CD Players: Changers vs. 1-Disc Units

If you are shopping for a compact disc player this holiday season, you’ll be confronted by two kinds of machines--CD changers and single-CD players. The CD changers play five to 18 CDs, allowing you to program hours of uninterrupted music. These days, they outsell the single-CD units 10-to-1.

Choose a changer if being able to play music for long stretches of time is important. But if you don’t mind playing one CD at a time, the single-play unit is a better deal. With a changer, you’re paying for the extra mechanisms involved in multi-disc play, but not for sound-enhancing features.

There are two types of changers, which stock the CDs in different ways. One uses a magazine, which is like a small box and is inserted in front of the machine. The other is a carousel that holds five or six CDs on a circular disc that, most often, rests inside a large drawer that slides into the front of the machine.

Both changer types offer good sound. The magazine unit holds more CDs but, most experts say, is more likely to jam or break down. The carousel is much simpler mechanically.

You can buy changers as low as $150. But if you spend that much money on a single-CD machine, you’ll get one superior to any changer in that price range. And even the inexpensive single-CD units feature the basics--such as instant access to tracks, easy programmability and remote control.

In terms of price, however, it’s important to fit the CD unit to the rest of your sound system. If you have a low-end system--in the $400-$500 range--then a $200-$300 CD player is too elaborate. Nor should you add a $100 CD player to a $1,000 stereo system.

Don’t worry about the technical mumbo-jumbo salespeople sling at you. Most people won’t understand it and there’s no need to, unless you’re buying a high-end machine (above $500). If you plan to do a lot of taping, however, ask the salespeople about features that make it easier.

One axiom is that, as you spend more money, you get higher quality parts, such as a more substantial motor and internal features that enhance the sound. But you don’t necessarily get a machine that’s more reliable.