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The Harmon Kardon DVD 48 as a dedicated CD player?

K

kowalski

Active Member
Was looking around for something that supports the SACD format in addition to all the burned stuff I've got too - anyways most everything in that categor seems to cost like $500 and up:(

So looking through amazon I came across the Harmon Kardon DVD48. It seems to support everything and gets pretty good reviews for CD playback from what I've read...well at least from people who are likely audio peasants like myself! lol

Anyone on here have any experience with them? Seems you can score refurbs direct from Harmon Kardon on ebay for a lot less than the $199 they normally sell for:

http://www.amazon.com/Harman-Kardon...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1292425845&sr=8-1

:banana:
 
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I bought one of these refurbished direct from Harman Kardon on ebay. I could not tell it was refurbished. Not a scratch on it and packaged in the HK factory box with the correct styrofoam inserts and everything its supposed to come with. The going price on ebay seems to be around the $60 range. Maybe higher now that its Christmas time. Turned out to be a great buy for me. IMO, at this price point, I havent heard anything better for just playing cds. I dont own any SACD's so I cant comment on that.
I previously bought an HK 3385 receiver from Harman Kardon direct on ebay two years ago and had the same experience. Perfect, new looking condition in the factory box. Based on my two experiences with HK's ebay outlet, I can vouch for them. They dont sell junk.
 
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nickv41 said:
I bought one of these refurbished direct from Harman Kardon on ebay. I could not tell it was refurbished. Not a scratch on it and packaged in the HK factory box with the correct styrofoam inserts and everything its supposed to come with. The going price on ebay seems to be around the $60 range. Maybe higher now that its Christmas time. Turned out to be a great buy for me. IMO, at this price point, I havent heard anything better for just playing cds. I dont own any SACD's so I cant comment on that.
I previously bought an HK 3385 receiver from Harman Kardon direct on ebay two years ago and had the same experience. Perfect, new looking condition in the factory box. Based on my two experiences with HK's ebay outlet, I can vouch for them. They dont sell junk.
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That's good to know - I think I might go for it then. I think refurbished might be a misnomer to...it could mean somebody bought it, opened the box, and returned it;)
 
kowalski said:
That's good to know - I think I might go for it then. I think refurbished might be a misnomer to...it could mean somebody bought it, opened the box, and returned it;)
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I would wait until January. Bid prices on ebay should fall to normal levels by then. As for refurbished, you are probably right but it really doesnt matter. Even if the unit was repaired, which you wont be able to tell, it was done at the HK factory and quality control checked a second time. Even then, it comes with the original factory warranty that everyone else gets.
 
I bought one used, with original box, manual, remote and all packaging. Got it for $100, which I thought was reasonable. Sound is very good, and hopefully it will be more reliable than my previous DVD player, the DVD-22. That one had an intermittent, very annoying issue wherein it would totally freeze, and none of the controls would work. Couldn't eject the disc. All you could do was pull the plug, and maybe you could retrieve your disc, maybe not.

I like the DVD-48. If you can get a refurbished (which is probably brand new) for less than $100, you can't ask for better than that.
 
I have one. I got it used on eBay for $67, shipped. It exactly matches my HK receiver so that made it all the more attractive.
Can't say anything bad about it!
if you are tempted by another model of HK DVD player though, try to read some reviews, as I read that other models had some pretty bad malfunctions.
I have one SACD, it plays really nicely on the DVD-48, and once I got a good (i,e, not defective) HDMI cable it also makes a really nice picture with my Sharp TV.
I think it doers NOT, however, play H-D DVD's.
 
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Won an ebay auction for one for $61...but I started worrying after the fact that I'll need to use it with a TV which I don't have and don't plan on having in my listening room. Can I just load CDs like a CD player or do I need to use the interfaces on screen??
 
kowalski said:
Won an ebay auction for one for $61...but I started worrying after the fact that I'll need to use it with a TV which I don't have and don't plan on having in my listening room. Can I just load CDs like a CD player or do I need to use the interfaces on screen??
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yes, just load them in the front like a CD player.
It won't display track names or anything, but otherwise it works just like a CD player. Most of the stuff on the remote you can probably just disregard. Just "play", "pause", "stop", "door open", etc.
 
Aunty Em said:
yes, just load them in the front like a CD player.
It won't display track names or anything, but otherwise it works just like a CD player. Most of the stuff on the remote you can probably just disregard. Just "play", "pause", "stop", "door open", etc.
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Shazam: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...hhmYHAw%3D&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK:MEWNX:IT

The only reason I was concerned was reading the manual on the HK website made it seem like I had to go select the specific type of disc being played - so it will automatically recognize a SACD and play it accordingly? Or would I need to select some sort of setting that maximizes and bunch of stuff for playback??

I probably shouldn't have read through the manual:banana:
 
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kowalski said:
The only reason I was concerned was reading the manual on the HK website made it seem like I had to go select the specific type of disc being played - so it will automatically recognize a SACD and play it accordingly? Or would I need to select some sort of setting that maximizes and bunch of stuff for playback??

I probably shouldn't have read through the manual:banana:
Click to expand...

I recently played my 1st SACD on it and it played fine, and the display on front indicated "SACD", so evidently as it reads the disc you put in, it switches itself to read it - whatever type it is. The only thing you DO have to switch yourself (which probably won't affect you since you say you're not using a TV) is to switch it to "HDMI out" when you want to use that output. But that's very easy, too, with a button on remote.
 
Aunty Em said:
I recently played my 1st SACD on it and it played fine, and the display on front indicated "SACD", so evidently as it reads the disc you put in, it switches itself to read it - whatever type it is. The only thing you DO have to switch yourself (which probably won't affect you since you say you're not using a TV) is to switch it to "HDMI out" when you want to use that output. But that's very easy, too, with a button on remote.
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Yeah I'm basically using it as a dedicated CD player even though it's a DVD player - I was looking at stuff at Goodwill for a while but it's hard to test if it's operational and the Goodwill's around me sell most everything for $25. So for a player that does virtually everything and gets pretty good reviews $61 (plus $12 shipping) was a no brainer. Even the bottom of the lines Sony's that get terrible reviews sell for like $130 at Best Buy:no:
 
for the $$ I don't see how you could lose.
The only thing would be if it were defective or whatever.

If you used it with a TV maybe it would be wiser to get a Bluray player with internet connectivity for not too much more $$$, but since it's just for music, unless you could find a used audiophile quality CD player in your price range, I do believe the HK is a great deal. And believe me, I'd be the 1st to bitch about it and complain if it were not good.
:)
 
Aunty Em said:
for the $$ I don't see how you could lose.
The only thing would be if it were defective or whatever.

If you used it with a TV maybe it would be wiser to get a Bluray player with internet connectivity for not too much more $$$, but since it's just for music, unless you could find a used audiophile quality CD player in your price range, I do believe the HK is a great deal. And believe me, I'd be the 1st to bitch about it and complain if it were not good.
:)
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I just noticed you have an HK 3390 - I'm actually kind of fascinated with those. What's your take on it? Is it a loud 85 watts??
 
kowalski said:
I just noticed you have an HK 3390 - I'm actually kind of fascinated with those. What's your take on it? Is it a loud 85 watts??
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Well, with my speakers it's louder than I can use...lol - my room is tiny and the neighbor's house is very close-by.
The nice thing about the HK48 and 3390 in tandem, if this makes any difference to you, is that match exactly color wise. It's like a dark gunmetal gray color. For new equipment I feel it is quite elegant.
However!!!
I have to tell you that if I had it to do over I might have sprung for the not that much more expensive 120 wpc one. Not so much for the extra power, but for the additional connectivity. HDMI, optical, etc., since I do use it with my TV.

Or, if I were going to drive really enormous speakers.
I have this fantasy of someday owning a pair of 15" woofered Cerwin-Vegas, and for something like that I would expect to have to upgrade the power.

What kind of music do you listen to, and what sort of speakers do you use? Really and truly 80 wpc is pretty much....
But if you're gonna be listening to really really loud music that requires major bass, like dance stuff, club mixes (or whatever it's called - back in the day it was just called disco, lol) then maybe the 80 wpc would come up short. But with my fairly efficient Axioms and a powered sub, it's plenty.
 
Aunty Em said:
Well, with my speakers it's louder than I can use...lol - my room is tiny and the neighbor's house is very close-by.
The nice thing about the HK48 and 3390 in tandem, if this makes any difference to you, is that match exactly color wise. It's like a dark gunmetal gray color. For new equipment I feel it is quite elegant.
However!!!
I have to tell you that if I had it to do over I might have sprung for the not that much more expensive 120 wpc one. Not so much for the extra power, but for the additional connectivity. HDMI, optical, etc., since I do use it with my TV.

Or, if I were going to drive really enormous speakers.
I have this fantasy of someday owning a pair of 15" woofered Cerwin-Vegas, and for something like that I would expect to have to upgrade the power.

What kind of music do you listen to, and what sort of speakers do you use? Really and truly 80 wpc is pretty much....
But if you're gonna be listening to really really loud music that requires major bass, like dance stuff, club mixes (or whatever it's called - back in the day it was just called disco, lol) then maybe the 80 wpc would come up short. But with my fairly efficient Axioms and a powered sub, it's plenty.
Click to expand...

I don't need anything crazy loud - everyone always says "vintage watts" and talk about older stuff being perceivably louder.

I'm using an old Pioneer sx 850 into some old pioneer cs88s and some crappy Fisher speakers from the 90s. I'm no audiophile and it sounds fine to me....

The one concern I do have is regarding the phono input on the hk3390 - I'm running a technics 1200mk2 with a Denon moving coil cart. Does the hk3390 allow you to select between moving coil/moving magnet inputs??
 
HK tends to conservatively rate their gear, which probably does not help their bottom line, but their honest. 85 HK watts is more than most will ever need and more than what you can actually get out of most other brands advertised at 120 wpc. . On another note I have a DVD 38, on my 720p tv I could not tell the difference in it and the picture of my Oppo 980, so the Oppo went. As far as Cd's though, I prefer an old Marantz DVD player I have.
 
kowalski said:
The one concern I do have is regarding the phono input on the hk3390 - I'm running a technics 1200mk2 with a Denon moving coil cart. Does the hk3390 allow you to select between moving coil/moving magnet inputs??
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Nice TT! I used to get to use one many years ago when I did a bit of DJ-ing.
(well, similar - some Technics 1200 MK)

I don't know the answer to that, but I don't think there is a switch or anything, for that - but my thought is that one of those types (and I don't know which) doesn't need to be plugged into a phono-specific input, or? I thought one kind DID need the phono input or phono pre-amp and the other did not? (but I could be totally wrong and thinking of something else)
:stupid:

I'm not using a TT now at all, but may in the future, and I have no idea which type of cartridge my TT has, but if I were using it I guess I would have just plugged it in anyway with full expectation it would work, regardless of cartridge. I don't recall having that option you mention on any of my old 70's or 80's receivers either though.

Can you access the 3390 manual online?
 
Aunty Em said:
Nice TT! I used to get to use one many years ago when I did a bit of DJ-ing.
(well, similar - some Technics 1200 MK)

I don't know the answer to that, but I don't think there is a switch or anything, for that - but my thought is that one of those types (and I don't know which) doesn't need to be plugged into a phono-specific input, or? I thought one kind DID need the phono input or phono pre-amp and the other did not? (but I could be totally wrong and thinking of something else)
:stupid:

I'm not using a TT now at all, but may in the future, and I have no idea which type of cartridge my TT has, but if I were using it I guess I would have just plugged it in anyway with full expectation it would work, regardless of cartridge. I don't recall having that option you mention on any of my old 70's or 80's receivers either though.

Can you access the 3390 manual online?
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Yeah - I'll take a look at the manual and see what it says. The denon is just a bit lower so I just have to turn up the volume a bit more. No big deal;)
 
^^^The HK's only support moving magnet carts:nono:

The way more expensive top of the line HK 990 offers a MC input though...but for like $2500 it should wash my dishes too...
 
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