deltaV

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $300.00 from private sale

Summary:
I bought CD 880 in Toronto in 1999, had it since then, and didn't regret a single minute.
It has that special very precise, rich and clean sound to it with enough slam to be compared to Accuphase or Meridian. At times, it may sound a lit bit analytical and cold, however I believe this very much depends on the other gear you use (I use a totally vintage setup with more warm than neutral sound, so this is a benefit a for me).
What I like the most is the Favourite Track Selection (FTS) System used by this Philips - you just insert a CD, program your best-loved tracks and then every time you listen to this CD all you need to do is to push the FTS button on the remote, and only your favourite tracks will be listed in the menu for playback. A very rare and very nice feature!
As other reviewers noted here, it is really built like a tank, very heavy for CD player (I would say it is more of a studio than consumer design) and reliable - never had a single problem with it. It reads all CDs - from CD-Rs to regular CDs to scratched CDs (that Meridian that I had could not do that - was skipping and making noises but not playing).
Also, it has a lot of outputs - from optical to coaxial to variable and fixed analogue, plus a system remote control input (never used that one, though)..
All in all, probably one of the best CD players under $1500 (retail price) - its strengths are much greater than its weaknesses, and the value for money is unbelievable.

Strengths:
See the review.

Weaknesses:
See the review.

Similar Products Used:
Meridian, Accuphase, Denon, Sony (what a piece of crap..), Pioneer.

Price Paid:  $5000.00 from philips h.k.

Summary:
I have this player for eignt years still play very good sound even better than many new model players in this price range.

Summary:
I bought this when I worked at a stereo shop in 1989. I have yet to see a consumer, not audiophile cd player of this quality that didn't cost thousands of dollars. The remote is a brick, the power supply is huge, the unit is sturdy as can be and HEAVY. Mine is probably older than the previous reviewer as it has no coax output, but it doeas have optical. I'd be in heaven if I could find a CD carousel this good. If you ever run across one of these new or used, snap it up. I'd put it up against anything new available today.

Strengths:
Build Quality, Sound Quality

Weaknesses:
None

Similar Products Used:
Sony Sharp Teac Harman Kardon

Summary:
Have owned this for many years and have had not trouble at all. It performs well and looks great. The best part:
I got it for free. A long involved story that somes up this way:
Bought a Magnavox (CDB 450?????) for $240 that was T H E first audio enthusiast endorced CD player. Within a year, I broke the thing. Sent it in for a repair at Phillips and they never could get it right. Eventually they sent me this one (retail priced @ $729 in the early 1980's) and it has never let me down.

Strengths:
Well built, musical,

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
Cheezy Yamaha, Magnavox

Summary:
I have listened to a lot of CD Players since the first units became available, and I had always thought that if manufacturers can make these things sound more realistic, (or more like vinyl) they would really have something here. I was never too impressed with the cheapish ten pound Japanese units, they sounded way too thin, with brittle highs and lack of bottom end weight. When I stumbled upon the Philips CD880, I was quite impressed. This CD player has some weight to it (about 25 lbs.), and when you crack the cover open on it, you quickly realize that this is not a me too product. The build quality is superb (Made in Belgium), and the parts layout is very logical (no wonder a lot of lunatic fringe companies chose to use this model as a platform to stuff their own circuitry into, and market them under their own labels). The transport is die cast, and the laser unit is the CDM-9 swing arm one of the finest available. All of the digital circuits are well shielded from the laser servo mechanism. As for the sound of this CD Player, what can I say. It certainly made me a believer in the promise that the performance of Compact Disc will surpass that of vinyl, if it is done right. The low end on this player has phenomenal slam, the midrange is just right, and the high end is silky smooth. The unit also has a two digital outputs, Toslink (optical) and coaxial, so this player would make a great transport when coupled with an outboard D/A convertor. I'm sure there are those who might believe that you have to spend somewhere in the $2000 to $4000 range to get a satisfying performance from Compact Disc, and they are entitled to their opinins. For those of you that are into high end sound for a mid fi price, do yourselves a favor and listen to a Philips CD880 and then draw your own conclusions.