Sony HAR-LH500 Reviews

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Sony HAR-LH500
2.8 stars
Average rating for this product is: 2.8 out of 5

From 1 rating and 3 reviews

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Average Ratings for Sony HAR-LH500

  • Sound Quality3.3 stars
  • Features3.2 stars
  • Value for Money3.4 stars
  • Reviewer Ratings3.3 stars
  • Overall Rating2.8 stars

3 Reviews For Sony HAR-LH500

  • rjbuk 22nd Sep 2004

    Reviewer rating: 4.5 stars


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    Good Points: Smart device - good looking. VERY impressive sound when playing CD's, and almost as good with stored CD's (PCM).


    Bad Points: Sound quality of ATRAC is poor.


    General comments: There are two ways to load CD's on to HD - manually or when USB-linked to a PC connected to the Internet. I started by loading about 20 albums in ATRAC mode - about 20min/disk - and then connected up to hifi. Checked CD playing - VERY impressive, nice detailed sound. ATRAC HD music - terrible by comparison - glassy, no bite, no dynamic. So, deleted all HD content, and tried again, loading in PCM format (5min a CD, so fast). Sound quality much better.

    I have now installed about 120CD's on the device, and the disk is over 80% full. So, no way will I get all my CDs on this, unless someone knows how to swap the 80GB disk for a 400GB one (it will come - someone will do it!). Of those 120 disks, only one (an obscure Walton string quartet on Meridian label) had no entry in CDDB (it does now, I submitted it!) so I have a fully annotated HD set. No failures in reading disks either.

    I've been adding CD's using the M-crew (groan, for goodness sake, Sony!) software - which is very easy to use, and makes loading CD's a background task. I guess in the future I'll use my portable to add further CD's BTW, the CD's to load go in the HAR500, not the computer - the USB only does the control and CDDB update).

    I am excited about the prospect of listening to more of my music. I suspect I will buy a small keyboard to aid in CD/track selection - there is a keyboard port (standard PS2) on the front of the case.

    All in all, I am very pleased. Just need to upgrade the disk to 400GB...

  • grochi 4th Jun 2004

    Reviewer rating: 0.5 stars


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    Well, theoritically this Sony HAR LH500 could be a good cd player. At least, it was a good idea - but VERY poorly implemented.
    Actually, the so-called protection schemes Sony implemented make the HAR-LH500 nearly useless.
    Reading CDs? Nope. Most of the time, it will say "No Disc". It won't read 9 out of 10 CDs - won't read any CD with any sort of protection scheme - this means: won't read any CD you buy nowadays.
    Reading MP3s? the user manual warns you: "some MOP3s won't be read". Point blank ...

  • DMcAdams Rank: Lance Corporal 26th Jan 2004

    Reviewer rating: 5 stars


    On average, people found this review very helpful
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    I ordered this machine as a growing CD collection was threatening to take over my room. Worse still, my laziness and the hundreds of CDs that liked to shuffle themselves around made it virtually impossible to find anything so a quick surf on the net found it for 50% of the Sony Shop's price and it was ordered.

    I had my doubts about the quality of the sound before hearing it but a quick connection via optical cables to my system laid my fears to rest. CDs played on the machine sound virtually ...