Sony CDP-CX235 200-Disc CD Changer

After reading the other six reviews on this player, I have decided that it would be the most beneficial to the prospective reader to comment on some of the points already made, that I either disagree or disagree with. I have had my SONY for almost three years, so I have had time to give it a fair evaluation and review.

1) First of all, I agree that this unit is is very big and bulky. The exact measurements are 17in.w x 8in.h x 19in.depth. Be prepared for the front to extend over the edge of any normal sized shelf.

2) The entry of disc titles is a little laborious at first, until you get the hang of it, and much better to do while standing right in front of the player with the remote. But I think it is VERY MUCH worth the effort, to be able to enjoy the benefits of this feature. I really don't see how it could have been designed any easier for the user. The same goes for the unloading of discs. After a little practice, it's a breeze! Loading DOES take some time....but after it's done, it's done. I know we all live in the age of the "instant" everything, but you don't have to do all of the loading and titling at one sitting! Be patient, take your time, and your initial experience with this player will be much more pleasurable.

3) I also disagree about the slow loading time for discs. Again, I don't see how it could be designed to be much faster, considering the amount of work it has to do, and the kind of memory features it has to deal with. It's simply a fair trade-off.

4) I STRONGLY DISAGREE with the statement that you have to remember which slot each CD is located in, in the event that you choose to unload one for whatever reason, and then have to reload it later. All title entrie are remembered indefinitely, until you manually change them. But here's the key! An empty slot will not show the title of the the CD that belongs there, UNTIL YOU OPEN THE FRONT ACCESS DOOR. Then you can scroll the whole length of the CD selection, and every single slot, empty or filled, will be shown. This is really very easy...not unhandy at all.

5) I strongly agree that the titling, grouping, and deleting features are great. The great thing is that anything you program on these features can be instantly corrected or changed with great ease. You are given eight different possible groups to organize the CDs! That's like having eight 5 disc players in one. Think about it! And you can group them according to music type.. (jazz, rock, soul, etc),.. by group title (ZZ Top, Frank Sinatra, Tiny Tim, Elmer Fudd, etc.),.. or you could put your favorites or most recent purchases in one group. And you can change them with the touch of a button! There is no way that it could be any easier. Once again, it's a trade-off. You have to expend a little more time and energy to reap the rewards. But after it's initially setup, it push-button easy.

6) Here's the only negative. This is the second Sony jukebox-type changer I have owned in the last five years. The first was the 50 disc CDP-CX57, which was a 50+1 disc changer. Both of them started having laser reading problems after about 2 1/2 years of use. I tried cleaning the first one to no avail, with a store bought cleaning disc. I had it sent to the Sears service center (out of warranty) and they estimated the repair cost to be about $125.00. I had it sent back to me, and kind-hearted Sears electronics salesman (who became a good friend) sold the 200 disc one to me for half price. he found it sitting in the warehouse and it hadn't even been entered into inventory yet. I will attempt to clean this one, although I don't have much faith in that course of action. I may have to find another merciful Sears salesman before long!