Philips CDR-785 3 CD Changer with Integrated CD Recorder
Automatic Digital Record Level Control, Record Level Adjustment, CD-Text, 3-Disc CD Changer with Motorized Drawer, Microphone Mixing...
Automatic Digital Record Level Control
During recording from the internal CDC, the unit automatically equalises volume levels between CDs, so that there are no unpleasant volume jumps during playback of the recorded CD.
Direct Line Recording
For making Bit for Bit Recordings.
Record Level Adjustment
The volume levels of disc could differ between discs. With the Jog, it is possible to adjust the Digital Recording Level.
CD-Text
No more need to look-up the track you want to play or record in the CD inlay booklet, simply select the track by name from the display, directly from the disc. The display can show both artist and title for the entire album as well as individual tracks. With the CDR, you can also create your own CD Text information for e.g. your own compilations.
Double Speed Recording from CD
Make your own CD in half the time.
3-Disc CD Changer with Motorized Drawer
Multi-disc play capability provides more than three hours of continuous music.
Simplified Recording Mode
CD > CD duplicates entire CD, Compile CD is perfect for simple compilation.
Energy Saving Standby Mode (Most systems consume 10-15 watts just on standby. Philips systems consume less than 2 watts of energy on standby for big saving to the listener.
Shuffle One/All Discs
Plays all selections on a particular disc or multiple discs in multi-disc players in random order, ignoring the sequential order in which they were originally recorded.
Microphone Mixing
Now you can be the STAR! Record your own vocals or musical instrument. Better still record yourself singing or playing along with your favorite artist.
A-B Programming
When you want to record only a fragment of a whole track.
Get it for: $369.99

3 CD playback tray. Ease of use to burn from one CD onto a CDR/W. Potential to burn from other sources.

Quality of indivual units varies greatly

I bought my first Philips CDR785 during a post Christmas sale last year. Once I plugged the unit into the rest of my audio system, I found that burning a CD to a CDR was very simple. A straight dub meant pushing about two buttons. I was hooked. After poring over the instructions, I was able to make my first mix in a little less than an hour.

Once you get past this phase, things get a little trickier. I decided to burn music from an old LP. After setting up the source and setting the audio level (I found you have to turn the level down several clicks to prevent overmodulation), I stood over my unit to stop recording after every song. If you don't the CD/R will figure it is all just one track. Luckily I used a RW so I was able to fix my mistakes.

Now, after I had the unit for a little under 3 weeks, it developed a fatal problem. It would not record an entire program I would set up. I was lucky that the problem happend soon enough that I was able to take it back to Circuit City and exchange it for another CDR. I have now had the 2nd unit for 10 months. In that time, it developed a nasty habit of not wanting to open the CDR bay. Sometimes I would have to turn off the unit, wait, and then power up. This would work. Lately this annoyance has stopped, and I hope it won't come back.

Has it been worth the trouble? Yes. I have burned scores of cd's and they all sound great. And if anyone is interested, I have been using Maxell CDR's, both 74 and 80 minutes. I have had no problems with Memorex CDR/W's either.

Similar Products Used:

first cdr

See below on previous review

See below on previous review

This is an update to my previous review. This CD recorder has turned out to be a nightmare. Philips had previously told me that they would be sending me out a revised manual that had the previous manual's errors corrected. I waited, and waited, and waited. I finally got POed and called a supervisor. I was informed that no manual was being sent to me and the statement from the previous Philips representive was incorrect or a "LIE" to me. When someone LIES to me, I get VERY, VERY OFFENDED!!!!

On top of the lie, the unit has started going nuts. It will start recording, then stop immediately after a few seconds. This obviously ruins the discs. It has added pops and static in some cases, also ruining discs. After spending $479, I feel like I've been ripped off. I don't have a manual that accurately explains how to use the unit, and now it has become defective within a years time. I usually describe items like this as "JUNK"! Perhaps I'll be going back to minidisc and only using my computer for CDRs!

Similar Products Used:

See below on previous review

Looks and sounds amazing! This unit has so many features packed in to the unit.

It has so many features it is a little bit complicated - took me almost an hour to figure out how to record from an outside source.

I am so excited about this product that I don't really know what to type.

I have spent the past few days playing with the recording options. It has produced excellent copies from both cd, tape (yuck - I am taping all of my old tapes onto cd) and microphone.

I love it - no more cd's with two or three good songs on it - I love having lots of tracks that I like on the same cd.

Similar Products Used:

None - First cdr(w) stereo unit ever used.

Ease of use -after learning operation

Some of the front panel design-manual vague in places

First I must say --I got a deal! I found this unit on ebay on a Buy It Now offer. It was open box with new warranty It was 189.00 plus 20.00 S&H.for a total of 209.00.The thing was I hurrried to get the deal before it was gone so all I did was a few minutes of research on features and comparison of prices.So I bought it quickly.I then read the reviews on this sight and I began to worry a little .about quality and ease of use .After receiving the unit and reading the manual for about 30 minutes ;I sat down and played with the controls with manual in hand .It wasn't hard at all I was burning CDs in 10 minutes.AND-- IT SOUNDS GREAT!! Heres why I think this unit is getting unjustified critcisim--First of all its not easy to start operating something with such a variety of features;after all think about everything this thing can do.You can make high speed copies of CDs in 2x speed or regular speed while you listen.You can make a digital recording from an outside source like another Cd player, DVD,satelitte reciever etc. Or you can make an analog recording from an outside (auxilary) source( tape LP radio etc.)You can make the aux. recordings digitally from an optical (digital) input or nondigitally from an analog input. This analog input is what you hook to a tape output on your amp/reciever so that you can record those external analog sources I mentioned .When you record internally you can use ALC -automatic level control Or if you're not recording high speed you can listen while you record and manually control the volume input even fade in and out.You can even record sections of tracks with track editing.This a very precise control and is great when you're editing out sections of Cds that you don't want.You can also name the disk and each track you have recorded with track edit.You can record a mix with the music you are inputting with a microphone.Or record just the mike.The compiling feature is great too.You put 3 CDs you want to create a mix from on the player side of the unit and a blank CDR/CDRW on the record side--program the unit by telling it what tracks you want off of each CD to be recorded .For example you can tell it you want song 2 on disk 3 to be recorded first ,then song 2 from CD 1 as the next one and so on.it will even tell you when the CDR/W is full .The point is if you had to write a manual explaining the operation of all those features wouldn't it be a little long and seem complicated.if you read the manual and practice on a CDRW that you can erase,you'll be burning CDs in no time!I use my unit to record the music off the 30 music stations on my Dish network satellite receiver from an optical output into the CDR the results are amazing!Cd quality sound from an almost endless supply of music.Thats better than searching all over the Internet for music and having to manipulate it all around just to make a few minutes of music.I use a CDRW as a master when I do this and then transfer what i want back to a blank CDR.I don't see how anyone could go wrong with this recorder/player especially if you shop for a deal on eBay ,UBID,or a discount house etc.They are about 350.00 at SAM's and Circuit CIty

Similar Products Used:

none