Harman-Kardon CDR 26 owner manual Introduction, Important Information About CD Recording

Thank you for choosing Harman Kardon.

The CDR 26 CD Player/Recorder is a unique product, designed not only to play back your existing library of compact discs, but also to record compact discs from either analog or digital programs. You may feed signals (for recording) to the CDR 26 from external sources such as an A/V receiver, a tuner, a tape deck or a CD player, or you may simply place a CD in one deck, and make a copy using a recordable CD in the other deck.

Designed and engineered by Harman Kardon, the CDR 26 is among the few audio CD recorders with 4x speed capability. This means that it will take only 15 minutes to copy a 60-minute disc.

The CDR 26 not only records with the highest speed and quality available but it is also an audiophile CD player. Through the use of audiophile-grade digital-to- analog converters (DACs), the CDR 26’s performance rivals the most sophisticated high-end players. Should you wish to bypass the internal DACs and use an external digital processor, coax and optical digital out- puts are available. Thanks to the CDR 26’s dual-tray design, you may even set the CDR 26 to Continuous Play mode for parties or where background music is desired. To make CD playback more enjoyable, the CDR 26 also features a wide range of program and repeat functions.

Since CD recorders are a relatively new technology, this may be your first CD-R product. Although CD recorders resemble play-only CD machines in many ways, there are some important differences between a standard CD and a CD-R. In addition, making a CD-R recording is also a different process than what you may be familiar with for making audio tape or cassette recordings. For that reason, we encourage you to read through this manual so that you are fully acquainted with the way CD recording works. This small investment in your time will pay major dividends in the enjoyment that will result from proper use of the CDR 26.

If you have additional questions about this product, its installation or its operation that are not answered in this manual, please contact your dealer, who is your best source of local information. You may also contact Harman Kardon via e-mail through our Web site at www.harmankardon.com.

Special Features

■Dual-deck CD player and CD-R/CD-RW recorder

■4x Dub speed for both CD-R and erasable CD-RW discs

■Audiophile-grade digital-to-analog converters for highest audio quality

■Continuous play capability

■Extensive playback programming capabilities

■Coaxial and optical digital inputs and outputs

■Front-panel coaxial and optical digital inputs for use with portable devices

■Sample-rate converter allows use of DAT players as digital source

■Ergonomic remote control

INTRODUCTION

Important Information About CD Recording

In order to get the most enjoyment from your new CD recorder, please pay special attention to the following sections of the manual that provide information about the features and capabilities of CD recorders.

■The CDR 26 plays all standard CD audio discs but for recording, the CDR 26 uses special CD-R and CD-RW discs designed only for audio use. CD-R discs designed for computer use will not work in the CDR 26. See page 14 for more information on which types of discs are used with the CDR 26.

■The last step in making a CD recording is the final- ization process. Unless this step is properly done, the disc will not work in other players. See page 21 for information on finalizing discs.

■Once finalized, CD-R discs will play in any CD player, but CD-RW discs will only play in the CDR 26 and other machines specifically designed for compati- bility with CD-RW discs. Check the specifications of your CD player if you have questions about com- patibility with CD-RW discs.

■As with all CD players, except those designed specifically for portable use, you should never move a CD player while there is a disc inside one of the decks. DO NOT move the CDR 26 until discs have been removed from both decks.

INTRODUCTION 3