Denon DNC615 Pro Rack Mount CD Player with Digital Output Review

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(More customer reviews)A review on Amazon of another CD player, the Teac CD-P1250, said that it was the only single-disc CD player on the market. Nope, there's two. Well, one and a half anyway.
The Denon DN-C615 isn't exactly consumer gear, but it isn't exactly pro gear, either. It's got rack ears and pitch adjustment, and it's set up for a wired remote and output cascading, but the outputs are unbalanced RCA plus SPDIF. It has auto cuing and audible manual cuing within a track, but doesn't allow you to save cue points. So I think "semi-pro" is a pretty good description.
It's aimed at DJs, community radio stations, and sound reinforcement applications, and it wouldn't be out of place in a small studio for applications like sampling. And, what matters to my family, it drops right in to a home stereo system, so long as your cabinet can manage the rack ears (which don't look like they're removable except with a hacksaw).
The sound (even before break-in) is typical Denon: clear and airy, with both good definition and satisfactory thump in the bass, free of noticeable spurious harmonics. The controls and displays are easy to use and understand and don't have any immediately obvious ergonomic problems or bugs. It plays CD-Rs fine, both audio CD-Rs and MP3 CDs, and it allegedly plays CD-RWs, but I probably won't find out because CD-RWs and my computers don't get along.
MP3 files sound as good on the DN-C615 as I've ever heard them. You don't need to burn a special MP3 CD: it'll take plain data CDs with MP3 files on them and even lets you navigate through folders. But if you do give it a disc that's been burned as an MP3 CD, it'll run the playlist in order, which is a big improvement over my DVD player which plays MP3 files in some strange order I have yet to figure out. And I have to admit, seeing the song titles change as it plays is positively decadent.
The price is a little higher than I'd have liked, and unless you want to build a wired remote or have your chair real close to the player, you'll need a special remote (another US$40). But I do like the player so far.

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The Denon DN-C615 is a professional CD player housed in a single 2RU rack-mount chassis. The successor to the popular DN-600F, it includes CD-RW playback, shock memory, instant start and CD text support. Auto Cue to music ensures there are no blank spots at the beginning of the track to be played. A user adjustable menu has also been added so the unit can be custom tailored to a particular application. Designed for use in a wide range of applications such as schools, restaurants, aerobic studios and backup systems, the DN-C615 provides solid performance when quality sound is required. For background music applications, the DN-C615 supports MP3 decoding for hours of music playback.

Full CD Playback The DN-C615 plays back CDs, as well as CD-R/RWs discs. Select from several playback modes--single, continuous, random, or various repeat modes (single track/all tracks/program & random repeat).
Other playback features include Instant Start, display of CD TEXT data, and an auto cue feature that avoids those blank spots before tracks.
MP3 Playback Access hours of music on a single disc with MP3 playback, complete with folder and title search.
Direct Track Select Buttons Direct track access is provided through the 11-key keypad.
Program Play Enter up to 99 tracks for programmed playback.
Pitch Control Adjust playback speed +/- 12% with the variable pitch control.
Coaxial RCA Digital Output (SPDIF) A digital SPDIF port is located on the back panel for connecting to digital systems along with sync and cascade connectors for use with multiple DN-C615 units.
Shock-Proof Memory Avoid skips with approximately 10 seconds of shock-proof memory.
Analog Outputs The DN-C615 features a front-panel headphone out and a rear-panel RCA out.
Remote Port The external remote control port, mounted on the rear panel, is compatible with the optional Denon RC-620 wired remote control unit.
What's in the Box Denon DNC615, User's Manual

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Bose® Wave® music system multi-CD changer, Titanium Silver Review

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(More customer reviews)After owning the Bose Wave System for a year and enjoying the streamlined, compact design coupled with of course the gorgeous rich sound....I was anticipating more of the same quality when coveting the Multi-Cd changer for a long time.
For my birthday I was excited to treat myself to purchasing one. However I was astonished to find that the random mode worked only within ONE cd at a time. This was a deal-breaker for me as that feature was pretty much the sole reason I wanted the benefit of having several CDs on hand. I was given the impression that the cd changer would allow for all the cds to be randomly sampled when playing. Also the mechanical noise was ridiculous when selecting one of the cds to play from the changer, it's a real loud and laborious sound that makes you sense the fragility of the system. Plus the CDs are not sucked in like on the Wave, you have to kind of really push it in.
Then the design when the wave system was mounted on top of this "elegant pedestal" was very awkward and clumsy looking, completely ruining the sleekness of the Wave design. So basically what this multi-cd changer ended up becoming was a VERY overpriced cd storage unit for me. Needless to say I promptly returned it and the friendly Bose associates looked a little sheepish for not being more familiar with the functions of the changer when I asked them specific questions earlier when purchasing this.
Frankly I think this CD changer sheds a bad light on Bose and actually makes you worry if the other products are as poorly designed! I would NOT recommend buying this, stick to your Wave and maybe they will put out a product worthy of their reputation. Until then I will just change the CD myself.

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