Sony CDP-CX455 400-Disc CD Changer

Prefatory note: If you own the CDP-CX455 (or virtually any model of Sony changer) and don't already have your changer(s) connected to your computer, smarten up by reading my review of the "TitleTrack" software:
http://www.epinions.com/content_295802670724

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Good news: This product is EXTREMELY reliable!

Right "up front", let me advise you to IGNORE any "naysayer" reviewers who report such things as "disc-handling" issues with their Sony 400-disc changer(s). I own FOUR of these model CDP-CX455 changers (not to mention one DVP-CX995V and two CDP-CX450 changers). In fact (as of this updated writing in late October, 2006), I have now owned my Sony 400-disc changers from (nearly) one to (up to) six years, and none of my units have manifested ANY "disc-handling" problems.

Undoubtedly, there inevitably must exist a TINY handful (perhaps 1% to 2%) of manufactured units out there that were simply "lemons" from the very get-go, but, hey, isn't that essentially true of ANY electronic/mechanical product from ANY manufacturer?

Since the 1980's, I've likewise owned numerous makes and models of CD players/changers (including several smaller-capacity models from Sony) prior to my current Sony 400-disc changers, and I must say that my Sony 400-disc changers have proved themselves to be among the most CONSISTENTLY RELIABLE products I've ever owned. This is incredible when you consider how much more complex the overall design of these units is (contrasted with various smaller and less feature-laden models).

The sound of music.

Since some of you will surely want to know, let me say that the music played via this Sony "jukebox" (changer) sounds just fine to my ears. You can read other reviewers' remarks about this unit's "optical" versus its "analog" (conventional) audio outputs. I myself remain very satisfied with using the latter in conjunction with my high-end B & W speakers. In fact, you might as well know right now that if you want to link two of these Sony jukeboxes together (which, in my opinion, is really the only way to fly!), then you actually won't be able to use the second (slave) unit's optical output anyway. Don't ask me why Sony designed things that way; they just did.

The more, the merrier.

Let me also say that while owning just ONE of these jukeboxes is certainly fine (despite the somewhat poky pace of the unit whenever it's changing discs), owning and linking TWO jukeboxes is still better (even if you don't yet have nearly enough CDs to fill them). When you link two of these jukeboxes and use either the no-delay or the cross-fade playback mode, you essentially eliminate any significant delays between the end of one song and the beginning of the next. Moreover, for any unabashed electronics enthusiast it's frankly thrilling to behold the two units performing their proverbial tricks, especially when you judiciously, SIMULTANEOUSLY exploit the "no-delay" (or "cross-fade"), "artist", "shuffle" and "all discs" playback modes!

Don't be intimidated by the naysayers!

As you (presumably) read other users' reviews of this unit, you may initially feel put off--or even overwhelmed--by the (uncompromisingly) negative tone of SOME reviewers. It amazes me how certain folks perpetually focus only on the proverbial glass being half-empty rather than half-full. (This goes for reviewers of countless other fine electronic products, too, not just this delightful-though-imperfect Sony jukebox.) Hopefully I can bring a tone of moderation to this forum. Now, am I admittedly disappointed that Sony decided to discontinue their still better, prior, 400-CD jukebox models--namely, the CDP-CX400 and (most especially) the CDP-CX450? Absolutely! Losing the song-delete, TV-display, and LCD/two-way remote features (not to mention the eight "music-group file" buttons) of the model CDP-CX450 was indeed no minor matter to a jukebox aficionado like me.

On the other hand, being a realist, I must accept that this CDP-CX455 is now essentially the lone survivor of its (400-audiodisc) breed, and--whatever its (few and tolerable) shortcomings--it actually still retains MANY of its look-alike forerunners' fine features and compelling capabilities. Assuming you downright "loved" this CDP-CX455's 400-disc ancestors, you should, at least, be able to strongly "like" this somewhat less multifaceted model without too much grumbling.

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[UPDATE/NOTE: YOU CAN DISREGARD (VIRTUALLY) ALL OF THE (FEW AND TOLERABLE) "SHORTCOMINGS" OF THE MODEL CDP-CX455 THAT I MENTIONED ABOVE (OR WILL DISCUSS BELOW), FOR THEY'LL INSTANTLY BECOME MOOT IF YOU SIMPLY SET UP THIS JUKEBOX VIA THE REASONABLY AFFORDABLE "SAVR2/TitleTrack" PRODUCTS DISCUSSED BELOW. (Please note that I am NOT affiliated with any of the folks making or marketing those third-party products; I'm speaking quite objectively here.) IN FACT, VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE (DISCONTINUED) MODEL CDP-CX450's NICE "EXTRA FEATURES" ARE NOT ACTUALLY USABLE ANYWAY *IF* YOU RUN YOUR JUKEBOX(ES) VIA THE SAVR2/TitleTrack SYSTEM. MOREOVER, THE AGING MODEL CDP-CX450 (WHICH WAS MOSTLY MANUFACTURED IN THE YEAR 2000) REPORTEDLY WON'T BE SERVICEABLE BY SONY FOR VERY MUCH LONGER. BY CONTRAST, THE MUCH MORE RECENTLY MANUFACTURED MODEL CDP-CX455 UNITS PRESUMABLY SHOULD STILL BE SERVICEABLE BY SONY FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS, NOT TO MENTION THEY *SHOULD* LAST LONGER (BEING NEWER) THAN ANY OF THE SURVIVING (USED) CDP-CX450 UNITS.

ON THE OTHER HAND,... for any jukebox aficionado NOT intending to use the SAVR2/TitleTrack products, the CDP-CX450's extra features MAY make it still seem very much worth seeking. For example, being able to "permanently" delete any disliked songs is a delightful feature that Sony SHOULD have retained with the CX455. And the eight "Group File" buttons (on the face of the console) undeniably add a whole 'nuther dimension of playback control and music categorization beyond "Artist Group" control alone. And, of course, the powerful and convenient "two-way" LCD remote can be uniquely handy, especially when used in conjunction with the CDP-CX450's TV-screen-display capability. Therefore, to anyone resolutely craving a CX450 (and willing to accept the aforementioned "risks" entailed with a used/aging unit), I say "go for it!" ]

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Is this the right model for your needs?

After having owned the outwardly similar (discontinued) model CDP-CX450 for over five years (in fact, I own two), I very recently bought two of these CDP-CX455 units. Albeit (I repeat) this model is not fully the equal of its sadly extinct predecessor, it's nonetheless the ONLY surviving, 400-disc model truly worthy of the attention of any serious MUSIC lover. Oh, sure, you could instead buy Sony's more recent "combo" (DVD/CD) model, the DVP-CX995. However, while the latter model is undeniably delightful for--specifically--categorizing and watching your VIDEOS, its MUSIC-PROGRAMMING/PLAYBACK modes are pathetically, frustratingly, and bafflingly limited or lacking. Moreover, you can't link two DVP-CX995 jukeboxes via a cable, for--unlike this CDP-CX455 (and its direct ancestors)--the DVP-CX995 has no CONTROL-A1II port on its rear panel. [I know what I speak of here, for I likewise own a DVP-CX995, which I relish specifically for VIDEOS but virtually never for MUSIC. (Also see my separate, in-depth review of the Sony DVP-CX995.)]

After having bought and tried out two of these CDP-CX455 units several weeks ago, I was so very satisfied as to recently submit an order for two more such units. Those latest two units are now likewise performing flawlessly. (My music-CD collection is obviously pretty sizable.) Thus, I now own and enjoy a total of six Sony 400-CD jukeboxes (all playable either via their own respective controls OR via my computer in conjuction with the "SAVR2/TitleTrack" products I'll discuss below).

You'll likely be spinning the jog dial a lot! (Unless you buy the below-discussed SAVR2/TitleTrack products.)

When it comes to selecting a desired "artist" to play, I must admit that having to rely chiefly on this unit's own jog dial (instead of the wonderful, two-way, LCD remote--in conjunction with the TV display--of the extinct CDP-CX450) is a bit of a comedown for me. You can input up to 200 artist names, which this unit alphabetizes in its permanent memory.) In fact, unlike its worthy precursors, this CDP-CX455 totally alphabetizes the artist names, not merely according to the initial letter of a given artist's name. [For example, with Sony's prior models, the (imaginary) artist name "Park" might be stored and displayed AFTER the name "Pork". But the CDP-CX455 now correctly alphabetizes the name "Park" BEFORE the name "Pork" even if you originally input "Park" after you'd input "Pork".] This does make it a bit tidier and more pleasing to use this model's jog dial than the analogous jog dials of its antecedents.

On the other hand, unlike its antecedents, the CDP-CX455 forces you to start at the very beginning of the alphabet whenever you revisit its Artist Mode function. This is fine and quick if you're frequently seeking such artists as "Adams" and "Bach", but if you're instead seeking "Young" or "Zemlinsky" it takes a wee bit of patience to turn that jog dial (clockwise) all the way to the end of the alphabet (well, to be fair, it actually only requires several additional seconds).

Worse still is trying to use the REMOTE for the same purpose. With the remote, you must repeatedly TAP the "DISC " (or "DISC-") key. You can't, alas, just hold down either of those keys to rapidly "scroll" though the artist-name list (Sony's designers were surely remiss here!). Now, if you're indeed wanting QUICKLY to traverse the entire alphabet, tapping that "DISC " (or "DISC-") key is nothing less than tiresome.

On the other hand, I must grant that thusly tapping that key on the remote seems very satisfying--in fact, downright pleasant--IF you're wanting to proceed at a more leisurely pace for certain purposes. For example, if you're thoughtfully "browsing" the artist-name list while trying to decide which artist to play, THEN the remote seems downright splendid. Otherwise (if you're in more of a hurry), you'll surely opt to use the jog dial instead of the remote for finding and selecting artists.

Moreover, the remote is easy to use if you merely want to select one of the (eight) "top artists" that you'd previously designated and stored in the unit's memory. [Likewise, there are eight "top artist" buttons on the face of the unit itself.] Now, those "top artist" buttons are unquestionably handy--so far as they go. But for anyone with a large, eclectic collection of artists, "eight" is obviously not enough, meaning that you'll still have to do some patient scrolling via the main jog dial for many other artists/composers whose music you'll continually want to access/play.

Having harped perhaps overmuch on this issue, I should hasten to add that anyone endowed with the least bit of tolerance won't actually find the aforementioned artist-name scrolling unduly tedious to live with. In fact, depending on your own sensibilities, you might even feel that spinning that nice big jog dial all the way from "A through Z"--yes, even if you've entered the maximum-possible 200 artist names!--is really a reasonably speedy event.

In any case, the jog dial's operation is very easy to comprehend, and it sure beats the alternative of not having ANY comparably convenient way of selecting your artists/music. In other words, it sure as heck beats merely having a conventional CD player (or low-capacity CD changer) and scads of discs (presumably stored in jewel cases or sleeves) that you continually have to load and unload manually!

By the way, if the unit automatically starts to play the "artist" that you've selected (via the "artist mode" key and the jog dial), just immediately press the "stop" key if you don't yet wish actually to play that artist. That selected "artist" will still remain activated until you subsequently press "play" to actually hear him/her, OR until you press the "artist mode" key again to take the unit out of "artist mode". And it's easy to see whether the unit is currently in "artist mode", because the "artist mode" key illuminates with an orange glow whenever it's activated.

Would you be better off going the "computer/iPod" route?

Note that this jukebox (unlike its predecessors) was designed to play not only ordinary audio CDs but also discs containing "MP3" files. I haven't done this myself, for I don't see any reason to settle for the (very slightly) lower sound quality of "compressed" music. But for those of you who like downloading your music, and/or for those of you who want to cram up to ten times as much music onto a single disc, it's nice to know that this jukebox has the ability to play (most) such discs, whether we're speaking of CD's, CD-R's, or CD-RW's.

Now, more to the point, many audiophiles nowadays are eschewing these bulky jukeboxes altogether and are instead employing their PCs (perhaps in conjunction with such connectible/portable devices as iPods) to contain their entire collection of music. Would that approach be appropriate for you? My reply is a "definite maybe". It would partly depend on just how enormous your CD collection is.

For someone who (like me) has collected SO very many audio discs, going the "MP3/iPod" (or any other computerized format) conversion route seems altogether out of the question. With my limited time (and inclination), it would surely take me (literally) YEARS to convert all--or even merely the lion's share--of my music CDs into some other format via a PC. Moreover, assuming we're speaking of "compressed" formats (like MP3), there would, I repeat, be at least a slight diminution of sonic quality--and that's something I frankly don't wish to accept. More significantly, there would conceivably be the logistical matter of setting up at least one "dedicated" computer just to handle zillions of such music files. It would also seem to me necessary to maintain MULTIPLE hard drives (or whatever form of primary-storage media) so as to circumvent potential hardware crashes and the utter loss of those zillions of precious files.

You actually CAN "computerize" your Sony jukeboxes!

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[UPDATE (AS OF OCTOBER 2006): IN ADDITION TO THE "TitleTrack" SOFTWARE DISCUSSED AT LENGTH DIRECTLY BELOW, I SUBSEQUENTLY DISCOVERED--AND MORE RECENTLY PURCHASED--SOME COMPETING (SAVR2-COMPATIBLE) SOFTWARE (FROM A DIFFERENT DEVELOPER), WHICH IS TITLED "Music Library" (AND WHOSE PRIOR EDITION WAS TITLED "Disc Library"). SO FAR, I DO BASICALLY LIKE THE "Music Library" SOFTWARE. HOWEVER, BY AND LARGE, MY EARLY REACTION IS THAT "Music Library" IS NOT NEARLY AS VISUALLY IMPRESSIVE, USER-FRIENDLY, OR FULL-FEATURED AS "TitleTrack". ON THE OTHER HAND, IN MY EXPERIENCE "Music Library" (UNLIKE "TitleTrack") APPEARS ABSOLUTELY "GLITCH-FREE", AND IT DOES MANAGE TO INCLUDE AT LEAST A FEW MODEST FEATURES (SUCH AS A SEPARATE "COMPOSER" LIST) THAT "TitleTrack" LACKS. ADDITIONALLY, "Music Library" WILL RUN OKAY IF YOUR WINDOWS' VIDEO DISPLAY'S RESOLUTION IS SET SOMEWHAT LOWER THAN 1024 x 768 (WHICH SEEMS TO BE THE MINIMUM SETTING REQUIRED FOR "TitleTrack"). IN ANY CASE, ALBEIT "TitleTrack" ABSOLUTELY STILL WINS "FIRST PRIZE" BY A VERY SUBSTANTIAL MARGIN (AND SHOULD DEFINITELY BE YOUR FIRST CHOICE), "Music Library" REMAINS, IN ITS OWN RIGHT, AN INTERESTING ALTERNATIVE TO "TitleTrack", AND I'M PLEASED TO NOW OWN--AND USE--BOTH PRODUCTS PRETTY REGULARLY (BUT NEVER SIMULTANEOUSLY!). I SUGGEST YOU COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE RESPECTIVE "SCREEN SHOTS" OF BOTH PRODUCTS PRIOR TO PURCHASING EITHER ONE (OR BOTH). TO FIND THE "TitleTrack" AND/OR THE "Music Library" WEB SITES (TO BEHOLD THE RESPECTIVE "SCREEN SHOTS"), JUST DO A WEB SEARCH ON THE WORDS "TitleTrack SAVR2" AND/OR THE WORDS "Music Library SAVR2".]
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Why bother with "MP3 conversion", when the owner of one or more Sony audio-CD jukeboxes--including this model CDP-CX455--can achieve much the same sort of "computerized control" of their CD-based music by purchasing compatible (third-party) hardware and software. Moreover, these third-party products will save you having to manually enter most of the disc/artist names yourself (via a keyboard), and they simultaneously, automatically provide virtually all the track names, too, which is something you essentially can't otherwise achieve except in the case of "CD Text"-containing CDs, which are "few and far between". Just do a Google search regarding the compatible "SAVR2" products. OR paste the following address onto your browser line: http://pantherstudioscorp.com.

It's such a joy to be able to find, select, program, shuffle, stagger, and/or play ALL your music via an easy-yet-multifaceted "jukebox" right on your computer screen! Your computer mouse (and/or keyboard) will take on new meaning for you! And you'll finally be able to REALLY manipulate your HUGE collection of music (or, conceivably, audiobooks)! Along with textual information describing each CD, you can behold a colorful, identifying graphic (as of the CD's cover art, or a photo of the artist/composer, or whatever else you like). Some of the graphics can (optionally) be automatically supplied by the TitleTrack software (via the on-line, CD-recognition database); others you can copy-and-paste yourself via web searches or your own scanner. In "library" view, row after row of such colorful CD "icons" (arranged in six columns) will be yours to behold and click. You can find, select and play your music by clicking the respective CDs' graphics, or via your own "playlists" that you can save, or via several other, text-oriented means.

Alternatively, a selectable "now playing" mode fills the entire screen with large, easy-to-see, textual and graphical information pertaining only to the CD/track you're currently enjoying. (You can still control the current CD via this special screen.) This is a great mode to use when you simply want to relax and recline at some distance across the room from your computer during a listening session. OR use it while sitting at your computer; just "toggle" between that "now playing" window and whatever else you're currently doing with your computer. Whenever you hear an especially interesting track begin to play, you can instantly switch to the "now playing" window to behold the relevant information pleasingly summarized (along with a colorful graphic for that CD, plus--in certain instances--song lyrics).

And you won't have to spend, conceivably, YEARS "ripping" (converting) your zillions of CDs into sonically inferior "MP3" files on your hard drive. Just load your Sony jukebox(es) with CDs, and let the SAVR2 hardware/software automatically "inventory" all your CDs (via a free, on-line, automated, CD-recognition service) such that you yourself won't have to do much--if any--tedious typing to cram your Sony jukeboxes' own electronic memories with artist names and/or disc names. Moreover, you can finally behold all the TRACK names, too--right on your computer screen!

You'll simply need a Windows PC (or a Macintosh) having a serial port; if your computer (like many recently manufactured models) lacks a "serial" port, no problem. Just buy an easy-to-attach "USB-to-serial adapter" either via the above web site or from another vendor such as (as of this writing): http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/usb_serial.htm

You could thusly control up to (at least) nine (400-disc) Sony jukeboxes serially linked via their rear "CONTROL A1II" (i.e., Sony-proprietary) ports.

In my case, I've got all six of my Sony jukeboxes (comprising 2400 CDs) plugged into the back of a Radio Shack four-channel mixer (catalog # 32-2058, available via your neighborhood Radio Shack store). In turn, I've got the mixer connected to just ONE of my receiver's stereo inputs (i.e., one pair of ordinary red/white, "RCA" style jacks). Since you can "daisy-chain" stereo-audio cables between "pairs" of Sony "master-and-slave" jukeboxes (the Sony user manual makes this easy to understand), you can actually thusly play up to EIGHT Sony jukeboxes through such a four-channel audio mixer. This makes it very convenient to shuffle/stagger songs from any or all of your jukeboxes without having to worry about continually switching/selecting the appropriate audio inputs on your receiver or amp. I've got the cool-looking Radio Shack mixer sitting atop a short stack of jukeboxes; visually, it harmonizes pretty nicely (albeit not quite perfectly), what with its base (though not its somewhat overlapping top) being virtually the same width as the jukeboxes (about 17 inches). The four-channel mixer cost me $149.99; it provides me the option of adding two more Sony jukeboxes to my setup someday. Radio Shack likewise carries a THREE-channel model ($99.99) which can handle up to SIX Sony jukeboxes wired as "master-and-slave" pairs, as described above. (Again, the Sony CDP-CX455 user manual makes all this much easier to understand for the newbie.) [By the way, any "spare" channels of the mixer (that you don't use for your Sony jukeboxes) could be used for other purposes. For example, it's pretty cool to use a cheap "Y" cable to connect your computer's headphone jack to the mixer and thereby hear any of your computer's videos played through your stereo system's main speakers. Alternatively, you could play an audiobook (via a mixer-connected cassette deck, or one of your CD jukeboxes, etc.) simultaneously with one of your softest and subtlest instrumental-music CDs. This is excellent as a prelude to sleep or upon (more or less) waking.]

After having already written and posted the bulk of this review, I recently purchased the SAVR2 (hardware) device and some compatible "TitleTrack" (Windows/PC-version) software. I'm already favorably impressed; indeed, I only wish I'd already had it when I first set up my Sony jukeboxes. For about $200, the "complete" (i.e., SAVR2 hardware + TitleTrack software) package deal delivers tremendous power and pleasure for any jukebox/music aficionado!

For starters, using the SAVR2 device together with the software (in conjunction with a powerful, free, on-line, CD-recognition service) greatly, if not entirely, lessens the amount of typing necessary to input the CDs' artist or disc names. [The CD-recognition service--with its astronomically huge database of titles and artists--identifies the vast majority of original CDs (or even backups) based essentially on the track sequence and track times on any given disc. Thusly, the CD-recognition service generally works splendidly even for CDs not containing "CD Text" (and the vast majority of commercial CDs do not contain "CD Text").]

Moreover, the "TitleTrack" (or the comparable "Music!") software provides you an impressive array of features too numerous to review here. Not least significant are the automatically generated track lists, even including run times. But this is only the beginning of what you can have and do via the SAVR2's compatible software!

You can read all about the features of either the "TitleTrack" or "Music!" software--and far more--at the above-mentioned web site.

Note regarding WHICH software to get: I myself initially purchased the "Music!" software but had trouble getting it to function properly on my particular computer, and so I switched to the slightly older (but still pretty comparable) "TitleTrack" software, which has worked well for me from the get-go. If you decide to try the somewhat newer and fancier "Music!" software and it won't work on your computer, simply contact the vendor who (based on my experience) will very promptly and cheerfully let you "exchange" it for an instant download of the tried-and-true "TitleTrack" alternative.

Whichever of those two software programs you choose, if you're dreading having to use a keyboard to manually type all the disc names into your jukebox(es), you would be well advised to just go ahead and purchase (and install) a SAVR2/software package so that you can use it immediately after you insert all your CDs in your jukebox(es). That is, unless you have lots more time (and patience) than cash!

Personally, I'm now wishing I had bought these products far sooner. It would have saved me days of tedious, tiresome typing, not to mention all the fun and power provided by the multifaceted "jukebox" on your computer screen!

The BUILT-IN features likely could more than satisfy you!

However, for the less enterprising individual, it's actually still quite delightful to operate these Sony CD jukeboxes even WITHOUT connecting them to your computer (via the above-mentioned, third-party hardware and software). Indeed, all you really need (ideally together with the computer-spreadsheet "lists" that I'll discuss below) to bring out the best BUILT-IN capabilities of these Sony jukeboxes is to change the "second" ("slave") player's command mode from "CD1" to "CD3" (the user manual illustrates how quick and easy it is do do this: you'll merely turn and press the jog dial a couple of times). Then (if you live in the U.S.) you'll need to go to Radio Shack and buy a cheap, common, "monaural mini-plug cord" (as explained in the CDP-CX455 user manual). Once you obtain that short cable (which, by the way, is reportedly already included in the box with the Canadian version--and, conceivably, still other "international" versions--of this jukebox) and thereby "link" two of these units together, a whole new universe of music enjoyment is available to you via their built-in, selectable "no-delay" and "cross-fade" capabilities, especially when you use the latter in conjunction with the units' selectable (preferably concurrent!) "artist", "shuffle", and "all-discs" playback modes.

For example, after having loaded many J.S. Bach CDs into my two linked CDP-CX455 jukeboxes, I've been reveling in (essentially) endless musical sublimity via the aforementioned no-delay and cross-fade playback modes (together with the artist, shuffle, and all-discs modes), such that there are no undue delays between the conclusion of one audio track and the beginning of the next (via the other, linked jukebox). This may not seem particularly impressive until you yourself actually experience it in your own home. Keep in mind that to derive MAXIMUM music enjoyment via those capabilities, a modicum of preliminary planning is naturally entailed BEFORE you actually install your CDs into the respective carousels of your jukeboxes. Simply use a measure of imaginative foresight when deciding which CDs to designate for one or the other jukebox. And the ideal way is to employ such spreadsheet software as MS Excel, which can make the numbering and alphabetizing (sorting) of your data much less of a pain. Furthermore, once you've got such a "list" (spreadsheet) established for each of your Sony jukeboxes, you can conveniently consult the "list" (either "on-screen" or "printed out") whenever you want to ascertain which artist is currently playing in, say, "slot 349" of a given jukebox.

For example, I have all of Bach's organ music (12 CDs) installed in ONE of my CDP-CX455 jukeboxes, and various other Bach works in the other, linked jukebox. Thusly, when playing the two (linked) jukeboxes via the no-delay (or, alternatively, the cross-fade) mode in conjunction with each jukebox's respective, selectable "Artist" (e.g., Bach), "shuffle", and "all-discs" playback modes, a given listening session typically involves hearing a randomly selected organ-music movement followed by (perhaps) a randomly selected movement from one of Bach's instrumental sonatas or concertos. [Note: for the two particular jukeboxes mentioned here, I've opted NOT to include any compositions involving VOCAL music. For the latter sort of music, I have ordered two additional jukeboxes that will soon be filled with opera, oratorio, and cantata CDs. Of course, each music listener will have their own proclivities!]

Some short-term "pain" will reap much long-term pleasure.

[A WORD TO THE WISE: The following remarks refer to data entry done BEFORE (belatedly) buying the above-discussed SAVR2 device and compatible software--which could have done much--albeit not quite all--of the tedious "typing" for me!]

Although it took me a lot of time (two or three days!) and tedious effort to plan and type (via a typical PC keyboard temporarily attached to the CDP-CX455's front port) all the artist names and disc titles for the two recently arrived jukeboxes (comprising 800 CD slots), now that that "one-time-only" hardship is behind me, it seems (relatively) tolerable when I compare it with what would have been entailed had I gone the aforementioned "MP3-conversion" route--given the scope of my CD collection. Moreover, even if one of these jukeboxes were unexpectedly to die prematurely (which seems unlikely, given that my comparable CDP-CX450 remains robust and retains all the disc and artist data that I entered into it in January of 2001), well, at least I'd still have all the CDs themselves. By contrast, if I were to go the "MP3-conversion" route and eventually experienced some sort of cataclysmic-system/hardware crash... well, I hate even to ponder that. Moreover, I wonder if "MP3" (or any other "compressed"--or even "lossless"--format) will still seem relevant 10, 15, or 20 years hence. By contrast, I have little doubt that ordinary, ubiquitous CDs WILL still be in use 10, 15, or 20 years hence, even if they won't, by then, seem "modern". If I ultimately obtain (I pray!) ten--or, conceivably, nearly fifteen--years of service from each of my Sony jukeboxes, then my initial investment of money and time will surely seem well worth it. But even if I should have to replace these jukeboxes significantly sooner than that, I'll still have my computer-software-generated (MS Excel spreadsheet) "lists" of the CD titles in each of my jukeboxes' respective slots. Those "lists" should at least serve to lessen the confusion and inconvenience of reinstalling each batch of 400 CDs into whatever make and model of "replacement" (hopefully 400-disc) jukebox will (I pray!) still be available in the future.

Unless you're going to be using the above-discussed SAVR2 device and its compatible software from the get-go (or possibly even if you do already have a SAVR2!), do yourself a big favor at the very outset, or perhaps even shortly before you actually purchase your jukebox(es): create a computerized (spreadsheet) "list" for each of your jukeboxes. Certainly do this BEFORE you actually install (very many of) your CDs! And be sure to "back up" your spreadsheet files on removable media for future reference.

For each Sony (400-CD) jukebox you own, type up a NUMBERED (1 through 400) "list" of your artist names and (in an adjacent field) disc names via such a software program as Microsoft Excel. The only columns you'll absolutely need for such a spreadsheet are three in number: (1) "disc number" [1 through 400]; (2) "artist name"; and (3) "disc name". Obviously, you could optionally have still more columns of information (e.g., "genre"), but the foregoing will surely prove absolutely essential if you're going to use such lists to make sense of what "artist" is currently playing via any given slot of a given jukebox. For, unfortunately, when the jukeboxes are actually playing, you'll only be able to see the disc name, not the artist name, within the given jukebox's LED window. (Here, too, were Sony's jukebox designers unaccountably remiss!)

Therefore, on each of my own spreadsheet "lists", I've simply entered the given jukebox's CD slot number (the leftmost column) alongside that CD's artist name (the second column) and the disc name (the third and final column).

Thus, after however many years of good service, it likely won't seem crushingly unbearable someday to replace one or all of my Sony jukeboxes with some other make/model of jukebox--preferably a conveniently analogous "400-disc" model.

Some of us dinosaurs actually still ENJOY owning "big, flashing" audio components!

Although I'm by no means categorically opposed to the above-discussed "MP3/computer-hard-drive" approach to housing your music collection (especially for folks not already owning very many CDs), I must admit that I still love beholding these big, black, beautiful jukeboxes stacked one above the other. I likewise revel in beholding their various, colorful lights and twin-LED-window antics whenever I've got them performing "in concert" ("linked") via their no-delay (or cross-fade) modes in conjunction with their respective, selectable artist, shuffle, and "all-discs" modes.

Will your "artist" information ever become mysteriously "scrambled" or lost?

A minority of (understandably upset) reviewers have emphatically reported unpredictable "scrambling" of the (user-input) artist names after "linking" two (or more) of these Sony jukeboxes a while. On the other hand, still other reviewers report experiencing no such problems after having used this model for more than a year. So, what gives?

I strongly suspect (but am not yet fully certain) that what might be going on is merely the same thing that was going on with Sony's prior 400-CD jukeboxes (namely, the CDP-CX400 and the CDP-CX450). With those models, if you have the "link" cable connected between the master and slave jukeboxes while inputting new data or editing old data (via a keyboard) into the "slave" unit, there almost certainly WILL be some major, subsequent scrambling of your previously input artist-name data (most likely only on the "master" unit). This amounted, admittedly, to a veritable design glitch--one that Sony SHOULD have acknowledged long ago.

Now, as to whether the identical "glitch" remains in effect with this model CDP-CX455, I'm not yet sure. I've SO FAR actually experienced NO such "scrambling" with this latest model, not even when I indeed input new data with the "link" cable still attached. But--just to be safe--I wouldn't recommend doing this on a regular basis.

In any case, even with Sony's prior models, it's actually amazingly simple to entirely AVOID such trouble: JUST MAKE SURE TO (TEMPORARILY) DISCONNECT THE "LINK" CABLE FROM ONE OR THE OTHER UNIT WHENEVER YOU'RE PREPARING TO INPUT ANY SORT OF DATA. In a related vein, the Sony user manual says NOT to connect (or, presumably, disconnect) the "link" cable without first switching off power to both units. In other words, just press each unit's power button to shut them off BEFORE you unplug (and later replug) the "link" cable from one or the other jukebox. (In my experience, it's not necessary to fully disconnect the jukeboxes from electricity--i.e., the "wall socket".) As long as you NEVER forget to do what I've said here, you shouldn't have to worry about any loss of data from either of your linked Sony jukeboxes. (Obviously, there could always be very rare exceptions, i.e., problems caused by wholly unrelated manufacturing defects in a very tiny percentage of units. But (knock on wood!) I've never personally encountered any artist-name scrambling with any of my own Sony 400-CD jukeboxes over the past several years--provided that I consistently, temporarily disconnected that "link" cable prior to any new data entry or editing, as explained above!)

Get it while you still can!

I've read rumors elsewhere that, for the past couple of years, Sony has been in the process of (evidently very, very gradually) phasing out this model CDP-CX455 and that, indeed, Sony is gradually getting out of the "400-CD jukebox" business altogether. Instead of "400-CD" (audio-only) jukeboxes, Sony is peddling its "combo" 400-DVD/CD jukeboxes, primarily the model DVP-CX995. Now, that might have been well and good, IF the best music programming and playback features of the "old" models had been still retained by the newer model DVP-CX995. Unfortunately, while the DVP-CX995 may seem a "breakthrough" for videophiles, it's a frustrating disappointment for audiophiles. If all you ever do is play your music CDs "all the way through" (i.e., no shuffling and/or programming of your music), then the DVP-CX995 "combo" jukebox could certainly suffice for your (simplistic) music enjoyment. But for those of use who demand more music-playback complexity, the DVP-CX995 is simply NOT a viable option for MUSIC. (Not to mention that--unlike the CDP-CX455--you can't connect the DVP-CX995 to a second such unit to expand its capacity beyond 400 CDs.)

Thus, you'd better snap up one (or, better yet, two) of the remaining "new" CDP-CX455 jukeboxes while you still can. Unless Sony surprises me by continuing to manufacture such "audio-only" 400-CD models for at least several more years,... OR by miraculously reincarnating their long-discontinued CDP-CX450 (i.e., the best mass-market, 400-CD jukebox ever created), it would seem that this current model CDP-CX455 is as good as it gets. In fact, for at least the foreseeable future, this very pleasing model is evidently the swan song for Sony's once-noble family of 400-CD, AUDIO jukeboxes.