Pioneer CLD-900
(1984 - 1986)

Huge 16kg beasty boy able to play LaserDiscs as well as Compact Discs with the use of a dual pickup system... like early CD/DVD combo players ;)
However, in those days, components were built properly so the CLD-900 sports two spindles and two motors to clamp and read each format according to their respective mechanical needs. The mechanism frame is made of solid diecast aluminium, with special heat-resistant resins for the pickup's sliders and gears - the 200g of a CAV Laserdisc spinning at 1800rpm do warm up the mechanisms !

The CLD-900 also allowed to read the newly introduced digital audio tracks of LaserDiscs and was otherwise built in a very much high-end fashion: shielding of the blocks, OFC cabling, gold-plated terminals and select resistors and caps.
If s/n ratios and horizontal resolution still had a lot to be improved upon, this was built well and almost like Pioneer's later professional players such as the LDV-8000.

Available in Japan under the CLD-9000 name, elsewhere under the CLD-900 moniker as well as a NAD 5900 (black), Luxman D-408 (silver), Marantz LV-1CD (black) and Teac LV-5000DS (black), all being x-rare rarities.