I'll always own a changer

[Poultrygeist]

While many CD changers are criticized for their cheap noisy transports, the muliti-disc capability and shuffle feature alone are the main reasons to own one. I can grow tired of listening to one artist or group over the course of a long cd and find it refreshing to "be pleasantly surprised" at the random selection my changer makes for me.

I spend hours on my back porch and it's just impractical to get up and change discs when the player is in another room. Sure I could stream PC audio but mine doesn't sound as good nor would I know how to shuffle the play list.

I've owned a Sony CE595 sacd changer from BestBuy now for about five years and although it's muliti-channel capable, I use it only in stereo. It's inexpensive, reliable, well reviewed and has performance to match more costly units. You can load it with sacd's and conventional discs but it's not hard to distinguish which type is playing. SACD's just sound better and if it's a hybrid-sacd the redbook layer is usually superior.

If you like jazz or classical the sacd selection continues to be very good and more titles are added each day.

While I have other more costly players in my crazy collection, none offer the convenience of this changer.

[TheHills44060]

I had an Onkyo Integra 6 disc changer 10+ years ago and always liked it. It allowed you to open the drawer and change out some of the discs all while one disc remained playing ...really handy during parties. Good construction and didn't sound too bad either.

[poppachubby]

My Yamaha changer is excellent. Super quiet drawer and transport. Fast load up. It has the playXchange feature also. The key to a changer is digital output. I have mine outputting through it's toslink jack into my dac, best of all worlds.

[kexodusc]

I have a Yamaha changer, it works great, but my computer has a M-Audio soundcard that has decent Wolfson DAC's in it and I find myself FLAC files for random playlisting more than the changer now. It's out in the garage and still gets some light usuage when I'm puttering around. As digital storage on portable music devices continues to increase, I see less and less need for a changer...still see them in bars and restaurants though so they're not extinct yet.

[Poultrygeist]

kex,

I wonder how your set up sounds compared to sacd player?

[kexodusc]

kex,

I wonder how your set up sounds compared to sacd player?
My soundcard is good, but not that good, not even close. I'd say it sounds almost as good as my cd players, and at least as good as my changer. Not as good as my SACD player. Remember, all my FLAC files were ripped from CD so they could only ever be as good as CD anyway. Maybe if they made a digital file format with the same resolution as SACD audio it could be possible, but until then...

Still, it's convenient and I can randomize from a lot more albums than my changer can hold.

One downside - I'm a guy who likes to physically touch the gear to activate it, dial in volume, change albums, etc...the whole digital file thing takes a bit of that interaction away unfortunately.

[luvtolisten]

I have a Marantz 4001 changer and love it. I also play tunes with my PC using a Cambridge DAC Magic. Soundwise I give the edge to the Marantz, but it's slight. You can't beat the PC for variety though. I have all my CD's uploaded, about 5,000 songs.

[harley .guy07]

I think if you like changers and pick a quality one from a good manufacturer like yamaha or denon and it has a digital output so you can use it with a good dac like a ps audio dac like mine then you can get great results. Sure you can beat their performance but you will have to get a real good single disk transport or player to do better. I use a Oppo multi disk bdp 83 for my transport and love it but I don't really have the need for a changer but If I did then I would search out something in a denon or yamaha and use my dac with it.

[Tarheel_]

I have two changers...both Technics. One I purchased new in 1993 and it still looks and functions as new. The newer one i paid $9 off ebay and it has a Toslink connection. I run them in separate systems. Both are great! Wish Technics was still around.

[rakeford]

I'm still hunting for a good CD changer. I might just bite the bullet and buy a new Yamaha DVD-C961 since it plays CD, SACD, and DVD-Audio. What do you think?

[poppachubby]

I'm still hunting for a good CD changer. I might just bite the bullet and buy a new Yamaha DVD-C961 since it plays CD, SACD, and DVD-Audio. What do you think?


I say be patient and keep your eyes on the thrifts.

[Tarheel_]

I'm still hunting for a good CD changer. I might just bite the bullet and buy a new Yamaha DVD-C961 since it plays CD, SACD, and DVD-Audio. What do you think?

Before this post, i didn't realize CD changers could play SACD. Interesting...anyone have a short list of suspects.

[bobsticks]

Before this post, i didn't realize CD changers could play SACD. Interesting...anyone have a short list of suspects.

The only true SACD changers I've heard are the Sonys...and they are nice.

I have a Pioneer multi cd changer along with my computer system. The DAC is noticably better than my soundcard.

[PeruvianSkies]

The only true SACD changers I've heard are the Sonys...and they are nice.

I have a Pioneer multi cd changer along with my computer system. The DAC is noticably better than my soundcard.

Agreed. I own a Sony CD/SACD carousel unit for my bedroom setup and it's a really solid machine. It was very inexpensive at the time too, about $80 when Circuit City was still around. It's a 5-disc changer and has a super-fast load time. It actual is a DVD player as well and one of the finer units around that does what it does and for the price.

Sony DVP-NC80V is the model for this particular one. The Pioneer units are wonderful too.

[Poultrygeist]

Below is a review of my Sony SACD changer. It's a true dedicated SACD player and not a jack-of-all trades universal. This was Sony's low cost attempt at revitalizing the format.




http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0205/sonyscdce595.htm

[recoveryone]

I would have to go with Kex, just on the flexibility of a digital server setup. I have a Pioneer Elite Changer M53 and it sounds awesome, but I rarely use it since I purchased my squeezebox system a few years ago. The Dac's built into the Squeezebox are on par with any mid-high end range changer, but it really just comes down to the type of files you are playing through it. I did a side by side with my changer when I first brought the squeezebox and found that if the bit rate of the digital format is around 320 or higher you would be hard press to tell the differences from the CD.

[TheHills44060]

I have a Yamaha changer, it works great, but my computer has a M-Audio soundcard that has decent Wolfson DAC's in it and I find myself FLAC files for random playlisting more than the changer now. It's out in the garage and still gets some light usuage when I'm puttering around. As digital storage on portable music devices continues to increase, I see less and less need for a changer...still see them in bars and restaurants though so they're not extinct yet.
Ugh, I don't particularly care for computers and don't want to be anywhere near one when I'm enjoying my music. But you are correct digital storage is increasing unfortunately...

[Poultrygeist]

Since Sony invented the format and receives royalties for every sacd disc sold they can afford to produce higher quality inexpensive lost leader players. More sacd players in the hands of consumers equals more royalties for Sony.

My inexpensive Sony playing a sacd disc is comparable in sound quality to my $800 Telefunken tubed MHZS playing a redbook disc.