Harman FL8385 5-Disc CD Changer
- Device Type: Changer
- Number of Discs: 5
- Outputs: Analog Audio x 2 Digital Audio Coaxial x 1 Headphone Jack
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SATISFIES A DEMANDING CLASSICAL MUSICIAN'S NEEDS
Pros
Clear, clean, warm sound. Properly balanced mid and low bass.
Cons
Previous versions apparently had problems with some mechanics. (I assume that's fixed here)
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
For accurate, balanced, and clear sound, a winner. For a demanding classical musician(conductor/pianist/organist) and listener, this player puts out the most satisfactory sound I have heard via my home system.
It is not easy to compare audio cd players since dvd has taken over so much of the buying market. I needed to replace an over ten year old Pioneer Elite cd player.
Went to a very large electronics house, took along my Sennheiser 580 headphones and some "tough" cd's hoping to get enough power from the machine supply to power them.
Cds used: Two with local (San Francisco) pipe organs...I know what they actually sound like, live and on recording.
"Simon Gledhill at the Castro Theater Wurlitzer" Clout 421
"The Worlds Above" Choir/Organ At Grace Cathedral Pro Organo (both available from Organ Historical Society web)
These both have intense bass lines which are extremely hard to reproduce properly.
Also used for orchestra: Rachmaninoff "Symphonic Dances"
on Reference Recording HDCD.
Moeran "Symphony" Naxos, a quite good, clear recording.
For wind ensemble:
"Pomp and Pipes" Reference HDCD (another system killer at full ensemble)
and
Stravinsky (Arr:T.Knox) "Firebird Suite" US Marine Band
www.markcustom.com, a live recording of an absolutely phenomenal performance in good sound.
Well I got to the Harman Kardon 8385. Not only did the HDCD and "normal" recordings sound beautiful, surprisingly the headphone jack with volume control was more than able to give very satisfactory sound through the power-hungry Sennheisers.
Bottom line, when I got this player home and ran it through my older Proton amp and medium sized Mission speakers, it produced the most satisfactory sound I have ever heard through this system. Clear, yet warm and supported by proper but not exaggerated bass. Every recording I have played, old or new, has sounded excellent on this player. The balance throughout the frequency spectrum is consistently "correct" and satisfying, regardless of the quirks of various recordings.
I cannot speak for listeners of other sorts of music, but the Harman Kardon folks have put out a superb-sounding yet reasonably-priced machine which any listener of "acoustic"
music should enjoy and appreciate for a long time. This player is definitely a "keeper".
With any new player, I highly suggest that you ignore those connecting cables they supply in the box and invest in high-quality cables (I am using Monster THX 1000s). If you have sensitive ears and good equipment, the improvement in what you are hearing will be obvious and pleasurable.
Went to a very large electronics house, took along my Sennheiser 580 headphones and some "tough" cd's hoping to get enough power from the machine supply to power them.
Cds used: Two with local (San Francisco) pipe organs...I know what they actually sound like, live and on recording.
"Simon Gledhill at the Castro Theater Wurlitzer" Clout 421
"The Worlds Above" Choir/Organ At Grace Cathedral Pro Organo (both available from Organ Historical Society web)
These both have intense bass lines which are extremely hard to reproduce properly.
Also used for orchestra: Rachmaninoff "Symphonic Dances"
on Reference Recording HDCD.
Moeran "Symphony" Naxos, a quite good, clear recording.
For wind ensemble:
"Pomp and Pipes" Reference HDCD (another system killer at full ensemble)
and
Stravinsky (Arr:T.Knox) "Firebird Suite" US Marine Band
www.markcustom.com, a live recording of an absolutely phenomenal performance in good sound.
Well I got to the Harman Kardon 8385. Not only did the HDCD and "normal" recordings sound beautiful, surprisingly the headphone jack with volume control was more than able to give very satisfactory sound through the power-hungry Sennheisers.
Bottom line, when I got this player home and ran it through my older Proton amp and medium sized Mission speakers, it produced the most satisfactory sound I have ever heard through this system. Clear, yet warm and supported by proper but not exaggerated bass. Every recording I have played, old or new, has sounded excellent on this player. The balance throughout the frequency spectrum is consistently "correct" and satisfying, regardless of the quirks of various recordings.
I cannot speak for listeners of other sorts of music, but the Harman Kardon folks have put out a superb-sounding yet reasonably-priced machine which any listener of "acoustic"
music should enjoy and appreciate for a long time. This player is definitely a "keeper".
With any new player, I highly suggest that you ignore those connecting cables they supply in the box and invest in high-quality cables (I am using Monster THX 1000s). If you have sensitive ears and good equipment, the improvement in what you are hearing will be obvious and pleasurable.
