THE First to introduce a CD-ROM changer to the computing world, Pioneer is first again with the Pioneer DRM-624X, a six-disc CD-ROM changer that boasts the fastest mechanism you can find in a changer.
The $795 Pioneer DRM-624X is more expensive than other disc changers, such as the seven-disc Nakamichi MBR-7, but its 4.4x mechanism is faster. True, you can buy a drive with a faster mechanism, but none currently comes packaged in a multidisc changer. The Pioneer changer is clearly an investment in the future: As quad-speed drives become popular, more CD-ROM developers will take advantage of their speed. If you own a Pioneer six-disc CD player for your car or home, you'll be pleased to know that the Pioneer changer uses the same cartridge magazine. A clear plastic panel in the magazine's front shows which disc is in use. You can buy extra magazines and organize titles into sets of six.
We encountered a problem common to some other CD-ROM changers when mounting multiple discs on the desktop simultaneously. When you insert a magazine, the changer's software caches the directory for each disc into RAM and mounts an icon for it on the desktop. With only one drive mechanism, you can use only one CD or CD-ROM at a time. When Apple's system software periodically updates the desktop and encounters icons for the discs that aren't in use, the Pioneer changer switches discs for no apparent reason. But you can opt to get rid of all the icons on your desktop, except the one that represents the disc you're using, and add a pull-down selector menu to your menu bar that contains a list of all the available but inactive discs. When you pull down the menu and select a new disc, its icon replaces the one on your desktop.
We don't recommend sharing the Pioneer changer over a network -- when two users on the network try to access different discs, the changer gets tied up. The other disappointment is Pioneer's audio-CD software, which doesn't let you build a playlist of songs on various CDs.
The Bottom Line
The Pioneer DRM-624X offers the fastest CD-ROM mechanism available in a changer. Although current CD-ROMs can't take full advantage of its speed, you'll be among the first to tap into next-generation CD-ROM technology.
Pioneer DRM-624X
Rating: (4 out of 5 mice) Very Good
Price: $795 (list).
Pros: Fastest mechanism available in a disc changer. Uses same disc magazine as Pioneer stereos. Handy pull-down selector menu.
Cons: Can get hung up changing discs. Disappointing audio-CD software.
Company: Pioneer New Media Technologies, Long Beach, CA; 800-444-6784 or 310-952-2111.
Reader Service: Circle #407.
Cartridge magazines let you organize your discs into sets before loading them into the Pioneer DRM-624X six-disc CD-ROM changer.
