Denon makes some nice, but industrial-looking components that just exude build quality. The DCM-290 5-disc changer fits this description to a tee and has the robustness of a product not likely to give you any headaches for its practical lifetime.

The sound quality was superb, and we'd recommend this as a solid source for even a high-end two-channel listening system. The DCM-290 lacks support for HDCD and serial RS-232C--about the only differences from the upgraded DCM-390, which costs another $100.

For outputs, you have the option of either digital coaxial or S/PDIF and you can, of course, utilize the analog stereo outputs. Up to four discs can be loaded or exchanged while the fifth plays in the unit. This is key if you want to keep the music going without
interruptions. The tray seemed to be pretty quiet compared to other models, and the action was smooth as it opened up and retracted. We've seen several models that we'd describe as "clunky", but not the Denon.

Interestingly enough, the player can skip discs both clockwise and counterclockwise when using the remote. This means that you don't have to cycle through four discs if you're simply trying to back up to the previous CD. Over time, this will save on wear and tear of the unit and extend its life expectancy. From what we could tell, the unit doesn't skip forward and backwards when engaged in tray-wide random song playback.

One glitch, though apparently a design trait of the unit, is that it will include missing discs in the tray-wide random playback mode, causing the unit to have to pause to read the nonexistent disc before skipping to the next track. For sequential random modes, the player can be told which discs to include, allowing you to playback random tracks from 1, 2, 3, 4 or even 5 discs. There's even an A-B repeat function for those who may want to repeat a particular part of a song--if you are learning it by ear on piano or guitar, for example.

We really liked the Denon CD changer. It had the feel of a significant piece of hardware and has the heft (nearly 14 pounds) to back it up. While not exactly fancy, it has the qualities that matter and bridges the gap nicely between a budget set-top player and a truly high-end piece of stereo equipment.

Pros: Solid build quality, coaxial and TOSlink output, WMA and MP3 decoders
Cons: No on/off button on remote

Warranty
2 years