MDX-400

My STR-DA4ES shows "STREAM = PCM 23BITS [44kHz] BITRATE=2028kbps FS=44kHz" when playing back on the "24-bit" setting on the JB920. It changes instantly to "STREAM = PCM 20BITS ... BITRATE=1764kbps" and "STREAM = PCM 16BITS ... BITRATE=1411kpbs" when I change the setting on the JB920. There is no pause or gap/skip in the music at all when this happens, it just changes on the receiver when I change it on the MD deck. So it is definitely doing what it's supposed to. (Not sure why it actually shows 23 bits instead of 24, but it's still working...) The word length settings affect the inputs and outputs, not the actual recording of the MD. On the JB920 the recording will always be with Wide Bit Stream, regardless; however, if 20 or 24 bits are available for input, it's better to use those if possible. The R50's input will most likely accept 20 or 24 bit digital input fine, however my remark was more regarding whether it actually makes any real use of them (whether it has Wide Bit Stream) or not...

I'm pretty sure both parts are the correct battery. The difference is solely in the labelling/plastic on the battery It's stupid really. And one battery is going to be like $99 and the other $39 or something, right? LOL. You can purchase these on eBay, btw. Just do a search for "E10 batttery" or "N10 battery" or "LIP-3WMB"

What exactly got "cut in half"? The remote itself :eek: or just the cord? If it's just the cord it's not that hard to repair. If the remote itself is somehow craked/broken then that's the end of it pretty much, lol. Either way as ppl said above, you could just buy a replacement and it shouldn't cost too much...

Yeah set it to 16-bit if you're using a normal CD with a normal CD player's digital output Going to an R50, I think 16-bit would be correct though I'm not 100% sure. The longer word lengths are for equipment that can properly handle the extra bits. Any MD equipment with "Wide Bit Stream" can make use of either 20 or 24 bit information. I'm not sure exactly when portables started using this, but I don't think the R50 had that feature. Also if you're using the digital out of the deck to connect to a receiver or something, setting the output to 24-bit is going to be better as well. Note that no matter which way you set it, you're probably not going to hear any difference though, lol. On my JB920 I leave my input at 16-bit and my output at 24-bit and it works fine for me (though I never record from the JB920 to another device, I just have the output connected to my receiver).

FM Modulator will be okay, not great but okay. Should be better than one of those horrid FM "transmitter" things anyway. AUX input adapter would be better but if you don't want to spend the money, the FM modulator might serve you well. My buddy has a Mazda3. I remember his biggest complaint was how they don't even have an MP3 capable CD player, even as an option on it, LOL. I thought they were changing that for the 2007 models though, no? Or are you buying a 2006? Personally I'm not too fond of the overall stereo system in that car, it definitely did not impress me. My friend doesn't want to change any of it for the same reasons as you--he likes to say "it's okay for a factory system" LOL. If it were me I wouldn't care about losing some of the looks and features of the dash for an aftermarket unit, but that's just me. At the least you might want to look into replacing the front speakers with an aftermarket component set. There is another way of installing your aftermarket, btw. You've probably figured that out from your searching though? They sell a kit to mount a single DIN unit lower on the dash, in front of the shifter or whatever. You could go that route with your old HU, but I'm guessing you probably don't want to do that either (my friend didn't LOL).

^Hey! Yeah wait a minute what's that all about. Plus he's got two gold ones!!! Damn you Traveller! LOL j/k The gold ones are worth even more, but I'm guessing he wants a silver one too? If it's a silver one you want, you might get a better deal on eBay. Say, then you can sell one of your gold ones to us for a low-low price hee hee hee

I know eh, like what's up with that? As everyone else said there are bound to be some moaners but not all of us are. There's lots of legitimate complaining and shortcomings of SS and other Sony software... The problem is the OP not only seems to be acting like they're above everyone, but also ignores the possiblity that they might ever encounter a problem. It's fine to say everything's working well and they have had no problems after one month. But let's say they go to do something slightly different than their "usual" routine with the software and they run into a hitch. Or let's say he/she runs into an unexpected problem a little later. Maybe we should then call them a moaner when they post for hlep and not help them? LOL. Also given the fact that the OP says that ATRAC3plus at 64kbps sounds "fantastic" we probably shouldn't take what they're saying all that seriously, LOL. You can't really be an elitist if you think 64kbps anything is end-all and be-all...

Yeah sure why not. Maybe you can try to get it a little cheaper, say $225? LOL. Otherwise it isn't really a bad deal and the NH1 isn't the easiest unit to come by. They're usually on eBay, one or two of them, but prices aren't especially low on that unit--it keeps its value pretty good.

Otherwise known as "rip shipping" LOL...

Oh cool, you were telling me about this before. Good to hear the project is getting underway I'd be glad to help out too!

Though it does indeed sound like the remote is not working right, you should try to use it on another unit just to be sure before condemning the remote. Because there is a chance there could be something wrong with your NHF800's remote port which is causing the problem. Might not be likely, but it's possible. If you can find one of those old chesnut (LOL) MD units of yours, you might want to try it out on those too. (Edit: Actually the R50 won't turn on the backlight on any remote, so see if you can test it on the R70 maybe...)

^R55 was the first Sony MD portable recorder to use the 9WM/14WM gumstick, IIRC. As a result of the changeover from Li-Ion and Sony still using unit technology that had higher power demands, the R55 was probably one of the worst performers batterywise, of any unit apart from maybe the first generation or two of MD. For it's time it was definitely the worst battery performer; and probably the worst battery life of any unit using an NiMH stick. Sounds like the battery is breaking down under load--i.e. it might have a higher cell resistance than it should (can happen from wear). This would mean it might be okay under low current loads like playback but not under heavier current like recording. You should replace the battery, the NiMH gumsticks don't last all that long anyway, especially in a unit where you'd be cycling the battery a lot due to the abysmal battery life of the R55. Gumstick NiMHs are pretty cheap, so I'd get yourself a new one (or two) If the problem persists even after getting a new battery there is probably a problem with the unit itself.

Well it's a $5 disc, personally I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. Just buy a new one. If multiple "formats" don't remedy the problem I'd just get a new disc. Actually doesn't Sony warrant these things for life? You could just send it to them and they'll send you a new one. I mean you could try scanning it with a program but in the end it isn't going to fix the problem it's just going to tell you "hey there's something wrong with this disc" which you pretty much already know.

I didn't know Sony had an equivalent battery? Back then Sony was using either already using NiMH gumsticks, or going back further, using the industry standard LIP-8 or LIP-12 batteries. The Aiwa LIB-902 is indeed a bugger to find. The best way to get one is from eBay, but it will be used. You just have to find another F70 or similar that has the battery and/or just the accessories from the unit (incl. battery) on their own. Sometimes sellers sell the accessories due to a broken unit. The truth is you'll find a used great-condition F70 with the battery for less than you'll pay for the battery itself. It is possible to get a good working battery from a used unit, so that's the best route really.

Was it a wired or wireless remote? If it was wired I'm willing to bet it was done via SIRCS. Every peice of Sony gear has SIRCS internally whether it has external jacks or not, if I'm not mistaken. SIRCS is Sony IR over Cabling--i.e. IR once it's translated to electrical. SIRCS is used in different Sony protocols to control Sony equipment with such things as Control S and Control A1-II, etc. The JE480 would have no such connections on it being a low-end unit, however there is probably still a SIRCS line internally where the control codes flow over. I'm betting that the pedal was made with the proper SIRCS signal and then wired into the deck that way. If the controller was wireless--it's even easier. It's just throwing the IR code for play or record or pause or wheber it was, at the deck and controlling it that way.

You have two main routes you can take when trying to get audio from your external device into your MDX-CA680X. One is the Aux input route. For this you will need to purchase a Sony XA-300 Aux Input Adapter for your head unit. It gives you 2 RCA aux inputs as well as a third USB input for use with laptops (this is a device "input"--it shows up in windows as "USB Speakers" with a Burr-Brown D/A; it can't be used to connect portables directly unless they can somehow act as a computer would). The XA-300 goes for $50-$100 US on eBay. Then you'd just select your input and turn on your iPod and off you go. The second way of going about it is integration. Integration involves one advantage--control. You can control the iPod from the HU in this manner. To do this you can buy a Sony XA-110IP iPod Integration Adapter for your HU. The MSRP for one of these is $100 US but it is readily found on eBay for $40 + shipping. This adapter will give you audio input from the iPod, and you'll be able to control the iPod from the HU and it will display information from the iPod on the HU; it will also charge the iPod while it's plugged in. The drawback to using this adapter comes from the relatively primative interface on the Sony HU (never designed for a mass-storage MP3 player) and the iPod itself (as full remote mode disables the controls on the iPod itself). The result is you get control and audio on the HU but you cannot control the iPod from the iPod itself when the adapter is connected. This makes it somewhat difficult to navigate through tracks on the HU as, again, it was never designed to be able to browse through a large music system like the iPod. What most people do, to get around this, is they just make lots of playlists which are far easier to use than trying to navigate on the HU.

You've got it backwards. Typically the lower impedance the higher the power output will be. Theoretically for half the impedance, you double in power. However many amps are regulated so the power doesn't always increase by 2 when you halve the impedance. Note, however, that when you use lower impedances you also put more stress on the amp. This introduces more noise and distortion to the signal. Sensitivity is another story. Sensitivity is not necessarily related to impedance but it may be something to take note of. For one set of 'phones with a low sensitivity compared to another set of 'phones but having a lower impedance probably makes up for the lower sensitivity since it draws more power from the amp. In this particular case, you have a high sensitivity and a relatively high impedance. (Headphones are usually 16-32 ohms, right?) So despite the fact that you're probably drawing less power from the headphones amp, you're still getting good ouput per mW so the volume again probably won't be affected. Plus with the higher impedance, theoretically, the lower stress on the amp will produce better S/N and lower noise/distortion.

Pictures of any of the gear? I might be interested in one or two things, how do I get the pricelist or whatever?

For all of those things on a portable (a unit capable of NetMD) and having the best sound quality, IMO I would say the MZ-N10. Plus the MZ-N10 is a pretty good bargain these days, IMO. Used ones seem to go for less than N707s for some reason, lol. DR80 was good too as it had an Auvi amp IIRC. For headphones use, the DR80 is probably a very good bet. But it's more expensive and harder to find than an N10.

They don't really break the rules, it's just that Sony changed the convention like 3 times in 3 generations 'cause they are weird like that, lol. DH10P, the D definitely means downloader only. The P at the end means photo/picture. THe DXxxx models still follow the new convention. Like the DH710, the DN430 follows that convention. The PS at the end isn't "official". It's simiply a model addition like the colour codes. You don't see PS on the actual unit, I don't think. N520D (there was no NH520D was there???) is the generation before and thus follows that convention where NXxxxD would indicated downloader only as well, this is evidenced by other models like the NH600D and the NH3D. The generations before that would go with the "NE" designation, instead of a strategically placed D. LOL the original weirdos

breakthrough in technology

Calibration requires you to enter service mode and you will probably have to partially disassemble the unit to measure certain things with a voltmeter and/or an ocilloscope. Though calibration routines are fairly automated, you still have to perform some measurements to get them going. Plus since not much service manual infomation is out there for Panasonic units, it's not easy to find out how to get into service mode nevermind do a calibration. I would first check to see if the sled is moving back to the "home" (closest to spindle) position. If not try manually moving it over with your hand, being careful to be gentle enough so as not to break anything. Then make sure the disc is spinning (is the spindle motor turning the disc)? If all of that checks out, then your unit probably has a pickup (laser) problem and will either need to be serviced or replaced. Given the age of the unit, you're probably better off replacing it...

Depends on the version you bought, as richyhu said. Some of them will come with a 100V-240V AC input voltage, others will be fixed input voltage. Take a look at your adapter. If under "Input" it says something like "100V-240V AC 50/60Hz" then you can use it anywhere in the world with simple plug adapters. If it only has one voltage/frequency listed, you'll have to get a voltage adapter if you plan to use it somewhere with a different AC standard

LMAO I was reading the first post and thinking the same thing. Other than that I can say I'm not on here on a daily basis either and check in only once-in-a-while. Still I have no problems. I don't get the pointing out of that one thread either. Because there we had someone selling something and then Jaylen was simply trying to make sure that the condition of the item was being properly and truly represented. The seller clearly didn't want to do that at first and then got upset when someone called him on it. Which is ridiculous IMO. Like he was asking something about what honesty had to do with it? LOL. Trying to sell somethign and then asking why honesty is important. Makes about as much sense as the argument of 'I don't contribute and I don't feel a part of it' LOL. Anyway obviously that for-sale thread has come and gone, so no real point in talking about it now. Still I find no problem with it. If you've ever been ripped off on the internet, bought something that was misrepresented, etc. you would appreciate the discussion in that thread, not complain about it. Sure it wasn't 100% "friendly" but someone telling you one thing about something their selling and having it not be true isn't exactly friendly either.

For sure, the BP-MZ1 battery is a BRICK! lol. This is an all too common misconception among MD users. There are more portables that have optical output than just the MZ-1. The nearly identical MZ-2P is also a portable* with an optical output. There was a Sharp model with optical output as well, IIRC. I don't get why people always say the MZ-1 was the only one to have optical out, it wasn't. It's rare, yes, but it wasn't just one unit that had it. *Neither the 1 or the 2P are really that "portable" compared to most other MD units, lol. But you're right, the optical output isn't really that special considering it's an ATRAC 1.0 unit Yes I believe the MZ-1 could only record in stereo but it should still be able to playback mono-SP format discs, recorded on other units--it's part of the MD specification I think--there's a handful of other old MD machines that can't record mono as well; however, I believe all can playback mono. Another note: Shouldn't it say 1992 v. 2006? Because technically the MZ-1 (and MD itself) was released when it was still 1992, IIRC.