Summary:
By far the cleanest, warmest sounding CD player I've ever had. I believe that on a spec sheet, other CD players are better, but that the spec version of 'clean' will give you a cooler, sometimes cold sound.

I found that with the HK AVR40 receiver, this CD player blew people away. I hooked up with high quality, shielded RCA's and later switched to optical (which by the way gave no perceptible difference on this player) and loved every CD played.

I'm currently waiting on getting it back from the repair shop for the 'weakness' listed above. It should tell you something that I'm more inclined to pay to have this unit repaired than just go out and buy a newer one. Wow.

One last thing - I went out and looked at all the 'new' HK models and the new Denons, Yamaha's etc. and NONE of them have the same combination of sound quality, usability, style, and just general good sense that the FL8450 has - no kidding. I've got a Denon DCM-370 hooked up to the same system my 8450 was in and it's good too, but not AS GOOD as the 8450 which is two years old (yet you'll notice the Denon has a higher rating on this site - hmmmm...)

Sorry to run on for so long, but I felt it was important.

Strengths:
CLEAN sound
Usability
Style

Weaknesses:
Began to cut out when one disk was playing and I'm changing others, but that only happened after a couple years.

Similar Products Used:
Yamaha Changers, Denon Changers

Summary:
I purchased a demo model of this player in April of '98 for about $450 Cdn - about 2/3 of the retail price up here. Took it home, set it up (along with new receiver and speakers) and proceeded to notice over the first two weeks a noise coming from the speakers which is best described as a static electric discharge (same sound as if you shock yourself after walking on carpet in dry weather). This made it somewhat dangerous to use this player with the volume turned up too loud, as the receiver was pre-amping / amping the noise. The sound of an electric shock with 100 Watts of power behind it is not a pleasant sound. My salesman suggested I buy an optical cable (which I was going to do anyway, to use the digital input on my receiver), and it fixed the problem.....for a time. When I bought my DVD player, I snarfed the optical cable for that (my receiver only had one optical input - I should have found a coax cable for the DVD player and left the optical on the CD player, but oh well), and the problem came back. Concluded it must be something wrong with this player after changing everything else but the CD player didn't fix the problem, and other devices in the system (DVD player, VCR) didn't exhibit the same behavior. Took it to three shops, but none could find anything wrong with it. Finally, my salesman (great guy!) talked with an HK rep about it, and was able to replace it with a brand-new FL8550 (which I picked up yesterday, almost two years after I initially purchased this unit). Hopefully the new player will not exhibit the problems others have had with that model. I liked the sound the FL8450 produced when it wasn't making weird noises - very clean, clear sound, slightly edgier than my DVD player (nice on some material). Dual differential discrete output is nice. Stylish looks, controls are not bad. Disc selection buttons are poorly placed - under the tray, making it awkward to jump directly to a disc while the tray's open. Trying to re-program tracks after some were already programmed was a nightmare - it was easier to erase the whole program and start over again. Random play was fine. It also lacked 'one-disc' mode - you couldn't just get it to play the disc it was on and stop - unless, of course, you used the fifth disc slot: it would stop after the fifth disc was done. Remote sucked - I hated the feel of it, knobby buttons; I quickly programmed my receiver's learning remote with the codes and put this player's back in the box. Optical-out also produced a clean signal. Disc-changing mechanism was kind of noisy, but I've yet to hear a changer that's particularly quiet. Didn't do a lot of listening around before I bought it and really haven't much after I bought it, either, so I don't have much to compare it to, but I'd stand it up against any Sony / Kenwood / Technics slop any day. Overall rating: for sound quality, five stars; considering the problems I had with it and the interface quirks, three stars.

Strengths:
Sound

Weaknesses:
Mine didn't work

Similar Products Used:
Yamaha 5-disc changer

Summary:
Classy, expensive-looking unit with styling matching current H/K receivers. Convenient features. Easy to program. Discrete circuitry produces very clean sound with excellent stereo separation. I'm no audiophile but I can easily hear the difference between a well recorded CD and one that wasn't (even connected to the bland sounding Pioneer receiver I once used) I read this unit is more reliable than the newer ones sold refirbished on Ubid. I paid over $300 for it new and am still happy.

Strengths:
After 3 years of light use it still sounds great and works perfectly. Classy looking unit with styling matching current H/K receivers. Easy to program. Discrete circuitry yeilds nice seperation

Weaknesses:
Wish it had a power button on remote. It can be powered on and off by pluging in the receiver,however.

Similar Products Used:
Harmon Kardon AVR 75 reciever (very nice)

Summary:
My player has worked excellent up until now.It finally gave way to my ears suspicions of it breaking down.This should'nt happen to this type of player but,hey maybe I just got a bad egg.

Strengths:
good overall player

Weaknesses:
mechanics seems loud and on verge of breaking

Similar Products Used:
pioneer25 disc(garbage)sony 5 disc.

Summary:
Great piece of equipment.

Strengths:
Had this product for more than 3 years now. This unit is great and is still holding like a H/K should. Unfortunatly, it looks as though H/K is in progressing into a downward spiral in terms of quality and sound. If you can find an 8450 - grab it. By far, this cd player is one of the better ones that H/K has manufactured. Made in China...the only concern that I have. Other than that nice piece of equipment.

Weaknesses:
MADE IN CHINA.