Pioneer PDR W739 cd recorder
I have most of the reviews on here and here is mine. This machine is fantastic. I have never been one for Pioneers products. I've got Meridians, Micro Megas, Mission, Teac and Tascam CD players. I also own a Marantz cd recorder. Well first of all this machine is far better than the Marrantz. The sound quality is certainly on par if not better at times than my meridian with its seperate digital to analogue converter. I think it is the warmest, most analogue like sound I have ever heard from a digital machine, it is almost as warm as vinyl.
Using the unit. As one reviewer stated on here. READ THE MANUAL BEFORE USE
If you don't have a copy then go online it is very easy to find. I am usually quite good with hi fi items but must admit this one caught me out. The buttons double up for other functions. I didn't read the instructions and could not get it to record in X1 speed as opposed to x2 but followed the manual exactly as it said and "Hey Presto" a result.
Recordings are fantastic. Mine are mainly copies to use in the car so I don't damage the originals. I can honestly say that once mastered the unit gives wonderful copies.
Regards the build quality. Well I haven't had this from new, I paid fifty pounds for it from Cash Convertors. It had a thirty day guarantee so I took the gamble. Yes it does have a "Plasticy" feel the the triple tray mechanism, it does clunk between CDs when changing from tray 1, 2, or 3. But put that aside. Would it be better to have a unit that was built like a Rolls Royce but sounded rubbish?
So, in my opinion this is one hell of a CD player and one hell of a cd recorder. I really don't have a bad word to say against it. I am not sure of the original selling price, I did read online they were nearly $800.00 in the states when they were first released. Well over the years I have spent over £800.00 on one CD player and it did not sound as good as this.
From this purchase I am truly a fan of Pioneer hi fi
If you see on of these for sale and it all works..... Then buy it.

Kev Whelan

Bought this model in late 2000 as my first CD burner. It's been such a good workhorse, i haven't even dreamt of replacing it yet. Paid for the store's extended warranty - a useless waste of money, as it hasn't even threatened to go wrong! Yes, the changer mechanism can be tempremental once in a blue moon, but a litt;e patience corrects it. I have owned it 10 years now and have easily burned several thousand discs for family friends etc and it is as reliable now as it was then I find it very easy to use. The sound quality is excellent both from original cds,copies even second generation. I sometime use it to listen to cds, though I primarily use it as a burner or transfering tape to cd which is straightforward operation also. For me the machine's overall reliability and sound are flawless and second to none even for more expensive machines (£299 late 2000) I would have no heaitation in buying the same product again and would certainly recommend it.

Evrything about this burner is awesome. It allows you to set your own individual levels of recording. The clarity sounds like the real thing. I have recorded and the reviews have been great. There is no need to print a weakness, because there is none. I am a pioneer freak and would not try anything else.

This burner is th ebest burner I have ever peurchased. As a electronics salesman, I can say, it is the best one put out.

Customer Service

Now that I have used your product, I am having problems with it changing trays to record. The trays deem to get stuck ansd won't change. I need to know where to send it for repair. Where is the nearest dealer in this area or who do recommend for repair. I have no real desire to buy another unless thiis one is beyond repair.

sound quality, recording quality, 2x speed, COAX and Optical digital IN and OUT

CD platters and mechanism made of plastic

After some research I purchased this unit, only afterward I really disliked the whole idea of changing trays instead of a platter. both use mechanical mechanisms and are subject to breaking. I've brought it in for repair 2 times already, and I am SO glad I bought the store's extended service warranty for 3 years, as I knew with the amount I use and create mix cds/tapes it would break anyway. unfortunately I no longer even attempt to use the top platter, so it won't get stuck and cause problems, as it has started to again. Oh well, Pioneer still makes good products, I had a 6 disc magazine changer for 9 years with no problems until the last year. I used that thing for hours on end almost daily. I only wish they still made those magazine changer style CD Players with digital outputs....

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HP computer CD-R burner

Ease of use, great display, superb recording, nice looking unit with great remote.

Build quality of the stacker changing tray make this a turkey, if it worked I would give this 5 stars, but since it doesn't, and I am on my second unit, ZERO out of Five would be more fitting. I am shocked Pioneer put their name on this..

I would love to give this CD Recorder/dubber great marks for it's ease of use, loads of digital and analog connections, great display, nice remote and sharp looks. I would like to give the whole unit great marks. But I cannot. I have already returned one of these to Tweeter and would like to return this one for a totally different model, but I think my warranty may be up. Just like the first deck, the vertical cd stacker tray is malfunctioning and will not quit trying to open, then closing before it can fully open. This drawer design looks like it is made of cheap plastic gears and has always been very loud. At least this time one of my cd's isn't stuck inside. I was originally going to buy the Phillips CD Dubbing deck, but I let the salesman show me the Pioneer instaed. It looked much nicer and seemed to have better build quality. I should have stuck with the single disk Pioneer design, but I thought I could also use it as a changer. Slow loading time soon changed that plan. After about a year my first deck got stuck with one of my discs inside. I returned it for another deck, but here we are a year later and I think my warranty has just expired. This is not the type of product I have come to expect from Pioneer, as I have used many of their other products in the past, including two great turntables. I was seriously considering their Pioneer DV-47 Elite DVD Player, as it is one of few that plays SACD and DVD Audio, but if I am unable to get this deck fixed or replaced, I think I'll wait on another manufacturer. I guess I'll go back to buying Sony products, as I have never had build quality issues with their products.

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Sony and Yamaha CD Changers, Sony Minidisc, Nakamichi Casette

easy to use, works nicely with my Elite 301 changer, sounds good, CHEAP

wish it had cd title ability and play mp3 ability. But you cant have everything.

I love it, the display is easy to understand instructions are good and it integrates well with my PDF19 301 changer. I will never listen to a cassette again.

If you are coping a copy (2nd generation) the sound is so-so. I actually place the source copy in my 301 changer and record from there. This way I use the 24bit DAC from the changer, which sounds better than the 1 bit in the 739.

If you want to spend more money the only one I think is a better value is the marantz 6050 but it runs around $650.

I chose the Pioneer w739 because it has a 3cd changer on one side and recorder on the other. The only other one like this is the JVC (which is junk). I got mine a supremevideo.com for only $406 including shipping which is way cheaper than the HK or Onkyo.

What ever you choose here is some advice:
1. clean the original cd and blank cd real well before you record.
2. avoid 2x or 4x recording it increases the chances of bit screw ups, unless you are in a hurry.
3. Do not waste your money on cd-rw discs they do not play anywhere else.

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only tape decks but not a fail comparison

I have used Pioneer for many years and enjoy all their HI FI equipment

I just recently received this unit and I am not to sure if it is defective or not. Can someone help me please. The unit plays the cds fine but when I want to burn a disc it does not work. The message that I get shows "pro disc" Does this unit not accept any CDRWs or does it just use specific ones. When I depress the CD-CDR button under the disc1,2,3 buttons, should this not illuminate and should disc copy not show in the display? I do not get this message. Please send me any suggestions at testarosa2000@yahoo.com or should I just get the unit looked at by a service depot. Thanks

Great features. Various inputs. Ease of use. Sound quality.

Questionable 3-tier stacker trays. Boot up is a little slow.

This is a fantastic unit, especially for those who are just getting started. One piece of advice: Read the Manual! This will clue you in to all the little things that you need to know.

I too was confused with the difference between CD writes and Audio CD Writes, but once over that, I discovered the joy of using and operating this unit. For professional recordings, it's great; for making new recordings from tape or vinyl, amazing; and if you queston the sound quality, check the brand of CD you're using. The different input choices (Analogue, Digital, Coax) are extremely handy, and creating mix albums, it's a breeze.

I do wonder about the assembly of the 3 stacker; it's a little noisy and flimsy, but I can't fault the quality of the recordings (especially compared to Computer Burnt CD's). The reading capability is very good - the laser can read CD's the other units have problems with, and the write is fast, simple and affective. CDRW's work well, and the features included for them are very good.

I haven't had a problem with this unit at all. Sure, it's not the most perfect, all hail CD Burner; but, hell, for it's price and the features you get for it, this machine is terrific.

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Phillips CD Units, Yamaha MD

Creates great CD copies, makes no skips & pops, easy to use, great connections...

None really. At least no glaring ones...

I had been looking for a CD-Recorder for years. I collect some rare CDs. Needless to say, I really needed a recorder to copy my valuable collection, make some discs from other sources (LPs, cassettes and the like) and maybe do a few trades for those rare discs that are at times too rare and expensive.

So, I set about getting a PC CD-Recorder. When I got one, I had never been so frustrated in my life at how many CD-Rs they ruined, and the amount of pops and skips in them.

Hence, I went all out shopping for a consumer, stand-alone recorder last December. After a good deal of looking, I finally found this Pioneer model at YourInsider.com for a nice price (about the same price as some used ones at Sears). I got it without hesitation.

First off, I really love the connections. Coaxial input and output, optical input and output, and analog input and output. Every kind you want or need for home use, as I have a Sony MiniDisc Deck with an optical input, and a GPX DVD/CD player with a coaxial output. Plus, I just got a new Aiwa 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround system too, so the outputs will come in handy for that baby as well.

Then, the sound. FLAWLESS copies. Perfection in my mind. Sounds great on my older Teac Dolby Pro-Logic Surround system (upgrade to 5.1 is coming soon), and even better with headphones. Much better copies than a PC recorder, as not one skip or pop has been produced on a CD-R from this thing yet, and I've made several dozen of them by now. The only mistakes are from a source CD having a skip in it, but that isn't the machine's fault, the defect was on the CD.

The volume control is easy to use with a great and easy to follow indicator as well. Analog AND digital volume control, which I love. My MD deck had no digital volume control, only analog, so I love that.

You can record from a programmed list when recording from the 3 CD changer (up to 30 selections from any of the discs), and you can make SEAMLESS track separations anywhere WHILE recording from an outside source (handy for recording LPs, Cassettes, cutting up long song, or DVD isolated scores) so you don't have to pause or stop the disc and put a second-long skip between the tracks. You can make a Skip ID (in case you make a mistake or change your mind about a recorded track), which some CD players can read. There is also a synchro record feature, but I haven't used that feature yet, I don't really need it. But it's there if I do.

It is easy to use, has the same basic functions as most CD players or MD recorders, and I learned all of the features quickly, most were easy enough to find out by myself, and a few just needed a quick read of the manual.

It also can read incomplete/unfinalized discs, and read and record CD-RWs as well. It can't record data CD-Rs, but no home audio ones can, so that really isn't a negative. Headphone jack and volume control is always a plus as well, but not a need.

Perhaps the only negative was that the machine has to read each CD bin every time you turn the machine on, and every time you close the door. That's not so bad though, except when you close the door without a CD, and it takes the same amount of time to read as if there was a disc in there. The 3 CD changer sounds a little slow and clanky, but it has worked great so far, so I have no real problems with the system. It records at 1x and 2x speed, which is slow in PC CD-Recording terms, but I'll take a slow copy ANY DAY, as long as the copy comes out flawless, like this one does.

You can make a digital copy from any original, pressed CD, or a PC CD-R, but you can't make a digital copy FROM a digital copy that these machines make. It will still make a near perfect analog copy from a digital copy, this isn't really a problem anyway. Plus, since most stand alone recorders I believe are like that, there no real negative in this either. All in all, this is a great piece to a modern home entertainment puzzle.

Easy to use.

If there is one it would be build quality is not the same as a Wadia or even the Elite Series. I worry about the longevity of the plastic transports.

My wife gave me the 739 for Christmas and I have really enjoyed the unit over the last few days. It is extremely easy to use (after you read the instructions) and sounds fairly decent with my Wadia 32X. I am very impressed at what you get for the money. Yes a better transport with the 32X and I do hear more space between the instruments, and there are other more subtle differences, it is not nor is it marketed as a high end player. I knew that when I asked for it for Christmas. I cannot tell that big of a difference between the original and copies. I have recorded most everything 1X speed, but the stuff I have recorded using 2X sounds excellent. I know its early on, but I am so impressed with what you get for your money that I wanted to post the review. No it does not sound like an expensive transport/dac combo or a $2K SACD player (it cost $388)and I will still need to find a decent transport...but it allows you to enjoy the music and make great CD's for the car or your other non reference system. For me it is a 5 for value and a 5 overall -- remember what it is designed to do and what I paid. I really think Pioneer had the music lover in mind when they designed this product.

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No Recorders...players I have owned include Teac VRDS, Parasound 2000 Belt Drive and a NAD C540.