Opinions welcomed


I am considering a CD-only transport and found McIntosh MCD-751, Pioneer Elite PD-S95, Classe CDT-1 and Sonic Frontier Transport 1 for sale. If you've owned or heard any of the above I would appreciate your comments. I am currently using a Panasonic HD1000 as my transport. Thank you.
mig007
A Classe' CDT-1 compared to a Pioneer PD-S95 transport?
This is like comparing a Ford GT-40 to a Ford Pinto.

Pioneer Elite PD-S95
Sonic Frontier Transport 1
McIntosh MCD-751
Classe' CDT-1 (this was a kit that many mfr's bought, from "Daisy" I believe, and was mediocre at best).

Pioneer Elite PD-S95 was a very good unit and by far would be my pick of what you have mentioned.
It was going to be part of a very hi-end line of Pioneer products
(well above the Elite). I heard they were going to have a $40K pair of mono blocks,
a $8K DAC, and a $20K pore to go with it (all in the champaign finish).
They ended up loosing interest and only the PD-S95 made it to the U.S.
If you looked in an Elite catalog at that time, around 1995, the PD-S95 stuck out since it was the only non black lacquer component in the line. The retail was to be $3000 or $3500 (I forget).
Pioneer decided to abandon the the line but already had the transports here, so they dropped the price to around $1500 retail, making this model a steal at full retail. We sold at least 20 of these.

If you get this unit take a look inside, on the back, and on the bottom.
The machined aluminum pieces that make up the chassis are mounted on a copper sub chassis which sits on a honey comb copper base. This was not your typical Pioneer unit, and was among the best in its day (at any price), and is no slouch today.

Brian@Hello.lt
Brian, thanks for your reply. Any opinion re the Pioneer against the Panasonic unit?
Brian, as far as i know, the PD-S95 uses the same exact chassis as the PD-65 player. They even come with the same owners manual that covers both units. Never compared the two units side by side, but the build quality on the PD-65 is also pretty solid. Sean
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Wow. Sounds like someone trying hard to justify a Classe purchase.... Anyway, I also vote for the Pioneer. Besides, it has a turntable - just like your analog rig! And, if you get a PDR-05 or PDR-99, you can not only use it as a transport, you can record your LPs directly onto CDs!
Keep repeating, over and over: bits is bits, bits is bits.....
Ed