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I'd recommend this CD player. Although this CD player has audio features I can't use now, I will be able to take advantage of those features when I upgrade my system. I wanted a good CD player at a reasonable price to replace a 20-year old Kenwood, and the Sony CE595 was a good pick. I have an old stereo system, but the Sony plugged in with no problem. CD changing is relatively quiet, and there have been no problems in the month that I've had it.
I'll likely not consider another purchase from Sony.Michael I then spent an hour on the phone with Sony service who (finally) determined the product was defective (I knew that). The CD player was received in good condition. I hooked it up and then spent an hour reading instructions to try to make it work. Then, they gave me an address to send the product to for repair or replacement.
The sound is great, as is the player itself. Received this Sony audio CD player and have enjoyed using it. Two thumbs up.
The optical audio cable is expensive so check out the prices on-line. The remote is important if you position the changer low in the rack - it is hard to see the controls on the player itself unless it is at eye-level. This device comes with a palm-sized remote that lets you choose which CD to play first, or to skip or you can skip past a particular cut. To get the most out of this changer, you will need a receiver with optical audio inputs. If you have CDs, a changer is very handy. Who wants to put in a new disc every 20 minutes. The player is easy to load so long as the drawer opens below chin-level.
You also can change discs in the drawer while a CD continues to play. Some people got caught with defective units. In my opinion SACD's won't be around forever and that's a shame. This could be a compromise for those that like disc to disc shuffle play. If you have the ability to have a multi-channel speaker setup, I highly recommend picking this player up and getting some SACD's. #3. Yes, it has some quirks, but I can live with them for the incredible price.
Here are a few things that annoy me about the player that made me only give it 4 stars. This machine has almost the same stuff inside as the more expensive 2000ES. In reading reviews it seems that you either love this machine or hate it based upon it's reliability. Heck at this price, pick a couple up in case one breaks.
If it get's worse, I'll have to send it back to Sony for repair. It doesn't do this very often, but it has done it twice on one of my machines. (Headphone jack, dedicated two channel output, gold jacks, etc). (ES stands for "Elevated Standard") The CE595 uses the same audio board and same drive mechanism as the 2000ES; it just doesn't have all the bells and whistles.
I suspect that's why there are so many refurbished ones on the market from Sony. :) This is an excellent player for the money. The sound quality is vastly superior to standard CD's. This is how SACD was really meant to be listened to. Very nice.
It uses 3 custom Burr Brown DAC's with 192khz sampling rates. I'm sure you can find standalone CD players for a lot more money that sound better, but not at this price point. I don't, so it isn't a big deal to me. (So you will get some exercise going back and forth) There also isn't a direct track access capability, but if you have another Sony remote with direct track access, it will work with this machine. There is no power off or CD drawer open/close on the remote. For example, if you only have two speakers, you can set it up to default to 2 channel track mode when playing SACD's.
Regarding SACD's, there isn't any competition at this price point. It is slow to initially start reading a disc. With SACD's it has incredible sound, especially in multi-channel mode. #2. The sound quality will blow you away.
Pick one up before they aren't made anymore. The directions are a little cryptic, but once you figure them out it is pretty straight forward. It has a good menu system to configure the player the way you want. With standard Redbook CD's, the sound is also very good.
I haven't had the other one long enough to see if it will also display this problem. #1. I got them at ridiculously low prices. Others have reported this also. In a nutshell I really like this player. You either get this machine or you will pay a LOT more. Occasionally when playing an SACD it will drop out all sound for a few seconds.
I should also mention it has a handy jog/shuttle dial on the front that allows you to quickly access tracks or change menu items; just not on the remote. Again - this player is so cheap it is almost a throw away product. I purchased two of these players - both through Sony as refurbished units. These are more minor quibbles than major problems. It's also almost 1/3 of the price.
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