opinions: single vs. multi disc players

Any opinions or experiences? I've always thought that multi-disc players have more things that can go wrong, so I've avoided them.

 

I have a multi hooked into the system that feeds the speakers that are throughout the house but for my main system (IMO) there's no contest: you need a single disc player.
I am guessing that most guys here will agree

Peace-
Norm

 

Well, the transport is more complicated, but that's a given. There shouldn't be any sonic differences except for whatever compromises they have to make to meet their price point. (If a single and multi-player cost the same, I'd expect that compromises were made on the multi to keep the cost down.)

 

I've had a Pioneer 100-CD carousel for the past seven years and haven't had a single problem with it. PD-F901, I think. The ability to load it up with some favorites and work uninterrupted all day is my main attraction for it. I usually make CD-Rs for the changer, too--I will put two albums on one disc, or make compilations of favorites. I use my DV45A for the serious listening (as it's a universal player) but I have no problems with the sound quality of my changer either.

If I had to do it over again, I'd wish for Pioneer to make a "universal" 300-disc changer, so I could play high-res discs as well as the many MP3 discs I've made. And keep a good selection of movies in there as well.

FWIW, I realize I have three other changers: a Sony 10-CD in the Buick, an Alpine (Honda) 6-CD in the CR-V, and a Magnavox 6-CD from 1990 that still works as good as new. No mechanical problems at all, and these are all "magazine" style changers.

 

I have both...A single player for serious listening & multi for working around the house.

 

I own like 5 decks around the house.

I STILL love a single-disc deck, but most 5-disc transports work like a single deck. If you insert a disc in #1 and hit play, the disc goes into the player 1st. When you eject on it, Disc 1 comes twords you first.

I love carosels, but on concentrated listening, a single deck is much easier.

My friend has a 100-vertical-load Sony. He thinks it's great, but to load and unload that thing is a career.

 

I have both kinds as well!

One of those Sony 400-disc megachangers that I have loaded to the hilt with (mostly) CDRs. One advantage is that this player handles CD Text, so I don't have to type in the info for my CDRs. This player is nice for those days when you are doing odds & ends around the house and you can just let it play.

For more focused listening, I use my Rega Planet.

 

I only have a single disc player. If you cannot get up and change a disc every 45 - 60 minutes you are a serious couch potato.

 

I much prefer a single player. I have an Adcom GCD-750, it is great! It plays HDCD's too!

 

If you're after the best sound, then go for a good single disc player. If you're after the most convenience, think about a multi player.

 

I had a 5 disc DVD/CD player before I bought my Pioneer universal.

The problems I found were:

1. My discs never got put away properly.
2. The tray always had a couple of CDs and a couple of DVDs, so the whole random thing never worked out all that well.
3. When there were 5 CDs, the random play didn't work well either because the time it took to change discs and then read the new disc to determine type AND THEN pick a song took far too long for my taste.

Now I just have a single disc player. If I want to "slum it" and play music for hours nonstop with lots of variety (like when I painted the house) I just pop in a CD-R of MP3s. That's usually good for around 200 songs or so.

 

I'd say it depends on the machines. I've always had single disc players, but just got a JVC cd recorder that has three drawers on the left for playing and one on the right for recording. It sounds much better than any of my single disc players did. A most pleasant surprise.

 

5-disc changer here. You get the best of both worlds. My Sony 5-disc changer works the same way as a single. You push the open button, put in your CD, and just push play.

 

I have both. For critical listening, I use the more expensive single disc player.

 

What about folks who have 400-disc DVD megachangers?!

 

I have single-disc players, carousel changers, and 300-disc megachangers (two of them daisy-chained). The problem with comparing them is that the price points are all over the map. I use the carousel changers (Sony SCD-C333ES and 'C555ES) most of the time because they offer excellent sound quality and convenience. However, for critical listening of CDs and SACDs, I use a Sony SCD-777ES single-disc player in my better system. The megachangers are great when I want highly varied random play in the background.

 

I only have single disc players in my bedroom but the minisystem in the living room has a 5 CD changer.

 

Every player I've owned has been single disc. Though the multis can work well, the simpler the transport system, the better IMO. I don't mind changing a disc every 45 minutes, or hour or whatever.

 

I used to run 4 of the changers Rudy has. After I filled them up I realized I would have had remote control issues buying another, not to mention space issues as well, so I sold them and used the money for a decent single-disc player. I had no idea before that what a difference in sound quality the source could make, but holy crap!

I could never go back.

 

I have had a few of the 5-disc carousel Sony players before owning my single disc XA777ES and XA9000ES (review coming!) models.

I prefer the single disc models. Better for listening, and it would make me slightly neurotic spinning the platter 'round and round to get all the discs out. Hey, I'm impatient I never really enjoyed hoping around from disc to disc. I can live with replacing them every few songs.

 

I've purhcased four CD players since 1986 and they've all been single-disc.

My wife, on the other hand, likes a CD-changer. She also stacks her LPs on her record changer. <cringe>

 

I've had a Sony SCD-C333ES for a few years now, and never put more than one disc in at a time. It's clunky and noisy - just doesn't feel as good as the single-disc system in my Arcam Alpha 9 or Sony SCD-XA777ES. I bought the 333 to get into SACD - and it was only $300, so it was a good buy. I probably had $8000 in SACDs before I upgraded to the XA777ES (I have about 650 SACDs now), so the Sony carousel model has been value.

 

I'm from the old school, the more bell's and whistles the more that can go wrong. Peace Todd.

 

I always had single disc players. A couple of years ago, I needed to replace my player and went searching for a player with HDCD capability. I was unable to find one that wasn't multidisc despite looking at several stores. The next player I buy may be either SACD or DVD compatible, but in any event, I hope it's a single disc player. That remains my preference.

 

If you don't mind my asking, what was your budget? From what I've seen, most HDCD-capable players are single-disc models, though at lower price points (under $500), you will find mostly changers.