How good was the Harman Kardon CD-491

[itzmike]

I had a HK 4600 one time but I still see posts on the internet stating that the 491 was the best HK. Any opinions???

[Scorpion8]

I've been thru quite a few HK decks (400xm, 100m, CD91, and have a TD192 on it's way) and they all are good, well manufactured decks. The higher the number-series got (e.g. 491 was better than 391 was better than 291 & 191) then the better they were. HK just never got the notoriety of the tape universe as they were more of a boutique brand. If you have a good condition 491 you don't need to harbor any tape-deck-envy.

[Web Police]

I have followed quire a few ebay auctions on that model but never got around to bidding on one. *scratchchin*

Some day.

[Scorpion8]

I don't know about "the best". My 400xm has all the bells, whistles and adjustments you could need. They're probably comparable.

[Scorpion8]

In fact, the CD491 looks remarkably similar to the 400Xm, so am pretty sure they compare well.

[Naknut]

If memory serves back in the day HK had some traveling techs going to audio shops (Hi-Fi Buys in the south) I think, that did comparison between the HK CD-491 and Nakamichis. Their point was to show that the HKs would match or beat the Nakamichi in SN, W&F, frequency response etc. You could even bring your deck in and they would make sure that it was up to spec.
The HK CD-491 is on my gotta have list.

[jt1stcav]

I owned a CD 491 back in '85 along with a Nakamichi DRAGON, and sonically it was a virtual match IMHO! Easy to use with functions that made excellent sounding recordings (the HX Pro was a definite plus).*check*

Unfortunately, a year later it developed transport problems and I had it repaired. A month or two later the same problem cropped up again, and it was fixed yet again! A short time later the transport mechanism failed completely, so I sold it as is to a hobbiest DIYer for parts!*headache*

It may have been a lemon from the start that slipped past QC undetected at the factory. It was a shame because it was an excellent match for my DRAGON for dubbing purposes, and built like a tank to boot. I really wanted to keep the deck after the transport issue, but the warranty had already expired, and I was sick of plunking money down to a qualified H/K tech for repairs. So, out of frustration I sold it, and never bought another H/K cassette deck since.

Hope you have better luck with the CD 491 if you've chosen to purchase one.

[stuwee]

I owned a CD 491 back in '85 along with a Nakamichi DRAGON, and sonically it was a virtual match IMHO! Easy to use with functions that made excellent sounding recordings (the HX Pro was a definite plus).*check*

Unfortunately, a year later it developed transport problems and I had it repaired. A month or two later the same problem cropped up again, and it was fixed yet again! A short time later the transport mechanism failed completely, so I sold it as is to a hobbiest DIYer for parts!*headache*

It may have been a lemon from the start that slipped past QC undetected at the factory. It was a shame because it was an excellent match for my DRAGON for dubbing purposes, and built like a tank to boot. I really wanted to keep the deck after the transport issue, but the warranty had already expired, and I was sick of plunking money down to a qualified H/K tech for repairs. So, out of frustration I sold it, and never bought another H/K cassette deck since.

Hope you have better luck with the CD 491 if you've chosen to purchase one.

That's high praise indeed, and a juicy stack pic! You don't see that everyday!

[Dimitar Georgiev]

I don't know about "the best". My 400xm has all the bells, whistles and adjustments you could need. They're probably comparable.

Yes, but it is a single capstan unlike CD491. Also the mechanics of 400XM is old design similar to that of Aiwa AD6900 while CD491 has similar transport to that of Nak BX300 and Onkyo TA-2090.

D.

[koseltri]

the 491 was on stereo Review's short list of the 5 best--Dragon, cd491, TA-2090, B215, and I *think* the Tandberg 3014A. Heady company, indeed!