The Basics: CD Players, Changers, and Recorders
Single-disc CD players were the first players available when CD technology was introduced in the early 1980s. They performed only the very basic transport functions: play, stop, fast-forward, reverse, and pause.
When the other varieties of multiple-disc players came out (magazine cartridge changers, carousel changers, and mega jukebox changers), sales of single players dropped. Even worse for single player sales was the advent of DVD-Video players. In addition to handling DVD, these machines have no problem playing CD. Nevertheless, single-disc CD players still have many advantages over all these other options that many audiophiles are still willing to pay a premium for. The theory is that having one transport, with only one type of laser pickup that is optimized for CD, will produce a better sound than a DVD player or changer can. True audiophiles feel that the mechanics of multiple-disc changers degrade the transport as well, affecting the sound. There are also people who have no need to load any more discs than the one disc they wish to listen to.
Originally intended for the professional and high-end markets, mega-CD changers caught on with the general public, and as with most electronics, the prices fell quickly. When first introduced, these had a capacity of about 20 discs. By today's standards, those are tiny. Many manufacturers have mega-changers with a 400-disc capacity; some are even able to link to another changer, doubling that capacity. People can store their entire CD collection in these players. The only question that remains after deciding to get a mega-changer is what to do with all those empty CD boxes?
Just as quickly as large multiple-CD changers took over the market, DVD changers have replaced them. Manufacturers learned that it doesn't take much to add DVD capabilities to their CD changer line. Currently, the number of CD-only changers is dwindling, with DVD changers rapidly taking over much of the space on retail shelves.
CD recorders have become the norm of CD player purchases. They come in two varieties--those capable of recording only to CD-R (recordable) and those that record to both CD-R and CD-RW (rewritable). CD-R was introduced as a "write-once" format for recording audio in 1992, a few years after recording was made available for computer data storage. CD-R allow you to record up to 80 minutes of content separated into as many as 99 tracks. Once the table of contents (TOC) is finalized, a CD-R cannot be recorded on again. These discs are playable on most CD players, but some CD and DVD players are not compatible with CD-R. When using dedicated audio CD-R recorders, you must use discs specified for audio recording. Computer-grade (data) discs, though less expensive, are not suitable for audio recordings.
CD-RW let you record, erase, and rerecord on a disc, although different discs are designed specifically for data or audio use, so make sure you purchase the right ones. During the initial copying with a dedicated audio CD-RW recorder, single tracks can be changed and rerecorded. After the disc is finalized, the entire disc must be erased before it can be recorded on again. Many conventional CD players cannot read CD-RW, as the recording layer's reflectivity is not high enough for typical laser pickups to read.
How to Shop
Single-disc CD players generally have a more solid frame, a well-designed remote control, and perhaps a higher resolution D/A converter--20 or 24-bit resolution compared to the standard 16-bit.
Whether they copy only onto CD-R or to both CD-R and CD-RW, CD recorders produce incredible digital copies. Looking at spec sheets, you'll see that the difference in sonic performance is infinitesimally small, inaudibly so. Therefore, you can safely purchase a player from online sources or your local retailer. Computer CD burners work only with a computer interface; do not try to purchase one for your home stereo system. Avoid any low-price option with flimsy plastic trays--the physical mechanics of players is most likely where initial failure begins.
Digital outputs are a nice feature, but make sure they use the same type that your receiver or preamp accepts, assuming they have digital inputs. Digital connections come in two flavors: coaxial, which uses an RCA jack; and optical, or Toslink fiber optic, which uses a special optical jack. Digital outputs are recommended to use for making a recording to another digital format.
