YAMAHA CD-C600BL 5-Disc CD Changer Black

The only reasons I wanted and bought the Yamaha CD-C600BL 5-Disc CD Changer was for its 24-bit digital/analog conversion rate and the 5-disc capacity. I never had better than 16-bit D/A cd or dvd players; I read reviews here that convinced me to get a 24-bit D/A player. I have two new Denon AV receivers and older NAD stereo equipment, plus high-quality loudspeakers; so I was eligible to notice very superior sound.I can't compare the Yamaha CD-C600BL 5-Disc CD Changer to any other 24-bit cd player because I haven't listened to others with my systems.The package includes a stereo RCA phono cable, a remote w/batteries, and a bare-bones user manual that covers everything in direct and simple language. The connections include one left/right RCA phono plug output, one optical (Toslink) digital output, and a RS-232C terminal. However, the optical cable isn't included with the package (nor is a serial cable for the RS-232C connection).I've connected the player via the ('analog') RCA cables and also using the optical Toslink cable. I notice no audible difference between the connections. Why should there be any difference, anyhow? The digital information on the cd has been converted to analog by the player so that the preamplifier and amplifier can process it, and then send it in analog form to the 'analog' speakers.If the cd's digital signal is destined to be input to another digital processor or device, the optical digital cable would be the best way to make that connection (well, there's also a RS-232C terminal, but it's not as pure as the optical handshake).In essence, connecting with the RCA plugs makes a perfect connection, just as perfect as the 'digital' optical cable makes.The sound is obviously superior to 16-bit D/A players. Some meaningful sounds that weren't audible are now audible; previously audible sounds no longer have any masking.There must be one of those laws that applies here, but I don't know of it: For each improvement in quality - more watts in a high-end amplifier, minimal harmonic distortion, full frequency response, precise loudspeakers, 24-bit digital-to-analog conversion rate - you can listen to the full sound at a lower volume. It saves your hearing in the long run.Sure, the changer makes its mechanical noise when it rotates each disc into the laser reader. Vinyl record changers made more noise than that when the needle reached the label and jerked off the record (haha), when the tone arm swung out of the way and the next record plopped down - hey, if you couldn't hear anything mechanical, your heart would be in your throat hoping nothing is broken. As I write this, the Yamaha cd changer is only some two feet from my ears, and I happen to like the sound of its carousel.Be careful, though, when the tray is open as you're adding or removing discs - the tray could close from your inadvertent pressure; it spins and closes fast; you could break a valuable fingernail on a guitar-playing finger.Being an old hand with home audio gear, I can't say if there's anything difficult about the Yamaha's set-up and use. I'd say it's designed and made to be as plug-and-play as possible. For anyone who has passed the Audio 101 course, the Yamaha CD-C600BL 5-Disc CD Changer is super-intuitive. You know, buttons with arrows this way, arrows that way, and so on (or off). The product's name speaks for itself: Yamaha Natural Sound Compact Disc Changer.

Bought the Yamaha CD-C600BL as a replacement for currently offered Denon DCM-390 5-Disc changer which I listened to everyday for 2 years. The Denon, while excellent, is bested by this Yamaha in most ways. However, the differences in sound quality between these two players, while discernible, are less than 5% according to my ears. That being said, I would characterize the Yamaha as being fuller in the bass and smoother in the vocals and highs than the Denon. Additionally I would say the Yamaha has slightly better timing and cohesion of sound staging. The only thing the Denon has going for it that the Yamaha doesn't is the HDCD decoder which isn't a big deal because few discs are recorded with the HDCD embedded code that allows a 20-bit resolution playback.My office stereo system is a pair of Wharfedale Diamond Standmount speakers, with a Yamaha RX-797 100watt receiver with high quality interconnects & bi-wired speaker cable. I play jazz, new age, pop, vocals, etc all day long as I am a massage therapist. When you listen to music all day long as I do, that 5% difference in sound quality makes a big difference in taking the edge off listening fatigue--I really appreciate it.Functionally, the Yamaha's changing mechanism is faster, quieter, and more graceful changing discs than the Denon. I disagree with one reviewer who thinks this player is slow. All the 5 Disc changers are sloooooow. This one is relatively fast in my estimation. The Yamaha remote could be a little better: The disc skip and the track skip are quite a distance apart and the labeling is small for my 46 yr. old eyes.The really, really, big deal about this Yamaha is the front panel MP3 player USB port! This was the feature that sold me. I can load many,many, cd's converted to MP3's loss-less format onto my iPod Nano (16Gigabytes) and enjoy a cd quality playback without ever having to change a single cd in the changer. The Yamaha takes the data from the Ipod without using the Ipod's inferior DAC/amp/preamp circuits and uses instead the cd player's superior DAC (digital-to-analog converter)for playback. The Ipod is fully a high fidelity component in my system! My how times are a changing.This piece of equipment is a delight at the Amazon price. I got it sent overnight for a mere $4 shipping upgrade with Amazon's free 30-day trial offer: Free second-day-air-for-a-year-program for $70 per year. Heck, the clerk at FedX told me it would have cost approximately $100 to overnight this shipment. I got my money's worth in the first shipment so now it's free 2nd day air for a whole year anytime I order through Amazon. What a bargain! I'm thrilled all the way around. I highly recommended this Yamaha CD player and Amazon. Thank you Yamaha!02/02/2015 Review Update.It's been almost 5 years since I purchased this machine. It has played flawlessly for 4 days/week and 6hrs/day for almost 5 years now. No problem whatsoever. Not even a hiccup. Could not be happier.

I bought this unit after my Denon DMC-290 5-CD carousel died after years of use (6-12 hours a day). I bought the Yamaha CD-C600BL after reviewing other units on Amazon. The Amazon price was $60 cheaper than the one store that had it locally in my area. I find the sound a little muddier than the Denon - if you like high treble you can easily correct this with your receiver's treble control.Pluses -* Easy installation - just plug in the power and the RCA jacks. Digital hookup is also available.* You can load all 5 CDs at the same time and replace 4 while a CD is playing. In my old Denon, you could only load and replace 3 CDs at a time even though it was a 5 CD tray.* The changer is faster than my Denon, but still a bit on the slow side. It does sound less "clunkier" than the Denon.* The unit has a dimmer button for the display, sequencing from bright to off.Minuses -* I miss the "CD calendar" my Denon had which showed at a glance how far along you were in the playback of a disc.* Lack of a headphone jack.* There is a "Pure Direct" button which turns off the display which allegedly prevents any electrical interference with the sound. This to me appears to me to be a Yamaha gimmick - I couldn't detect any difference in sound.* The remote is gray, not black to match the unit. There are function buttons on the remote which are not on the unit.With my constant use, I'm hoping for longevity with this unit. I've never had a Yamaha unit before. My 2 Denon CDM 290s lasted 5 years each. I switched to Denon from Sony because the Sony lasers seemed to burn out after a year's use. At this point, I would recommend purchase of the unit.