Sony CDP-C201 — 5-Disc Carousel CD Changer, Serviced, Remote, 1990
Belts are what kill these Sony carousels, and this one has a fresh set plus a cleaned laser — so the tray travel and disc indexing are quiet and correct instead of the groaning shuffle you get from a unit pulled out of a closet after thirty years. It also comes with the factory RM-D306 remote, which most of these turn up without.
Sony's CDP-C201 is a full-size five-disc carousel changer from around 1990, built in Japan during the stretch when Sony's mid-line players were genuinely well made. It holds five CDs on a single rotating tray, and you can swap the four discs that aren't playing without interrupting the one that is. For a listening room, an office system, or a shop stereo, that's still the most practical format ever put in a CD player.
What This Unit Does
- Five-disc carousel with front tray access — load a night's worth of music and leave it alone
- Full remote operation with the included factory Sony RM-D306, including disc select and track access from the chair
- Dual D/A converter system with a 4x oversampling digital filter, which is why these still hold up against modern gear on a decent amplifier
- Standard RCA line output, so it drops straight into any receiver or integrated amp
- Metal chassis rather than plastic — the unit has real weight and doesn't rattle
- Note: this model has no headphone jack and no front-panel output level control. If you need those, you want the CDP-C305 instead — same mechanism, those two features added.
Condition
Very good, 8 out of 10. Light handling wear consistent with age, nothing that draws the eye from a normal viewing distance. All controls present and functional. Display reads clearly. See photos for exact cosmetics.
Testing and Service
Serviced in-house before listing. The drive belts were replaced with a correct-width set and the laser assembly was cleaned. All functions were tested and confirmed working — tray open and close, carousel indexing across all five positions, disc loading and playback, track access, audio output on both channels, and remote operation with the included RM-D306.
The white transit key that locks the optical assembly for shipping will be installed before the unit is boxed. Remove it before use — instructions are printed on the underside label.
What's Included
- Sony CDP-C201 changer
- Factory Sony RM-D306 remote control
- Batteries
- Analog RCA audio cable
- Power cable
Specifications (Manufacturer Published)
- Type: 5-disc carousel compact disc changer
- Converter: dual D/A converter system, 4x oversampling digital filter
- Frequency response: 2 Hz to 20 kHz
- Dynamic range: 90 dB
- Signal-to-noise ratio: 93 dB
- Channel separation: 90 dB
- Total harmonic distortion: 0.05 percent
- Line output: 2 V, RCA
- Power: 120 V AC, 60 Hz, 11 W
- Dimensions: 430 x 110 x 385 mm (16.9 x 4.3 x 15.2 in)
- Weight: approximately 4.9 kg (10 lb 13 oz)
- Country of manufacture: Japan
Warranty and Shipping
Covered by the SpenCertified 30-Day Hassle-Free Warranty from the date of delivery. If the unit becomes defective within 30 days for any reason other than accidental damage, we repair or replace it at no cost including parts, labor, and shipping. Extended coverage is available separately.
Ships double-boxed with the transit key installed and the tray secured.
