Sony CDP-CE245 5-Disc CD Changer, Optical Out, w/ Remote

Sony CDP-CE245 5-Disc CD Changer, Optical Out, w/ Remote

Made in Japan.

A clean and reliable Sony CDP-CE245 five-disc carousel CD changer in good cosmetic condition, fully tested and working — a Japanese-built turn-of-the-millennium 5-disc changer with the elegant disc-exchange carousel mechanism, hybrid pulse D/A converter, and a useful optical digital output that lets it serve double duty as a high-quality CD transport for modern DACs and AV receivers.

The CDP-CE245 is one of Sony’s most refined consumer 5-disc carousel changers, produced in Japan around 2000 at the tail end of Sony’s golden CD-changer era. The headline convenience feature is “Disc Exchange” — the ability to swap up to four discs while the fifth continues to play, ensuring uninterrupted music for parties, dinner playlists, or long listening sessions. The mechanism on this unit has been tested across all five disc positions and is operating cleanly, with smooth tray rotation and reliable disc loading.

Sonically, the CDP-CE245 uses Sony’s Hybrid Pulse D/A converter — a design specifically engineered to minimise zero-cross distortion at very low signal levels, which is where conventional DAC architectures tend to struggle most audibly. The published numbers are excellent for a multi-disc changer: 102 dB signal-to-noise ratio, 2 V line output level fully compatible with any modern integrated amp or AV receiver, and a 2 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response.

A particularly useful feature for modern systems is the rear-panel optical digital output (TOSLINK), which allows the CDP-CE245 to bypass its internal DAC entirely and feed a clean digital signal directly to a modern external DAC, AV receiver, or DAC-equipped streamer. This effectively turns the CDP-CE245 into a high-quality 5-disc CD transport, letting the buyer take advantage of contemporary DAC technology while still enjoying the convenience of a multi-disc carousel. The unit also plays both CD-R and CD-RW discs reliably — a feature confirmed by Crutchfield’s own testing of this model — making it an excellent choice for owners with archives of recorded mix discs and personal compilations.

Front-panel features include a jog dial for direct track selection, 32-track programming, shuffle and repeat play, music scan (10/20/30-second sampling of each track), peak level search (especially useful for setting recording levels), and Sony’s time edit function for fitting CD program time onto cassette or other recordable media. The unit ships with a Sony remote control that has been tested with this player and operates a wide range of the changer’s functions for comfortable everyday use from the listening seat.

Specifications:

Disc format: CD (5-disc multi-play carousel)

DAC: Sony Hybrid Pulse D/A converter

Frequency response: 2 Hz – 20 kHz

Signal-to-noise ratio: 102 dB

Line output: 2 V (fixed RCA stereo)

Digital output: Optical TOSLINK

Programming: 32-track, shuffle, repeat, music scan, peak search, time edit

Front-panel control: Jog dial direct-track-access

CD-R / CD-RW playback: Confirmed

Remote control: Included Sony remote (tested working)

Year of manufacture: circa 2000

Country of manufacture: Japan

Dimensions (W x H x D): 17 x 4.75 x 17 inches (430 x 125 x 432 mm)
Weight: 12.3 lbs (5.6 kg)

A clean, full-featured Japanese-built Sony 5-disc CD changer with optical digital output, confirmed CD-R and CD-RW compatibility, and an included tested Sony remote — an excellent choice for a second system, a casual listening rig, or anyone who wants the convenience of a multi-disc carousel without giving up sound quality.

Backed by Radique Audio’s 90-day warranty and our perpetual trade-back policy, you can purchase with confidence.