OK...I know....but

[wink]

Are there any decent (to great) multi disc CD player or transports out there anymore?

My dedicated CD player just took a powder(Adcom GCD-750) and for my new set-up I need a good to great multi disc CD or just a transport would be cool too. I would like to stay away from used if at all possible. I've always shyed away from multi disc players, but we do a lot of entertaining in the back by the pool and it would be great to just load up and go.


Any help would be awesome....Oh yeah hello everyone, I know I've been gone for awhile. Sorry!

Dan:rocker:

 

[TomDac]

McIntosh MCD-205

 

[paulo m]

Are there any decent (to great) multi disc CD player or transports out there anymore?

My dedicated CD player just took a powder(Adcom GCD-750) and for my new set-up I need a good to great multi disc CD or just a transport would be cool too. I would like to stay away from used if at all possible. I've always shyed away from multi disc players, but we do a lot of entertaining in the back by the pool and it would be great to just load up and go.


Any help would be awesome....Oh yeah hello everyone, I know I've been gone for awhile. Sorry!

Dan:rocker:

For the purposes you have in mind, a Squeezebox would be hard to beat. Of course, it requires having files being hosted on a computer nearby or accessible through wireless. I must say, even after having a reasonably good player (the Esoteric X-03SE), the Squeezebox is a whole lot of FUN (and plays really really well too)!

 

[Pcar928fan]

For the purposes you have in mind, a Squeezebox would be hard to beat. Of course, it requires having files being hosted on a computer nearby or accessible through wireless. I must say, even after having a reasonably good player (the Esoteric X-03SE), the Squeezebox is a whole lot of FUN (and plays really really well too)!

+1 on the MP3 player type thing. You can get a dock for an iPod for about $150 and it will plug right into your audio system as well as your TV and you can browse your whole library right there and with your computer you can set up special playlists just for a party and then transfer them to your iPod to play during the party. That is what I do. I have the DLO and it works pretty well (it will even play slide shows!) but the audio quality is NOTHING to write home about... Fine for parties though and frankly MOST people would not think it was anything less than good over my system anyway, only I would know how much it really sucked...

 

[paulo m]

+1 on the MP3 player type thing. You can get a dock for an iPod for about $150 and it will plug right into your audio system as well as your TV and you can browse your whole library right there and with your computer you can set up special playlists just for a party and then transfer them to your iPod to play during the party. That is what I do. I have the DLO and it works pretty well (it will even play slide shows!) but the audio quality is NOTHING to write home about... Fine for parties though and frankly MOST people would not think it was anything less than good over my system anyway, only I would know how much it really sucked...

Try a Squeezebox and you will be pleasantly surprised, quality-wise. My SB3 bested my previous CDP (Arcam FMJ CD36), although it doesn't have the same level of airiness, at about 1/8th of the price. Plus there's the option of coupling it to a good DAC (from e.g. a Benchmark to something more solid like an EMM Labs), not to mention the popular mods out there. For $300 it is an absolute steal!

 

[Dreamer]

i-Tunes on a computer with high-speed wireless (using Apple Lossless compression for your ripping), and an Apple Airport Express, connected to a Benchmark DAC via Toslink.

You probably already have a computer of some sort with wireless if you are technically saavy, and i-Tunes is free. Airport Express box can be had for under $80 if you shop around. The Benchmark will be the only significant extra investement, and with it's myriad of digital inputs (balanced, coax, Toslink, USB) and both unbalanced and balanced outputs (plus a GREAT onboard headphone amp with two jacks), it can be used a a real "Swiss Army Knife" for your whole digital front-end.

My Benchmark is currently hooked up to 2 DVD/CD players (an Oppo 981 and a Sony NS-3100ES, my Airport Express, and sometimes I plug the laptop directly into the DAC via USB. Sounds great, is versatile as heck, and it looks cool in the stack too...

I'd highly recommend going pure digital and streaming your music into a DAC if what you are looking to do is have a convenient source of shuffled background music that still sounds pretty good.

--Richard