Loading the CDs is surprisingly easy: the CD slots are clearly numbered, and when you eject a CD, it pops partway out. You don't have to fill the changer to use it--the XL-MC334 is single-disc-friendly. You can listen in random mode within a disc or within all discs. You can also sequence up to 32 songs, which will play in the order you program them. (The random feature does not work, however, when the player is in program mode.) You can enjoy all 200 CDs in order with the continuous play mode or use random play to jump from disc to disc and track to track. It's like having a radio station that only plays your favorite songs.

What sets the XL-MC334 apart from many other CD changers is its CD Text feature. If you have a CD encoded with CD Text, the XL-MC334 displays the title, artist, musical genre, and other information. If you're playing CDs that don't have CD Text, you can manually program the title, artist, and genre yourself; the player's multi-jog dial gives you access to 32-character text displays and 27 preset genres to choose from. Whenever you swap out a disc you will need to reprogram the new title, artist, and genre, as the information you enter is mated to the disc slot, not the CD itself. (This works to your advantage if you swap out a disc temporarily.)

The XL-MC334BK's remote control is intuitive and easy to program and greatly simplifies the playback process. Other features of this CD changer include the ability to select eight different "user files" (group up to 32 discs per file) and to search by title, artist, or genre. You can even switch up to 25 CDs while the player is in operation.

As for sound quality, we're happy to report that the XL-MC334BK lives up to the high standards you'd expect from JVC, thanks to the company's high-precision, 3-beam laser pickup and 1-bit digital converter. The unit sports a Toslink optical digital output jack for integration with a surround receiver or for use with an outboard digital-to-analog converter for even better sound. The transport mechanism is noisier than we'd like, but we found that placing the changer in a glass cabinet minimized the intrusiveness of this noise.

This changer sports a streamlined look and well-labeled controls and offers special features, such as Disc/Track Intro and JVC's Text Compu Link (which lets the player communicate with other JVC devices), that bring an extra level of convenience. At this price, you will not find a better megadisc CD changer.

Pros:

• Huge disc capacity
• Great sound
• Convenient features
• Intuitive design

Cons:

• Noisy when changing discs
• Random play does not work on programmed sequences