Product ReviewsSony CDP-CE500 CD Changer

CD changer

My old cd changer was working one day, then the very next day the tray would not open. Had to dismantle it to retrieve my discs. Went on Ebay to find another. They have everything. Found new unit bought it, hooked it up and all is well again. Stevie Ray Vaughn, Hendrix, Satriani sound as if they are in room.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: executive4

Doesn't play home made CD

Nice player, but has problems playing my home made cd's, pauses or stops on certain songs. Plays manufactures cd's well.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: refurbished | Sold by: dfwbestdeals14

Does The Job

I needed a newer CD player that would play my CD-R & MP3 recordings and also had the 5 disk turntable. The USB plug-in feature is a nice addition. Very good sound. Lightweight and easy to operate.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: new | Sold by: wholesale_conne...

Great CD player, USB features are lackluster

I bought this to play CDs, and it could hardly be better at that. I connected it using standard RCA analog audio cables, and it sounds great. It has an optical S/PDIF digital output too, so you can use the DAC in your receiver or buy and connect an external DAC if you don't like the builtin one's sound. I didn't test the digital output since my receiver only has analog inputs, and I'm happy with how Sony's DAC sounds.

It's no-nonsense and very easy to use; just load up to 5 discs in any of the spots on the carousel, hit play, and it plays through all of them. It also features an "ex-change" function, which lets you swap out the other 4 CDs while one is still playing. It's well implemented, so if you put a CD in the empty spot for the one that's playing, it'll find the next empty spot to put it back in when it's done playing it.

Mine didn't come with the remote, as seems to be common with used units. I can see that there are modes for playing a single disc, repeating tracks or discs, shuffle, and programmed track playback sequences. Without the remote though, you can't access them. Only "play all discs and then stop" mode is available, along with the usual controls to change to a specific disc, go to the next or previous track, and seek. It would be nice if all features were usable without the remote.

USB playback and recording are the biggest flaw in my opinion. This is not a digital media player replacement. It's pretty clear this is a CD player, and the USB functions are a bit of an afterthought. Perhaps the remote allows some form of folder navigation, but without it the only way to browse the potentially thousands of songs on your USB drive is with the next and previous track buttons. At least they could have repurposed the "skip disc" button to skip to the next folder, but it just does nothing in USB mode.

While you can record from a CD to a USB drive with this player, you'd do far better to use a PC. It only records a single track at a time, then goes on playing the rest of the disc without recording it. You have to select record on each track. It rips tracks at 1x speed while playing the track. The quality isn't great either -- 128 kbit/s MP3.

It can also play data CDs that contain MP3, AAC (.m4a) or WMA files that aren't DRM-encumbered. Useful, but it suffers from the same lack of folder navigation as with USB playback. The presence of this feature worried me somewhat: MP3-CD enabled CD players I've had in the past would get tripped up by enhanced CDs that contain audio tracks plus some bonus data files like pictures or screensavers. This one didn't though. When I put in an enhanced CD, it played the audio tracks normally.

Despite the flaws in USB and MP3-CD handling, I'm giving it 5 stars. Its primary purpose is to play normal audio CDs, and it does a superb job of it. While the USB features are disappointing, it's a secondary function and not what you should be buying it for. If you're looking for CD-to-MP3 conversion, download Exact Audio Copy for free, or add a hard disk based digital media player/recorder to your sound system.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: zigra1

Just what I was looking for

I wanted a reasonably priced CD unit that would play more than one CD but, couldn't find one here in Spain. Although I have to use a plug adaptor and had to have a voltage transformer installed, the result is excellent. The sound quality is exceptional and the CDs change rapidly without any unnecessary noise. Although it is on the big side, it fits perfectly in the cabinet designed for the purpose. My review is based on its 5-disc changer function because, as yet, I have not tried to play any recorded CDs, used the USB input or recorded any CDs.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: new | Sold by: uintamountains

Very Happy!

Bought this CD player to replace one I'd had for years that was having issues. It's very hard to find a CD player that will hold 5 discs. Wasn't sure about buying a previously used player but took a chance on this one. Love, love, love it. Also, happy that it has an USB port so I can play songs I've recorded.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: charliechandler1

A great CD changer for the cost

This is a very nice CD changer. It will play your CDs and do a lot more with the USB port. You get a real clear sound. I have this connected to my Bose radio and it works better than the Bose CD changer. You have more options of how you want to listen to your music with the Sony player. The only draw back is that there is not a simple way to play all 5 discs one after another. You have to program each track one after another. Sony makes great things but sometimes they over think a product. It is noisy changing from one disc to another but most of these type of changers are noisy. I would most definitely buy another Sony product.Read full review...

Great CD player Usb Port gets the job done

Product arrived on the date listed. I have thoroughly enjoyed this cd player, I haven't had one in years so its just what i needed. The usb port is the main reason i got it. Only negative thing about this product is that it counts my sub-folders as original folders, so I've been in the process of rearranging all my music on that drive (I have a 128gb) so that it could play all my music. Other than that...it's great!!Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: sherryryra

love these old school cd changers. You do need a receiver and speakers, but sony also makes an inexpensive high quality receiver

love this product. Mechanics a little slow, but that's just because we are so used to the quickness of digital. I love being able to play all my old cds and just put them in and forget it. Don't have to make playlists, or compile my own. Good quality sound with a Sony receiver and speakers all for under $300. My very expensive Bose died years ago and I can't believe I just now am replacing my 5 cd changer. Glad I finally did it.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: new | Sold by: wholesale_conne...

Sony CDP-CE500 5 Disc CD Changer Sony CDP-CE500 5 Disc CD Changer

The unit works as described and have had no problems.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: new | Sold by: focuscamera

Back In The Music Business

From what I've learned in the past about the CD player design, I think the carousel is best. My Bose multi cd changer I think just didn't go the distance because of the stacked design. Very happy with this. I've missed my CD collection! Pick 5, hit shuffle and relax into an afternoon of pleasant memories.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: taylorjc