Philips LHH2000

Rare first generation professional player and first of Philips' Japan-only LHH line of superlative CD players, which comprised Philips-only and Marantz/Philips top-end units from 1984 until the mid 90s.

This player looks very much like a computer which was quite prescient from Philips :)
The original design was based on the CD303 : LHH0502.

Sony was at the same time presenting its 2nd generation professional player/remote system (CDP-3000 & CDS-3000), an unfortunately extra-rare set as well.

The LHH2000 still fetches very high prices in Japan - whether this is due to "vintage" or quality I wouldn't know but my guess it that it holds a little bit of both and very much so : the 1985 MSRP was 1,500,000¥ and today's 2nd hand tag is... 800,000¥ !
Original units had the CDM0 drive ; later ones (most) the CDM1.

A later version was planned, built, but finally not released : its drive part used a loading tray like that of the CD104 while the electronics remained unchanged in a separate box. Maybe two or three prototypes were made at Eindhoven ; one survived for sure.

I believe the LHH2000 to have been (market-wise) Japan-only but was also available in the CD pressing plants for checking the CD batches and as reference player.

The radio image comes from a 1985 Philips german catalog. Besides one ad in another Stereo Sound issue, that is all I have - anyone at Philips care to share some of the archives ?

The LHH name stuck by for Philips' japanese lineup like the LHH1000 (aka Marantz CD-12 and CDA-12) and small lineups of high-end audio separates.


A real LHH2000 here.

The images here come from a Stereo Sound issue #75 dated summer 1985.