Parasound C/DC 1500

Overview

The Parasound C/DC-1500 is a five-disc CD changer introduced in the mid-1990s, combining carousel convenience with the more serious engineering approach for which Parasound became known. Rather than treating the changer format as disposable mass-market hardware, Parasound built a full-width component with substantial construction, quality digital conversion, and the option to serve as a dedicated transport.

The player uses a Burr-Brown PCM67P converter in a hybrid 1-bit/18-bit design with 8-times oversampling. It includes standard analog outputs and a coaxial digital output, while optional boards were offered for optical and balanced XLR output configurations. Published specifications list a 3 Hz–20 kHz frequency response, 110 dB signal-to-noise ratio, 0.002% total harmonic distortion, and a weight of about 17 pounds.

Why This Model Matters

Most five-disc changers were sold primarily on convenience. The C/DC-1500 is interesting because Parasound tried to preserve that convenience without abandoning the priorities of a higher-quality separate component. Its “changer/transport” identity also reflects the 1990s growth of outboard digital converters, when buyers increasingly wanted a player that could function well both through its own analog stage and through a separate DAC.

At a reported original price of about $650 in the late 1990s, it was clearly positioned above ordinary department-store changers. That makes it an appealing period piece today: useful, uncommon, and more thoughtfully built than the format’s reputation might suggest.

Highlights

• Five-disc carousel changer
• Burr-Brown PCM67P digital-to-analog converter
• Hybrid 1-bit/18-bit conversion with 8x oversampling
• Coaxial digital output for use as a transport
• Optional optical and balanced output boards
• Approximately 17-pound chassis

Who It’s For

Well suited to a listener who wants multi-disc convenience but prefers a better-built, less common component than the typical mass-market carousel changer.