Sony CDP-C701ES 5-Disc CD Compact Disc Player Changer Made in Japan
This is the ES-series changer, not the consumer CDP-C line — an 8.7 kg chassis with an aluminum faceplate, an optical digital output, and per-disc DSP memory that almost no other CD changer of the era offered. Power supply recapped, laser cleaned, mode switch serviced, and the original Sony remote is available with it.
Sony built the CDP-C701ES in 1993 for the ES line, the Elevated Standard range that sat above everything else in the domestic catalog. Where a typical five-disc carousel of the period was a plastic-heavy convenience machine, this one weighs just over 19 pounds, wears a machined aluminum front panel, and carries an optical digital output for feeding an external DAC. It is a changer for someone who wants the convenience of five discs without stepping down in build or output quality.
What This Unit Does
- Holds five discs on a rotating carousel and lets you swap discs while another one plays, so a listening session never has to stop
- Optical digital output sends the bitstream untouched to a DAC or receiver, letting you bypass the player's own analog stage entirely
- Onboard DSP soundfield processing with dedicated equalizer and reverb controls — rare on a CD player, and useful for tailoring flat-sounding discs
- Custom File memory stores four kinds of information per disc: a text disc memo, a track bank, a playback level, and a DSP setting, so each CD comes up configured the way you left it
- Peak search locates the loudest passage on a disc, which matters if you are dubbing to tape or recording out
- Time fade and 32-track programming for building sequences across the full five-disc load
- Front headphone jack for listening without waking the amplifier
Condition
Very good, roughly 8/10. Light handling wear visible on close inspection; nothing that reads across the room. Aluminum faceplate is clean, display is full and bright, all controls present and operating. This unit does not have the optional wood side panels — standard black cabinet only, which makes it about an inch and a half narrower than the panel-equipped version at 17 inches across.
Testing & Service
Serviced in-house before listing. The power supply has been recapped, the laser assembly cleaned, and the mode switch cleaned. Confirmed working: power on, tray open and close, carousel rotation and disc skip across all five positions, disc loading and tracking, playback, track access and search, display, program and repeat and shuffle modes, RCA line output, optical digital output, DSP soundfield modes with equalizer and reverb, Custom File memory, the front headphone jack, and the original remote across its functions.
No transit screw is fitted, so there is nothing to remove before first use — plug in, connect, and play.
A note on the remote: several of this player's more useful functions, including disc memo entry and parts of the Custom File system, are operated from the remote rather than the front panel. If you intend to use the memory features, get the version with it.
What's Included
- Sony CDP-C701ES main unit
- (Optional)Original Sony RM-D801 remote control
- Batteries
- Analog RCA audio cable
Not included: original manual, original box, wood side panels, digital optical cable.
Specifications (Manufacturer)
- Type: Compact disc player, 5-disc carousel changer
- Frequency response: 2 Hz – 20 kHz
- Dynamic range: 100 dB
- Signal-to-noise ratio: 116 dB
- Channel separation: 110 dB
- Total harmonic distortion: 0.0023%
- Line output: 2 V
- Digital output: Optical, 660 nm, −18 dBm
- Headphone output: 15 mW max into 32 ohms
- Power: 120 V AC, 60 Hz, 23 W
- Weight: 8.7 kg (19 lb 3 oz)
- Remote: Sony RM-D801, infrared, 2 x AA
- Production: 1993–94
Measured dimensions of this unit, without wood side panels: 17 in wide x 14.5 in deep x 5 in high.
Warranty & Shipping
Backed by the SpenCertified 30-Day Hassle-Free Warranty. If the unit becomes defective within 30 days of delivery for any reason other than accidental damage or misuse, we repair or replace it at no cost — parts, labor, and return shipping included. We recommend testing on arrival. Warranty claims go to hello@spencertified.com.
Ships from Mesa, Arizona, packed for transit. Approximate shipping weight 25 lb.
