Testing the Pioneer PD-D9-j CD player

Pioneer PD-D9-j frankly delighted with its interpretation of music. It was able to open up any genre of composition, and the sound is captivating right from the first seconds of recording. It’s the case when the player adds nothing of its own to the sound, and all those audio faults that can be heard are already in the recording itself, the unit just reproduced them honestly.

Features of

The player is very versatile, it can play not only CDs, which would be enough for this class, but also high resolution SACD records. And amazingly, the Pioneer PD-D9-j can read compressed audio files in MP3 and WMA format, which can be recorded not only on CD-R, but also on CD-RW discs.

The player is equipped with two Wolfson DACs, which work in parallel, each in their own channel of the stereo path. Unique proprietary sound processing technology Legato Link Conversion allows you to restore the dynamic characteristics of high-frequency components of sound, which are often distorted in the digital way of recording music.

Readings are displayed in gray characters on a large, white LCD display. The color combination is not the most contrasting, so the indicator readings are not as easy to perceive as one would like them to be. Two levels of display character brightness are available, as well as a full dimmer mode. The timer on the display allows you to display the time from the beginning of the track to the end of the track and to the end of the disc. A pure audio mode is implemented, in which all auxiliary circuits not directly involved in the sound reproduction process are completely switched off.

The player comes with a tiny remote control, the dimensions of which are typical rather for portable equipment than for Hi-End stationary equipment. Still, it’s just as easy to use as a full-size console.

Sound

Classic

. The Pioneer PD-D9-j stereo amplifier has impressive dynamic characteristics. It became clear at that moment, when on the background of thunderous music in the culmination, without any tension, one could distinguish the life of distant instruments and voices of the background. In the climax, the music becomes a polyphonic, multiphonic frenzy. The downside of such outstanding dynamic performance is that the noise is noticeable, especially during the soft parts of the composition, which is rich in classical pieces.

The middle part pleased with resolved violin parts and almost palpably drawn in the air thin strings of violas, in the sound of which there was invariably a lot of life.

The player delivers full-bodied sound over the entire frequency range at all times. No matter how strong and rich the bass and treble are, the treble is not diminished for a second, so for example the tones of the upper drums and musical instruments like triangles are rendered sharp at all times.

The scene is wonderfully rendered – the orchestra is drawn broadly, with impressive echelon in depth. If we talk about individual parts, the most distinctive look of the images of the instruments of the top and middle, the bass winds are slightly blurred.

Turning up the volume doesn’t make you feel uncomfortable in the slightest, but you don’t need to turn up the volume: all the moments of the composition are audible even at a low volume.

Rock

. From the first seconds of the song the music starts to win over with clean, powerful and detailed sound of the bottom, and the player plays with confidence, starting from the bottom bass. The bass sound is so tightly transmitted that it seems almost palpable, while being very intelligible and very comfortable to the ear. The fast bass beats are reproduced without any problems, just as powerfully and in relief as the single pulses. The drums sound simply tangible, they find some unreal resonance in the body, as if the beat resounded inside, like a strong heartbeat. I can’t help stopping this bacchanalia of bass!

At the same time we can not say that the sound of the bass is always polyphonic, low vocals sound rather merged with the music in some places, though we should admit that this does not make you feel uncomfortable.

The player produces a consistent sound throughout the range, with just a faint cymbal chime, but most importantly, behind the power of the bass you catch the rich life of the quiet treble. The microdynamics of the sound is such that the music that fades out at the end of the song also sounds rich, even if the volume is lowered at that moment. At a higher sound level the player sounds totally comfortable.

Jazz

. The double bass is in relief, even in the midbass, which is not often the case. All music is intensive, lively and incendiary, brass and metal drums sound bright and flying, jazz in performance of Pioneer PD-D9-j is the embodiment of harmony, which it generously sends to the listener. Each instrument gives out a wide interesting part, and in the single musical flow it is easy for the ear to follow all those interesting nuances that pleases the music lover. The music does not get any simpler for a second and literally breathes with life.

I liked the realistic timbre of the pop instruments, and the richness of the piano sound is such that you can even hear the characteristic reverberations of the instrument’s soundboard, which resonates from the sounds of the upper and middle notes. Lots of sounds from the percussion drums, which enlivens the sound extraordinarily.

Pop, electronic music. Electronic music played by Pioneer PD-D9-j sounds with soft enveloping pleasantness. Rich, full-bodied, percussive beat delivered with no harshness at all. A rocking, full-bodied bass, combined with an airy treble and realistic synthesised sounds, inevitably brings a sense of musical vibrancy.

Detail does not turn into technical sound, and the richest electronic palette instantly builds hypnotic musical space. The sound is balanced – the energy is sufficient for all voices without exception and every register is detailed and rich.

All bottlenecks, all “misfits” that happen in the recording and on which many other players stumble, this device seems simply not to notice.

Musical space is drawn with ease, the device gives much food for imagination, skillfully creating a suitable atmosphere, filling the room with tactile images of instruments and enlivening electronic special effects. In general, electronic music sounds so clear that it almost creates a physical sensation of lightness and freedom.

Price

Novelty

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