Home > Consumer Reviews > Philips CDR800 3-CD Integrated CD Recorder

Once I purchased this product I said bye bye to recording on my Sony tape deck much like I did about watching vhs tapes versus dvd movies ! So far I have not encountered any major recording drawbacks or electronic malfunctions using this recorder. Both 3 disc tray well and single recording/playback well have smooth sounding and operating mechanisms. The only timelag I've encountered is using the remote to get, oh let's say from track 1 to 10 by numerically pressing the corresponding key tracks; response is not quick enough within changing track numbers from the same disc. However, strangely enough the random play and program functions are quite rapid ! Honorable mention for Philips in designing a well lit and highly readable digital function display with brightness adjustment.In fact, I have found this recorder to be a breeze to use for burning cd track compilations and understanding the instructions versus using my tape deck (don't have to worry about unmatched sound levels, Dolby noise reduction, metal or chrome tape, high bias, yadda yadda yadda...)The Philips CDR800 is aesthetically pleasing on the eyes. The price is quite acceptable and reasonable when compared to other competetive brands that only offer single or dual recording playback trays at higher cost. However, must keep in mind that this recorder can record 1x or 2x speed. This is acceptable since I have no desire to copy full length pre-recorded cds versus single various track compilations. If you enjoy copying full length cds in their entirety then the Philips CDR820 will do the trick by recording 1/4 the time (4x)...Keep in mind that before you can contemplate between 2x and 4 x recorders some manufacturer will come along and build a better mouse trap for audio disc recorders that can do 8x or 10x, even faster times to cut down on recording times of whole discs !

I have this same model, but without the MP3 addition. Trust me, no MP3 feature of any kind will make this CD recorder worth the purchase. I had mine for only a few months before it simply stopped recording on CDR's I'd been using all along. So it had to be shipped back to the factory (where it stayed for 5 weeks), so they could "look at it." Over a month later, I got a call from them saying that "Philips CD recorders are only designed to work with Philips exclusive CDR blank media." My first problem with this is that apparently nobody who sells Philips recorders knows this--or they just don't tell you-- and Philips consumer electronics, themselves, don't tell you in the instructions, on the box, or even at their helpline 1-800 number. Secondly, good luck trying to find any Philips brand CDR blank media out there, much less at a reasonable price. And even when the unit is functioning the way it should, the record-times are sporadic and the computer inside the unit is fickle at best. Please use my unfortunate experiences with Philips CD recorders for your own benefit. Do not spend your hard-earned money on this product. I'm sure there are other quality CD recorders out there, but I just blew my money on the wrong one.

I received my Phillips CDR 820 7/1/02. I read the Instructions and had it up and recording in no time. The unit is very user friendly and makes superb recordings. I used Imation AUDIO discs and had no problem with them. The controls are nicely laid out. I like the feature using my computer keyboard for inputing the titles. The ps2 jack is up front and not in the rear. I am converting all my old 33 1/3 records to CD's and it easier to do it with this unit than drag all my components into my computer room. Thanks Phillips for this well designed easy to use product

This is a real good set, easy to use, very user friendly and with a quite good users manual, very easy to follow. Have been working it about 6 month, and recordered in all modes and with all possible sources, both digital and analog without problems and superb results.
Just 2 tips: dont use cheap blank CD's (I mean less than a buck ok buck fifty the piece, they fail by shure. I use some japanese ones rating [$$$] each and works fine) and when recordering from old or noisy cassettes, record song by song if you dont want to have 15 songs in a single track.
If you like editing your own CD's, or have lots of tapes and LP's to save, this is a must.

This unit is super! Very easy to record tapes, just hook it up, push record and the easy to read display tells you when to start your cassette!. If you have a big cassette tpe collection at home that you don't wnt to throw away, buy this recorder, you will love it.