Cool looking HK CD Changer... the Aftermath

[ilovesocks]

As a tiny number of you may know, my attention was turned toward an old harman/kardon TL8500 CD changer being sold on eBay in this thread. I was able to snatch the thing for $30 shipped - thanks, fewtch! It arrived in very good condition, with a few scratches here and there, but nothing worth complaining about at the price I got for such a 5-CD changer. I like the way the clear top door opens up slowly when you release it, but I wish there was a more readable indication of which # disc is being played so that I didn't have to squint through the door to see the numbers when I want to change discs. That's about my only problem with it so far.

My first Redbook system is as follows:

harman/kardon TL8500 -> Headphile Standard Copper 1.5m -> Corda Aria -> AKG k271S

It is being compared to FLAC files being played via ASIO4ALL to the Aria's internal DAC. This was very convenient to compare because I could play the same song through both systems simultaneously (a FLAC file and the CD from which it was ripped), and all I had to do to toggle between the two was to flip the input switch on the Aria and adjust the volume (the CD changer came through quite a bit louder than the internal DAC, which I expected, based on what I've read here at Head-Fi)! I would've liked to try it out with my k501's put they're packed away and I don't feel like getting them out.

In short, the midranges of the two systems sounded almost exactly the same to me. The only differences I could only hear were tiny discrepancies at the two ends of the spectrum: bass was more audible from the HK (this was especially apparent during bass solos, which became slightly fuller and more clearly-defined; at the other end, treble was smoother. And this all happens without losing the detail and lushness of the midrange, so I think I can safely say that this CD player has a more evenly-balanced and detailed sound than the Aria's DAC. That's all I can say about that, but keep in mind that these are very subtle differences!

All in all, not a bad deal! Unfortunately, I won't be taking this player with me to college when I leave in a few days due to its massive (IMO) footprint and the inability to put anything on top of it due to the top-loading door. But it'll be waiting for me when I come home. I must thank fewtch again for posting the link to that eBay auction, and thanks to the rest of you for not reading the thread and/or not bidding due to skepticism.

 

[Herandu]

I have an old HK Citation system that I refuse to sell. I didn't get the CD player with it though, which I still feel was a mistake. The PCB tracks are gold clad, and the power amp can only be lifted by a weight lifter, which I am not! It sounds brilliant through my Ariston TT with SME arm and Koetsu Gold MC cartridge. So I know what you mean when you say you are happy with the CD changer. HK are very much under rated, but not by me...

 

[renton]

at that price its defintely a steal, but man is it ugly. no offense of course

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilovesocks All in all, not a bad deal! Unfortunately, I won't be taking this player with me to college when I leave in a few days due to its massive (IMO) footprint and the inability to put anything on top of it due to the top-loading door. But it'll be waiting for me when I come home. I must thank fewtch again for posting the link to that eBay auction, and thanks to the rest of you for not reading the thread and/or not bidding due to skepticism.

It was a pleasure... definitely something I would have picked up myself, if I didn't already have a couple CD players. Glad to hear that it actually sounds decent as well as looking good... no surprise to me where H-K gear is involved.

P.S. this post + throwing on my Beyer DT880s tonight and listening awhile constitute my re-entry to head-fi, after being away for over a month. Think I got frustrated with the purchase of the Gilmore Lite throwing off the synergy I had going, while at the same time sounding obviously better than the JMT Pimeta it was meant to replace. Getting away from all my gear for awhile has clarified things a lot. OK, the Gilmore Lite is a little bit bright with the DT880s. It's also musical, and dare I say even magical once it's warmed up 15-30 minutes. Nowhere near as warm sounding as a Pimeta with OPA627s in all channels, but then nobody would expect it to be. Now that my ears are de-trained to the Pimeta/OPA627 warmth, I think I can live with the Gilmore + DT880 combo and enjoy its benefits over the Pimeta in terms of clarity, transparency and truthfulness... with no real loss in musicality, possibly even a gain.

I still haven't gotten around to buying a pair of AKG K701s... $300 is not a minor purchase for me, and the required savings discipline has not been there the past couple months. Won't be as the holidays approach either, as it'll then be PC upgrade time. Just gotta wait & see what happens, I guess.

 

[soundboy]

Sometimes you just have to take a break and walk away....clear away your head, if you will.