharper. X0 has the similar sharpness of 97 and low noise of S2.

I think $1000 for a good functioning X1 with an RF output is very fair.
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 Post subject: Re: [LD-X1] Review
PostPosted: 23 Nov 2018, 23:09 
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My main problem, when I had a X0, was the smear and the black level. With D-Ext I had too much contrasts. Without D-Ext, I had too much "ghost effects" and smear.
X0 has for me the best design ever. But I don't think I will buy it again. My experience now with X1 or CLD-959 + lumagen, is far far better than when I had a X0 + DVDO.
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 Post subject: Re: [LD-X1] Review
PostPosted: 24 Nov 2018, 00:23 
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I don't like the smear, I never noticed it until I had newer players like the 503 and DVL-919.
Never noticed it on the early players like the S1, 3070, CLD-95
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 Post subject: Re: [LD-X1] Review
PostPosted: 24 Nov 2018, 20:59 
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I can't help but think back on a mint S2 won on eBay a few years ago that was improperly packed. Only paid $500. The seller put the remote in the box, loose, with the player and the remote was pulverized and that metal protrusion on the back of the S2 received a nasty dent from hitting the remote. Sent it back - could not bear to keep what had been mint in that shape, even if a partial refund happened - with no loss, but what a waste. Seeing what they go for...ugh.

At least I have a CLD-98, which is the international version (power selector) of the 959 and pretty rare (only one I ever saw).
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 Post subject: Re: [LD-X1] Review
PostPosted: 24 Nov 2018, 22:10 
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Grasshopper always told me that one needed to double box the X1 S2 since its so heavy and needed to be extra protected.

Best in their original box and then another outer box.
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 Post subject: Re: [LD-X1] Review
PostPosted: 24 Nov 2018, 23:11 
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yes. That's one of the reason why this one was so expensive.
In yahoo you can find a X1 in good condition for around 300$. But with original but it goes usually over 800$...
This edition were MSB modified for AC-3, that increased the price...
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 Post subject: Re: [LD-X1] Review
PostPosted: 25 Nov 2018, 00:48 
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Thanks for the detailed post and photos.

The original box, AC3, and recently serviced. Excellent!
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