Harman Kardon FL8380 5-CD Changer

by Harman Kardon

Product Details

Product Manual [205kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 15.2 x 17.3 x 5.1 inches ; 16.7 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 21 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000051SDV
• Item model number: FL8380
• Batteries: 2 AA batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #213,214 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Harman Kardon's stylish five-CD FL8380 CD player offers great sound, convenient features, and solid value. And while some may think twice about investing in a CD-only disc player in what is clearly the age of DVD, we have no such reservations about recommending this one.

Comparing the FL8380 with a similarly priced DVD player will easily reveal the sonic benefits of a dedicated CD player. In our tests, even a higher-priced DVD player like Toshiba's HDCD-equipped SD3109 didn't match the FL8380. Think of it this way: a DVD player has a lot more on its plate than just reproducing audio; a CD player doesn't.

Another important factor in the quality of this machine is Harman Kardon itself, a company with a longstanding commitment to great sound. And with the FL8380, HK has halved the retail price of its predecessor, the esteemed FL8370. Operationally and sonically, this unit seems every bit as good as the FL8370, but if Harman Kardon is cutting any corners, it's hard to tell where they are.

The player gives you both analog and digital outputs; depending on the amplifier or receiver you're using this with, you may want to avail yourself of both. The analog outputs afford you the extra sonic quality of CDs encoded in HDCD (High Definition Compatible Digital), while the coaxial digital-audio output facilitates hookup with an audio/video receiver or a CD recorder. (Please see our accompanying FAQ for more information on HDCD and digital-audio hookups.)

Discs like Blue Man Group's invigorating Audio showcase the dynamic prowess of both this player and the HDCD format. The FL8380 renders every last percussive assault with microscopic detail and all transients intact, showing what must be very close to the full range and power of the original analog recording.

Mechanically, the FL8380 is quieter than other CD changers, a definite boon when listening in close quarters. However, the analog audio output level is also quieter, possibly due to the HDCD chip, which grants extra dynamic range to HDCD-encoded recordings but requires that non-HDCD discs be reproduced slightly lower in level.

Harman asserts that the chip that decodes the HDCD data also improves the sound of standard CDs, but the level difference between this and other players foiled our attempts at comparisons. Take our word for it, though: this player sounds great, especially for a disc player (of any format!) in this price range.

The most convenient thing about a multidisc changer, apart from being able to listen to more than six hours of uninterrupted tunes, is the ability to listen to music radio-style, where the player jumps to a fresh track from a fresh disc after every song you hear. The good news is, the FL8380 offers not one but three random-play modes. The bad news? You can't program the unit to randomly switch discs after every song.

Here's how it works: Press the Random button once and the unit will play all the tracks on a given disc in random order (making sure not to repeat selections). Press the button twice and the player will play all five discs sequentially, randomly cycling through the songs on each disc before moving on to the next. Three presses of the button will make the player play two tracks from each disc, then do the same for another disc, and so on (again taking care not to repeat tracks).

You can't do a whole lot from the front panel, so take note if you don't like using remote controls (or if you're good at losing them). This unit does not offer A-B repeat, which is a convenient (if inessential) feature for looping a passage to decipher a lyric or a bit of between-song banter.

The bottom line remains, though, that this is a darn good CD player. Whether you're committed to stereo sound, maintaining a quality listening system as part your home theater, or putting together a good backroom system, the FL8380 is a great choice. --Michael Mikesell

Pros:

• Great sound
• HDCD decoding
• Quality headphone jack with volume control
• Quiet mechanical operation
• Simple to set up and use
• Intuitive, full-function remote control
• Coaxial digital-audio output

Cons:

• Cross-disc random-play mode plays two tracks from each disc before switching to a new disc
• No optical digital-audio output
• Minimal feature controls from front panel (don't lose that remote!)

Amazon.com Product Description

Harman Kardon's FL 8380 five-disc changer is an upgraded version of the company's popular FL 8370, a similar five-disc HDCD-compatible CD changer. The FL 8380 offers a host of convenient features, such as Harman Kardon's exclusive Enhanced Operation Software, a play-one/exchange-four playback function that ensures hours of uninterrupted music, and system remote in/out jacks that allow a single remote sensor to serve multiple Harman Kardon components for cohesive system integration. The player can also program up to 32 tracks, skip discs during playback, and read encoded CD Text on applicable discs. A front-panel headphone jack comes with an independent volume control. The FL 8380 also includes enhancements such as CD-R and CD-RW playback capability so you can play your homemade CDs, a cutting-edge Burr-Brown digital-to-analog converter (DAC), and premium-quality parts and construction for superlative audiophile-quality performance from both HDCD-encoded and conventional CDs.

A coaxial digital-audio output can be played through the digital input of a receiver or preamp/processor or a separate, external DAC. Analog outputs provide a standard connection. A full-function remote control offers random CD play, random track play, and direct track access for any track on any disc.

The FL 8380 comes with a one-year limited warranty on parts and labor.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What's yellow, grows on trees, & has a sour taste?..., May 19, 2002

By 

Ferrara Brain Pan (San Francisco CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harman Kardon FL8380 5-CD Changer (Electronics)

Please read all the way to the bottom of my review for my latest sob story concerning this sorry piece o' crap CD changer...

Well, first off, I am a devoted enthusiast of Harman Kardon stereo equipment. My previous system was comprised of all Harman Kardon components, and when I decided to upgrade last year I opted to stick with this brand which has served me well (keeping my Cambridge Soundworks Ensemble speaker setup which leaves hardly any room for improvement). I bought a new HK 3370 receiver (***** excellent unit, see my review), a HK CDR20 dual CD record deck (also a superbly performing unit), and the CD changer here discussed, FL8380, to replace my previous Harman Kardon FL8450 CD changer which, after six years of use, burned out the remote sensor (the part was allegedly obsolete so I had to replace the unit if I wanted remote capability)...
I bought this unit new last December 2001. It worked great for five weeks and then one night it completely stopped reading discs - it would not play any disc: KAPUT. The dealer exchanged it for a brand new unit, same model - worked splendidly for another five or six weeks, then started behaving erratically: would sometimes read discs, sometimes not. I would have to unplug it for twenty minutes every time it failed in order to clear the memory and then it would usually work again normally. (These are regular factory-made CDs it was refusing to play, mind you, not CDRs). After about a week of this unreliable functioning I got fed up and returned it to the dealer, who then gave me a THIRD brand new FL8380. This one I have had for three months now and it is so far working well under fairly heavy use (4-6 hours a day or more) - 99% of the time, that is (on a few occasions it has failed to read a disc or track but I have been able to 'fix' it by simply stopping play or opening the disc tray). Needless to say, I contacted Harman Kardon's service department numerous times during the course of my difficulties with this model. Telephone technical support reps were polite but not very helpful (one guy insisted that this model was one of the top performing models in production - of course, no one had ever had problems similar to those I was experiencing)... As for the long letters I wrote to Harman Kardon's customer service department (via both email and snail mail), no one took the time to answer them. Given the fact that I have been a Harman Kardon customer to the tune of over $[money], that is not very exemplary customer support...
Anyhow, back to the 8380. The sound of this CD changer is fantastic. HDCDs sound phenomenal, and conventional CDs sound great, too. As for the features, Harman Kardon's previous CD changer model FL8450 was better: it had A-B repeat play capability and TRUE random play, unlike this model which plays two tracks from each disc before randomly advancing to a different disc. As noted by other reviewers, the mechanics of disc changing and playback are rather slow and clunky. I'm inclined to believe the manufacturer made some compromises in the quality of the inner mechanics in this unit to offset the costs of the state-of-the-art HDCD circuitry. And as to the functional reliability of the unit, the ordeals I have related above are testimony enough...
Based on my own experience I'd recommend anyone to think twice before purchasing this particular CD changer...

ADDENDUM TO ABOVE REVIEW... The error correction circuitry on this unit is pretty poor. I have run across CDs that will play fine on my two other players (a Harman Kardon dual-CD recording deck and a Panasonic 'discman' type portable) and that won't play on this, due to either scratches or manufacturing irregularities. Most recently I paid a huge bundle of money for a rare CD box set on eBay and come to find out that one out of the seven discs will not play on this changer (but will on my other two units). What a lemon...

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Fairly irritating disappointment, December 12, 2001

By 

StephenNY (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harman Kardon FL8380 5-CD Changer (Electronics)

Despite claims to the contrary, this model DOES NOT deal well with CD-R's or enhanced CD's. I make compilations constantly, and these homemade compilations play on all machines but my Harman Kardon FL 8380. Other irritants include the fact that it takes forever to turn on, and it then must cycle through every CD in the machine before allowing you to play music. This cycling happens even after you replace a disc. After a disc is through playing, it returns to that disc if you've opened the machine during the time that disc is playing. The sound is terrific, but the other factors override the sound for me. I will be replacing this machine even though I've only owned it for 6 months

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't make the same mistake I did, September 22, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Harman Kardon FL8380 5-CD Changer (Electronics)

I thought Harmon Kardon was a quality mid level brand. This player is junky and reeks of cheap components. It was broken coming out of the box--only plays out of the right channel. Got another one--same deal. In return for my trouble got obstacles and whining from the manufacturer. The caraousel is extremely slow. You'll notice right away as it scans every disc--all 5--every time you turn it on or change a disc or try to open it. Lots of waiting when you want to hear music. Look elsewhere. You'd be better off with a ...portable plugged into your home system.