PIONEER PD-91 Reference CD player (1987/1990)

[Tasuke]

my first ever high-end CDP was a 1985/1987
DENON DCD-1500. later, i replaced it with
a 1987/1990 PIONEER PD-91 that was in
overall cosmetically threadbare condition,
and required service;



it was missing the lens from it's laser pick-up,
a common problem with PIONEER CDPs at the time,
both single disc and changer, low-end as well as high.
PIONEER used the same pick-up assembly in all
their CDPs, from 1987 on, and early batches
had faulty glue holding the objective lens in place,
and just the right kind of vibration, from a family
move, or from internet sales shipping, could easily
knock the lens free.

that was the case with my first PD-91,
$25.00 plus shipping from the son of an
ex-repairman in San Diego, Cali.

anyway, i glued the lens back, and she worked!
better sound than anything i had heard before!!
it lasted me a while, until i happened across someone
selling a copy of the japanese-market version of the
U.S./WORLD PD-91, the PD-3000, on EBAY.

it was non-functional, and i took it in to a service
shop, and was told that he was unable to fix it,
and that my best option would be to send it
to PIONEER U.S. and they might be able to service
it for $500 or more.

meanwhile, i went and lost my mind and fried
my PD-91 in an attempted mod, so i was out both,
and back to square one with the DENON DCD-1500.

until just a week ago, when another 91 showed up
on AUDIOGON for $500, in near-mint condition,
with very low hours. that was just too much,
and i jumped on it!!

it arrived just yesterday (7/27/10) and it to
had lost it's lens in the shipping.

no problem, i just glued it back, and it plays beautifully!
better than my original ever did, as it had many issues
with CD-Rs, likely due to a tired laser.

i have enhanced my PD-91 with cosmetic parts from my
dead PD-3000. all said, what i now have here
is the best of both worlds;


PIONEER PD-91, FACTORY STOCK;




PD-91, WITH PD-3000 ALUMINUM TOP PANEL IN PLACE;






PD-91 - PD-3000 ISOLATOR FEET.

(PD-91 set on left, 3000 set on right.
main isolators (x4) in background, external power
transformer isolators (x1) in foreground)



( PD-3000 main isolators are filled with an epoxy resin compound, and have a fender washer placed on by me)

[Tasuke]

PD-91 INTERNALS;



PD-3000 INTERNALS;

[DSJR]

Not sure if you saw the conversation a couple of weeks ago regarding these lovely old machines.

A true classic CD player with a great sound as I remember. In the UK, the Sony 555ES and Marantz CD94 were "the" players to have at the time. The PD91 was very unfairly ignored by the masses as I recall.

[Labarum]

How do these players sound compare to today's "better than average".

[Tasuke]

****HOW TO ENABLE THE PIONEER PD-91 TO READ CD-Rs****

the PD-91 is notorious for it's difficulty in reading CD-Rs, that is, UNTIL you open it up and adjust the variable pots
for the FOCUS GAIN and TRACKING GAIN located on the PCB behind the disc transport mechanism.

turn the pots RIGHT to INCREASE the GAIN on BOTH pots, as you are playing a CD-R, until the player successfully spins most/all CD-Rs
you load the player with. if the laser pick up is healthy, it should take adjustment for just the one CD-R you calibrated the player with
to set the unit up good for reading most CD-Rs...