chaoot

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $250.00 from Staffhorst

Summary:
I just purchased my second Sony CDP to hook it up to my earlier model. So I can say that the system is reliable. In it's use, the system is fenomenal. No more CD changing etc. I think that MP3 will soon take over but for me it is the 500+ CD's I still love in their sound quality. I've "upgraded" both players with other electronics and modified the mechanical build. All in All excellent value for money

Strengths:
Good mechanical endurance

Weaknesses:
Latest models do not come with the extended remote control

Price Paid:  $450.00 from Huppins - One Call

Summary:
Although this is not an audiophile quality sound, it is good sound (and can be improved with quality interconnects). But, the convenience of this product is irresistible. I have used the product for about 1 year. I recently had a problem and had to bring the unit in for repair. I really miss it. Once you have had a CD Jukebox, you will never go back to single play CD players.

Strengths:
Convenience. Features.

Weaknesses:
Limited text size for CD titles.

Similar Products Used:
None

Price Paid:  $329.00 from Good Guys!

Summary:
Good Guys was nice enough to loan this unit to me for my kid's school function, and I liked it so much I bought it rather than returning it. I don't normally like Sony players of any kind; I find them very noisy when playing and changing discs. Not this unit, though. Sound is very close to that of my Denon single disc player, and the best part is I listen to more music because it's so convenient having all those CDs ready to play. Love the remote, too. And you can't beat a 5-year warranty on a CD changer - it's unheard of! On top of that, Good Guys gave me the changer for an Open-Box price (even though they had to open the box to loan it to me) of $329!

System:
Denon 3200 Receiver (HT)
B&K Pro-5 preamp (music)
Sonance 260 X 3 Amps
B&W CDM1 mains, biwired
B&W Rock Solid surrounds
M&K VX-7 sub
Sony CDP-CX555ES changer
Denon DCD-320 player
Pioneer DV606D DVD
Denon DRR-733 cassette

Strengths:
Convenience, great remote, very good sound

Weaknesses:
Not enough space to enter text

Similar Products Used:
Pioneer Elite PDF-101

Summary:
This unit allows use of a keyboard to enter titles, but greatly limits number of song titles you can type in. Instead of forcing the keyboard upon the customer and then having such great limitations on titling the songs, I relied upon their 'cd text' for song titles. I purchased the Sony because cd text is supposed to be their forte.

Relying on cd text for the song titles is truly the only way to go with a carousel holding 300 cds's. It truly is nice knowing who is playing these songs, and the artist. I usually have to enter both on the 'song' side of the cd text.

Using cd text supporting cd burners, I found very few cd's burned are readable by this unit. I often use 2x in hopes that the cd text info gets recognized. I have better luck with my car player reading cd text, as well as my plextor and Sony cd burners on my computers. It is frustrating to see so many other devices read the cd text from a cd that wouldn't display on this Sony carousel player.

Please have Sony increase support their own standard of cd text so that we can have our own playlists on our personal cds.

Fidelity and presence are fine for such an inexpensive unit. The carousel seems a little slow loading contiguous cds. I am hoping someday for a true audiophile unit that has supports cd text capability.

Strengths:
Nice to have carousel holding that much music.

Weaknesses:
Poor support of cd text on unit. Sony Tech support said they don't support cd text used on personal computers.

Similar Products Used:
Previous Sony 200 cd carousel model.

Summary:
The sound quality is pretty good, and much better than it's similar model CDP-CX350, I think that current pulse D/A converter really means something. The sound it produces is cleaner, and more live than that of CDP-CX350. The sound of different instruments in a band can be revealed quite clearly. I am happy with this machine, and with its two way remote, I can just sit there and enjoy the music.

The only thing I complain is that build of this cd player is that the face plate is plastic, not aluminum, which is uncommon for an ES-series model.

Strengths:
good sound quality, two ways remote controller, ps/2 keyboard entry for easy titling

Weaknesses:
13-character title for each disc, disc changing process takes a long time, optical digital out only, no aluminum faceplate

Similar Products Used:
cdp-cx350