Hey guys,
I have the Sony CDP-450, a 400 disc mega changer. I have it stashed behind my M60s, next to the TV. It is barely noticeable. With a little extension wire, I couldve put it further away from the system, but the room really didn't make that a better solution. I used some IR repeaters and hooked it up to it and my cable box (which sits behind the TV, out of sight). I also have the cdp-450 hooked up ("daisy chained") to a Sony 200 disc mega changer.
Here's why I love it, aside from the fact that it, aesthetically is a very clean solution to "CD clutter." First, I love being able to view all of my discs on the TV. Beware! Some cd mega changers don't give you a video out to display the names of the discs on the TV, and you have to squint at the tiny display to find out what cd you're playing or want to play. The 450 has the video out (which the 455 does not have - is that an upgrade or what?). Pressing "play" on random all is a truly great experience, especially because I tend to listen to the same cds over and over again. This helps me rediscover my old discs - ones that I would never get the urge to put in for any good reason.
Second, I love putting discs on and just letting them ride - for a party, for back groudn music, whatever. It's so easy to "auto dj" a party.
Third - with two players daisy chained together, you can use Sony's "mega-control" feature, which eliminates the delay in between random tracks. While the first player is playing, the second player is searching for and cueing up the next song. Great feature.
Lastly, with over 420 discs in my collection, I find that I don't ever leave discs lying around to get scratched or lost. This is just taken out of the equation.
There are some questions about Sony's reliability from a construction quality standpoint, but I haven't had any problems so far. I bought both players off of eBay for less than $300 total.
I really do love the functionality of the players. My wife digs that fact that we'er cutting down on "tech storage" space. We turned a huge cabinet full of cds into a "box" that is basically a 36" black cube (both players stacked on top of one another). It's no bigger than my STF-2, and would actually look quite nice opposite the sub to balance out the aesthetic.
Spiff - go to epinions and read the reviews for yourself. Note your preferences and choose judiciously. For example, I chose video out over mp3 playability with the 450, and couldn't be happier (though I'd pay for a player that did both).
In sum - go with the mega changer.
