Hello

Right now I have a chance to get ahold of one of two CLD-R7G LD-players, but I don't know which one to choose... The price is probably going to be abut the same for both.

One has gone through a maintenance check at Pioneer and has had the following parts changed:

Belt
Pickup
Spindle motor

On top of that there is a 3 month guarantee as part of the service. I don't think the original box will come with it.

The other was bought new in 1998 and has had only one owner. It hasn't been used much and looks good on the outside as well. Box and everything else comes with it.

So, which deal is the best? I guess the nearly unused one is a sweet deal, but on the other hand there's no guarantee that the machine will work properly in the long run. The fixed one has all the most vital parts changed at a genuine Pioneer service center and comes with 3 months guarantee.

Any comments?

Once a player is adjusted properly and playing well it can play for years. I've had to work on players out of Pioneer repair facilities and same as older ones from owners. The best deal is the one that is playing properly. A new pickup is around $100 + installation/adjustments. I'm gathering one is the one on eBay for $350. For $300 I'll sell you a Mits M-7057 which is a Pioneer CLD-D704 with a guaranteed to operate to peak performance guarantee.

Any real reason you want a R7G? They do have the 3rd generation NEC 3D Adaptive filter but the generic player has a higher noise level than the CLD-D704/CLD-99 player. The CLD-S9 was the higher end Japanese player, then there were two players that were Hi-Vision capable that were better, the HLD-X9 and HLD-X0. The R7G does have a sharp picture but to me it looks a little artificial, not a bad player but not my favorite.

Kurtis