I am looking to buy a really good 5 or 6 tray Cd player. By really good, I mean in terms of cyrstal clear sound! Sound with good definition and good bass. I do not like a neutral sounding sound! The problem with the high end Cd players and transports are that they only take one at a time and you always got to get up a change the cd. I do know that McIntosh makes one transport that can store tons of Cds on it, but I am not sure that I want to spend all that money! Could anyone please help me out here!

Thanks Scottsmrnyc

I have a couple of older Onkyo single play units that I like very much. One was made in 1992 and is still going strong and even plays most burnt C.D.'s. They still make a multi play unit.
http://www.onkyo.ca/model.cfm?m=DX-C390&class=Compact%20Disc&p=i

Rotel RCC-1055. 5 disc tray, Burr-Brown DA, HDCD decoding, built like a tank.

Their RCC-955 is also very,very good and easy to find under $200.

any denon one is good :) sound great and never jam up

I use a Japanese NAD 5170 6-magazine. It plays most burnt discs without issue and has a digital out which is nice but as far as comparing it to others couldn't say.

I use a Japanese NAD 5170 6-magazine. It plays most burnt discs without issue and has a digital out which is nice but as far as comparing it to others couldn't say.


I'd say get any multi-disc player you like that has a digital out and use the DAC you find the most musical to your ears. That's what I do and its great. :music:

Thanks for all your responses . Scottsmrnyc

I tried a Technics and Onkyo and ended up with 3 Yamahas.

I use an Adcom GCD 700 when I don't want to bother changing discs.

Was looking for the same thing last year and ended up with a Yamaha CDC-697. Top notch build quality and sounds great!

I'd say get any multi-disc player you like that has a digital out and use the DAC you find the most musical to your ears. That's what I do and its great. :music:

Hi Loren, thanks for the input. I think mating a good transport and choice of outboard DAC is probably the optimum solution. But, I tend to strive for realism in reproduction (thus the basis for my signature).

Hi Loren, thanks for the input. I think mating a good transport and choice of outboard DAC is probably the optimum solution. But, I tend to strive for realism in reproduction (thus the basis for my signature).

That's is why Yamaha's tagline is Natural Sound.

But I do have one of my CDPs routed through a DAC and a tube pre-amp.

any denon one is good :) sound great and never jam up

I agree! I bought a DCM360 at a thrift for $25. Plays well and all of my CD-R's! :thmbsp:

I have a Denon DCM-550 that sounds very good, with not a moments trouble.

Hi Loren, thanks for the input. I think mating a good transport and choice of outboard DAC is probably the optimum solution. But, I tend to strive for realism in reproduction (thus the basis for my signature).

Striving for realism is a nice goal, but if you are on a budget then improving the part that changes the dots and dashes into electronic waveforms will give you the biggest improvement. :yes: From my understanding most multi-disc players transports are a bit of a compromise compared to single disc players.

Striving for realism is a nice goal, but if you are on a budget then improving the part that changes the dots and dashes into electronic waveforms will give you the biggest improvement. :yes: From my understanding most multi-disc players transports are a bit of a compromise compared to single disc players.

Hi Loren, what I meant to say is realism is where it's at for yours truly, a choice that's surprisingly unpopular despite the fact it was originally the goal behind the audiophile genesis. Acheiving the resemblance of reproductive realism is a state which I beleive can be had on a very modest budget. I like to refrain from using most of the popular adjectives (like those in my signature) when describing the quality & quantity of reproduced sound. I wouldn't even own a sound system if I could have any live band of choice in my living room at the snap of a finger.

Some old timey CD players are so well made that with reconditioning, and paired with an accurate outboard DAC, they can read and transmit up the chain bits of information off the media without altering it.

Sorry for reviving an older thread but this is exactly what I am looking for. So far I am leaning towards Adcom, Rotel, Yamaha or Denon. Any additional model input, to what has already been posted, would be appreciated.
Also don't know if I am going to spend no more than $250, should I be looking at a new model.
I have a sony 701es which has been perfect since new and sounds great for a changer imo.
Thanks in advance.

I have a Marantz CC-65SE,Special Edition changer and a Nakamichi MB-3. I prefer the Nakamichi as the Marantz can sometimes be sibilant and harsh on some material. Somehow, the Nak smoothes the same passages out. The Marantz does have a digital output which could eliminate this problem by using a better DAC. The Nak does not have a digital output. Nak models MB-1 and MB-2 do have digital outputs. Just my two cents.

Marantz CC-4300

I think the best CD changer is the McIntosh unit which used the Nakamichi MusicBank mechanism. It holds 6 discs. Sounded nice. You might be able to get a nice one secondhand reasonably.

any denon one is good :) sound great and never jam up

I agree! :thmbsp:

If you are after reliability as well as sound quality, get a Yamaha,
I have an old Yamaha CDC 555 that is still going strong, two members of my family have Yamaha changers, both of which went for over 10 years of hard party use.

I sold many Yamaha changers when hifi retail in the 90's, nearly all went out and stayed out.

Sound quality, well that is in the ear of the beholder.

The units here all work well & sound good, all are used with their digital outputs into DACs:

Denon DCM-444 6cd
Pioneer CLD-M450 5cd (reliability unknown at this point)
Nakamichi Music Bank 7cd
Sony ES 200cd

je

Run a Yamaha CDC-755 in the Playroom system, sounds great.

California Audio Labs CL-10 was a nice one. It's getting a little long in the tooth now but still a nice deck.

RC

Here's a great deal for you Denon dcm 560 ...5cd carousel . Cheap on the used market ( $50.00 ) comes with remote control . It sounds great...better than my high end single player. I have had it for almost 15 years now with no trouble at all....Liked it so much I bought another as a spare. :music:

I've got a couple of the Nakamichi MB2 players. Mine do burnt and have a variable output so pre may be optional. One of the quickest changers around.

Had a sony 5 disk with the 1bit DAC (mash technology, ???) that required opening the case frequently to retrieve my disks...what a POS!
Wifey got tired of being without a CD and said "just go buy one" (he, he, he). So I picked up a Denon DCM290 with a 24bit DAC and have been quite satisfied with both the sound and transport. My receiver only sports RCA so fancy connects are but only a dream at this point. Not the bestest multi player on the market but for the price I'm a happy guy. Front panel controls are a bit difficult to see in subdued lighting but that's why they make remotes, right?

I've got a Nakamichi MB2s as well and I like it more than my Sony CDP-c705. I hear the Nak transport is used the McIntosh (big$$) changer.

I've got a Nakamichi MB2s as well and I like it more than my Sony CDP-c705. I hear the Nak transport is used the McIntosh (big$$) changer.
And I do like my McIntosh MCD205. It's a great mechanism. The only disadvantage is that you can't swap out non-playing CDs as you can with a carousel while one CD is playing.
To address another recommendation on this thread: I owned a CAL CL-5 and a CL-10. Very nice sounding machines, but a bear to get serviced - especially since CAL no longer exists.
The MCD205 blows the CAL units out of the water :D.

HI Loren, I've got a Yamaha CDC-655,nice unit,sounds good,also just bought a Denon DCM-370,nice,:yes: sounds good. I like the Denon a little more thou. Can't go wrong with either one.:yes:

I swear by my Yamaha CDC-635.

Yamaha CDC 765. I got it for trade on 15 minutes of caulking labor, sounds great for what I use it for.

Scott

I am looking to buy a really good 5 or 6 tray Cd player. By really good, I mean in terms of cyrstal clear sound! Sound with good definition and good bass. I do not like a neutral sounding sound! The problem with the high end Cd players and transports are that they only take one at a time and you always got to get up a change the cd. I do know that McIntosh makes one transport that can store tons of Cds on it, but I am not sure that I want to spend all that money! Could anyone please help me out here!

Thanks Scottsmrnyc

Just out of curiosity, what did you end up getting? Enquiring minds want to know...

Hey I want to thank everyone for this thread. With my Magnavox and Phillips
both getting cranky I am looking. Sony and Denon.
There are a couple of Denon players that do DVD-CD-DVDA-SACD.
I am seriously thinking abut upping my budget and getting one of these puppies.
(Instead of the ones from the eighties that I've been looking at)

I've got a Denon DCM260 that I bought new in the mid 90's. Plays burned discs and sound really nice

I have a Yamaha CDC-835 that I dont really use except for a party on the patio but its a great player plus it has internal remote control for volume so its great to go direct to amp. It is a really well built unit, overkill for a party twice a year but hey what the hell lol.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Yamaha had several CDC-8xx players that were TOTL in the USA, all boasting excellent specs. I found an old brochure on the CDC-845 with the following impressive specs...

- Class A buffer amp
- THD + noise = 0.002% (1kHz)
- Dynamic range: 100db
- S/N: 118dB

I have used the Adcom GCD700 for years but it skips all the time now so I'm due for something else. I think it sounds good and I also like the sound of the Rotel cd players.

I've owned a bunch of consumer-range 5 CD players and the Yamaha's in my opinion have the best sound. The Sonys are good as well. My Technics 'Mash' player isn't so hot. The biggest problem is reliability as something is always breaking down. I have about 6 or 7 of these right now and only one is working 100%. All the others have one problem or another whether it be intermittent or a show stopper and I keep them around for parts mostly.

I have a bunch of singles as well with the early 90's Akai I picked up at goodwill for $5 being the best sounding one. I have a Nikko which is tinny and thin sounding as well as a very cool (and high end for the time - 1983?) Toshiba which doesn't sound so great compared to newer players with more advanced D/A conversion. Some of the slightly newer DVD players sound good... and they will allow you to play other digital formats as well. Oh and I have one Pioneer 100+1 carousel which just came with a deal for a bunch of gear (where the seller wouldn't break it up) and despite the inconvenience of 100 cd tray, you can also use it as a single player and it sounds pretty decent too.

I still use my "Radio Shack" player that I've had for years. Paul Weitzel of Tube Research Labs suggested/recommended them to me at VSAC. I believe they were actually made by Pioneer and utilized a six drawer cartridge that ejected and was loaded outside the player. They were on sale at the time and I seem to remember that Paul bought six of them!

Certainly not the last word in players, but it does sound nice. My modded Toshiba 3950 has since been retired, but the Rat Shack is still in use.

Best Regards,
TerryO

A good bargain bang-for-the-buck option is a Sony SCD 2000 ES, 5 disc player, front loads and plays sacd format. I've had one for a while and it aint bad. However, I dont know how it stacks up against the brands already mentioned. I think it's about $200-250. new and still available. Has a remote too.

I would like to weigh in. I tried a number of the previously mentioned 5 disk changers and I would say the best to my ears is the Yamaha CDC-697 though they just released a newer upgraded version of it that should satisfy you. I tried Onkyo, Sony, Denon, Cambridge, and Marantz 5-disk changers.
I am planning to add a great DAC and use the Yamaha as a transport. It's a solid unit with a quick and fairly quiet transport. And if you demand quality then this should be a good bet for you too.
Cheers

Adding my 2 cents to an older post. I have Yamahas and Nakamichis, I think both are excellent. I do like the Yamahas play while you change Cds function. And---remotes with variable outputs are a plus.

I like my BSR MCD-8050, it was free, but now its misbehaving.

Time for a new CD/ SACD/ DVD/ ?blu-ray? changer.

ADcom GCD-700, great player that still holds its value to this day. Also the Older McIntoch changers are sweet.

I have a Pioneer PD-M603 that i bought new somewhere around 1997 if my memory serves me well. Wasn't cheap,nor expensive ($350 canadian i think) and I really enjoy it.Tons of features.Was doing some online searching and it turns up some very favorable reviews. I have really enjoyed it all these years and it is still going very strong without any issues and it have been well played with. I have only had one burned CD unable to play in it.

The best sounding CD changer in the world is also one of the very best sounding CD players in the world.

The VSE upgraded Sony SCD-333ES will blow your mind!