I need a good quality CD player - with changer

I have been using a Marantz 4000 OSE changer for about 3 years and it has performed flawlessly. Has the fastest action of any CD player I've seen. Changes discs in about 4 secs, literally. I also have an older (5 years) C.E.C. transport which maybe gives a little more solidity and maybe a tad more spaciousness than the Marantz but that's it. I keep them both on my rack and use the 4000 OSE probably 75% of the time since I love to program my own multi-artist concerts.

By the way, I use a Perp Tech P3A DAC with all WrightMods and have compared to Bel Canto DAC 2 which I owned. The Perp Tech is as good except in one area - DAC 2 has a bit more bass extension but the Perp Tech has a more extended high end. A trade off and since I have a subwoofer, I'm sticking with the Perp Tech but may audition some others but they'd have to be much better and, of course, more expensive. You can probably get a used PT w/ all mods for around $450.00 ($1,150.00 new).

The Benchmark does sound interesting but then so does a number of quite expensive DACs and it appears we have to spend a lot more to get a little more improvement.

I highly recommend the Sony SCD-C333ES player, which I own.

It's a surprisingly good sounding Redbook CD changer on its own, with a lot more fullness, richness, and body than I ever expected. Also, the digital filters allow you to tailor the sound a bit. You'll certainly be able to use the digital out to your DAC if you choose, just like the other players. But, the SACD capability is DEFINITELY worthwhile, even if the format does not take over from CD.

Anyone else find the slow mechanical action of Sony SACD players irritating?

"I would try the Rotel sans dac till full break-in these are suprisingly decent changers."

Excellent advice. How long is break-in, a couple hundred hours? Plus, waiting and becoming familiar with the new system would then give one (me!) a much better idea of how much better (or not) the sound is upon adding an outboard DAC.

Rotel didn't specify whether or not their CD player had a 96KHz output or not. (And I forget why this is important.) If the Rotel changer doesn't output at 96KHz, should I go back to looking for a used Marantz, Parasound, etc. changer or just not worry about it and purchase the Rotel unit with changer?

And, thanks for the DAC advice; with these four or five to choose from one thinks I couldn't go too far wrong.

For what it's worth...

I have a Birdland Odeon-Ag that is hooked via TosLink to a Sony 400 CD jukebox and via the BNC to a Theta Carmen II transport. While the Birdland HUGELY upgraded the sound coming from the Sony jukebox, I find that I never use it anymore. The Theta is just so much better that I can't not use it. It cost 10 times as much, so I damned well better use it!
But, if you must have a changer, you've been given some good recommendations, and I would also say that I am a fan of Rotel products.

Good Luck.

Tom

P.S. Tomryan, I also have a Sony SCD-C222ES SACD player, and I've never noticed any slow mechanical action. (Or else I've never experienced good fast mechanical action and I don't know what I'm missing.)