Yay!! i finally got the last piece of my dream system!! (technically the second to last, factoring in the ultra rare PIONEER PL-90 turntable) this was the TOTL reference from 1997/2001. the only DVD player of it's kind, built in the same traditional PIONEER ELITE/REFERENCE fashion as the PD-3000/91 CDP. this beautiful, complete, like new example is coming my way via FedEx on the 27th!! i'll be keeping you all posted when it comes, and provide some shots of the interior. until then, here are the pics the seller sent me:

very nice looking dvd player

elroy

Congrats. It's always a thrill when we can achieve something wanted for so long. It looks very nice. The cosmetics are great, also it looks heavy and robust.
Keep us posted.

it is a three-box design, built to similar standards as the legendary 1987/1988 PD-91/PD-3000 CDP, with a dual-mono audio output stage in the right box, power supply in the left, and the transport and video circuitry in the center. all copper plated chassis, laquered aluminum front panel, (unlike the cheap-out gloss-finish plastic panel on the 1999 "ELITE" VSX-29TX A/V receiver) and double air-lock tray design. 35lbs. of delicious Audio/Video high-end...

Here it Comes!!!!




Shipment Travel History


May 27, 2009 1:53 AM
Departed FedEx location
PORTLAND, OR

May 26, 2009 7:15 PM
Arrived at FedEx location
PORTLAND, OR

May 23, 2009 6:32 AM
In transit
BOISE, ID

May 22, 2009 7:58 PM
In transit
NORTH SALT LAKE, UT

May 22, 2009 8:55 AM
Departed FedEx location
HENDERSON, CO

May 22, 2009 1:55 AM
Arrived at FedEx location
HENDERSON, CO

May 21, 2009 8:29 PM
Left FedEx origin facility
ENGLEWOOD, CO

May 21, 2009 6:43 PM
Arrived at FedEx location
ENGLEWOOD, CO

May 21, 2009 4:48 PM
Picked up
ENGLEWOOD, CO

May 21, 2009 3:11 PM
Shipment information sent to FedEx

That is a beauty!

It's cool that you've been able to find your "holy grail" audio gear. Have you ever seen the Pioneer DV-AX10?

isn't that a JPN model? starting sometime in the late eighties/early nineties, PIONEER started making silver JPN market versions of some of their products that the U.S. got in black. usually the A/V integrated amps such as PIONEER's VSA- series, and most of the STABLE PLATTER single disc CDPs. they also made silver versions of most of their LD players and DVD players. i have pics of many of them, that i got off of the YAHOO JAPAN auction site, using http://www.rinkya.com/ as the japanese-to-english search agent...

WOW... i did not believe until yesterday that PIONEER made ANYTHING of the quality that the REFERENCE/ELITE series was so well known for in the eighties. for late ninties products such as the VSX-09TX A/V receiver, that assumption holds true. but THIS, however, is another story altogether. this sucker feels like it was built in 1988, not 1998!! a SOLID feeling 34lbs. that feels like a HELL of a lot more than that!! fit, finish, and build quality damn near the equal of the PD-91/PD-3000. EXCELLENT sound and image quality, fanatical japanese precision and attention to detail throughout. there simply is no DVD or BD player in existence outside japan that come close to this wonder's precision and solidity. like all the great classic PIONEER REFERENCE/ELITE products, this thing is clearly built to last DECADES...





now, for the SQ; VERY GOOD. excellent for A/V programs, but to my ear, not as good for music as the PD-91. too much highs, IMO. i believe that to be the fault of the PIONEER designed LEGATO LINK converter, which was supposed to"recreate missing treble components above 20khz" however the hell THAT is supposed to work is clearly beyond my expertese. LEGATO LINK aside, the SQ is still VERY good, with that superb channel separation that i got used to in the dual-mono, CLASS-A PD-91. yes, i do believe this baby will treat DVD video soundtracks very, very well. me and my family have yet to watch anything on it, (too damn busy yesterday!!) but based upon the few demos i managed to sneak in from some of my favorite movies and Anime, i fully expect to be BLOWN AWAY...




now regarding the remote; quite contrary to the opinions of every e-review of the DV-09, i find it's attached remote to be nothing short of PERFECT. unlike the reviewers, i find it very easy to use, plus, it is quite unique among DVD player remotes in that it hews perfectly to my personal remote preferences; that a remote attached to a large, formidable looking piece of A/A/V gear should be equally large and formidable in it's own way. apparently, the DV-09 engineers felt the same way.

so, in sum, the DV-09 exceeds all my admittedly lofty expectations in the way that usually only 1980's vintage PIONEER ELITE gear can. beautiful, BEAUTIFUL gear...

You're right. It's indeed a very beautiful video/audio unit.
Enjoy.

ah! here it is; DV-AX10, orig. $5,999.00/ ECHO price $1850.00. i'd say i got a HELL of a bargain on my DV-09 at $415.00 shipping included!

http://echohifi.com/inventory.php

yesterday, me and the family went to TRI-CITIES, WASH. and we swung by QUICKSILVER AUDIO, one of the few high-end shops in town, and one of two that reside in our general beat up there, and i happened to mention to the store owner that i recently got hold of a cherry example DV-09. it just so happened that he was a fan of the player as well, and we hit it off right away. in fact, he was so very kind as to go pull out a copy of the 1999 ELITE catalog he had filed away, that featured the 09, and gave it to me!! here are scans of the four pages of concern:

that was really cool of the guy, glad there are people out there that a nice like that

Looks like a very nice catalog. Tanx for sharing.

yeah, really makes me want to do business with the fellow. i'm aiming to add a PIONEER Blu-Ray player to the system, and he's got a floor model copy of PIONEER's very first, the BDP-HD1, with box and all accessories, a $1500 MSRP player, on clearance for $500. i told him that i'm thinking about picking it up in a couple months or so. right now, though, i have getting the PD-3000 fixed foremost on the budget. still, that BDP has been there a while, and does not seem to be going anywhere soon. i'll keep ST informed on what develops...


BDP-HD1








now, the one thing i DISLIKE about this BDP is the POS remote. therefore, if i get it, i'll be on the beat for a copy of the BDP-05FD's remote to replace it with;


BDP-05FD

here is what appears to be the japanese-market version of the DV-09; the DV-S9: