Price Paid:  $348.00 from Dale Sanford's in Be

Summary:
I bought this CD player/recorder in 2001 because it was one of the first CDRs available. The build quality is similar to most other CD players/recorders on the market. The sound quality is slightly better than others that I've used (Denon, NAD, and Panasonic). It worked fine for the first couple years and then starting giving me problems. The first sign of trouble was when it intermittently would not play CDs. I would have to turn the unit on and off multiple times before it would play. The left CD tray will not open if you shut it without a CD in it. There is a release button on the underside to open it manually but not ideal for getting it open frequently. The service message has shown up twice on the unit. The first time it cost me $117 to have it brought back to working order.

I expect more for $348. I don't think that for that amount of money it should have the problems that it has. I won't consider Harmon Kardon CDRs again unless I can find something ridiculously cheap. I would recommend paying a bit more for a Marantz or Denon CDR. I think that their build quality is superior and the sound quality is similar or better depending on the model.

Strengths:
CD dubbing quality

Weaknesses:
Will only allow you to use more expensive audio CDs, (that have the same quality as computer data CDs).
CD tray does not open every time.
Has required more service than any other piece of audio equipment I've owned.

Similar Products Used:
Denon DCM-370, NAD, Panasonic CD/DVD player

Price Paid:  $350.00 from AMTV

Summary:
Easy to use
Excellent high speed recording.
Excellent D/A converter
Excellent sound quality.
The 4x dub feature is very nice!
Have been using as a recorder and a playback unit almost daily for over 2 years without a single hic-up.

Strengths:
Just an all around, straight forward, great sounding unit.

Weaknesses:
None

Similar Products Used:
Philips

Price Paid:  $400.00 from ebay

Summary:
I have mixed feelings about this product. I have never had a problem recording from cd to cd. I always record at 4x speed and I am happy with the sound quality of the recordings. My problem with this unit is the quality of the playback. When using the second tray the sound quality is incredibly good. When looking for a cd burner I wanted one that had a good d/a converter so that I would also have a decent quality player. This one has an excellent d/a converter. When using the first tray to playback, the sound is just plain awful. There is an incredibly annoying hiss at about 2khz. It makes that tray totally unlistenable. All and all I am happy. I have had the unit for about 2 1/2 years and it still plays back some of my most roached cds without a problem. Yay HK for a durable laser lense system.

Strengths:
recording quality, d/a converter, durability

Weaknesses:
horrible sound out of the first tray when playing back

Similar Products Used:
sony cd players

Price Paid:  $450.00 from Circuit City

Summary:
A good unit for the price at the time. Of course, there are better recorders for less money now. Since I haven't had any problems with the units I don't know what sort of response I would receive from the dealer or HK.

Strengths:
Easy to use. I have not had any problems with reliability. I bought 2 (one for my son) and we have burnt many CDs without any problems. Sound quality is okay. I had a Sony ES unit before which was replaced under warranty and then the second unit failed (both would eat CDs). I thought the SONY had a better more mellow sound but it cost more for just a player.

Weaknesses:
Instruction manual is difficult to use.

Similar Products Used:
None. I have burnt CDs on a PC.

Price Paid:  $208.00 from harman audio outlet

Summary:
Purchased this unit direct from Harman Kardon outlet. Reviewed other listings prior to purchasing and most users have had good luck with this unit when it worked properly.
This unit can be purchased direct from Harman Audio Outlet
refurbished for $208.00. Although this is a refurbished unit it has a no hassel 15 day return for refund and a ONE YEAR factory warranty. I took it out of the box and recorded 27 cd with flawless results. It was very simple to use. Check out the specs. Recording THD 0.005%@-85db. This unit is well worth the investment for the causual cd recorder. Shame on anyone who buys one for more than $200.00 and less than a one year warranty.

Strengths:
Price, quality and recording ease

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
harman 8470