Recommendations for 5-Disc Carousel Player

The Sony SCD-C2000ES is now about $249 new and it's a good machine. Mine has about 6 years with me now and serve me well as a player and a transport for my MHT Constantine DAC. It's like the 595 but with better construction.

I should also have noted, my current Yami changer needs a push to get the tray back into the unit, and changing discs is quite noisy, but I don't care much about that. I use the thing because I can run it and my Yami amp off of the same remote. The Yamaha usability is very bad, the display is quite small, intuitive use of the remote is non-existant. For example, on the unit, play and pause are the same button. But on the remote, play is a separate button and pause and stop are the same button. It doesn't remember what disc or track I was on when accidentally stopped, it drives me nuts! Sony's units are much better in this regard.
The Yamaha is so old it will not play .mp3 CDs, CDR, CDRW, or anything burned on a computer unless you use the "audio CD" format, which makes the files so large (even .mp3s) that you cannot put that much music on a single disc. When buying used, I would caution folks to make sure the used unit will play .mp3 and CDR, if that is important to them.

Just about my own experience. Try a SONY NC555ES.I'm using it like my second CD player now, with the Video OFF option.It is build like a tank and the carousel is solid and efficient.I realize that "accidentally" this machine became a wonderful cd player than the dvd player as originally was made.I saw some here in Audiogon ,offered for few bucks, a true bargain.
Again I say is based on my own experience, it would be a great transport also,I plan to add it a Benchmark DAC/USB in the future.
Hugs. John

I'd choose an old-school Mac Mini($150), a budget USB dac($100) & an external HD($75). This would be WAY more flexible than a carousel. If you like the idea of 5 discs think about being able to do things like typing in your favorite jazz drummer's name and poof...a list is compiled with only the albums that person played on. Hit play and move on. Little things like that are easily achieved going the computer route.

Synthfreek - where do you get an "old school mac mini" for $150? would this be a used computer? The new ones are minimum $600...can this cheaper mac mini of which you speak still be controlled by the remote app on an older, used iTouch? Also - could use some suggestions on a budget USB DAC that can be had for $100. thanks. I am about to replace either my head unit or the amp.