• 08-29-2005, 05:43 AM
    Zen Miner
    multi-disk (25+) CD players - yes or no?
    are there any high quality multi-disk CD players (25-disc, 100-, 200-, etc) out there? I have a Denon 5-disk carousel that I'm perfectly happy with now but would like the ability to random play 25 disks or more simultaneously. The reviews I've read on the one 25-disk player I've found (Pioneer PD F-407) are not encouraging. There seem to be problems with the disk-loading mechanism. Also, do I have to sacrifice sound quality for any higher disk capacity? Thanks.
  • 08-29-2005, 07:58 AM
    ToddL
    Just remember, more moving parts, more problems. For quality I think you wil really want to stick to single disk, 5 at most.
    Todd
  • 08-29-2005, 01:30 PM
    Pyrrho
    Carousel changers are about as reliable and gentle on discs as single disc players. However, the other types of changers are more complicated and more likely to damage discs. You might want to consider a hard drive recorder to record the discs you wish to hear in random order, or you may wish to go ahead and buy a multidisc player and burn your own CDRs to put in it. I wouldn't put my CDs into one of those complicated types of changers; I've heard too many times from people who repair such monstrosities that they often damage discs when they malfunction, which is much more often than single disc and carousel changers. (Carousel changers are reliable and non-problematic because the only difference between them and a single disc player is the flat portion [the carousel] that holds the 5 or 6 discs rotates, and any company that can't handle that kind of mechanism can't handle any mechanism at all.)
  • 08-29-2005, 04:36 PM
    ToddL
    I am not here to contradict anyone. I have owned carousel players that are just fine. On the other hand I went to school to learn how to fix these things, and have briefly worked with them. So you should use caution when purchasing. Alot of these carousel and changer players use very cheap motors and this can become a problem as far as how long they last goes. Just something to consider.
  • 08-29-2005, 06:39 PM
    RGA
    The Sony mega changers are fine. Yes there are moving parts but the large carousel that moves the discs is fairly robust. They are a pain to set-up and there are some feature limitations -- but more on a single player. I have had my Sony for over 2 years and it's been perfect. I had the very first Pioneer 100 disc player which lasted well over 5 years -- I traded it and it was still perfect. Carousels have more issues than the mega changers. The Pioneer was a front loaded 2 by 25 sectioned system with a solid twin wire which moved the clamp along the back. This is probably worse than the Sony player which has the clamp system stationary and spins the disc around to the clamp.

    I have the SOny CDP 355 and it's pretty fast, quite quiet which was a big surprise because the Pioneer was bloody loud clanking away.

    There is a 400 Disc Sony DVD/CD/SACD player out there and it also does MP3 etc $499.00Cdn. There is another 400 disc player from them that does not do SACD or DVD movies and it is also $499...so make sure you get the former.

    The CDP 355 cost me $280.00Cdn and go for about $160.00US. I mean if it lasts 5 years you can't complain -- the things are fun to use do everything and takes up less space great for parties. And they actually sound respectable to boot

    I find I listen to more of my cd collection. Many of us own a number of cds where ther eis only one song we like. You probably won't pull the cd off the shelf just to hear one song - but in a big changer you can go right to the disc listen to it and then use the remote to go to something else. The hard drive idea is good too but they are much more costly -- though I bet not for long,
  • 08-30-2005, 02:18 PM
    Pyrrho
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by RGA
    The Sony mega changers are fine. ... Carousels have more issues than the mega changers. ...

    I disagree very strongly with this. However, I am willing to let those who repair CD players weigh in on this and let them have the final word. Hopefully, a couple of such people will respond in this thread.


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by RGA
    I find I listen to more of my cd collection. Many of us own a number of cds where ther eis only one song we like. You probably won't pull the cd off the shelf just to hear one song - but in a big changer you can go right to the disc listen to it and then use the remote to go to something else. The hard drive idea is good too but they are much more costly -- though I bet not for long,

    For listening to just one song on a CD, I recommend making CDR compilation discs which contain the desired song off of each such CD, and then never bother with the original discs.
  • 08-30-2005, 03:01 PM
    RGA
    A&B Sounds managr told me that the Sony mega Changers were very reliable -- they have a higher initial failure rate than the changers they carried - so the mega changer failed about 3 times more often right of the box than their carousels from Denon and Sony and Yamaha. But after that initial out of box period the mega changers beat them ALL including, and surprisingly, the carousel players they sold from Yamaha, Denon and NAD and their own Sony's. Nad quit making their carousel because of huge failute problems.

    I know other forumers who have daisy chained half dozen of these changers and are TEN years into them -- without fail.

    Granted there is no gaurantee -- but I can buy 4 of these machines for what one half decent (according to audiophiles) can spend on one Arcam single disc loader. And there is not gaurantee the Arcam is going to last more than three years either.

    Personally, I would buy a changer like these and a Audio Note DAC. Even with the changer as transport I'm betting it would be a fantastic sounding set-up. And if the Son dies -- it's cheap.

    You get a 2 year warranty and a little extra money $45.00 gets it up to 5 years. If you get 5 years these days you're doing well.
  • 08-30-2005, 05:04 PM
    GMichael
    I have no problem with using a changer. But after using a CD recorder with a hard drive I believe that this is a better deal. It takes very little time to change from one disc to another, because there are no CD's in it. Plus I get to keep the originals in my car. It also makes copies of what my wife wants in here car. Win, win, win.

    A changer would still be a good option if it's a DVD changer. Many music DVD's can not be legaly copied. That changes everything.
  • 08-30-2005, 06:48 PM
    twochannelsonly
    NO, Id get the best single disc player I could, that way you listen to the entire CD you just bought.
  • 08-30-2005, 07:08 PM
    RGA
    I like th idea of the 400 mega changing every format out there machine. WHat I do is load my cd changer with the mediocre OOPs cd's and have my good cd's that I listen to mostly out on hand for my single disc player But if I'm on the computer like right now I don;t want to waste my Stylus so I generally just put on the changer for background music.

    I think of them more as the background back-up unit that also happens to sound pretty good.

    My DVD player has been a little fritzy so replacing the DVD player is an eventual need. A 400disc SACD DVD playing whopper of a gimmicky toy is kinda fun. I've asked my dealer about the Audio Note Turntable 1/arm1 and cart 1 and trying to see what sort of trade-in I can get for my NAD 533/Shure, Marantz 4300 receiver, Sony Mega changer, Sennheiser HD 600s...my first born LOL.

    Then later maybe on a boxing day pick up the Sony. LOL more student loan money to spend. I have not even worked in 5 years LOL :D
  • 08-31-2005, 01:18 PM
    ToddL
    [QUOTE=Pyrrho]I disagree very strongly with this. However, I am willing to let those who repair CD players weigh in on this and let them have the final word. Hopefully, a couple of such people will respond in this thread.

    I guess this is me. Okay, for convenience sake multi-discs are fine if you are not expecting more than five years which a lot of the general consumer market is.
    On the repair side: Loading mechanisms are close on the number one failing part on any player, single or multi-disk (Disk Jams). These might not be expensive problems but we all know what a pain it is to have your cd player missing for a month to be repaired. The non-cleaning issues of these disks jams are caused by motors or gears. The problem with multi-disks is that when they load up they will rotate automatically, which in the long run will kill these motors and gears.
    To the comment of "if a company can't get these things right than they should't do it at all", well in a perfect world this would be the case but you know what your manufacturer is thinking? $$$$. Parts get skimped on. Multi-disks just use more of these parts and rely on them more heavily.
    My opinion is based on teachers with kind of old school beliefs. I learned on a Panasonic from 1994. But from experience you may loose on lifespan and it may putz right out of the box.But I am kind of a skeptic jerk that likes to bash things because I have had bad personal experiences, but that is a long and boring story.

    Bottom Line- Convenience:YEH Reliability:MEH(this means it could be better)
    That is my 20 cents
  • 09-01-2005, 07:09 AM
    20to20K
    My .02...
    After much research and shopping I purchased a Sony CDPCX90ES off Ebay for
    about $125. It was the most expensive mega-changer Sony ever made as it
    retailed for $1400. I've been extremely happy with it. It sounds better to me than
    playing a Redbook CD on my Denon 2200 Universal...but that's just me.

    But the reason I bought it was for the convenience of loading all my CD's in,
    setting a program or hitting random and record 4 hours of music on my portable
    Mini Disk player. The convenience for people who like to record can't be beat.

    I'm looking for a second one to daisy chain so I can make recordings that
    cross-fade from track to track without interruption like a D.J. would.
    It's perfect for parties and what not. They still pop up on Ebay and they never
    go for more than $150 or so. You can also get brand new non-ES Sony's for
    about the same price.

    Mechanically I've had no problems in the year that I've had it and the previous
    owner said it he had it for 3 years so it was probably even more than that.

    Like most items of this type...either it's gonna die on you quick or its gonna
    last darn near forever. I still have a Pioneer PMD-70 six disk magazine changer that I
    bought in 1988 that running in my garage system. That's why I had no problem buying
    one used. I figured if its 3 years old and it works fine now...I don't expect too many problems in the near future. Don't know if the "ES" model workmanship is really better and
    is contributing to it's quality or whether its just marketing B.S. Either way it's
    working out fine for me.
  • 09-02-2005, 08:33 AM
    swicken
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by 20to20K
    Like most items of this type...either it's gonna die on you quick or its gonna
    last darn near forever. I still have a Pioneer PMD-70 six disk magazine changer that I
    bought in 1988 that running in my garage system. That's why I had no problem buying
    one used. I figured if its 3 years old and it works fine now...I don't expect too many problems in the near future. Don't know if the "ES" model workmanship is really better and
    is contributing to it's quality or whether its just marketing B.S. Either way it's
    working out fine for me.

    :O Because you have had luck with it doesn't mean that it's reliable.
    Our service department here takes in a LOT of multidisc players. The ration of multidisc players bought to multidisc players brought in for service is much higher then single disc.

    It's just a fact of the industry, more moving parts more parts that can fail.And lets face it, production quality hasn't exactly been on the rise over the last few years.
  • 09-04-2005, 06:10 AM
    twochannelsonly
    Quote:

    Like most items of this type...either it's gonna die on you quick or its gonna
    last darn near forever
    I didnt even think of the fact that my old Nackamici OMS 7A I sold to my brother still works, I bet thats 13 or more years old. I doubt he uses it much, but it still works.

    Think about this, How many people do you know that has a full blown system with disc changer that says " I havent used it in months" or worse longer. I bet you know more than you think.
  • 09-14-2005, 12:36 PM
    StateDJ85
    I'd say that if you really want to go for sound quality, pick up one of the Sony ES multi changers. I had a CDP-CX455 for 2 years and was happy with it until it broke. I just recently picked up the new sony that holds 400 dvds/cds/etc. The DVD capability on it is fantastic, but the interface sucks. For listening to music, I'm much happier with my apple powerbook and the wireless airport express for music. The older Sony CD changer I used had a great interface with it and a great remote. The disc explorer interface I've found is way too complicated to enter in all the names. I've actually printed out a list of all my discs and i just punch in the numbers. Good luck...