BearBoy

I found the Service Manual easily enough ( LINK ) but had no joy with the user manual. The deck seems to have been designed as an optional extra for a DVD mini system: SC-HDA710. The user manual for that can be found HERE but unfortunately it doesn't cover the MiniDisc deck. The main system (but not the MD deck) seems to hang together with ribbon cables though, rather than usual RCA hi-fi leads.

Doesn’t sound so short when you put it like that that Kevin...

Yeah, it’s kind of crazy how many different models got released over MiniDisc’s relatively short lifespan given that the format is often (incorrectly IMHO) viewed as having been a failure.

Haha. I too sat through the whole of the long one. I may even have gone back to watch a couple of bits again... I’ve not actually watched the shorter one but saw the link and thought others might find it a little more palatable :-)

If you're short on time there is an abridged version:

Actually, looks like it might be a Sharp MD-MS721. According to MiniDisc.org, that model was released in 1998.

Yeah, I wondered that too. I think 80 minute discs came out after my MDS-JE500 but it's never had any issues with them. That Sharp may have been even older though (and possibly not in the best nick).

I'm almost half an hour in and he's not having much luck so far...

They're coming thick and fast at the moment...

Great news! I hope you guys manage to get Stefano's excellent app working with the MDS-JB980 (which presumably would mean compatibility with the MDS-JE780 too). More than happy to help with testing with a Windows PC too if it would help in any way.

Thanks Kevin. I’ll take a look at those.

Have been looking for some (inkjet) printable labels to apply to MiniDiscs and I've not been able to find any that are pretty much the correct size. I know I could buy larger ones and cut them down but just wondered if anyone knew of any that fit without needing this.

According to the Service Manual that error means: Error - F15 Symptom - Interval till MD starts playing is too long Possible cause - Pickup home position sense switch (S8) is defective; check and replace if necessary The part number is apparently RSP1A023-A No idea if this is of any help?

Re point 3, it works fine with AAC files. I couldn’t get it to work with ALAC files though.

I've made quite a few CD-Rs with CD Text using iTunes and have never noticed any issues with the titling. Have you got another CD player with CD Text you could try them on?

Ha. Good to see you luring in your offspring :-) Look forward to following you tackling its faults*. I think I mentioned in another thread that I'd been vaguely looking for some of the TDK "Colour Splash" MDs, which appeared in a YouTube video Kevin posted. Well, I got a bit more organised and made more of a concerted effort to pick some up. Set some price per disc limits and started following a few on eBay. I've now managed to acquire 45 of the things... Need to get around to making some more recordings now ;-) *The MZ-N510's, not your son's.

Are the connections between the battery holder and the device sound? I’ve had problems with an MZ-N710 because of a poor connection on the internal battery, which was triggered by physical movement of the device. Sorry, just asking obvious stuff. Hopefully someone else on here might be more familiar with the innards or may have come across this issue before. Welcome to the forum, btw.

Looks like an AA battery? Have you got an AC adaptor? If so, does the same thing happen with that?

How are you powering the device? AC adaptor? Internal gumstick battery? External AA battery?

Yes, you can see it in this video:

Great news! Really glad you got it working again :-)

I had a similar issue with an MDS-JB980 when I replaced the load belt recently: Are you hearing the relay click twice when you reconnect the power? I'm afraid I don't know what the issue was with mine but removing/reinstalling the drive mechanism and ribbon cables fixed it.

Haha. Yeah, some of Sony's ES components were built like absolute tanks. It's a shame they don't make anything like that anymore.

To say I wasn't really doing a proper comparison is something of a massive understatement. In fact, I think I've got muddled here and have been mentally comparing the inside of one of my MDS-JB980s with the inside of the other (no wonder I thought they looked similar...) I opened my MDS-JB940 up this evening to (finally) replace the loading belt and there is a lot more going on inside the 940 compared to the 980, including, as M1JWR noted, a much beefier power section. I suspect this must go some way to explaining the weight difference between the two machines. Anyway, I've now got all of my decks fully functioning again :-) Next on the maintenance list is a portable that needs some attention.

I'm not sure there is necessarily one right answer to "what is the best deck"? I think it really depends on your individual requirements and set-up. I've got both the MDS-JB980 and MDS-JB940 and, for me and my set up, I favour the 980. Not because of NetMD (I've never used it on the 980) but because it has Type S and because the 940, whilst having MDLP, does not support the Group function. The 940 has more connectivity options (coaxial digital out and an extra optical in) and if you stick to SP then I doubt there is any reason to pay extra for a 980. Interesting that you think the 940 is of a much higher build quality. The two machines look nigh on identical and when I had them open I don't recall noticing any massive differences (I didn't have them open at the same time though and wasn't really doing a proper comparison). I did notice that some of the circuit boards in the 980 are labelled "MDS-JB940" and "MDS-JE780". Looking at the user manuals, the 940 does weigh more than its successor (5.3kg vs 4.5kg). I might open them both up at some point and have a nose around :-)