[Video]

I need suggestions for Multi-disc CD changers (200-300 cds). This will primarily be used as a source for multi room and occational CD listening in the theater room.


Does Sony ES, Denon or Pioneer Elite produce a better sounding box? What features should I look for (I will need the potential for over 500 CDs)?

What should I expect to pay?

The Tunebase sounds really cool but I will not have the use of a monitor in every room sothis feature would be wasted.


Thanks

 

[aerialman]

how about arrakis hard disc storage- you can have the system do up to 3 or 4 mutually exclusive playbacks at once, and heres the best part, all your cds arent in some mongo changer in the basement or other place where they will be a pain in the butt to take out and put in the car or portable.


- Jerry

 

[Video]

Thanks, tell me more. Where can I read about it and most importantly, what will it cost?

 

[TheaterJeff]

Video-


I'm courious too as to a good changer. I like the Denon 5000 but also think Pioneer Elite PDF-27 model seems quite good too. One of the items I notice on the specs is it has 24bit dacs and also will do CDR and CDRW media with no problems. The Denon unit may too, but the specs don't say it will on the web site that I have found so far. What do you think of these two units and the Pioneer Elite?


Jeff


[This message has been edited by TheaterJeff (edited July 24, 2000).]

 

[BSteinke]

Hello,


I'm in Jerry's corner. I have the Arrakis DC-4 hard disc changer with an 18G internal drive. This holds approx. 160 hours of music, and is expandable up to (I think) 1800 hours. The changer has the ability to play independantly in 3 separate zones (expandable to 12 zones), and can be interfaced with virtually any whole-house control system. I actually interface one of the zones using the Escient TuneBase 2000i (recently discontinued, got a good deal http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/smile.gif ). I then interface with the other 2 zones of the Arrakis by running it from a computer and using the TV out of the video card. Both the video card/Escient output are then channeled to the TV's in the house using a Channel Master system, which also carries the IR input to the Escient/Arrakis. I personally love this setup. Both the Arrakis and the Escient are so flexible and expandable. It is great to not have the actual discs tied up in a physical changer and easily usable (ie. for the car). The sound quality is excellent, I have pretty good whole house speakers (including 2 pairs of Monitor Audio Silver series), and I cannot tell that difference between music coming from the Arrakis and the Onkyo 5-disc changer that is also distributed whole-house. It is also nice to have no lag between songs; I can set the Escient to random (this can be done with the Arrakis itself, also) and never hear ANY lag between songs.


Too long a post, sorry, but I can't speak highly enough of both the Arrakis or the Escient, they really have allowed me to appreciate my music collection in new ways.


On the negative side of the Arrakis - customer support is not tremendously responsive (call backs only, and days later); loading the discs onto the hard drive is in real time, hence, time consuming.


There is another hard drive changer either available recently, or coming soon, from a company called Lydstrom, which is cheaper and appears somewhat easier to use; but with this ease of use comes compression of the music which I don't like.



Brian

 

[BSteinke]

Video,


You can look up the Arrakis hard drive disc changer @ www.Arrakis-systems.com


Let me know if I can answer any questions.


Brian