The CD changer is back – and Yamaha’s new CD-C603 has something I wish mine had in 2005

Yamaha CD-C603
(Image credit: Yamaha)

Yamaha has launched a 5-disc CD changer called the CD-C603 that not only sports a sound-first feature from the company’s amplifiers but also a CD-switching feature I wish I’d had back in 2005.

You don’t see many CD changers launching nowadays, with the nineties and early noughties very much the heyday for the multi-disc player, following their introduction in the car in the mid-80s. Perhaps you remember the 10-CD (!) Sony DiscJockey!

Yamaha’s new multi-disc machine accommodates half that many discs at one time, but it has a neat feature called Play X Change that allows you to change discs while another is playing. I wish my early-2000s standing CD tower from Argos – a poor man’s Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 9000, and similar to the one you used to see in supermarkets and music stores that allowed customers to ‘try before you buy’ new album releases! – offered such convenience, instead of very slowly grinding the spinning disc to a halt whenever the window cover was opened. Perhaps more sophisticated tower designs (like the B&O) could, but the functionality seems pretty attractive within a ‘normal’ CD changer format. As you can see from the image above, the disc tray opens fully, facilitating changing five discs at the same time.

The new CD-C603 also boasts a familiar feature called Pure Direct, as seen, pretty much as standard, on Yamaha amplifiers and receivers in recent years. This shuts down the digital audio output and turns off the display, reducing the noise interference they inherently cause. Yamaha is promising “sound full of dynamics and clarity” here, thanks to upgrades in the internal layout from previous designs which it says have targeted performance improvements.

Yamaha CD-C603

(Image credit: Yamaha)

Also flying the flag for performance are two design elements found in single-disc Yamaha players today. The first is the ‘Laser Pickup Floating Mechanism’, which pretty much is what it says on the tin: the laser pickup is isolated on a floating mechanism so that its delicate operation isn’t as affected by vibrations. The second is the ‘Intelligent Digital Servo’, which is essentially digital processing designed to detect and compensate for any signal, tracking or motor speed issues.

In addition to the playback of CD, CD-R and CD-RW discs, the CD-C603 also accommodates WAV and FLAC audio files up to 24-bit/96kHz through its front-panel USB input. Things are pretty standard around the back, with RCA outputs joined by an optical out and a remote in/out option.

Sure, multi-disc CD players have always been more complicated to make than the traditional, persevering single-disc alternative, and likely more prone to wear and breakage because of that, but if CDs ever do enjoy any sort of serious resurgence, surely they would make sense as the player to appeal to the convenience of the day – no switching discs every hour, just hours of music teed up. Almost like a playlist, without the shuffle.

Want a multi-disc changer in your life in anticipation (or regardless) of a CD comeback? The Yamaha CD-C603 costs AU$899 (UK and US pricing to follow) and is available in black or silver.

MORE:

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Becky Roberts

Becky is the managing editor of What Hi-Fi? and, since her recent move to Melbourne, also the editor of Australian Hi-Fi magazine. During her 10+ years in the hi-fi industry, she has reviewed all manner of audio gear, from budget amplifiers to high-end speakers, and particularly specialises in headphones and head-fi devices. In her spare time, Becky can often be found running, watching Liverpool FC and horror movies, and hunting for gluten-free cake.

  • MixerFistit
    My parent's (presumably budget) Goodmans all in one style had this feature from around 2000. Considering the way the 5 discs are rotated and taken off the carousel to be played I assumed all CD changers in this format could do that. That's not to say that I wasn't impressed by the design at the time. I remember not knowing about the capability, playing a disc then ejecting to add more discs only to be amazed that the first disc kept playing and feeling a little silly because of course why should it matter. Maybe I was too hard on my young self lol. Either way it was great for parties!
    Reply
  • bert the fish
    Every multi CD player I've ever used could change at least some of the non playing discs. My first 5 disc Sony one you could change at least one (it broke down about twenty years ago) , my mother's 3 disc could change both non playing. Another had separate trays for each disc, which could be ejected individually, and my last one, with a 50 disc carousel, I could change about ten.
    Reply
  • Friesiansam
    Who needs a CD changer now? Just rip to a PC, laptop or NAS and, change at will with a click or a tap.
    Reply
  • TGO
    Yeah I'm not sure what the article is going on about, every multidisc player I've used could change all the discs except obviously the one playing.
    Reply
  • manicm
    WHF is bored out of its skull.
    Reply
  • mirosparks
    Great to see the disc changer's comeback, my 1999 Sony DVP-C650D allows me shuffle the tracks between all discs (ie. track 16 of disc 3 --> track 4 of disc 1..., yeah it's slower than shuffle on Spotify because it has to change discs every track), but it also changes all but the playing disc in operation.
    Reply
  • thatguy
    Friesiansam said:
    Who needs a CD changer now? Just rip to a PC, laptop or NAS and, change at will with a click or a tap.
    I'm all for nostalgia but I can't imagine going back to sorting through disks from having NAS. But I guess every generation gets to a point where they long for what they used to have.

    Now, if they bring back the turntables that could hold multiple records.... ;P
    Reply
  • podknocker
    WHF December 1991 edition now available at your local newsagent.🥱
    Reply
  • Wales1
    Excellent news. I'm very interested in that.
    Reply
  • rodjames
    hate to break it to ya but playxchange has been on every Yamaha cd changer since the 90s. nothing to see here. move along

    (Profanity deleted by moderation.)
    Reply