User Reviews : Pioneer D-C88

1. Pioneer D-C88 - 1 year ago - Hamilton (United Kingdom)
Purchase year : 2007        Price paid : 297 GBP (used)
Easy to use with excellent ergonomic button layout; pop-up screen with variable angle from 0-40 deg approx - size & appearance like Sony TCD-D7/D8 but larger - 5.7cm (Sony) 7.3cm (Pioneer) and more detailed with larger digits.
Rather bulky - considerably larger than Sony TCD-D10 - inputs and outputs divided between back and side, not so cramped - No XLR.
Very quiet transport, quick to load/unload; not nearly so fussy as, say Tascam DA-30 & DA-302. Many unusual features, eg half speed cue/review from pause [ standard play only ] and entering program number directly after recording when assigning start ID.
Huge mains adapter, about the size of 2 Aiwa HD-S1, less 1 cm height; with proprietary 3 pin triangular plug - Voltages: input 230/120/100 @ 50/60Hz 38VA
output +11V/1200mA & -11V/400mA, reminiscent of Casio DA-2/7.
Seems a very rare machine, so perceived as a prize possession. Superb internal layout - Cassette top has to be removed first to get at screw to remove back top plate - all else simple.
Also rare is sensor for remote, in a portable machine. Uses exactly the same box as Onkyo DT-2710 - they are interchangeable but Pioneer lacks some buttons, eg Counter mode, Onkyo obviously, being 2 head, doesn't have source/tape buttons, small, light and very neat.
Head changes speed to play 96KHz HS recordings extremely quickly, without undue whine - Onkyo rather noisier in this respect. Can be "prepared" for HS digital output to another machine, eg Onkyo, by powering on and holding 'check' button on remote. Has no Toslink output socket.
Has facility to "Refresh" batteries with shallow charge state for extended durability. Has good range of headphone output without blasting. Batteries charged inside machine, but not during power on state, as in Sony TCD-D3, eg.
Has very classy appearance; in essence perhaps just another DAT recorder. Sound quality is like most, to my ears. Variable angle screen is a definite bonus. Some buttons, eg Counter mode, are small and lack positive click, otherwise OK. Nice touch having headphone socket on front with good "grippable" knob.
Ergonomically the opposite to the absolutely dreadful Aiwa HD-S1/X1 - you need to be a 3-headed midget to cope with that one.
The battery I got with this Pioneer D-C88[ eBay purchase ] is refurbished and shows approx 8.5 volts after charge on left side and -6.8 volts on right side - so after about 10 mins the battery warning icon comes on; recorder is supposed to switch off after about 3 mins then; mine continues for about nearly 2 hours. Charging this particular battery is hit and miss, with machine often switching off after short time, which it is supposed to do when battery gains certain temperature; mine hasn't even warmed up and gets little charge, repeated unloading, then loading battery, up to maybe 4-5 times, eventually gets the job done. Mains adapter gets rather hot during charging.
Wind/rewind is very positive, being cog driven, and seems very quick, though cog drive always gives that impression, with return to tape start automatic; direction change controlled by capstan motor via the only belt.
Handling 3 hour DAT data tape OK, as I write, though not recommended. Freshly switched on the tape gave, first ERR, then played with no sound; FF then play eventually got sound; back to start and played OK for last nearly 2 hours on same charge, after having been left charged for about 3 days. Thin tapes, then, with caution.