Clearance price! Ease of use. So far all the CD-R have worked on every player I've used. Ability to track through bad scratches. Coax and toslink connections.

No volume control on headphone out

I bought this because the locale CSW store was blowing them out at $250.00- sealed and brand-new. So far I've been impressed by it's quality. And unlike the HK I demoed, none of the disks I've burned have exhibited glitches. It also does a great job tracking through pretty bad scratches. I thought a CD that my son had damaged was toast until I made a copy. The copy plays perfectly while the original can remain safe.

For the price I really can't complain, but I'll temper my enthusiasm a bit, since I've only used it to burn 5 CD's so far.

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Harman Kardon 20

Ease of use. Features. Excellent recording capabilities.

None so far

This is my first foray into CD recording and after a bit of research I chose this model. I could not be happier.

The first point I would like to stress is this units ease of use. Dubbing from CD to CDR is very straight-forward. Whether coping an entire disc or programming a custom disc it could not be easier. Dubbing from cassette to CDR is equally straight-forward but does require a little more "attention to detail" if you will. The reason why I say this is because inherent background noise between tracks sometimes prevents auto indexing of the CDR. I have found it is best to record a track, then pause, then record...and so on, to allow for proper indexing. The same holds true for Phono to CDR dubbing.

The second point is its features. This is a dual tray unit, and as mentioned above, CD to CD recording is a breeze. You can also program playback on either the CDR tray or the CD tray or both. It will also play and record CD-RW's. Very versatile unit for playback. Playback sound qualities, although subjective, are exceptional IMO. Unit has very accurate recording level meters and are adjustable in 1db increments. CD to CDR recording can also be done in double speed with or without auto-finalizing. Finalizing can be done in under 5 minutes on a full disc.

My last point is in its recording capabilities. Exceptionally is the only word I have to say. CD to CDR dubbing no difference. Dubbing from Cassette or Phono will be only as good as the source material. Make sure vinyl albums are properly cleaned before recording. Take the time to setup the cassette player properly before recording. If done correctly the outcome is fantastic. Better than I ever expected.

Bottom line this is an exceptional product for the money spent. Well worth the $599 plus sales tax. One last thing. I highly recommend using a CD-RW disc when recording from Cassette or Phono. Mistakes will happen and unless you want alot of coasters use the CD-RW. I record onto CD-RW first. After I'm satisfied I then finalize. Then I dub the CD-RW onto a CDR and erase the CD-RW for another use.

Happy listening,

Darren

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None

No discernable sound quality degradation while using 2x speed. Unlike most consumer CD-R decks, digital record levels can be adjusted via the "easy jog" control, but the manual doesn't include this information. (You have to call Marantz for an explanation.)

Factory 0 db record level setting for digital recordings is way too high, resulting in distorted recordings when duping most commercial CDs. Meters are not sufficienlty sensitive. When shifting from 2x to 1x recording modes, sometimes the source disc drive continues to run at 2x while the CD-R record drive runs at 1x, resulting in a ruined recording. The tray pulls the disc in so fast that if the disc is slightlt off-center, the disc will be badly scratched. The remote does not include all the functions needed to record. CD playback quality is slightly harsh and bright; not recommended as a primary playback source.

Unnecessarily frustrating interface, good sound.

features, great sound, ease of use

poor manual; none as to the unit

settled on this unit after extensive research, and am very pleased with this product. It is extremely simple to use, plenty of inputs and outputs, solidly built and sounds great. In this price range,look no further.

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phillips