MDX-400

In either above method you're getting one generational loss because going from an optical output of an MD deck to an optical input of a recorder is doing the exact same thing, only in realtime. ATRAC --> PCM --> ATRAC. However note that SCMS might inhibit you from doing such an operation making the PC (and copying to WAV) perhaps the only way "out", barring an SCMS stripper. The dual-deck MD recorder Sony made that was referred to by the OP would indeed do ATRAC --> ATRAC lossless copying but it again would be SCMS limited. Also the deck is extremely rare. There are some pro MD decks that are either double decks which do generationless copying or player/recorder pairs which accomplish the same, being pro equipment they would not have SCMS limitations. However these are pretty much just as rare and the price is also very high for pro gear. As for the titling question... Sure just load the disc in an appropriate NetMD unit and load up SS on your computer. Titling is as easy as pointing to the track you want to rename and right clicking and saying "rename"

It all comes down to space and convenience IMO... Personally I would try to stick with the gumstick as much as I possibly could, but if I needed the AA I'd use it too. AA becomes more sensible if you aren't confined for space (i.e. if you don't have to keep it in your pocket where the AA would be possibly uncomfortable). Since you're going over the time you can record on the gumstick battery, using the AA in the case makes perfect sense, because then you get both. Though using just the AA might get you the time you need to. AA rechargeables are cheaper and can be used in many other devices, so it is pretty useful to have a good NiMH charger and batteries around, other than for use with your Hi-MD unit. NiMH rechargeables are mandatory for digital cameras (other than those that use proprietary batteries that is); and, they are useful for lots of other things. As some examples, I also use them in my two receiver remotes (the touchscreen one being very power-hungry so NiMH is great there); in my wireless mouse; cordless phones (which take AA NiMHs); and wherever else it is convenient. Gumsticks on the other hand you can only use in MD units, for the most part.

^No it isn't strictly/directly in parallel. There is indeed charge control/power control circuitry in place. For your interest, if you'd like more complete details, look at a service manual for whichever unit you prefer and it will be a little more specific.

I think it's just dependent on it catching the eye of people at the right time and not really dependent on which forum--for example I didn't see this post here until just now, but I replied more than once to the thread on the T-Board... If I'd seen it here first, it would have been the other way around...

You're joking right??? Sure they do! My AM-F70 sure has an AA attachment, be it retardedly large and have to take 3 AA batteries, but it has one. The N10 certainly has a single AA attachment and it has an internal Li-Ion. Even my Li-Ion-Poly MZ-E95 has an AA attachemnt(uses the same one as nearly every other Sony unit, in fact). The R50 used an internal Li-Ion and could use an add on 2AA pack IIRC. Many Sharp Li-Ion based units can use an AA pack as well (I think my Pio PMD-MK2 has an AA pack). I could probably keep this list going if you want, LOL.

SonicStage can read CD-Text though! Provided your CD drive does of course (which they all can these days anyhow). The only thing I noticed when I use SS to read a CD-Text disc is the fact that even if the disc has small letters in it, all the letters will be uppercased when SS reads it...

Perhaps a little unrelated but DAB was launched in Canada, very quietly many many years ago. In the US, DAB was either never officially launched or it was just as quietly done as it was here. Never caught on. In the US, several years later, as you probably know satellite services such as XM and Sirius started. We've also just gotten XM Canada and Sirius Canada officially/legally as well (before you could use XM or Sirius here but it was grey market and you had to bill to a US address for example). The interesting thing comparing DAB and XM/Sirius is the price of the tuners. With DAB it seems you are paying royalties in the price of the tuner (which is often quite expensive). With XM and Sirius the tuners are relatively quite cheap and you pay monthly subscription rates. Which is really better I'm not sure, but the subscription rates aren't that bad, from what I've seen. I've heard from many people that XM in the US is very similar to what you describe. There are now so many channels on it and no bandwidth that the bitrates are sounding like 64kbps MP3 Pretty crappy quality. It's amazing so many people use XM--it is fairly popular in the US I believe. Lots of selection and lots of "radio" you can't get in many locales but still with that quality I'd probably cancel my subscription ASAP, if it were me. Anyway, there's also a new standard radio (i.e. not satellite radio) service enchancement going on in the US right now, called HDRadio. I wonder if this will become popular? Kinda the same idea as DAB (though admittedly I don't know much about the way DAB works anymore). The HD tuners are more expensive than XM and Sirius tuners, but nowhere near what DAB used to cost. AM apparently now sounds like FM with HDRadio and FM like CD quality. The good thing is it is still radio so quality is dependent on whomever's broadcast you're receiving. But of course you're again limited to your frequency range/reception area unlike sat. radio.

Yeah Gracenote CDDB blows beacuse of the whole v2.0 and licensing fees fiasco. It also adds some cost to all of the Sony products that use/come packaged with SS, no doubt. Why Sony didn't use FreeDB I have no clue. I guess it's just corporations scratching each others backs--the rich get richer, LOL...

Aux In is no substitute for a real Hi-MD HU or changer--you lack control and display on the HU and sound quality usually isn't quite as good. Controlling the Hi-MD portable with the portable itself is, well, ghetto, LOL. Also, your factory stereo is no substitute for aftermarket gear either, lol. But that's another story I guess ...

It has little to do with the voltage difference but rather exactly what you stated before. As we know alkalines cannot provide their rated capacity against higher current draws. One of the reasons for this is the cell's internal resistance. Rechargeables, like NiMH, have a much lower internal resistance IIRC, therefore their propensity to cross-charge with the internal battery (be it NiMH or Li-Ion) is much greater. It's this cross-charging that is really the issue, from the research I've done. With an Li-Ion it is a worse situation because you are then mixing chemistries. With an NiMH gumstick it seems safer because you're just mixing types (prismatic & cylindrical). In any event it isn't likely that you will damage the unit but rather shorten the useful life of one of the cells, more likely the prismatic (gumstick) batter. The unit could be damaged, if the internal cell vents, however (which is a possiblity depending on the direction/magnitude of current transfer between the batteries). Because then you'll have a leaking battery in your unit, lol. Again lots of people have done it without problems and I think if you use high quality cells on both sides (Japan or US made) you should be okay. Now it's still no guarantee but safer than using some off branded made in who-knows-where battery(ies). Though personally I think it is okay with the NiMH gumstick I wouldn't use an NiMH AA in a unit that uses an internal Li-Ion cell because Li-Ion is pretty sensitive and you'll likely end up cutting its lifespan short.

No not really true. A 2500mAh NiMH AA, fully charged, will be close to the same as an AA alkaline. NiMH AAs have progressed quite some ways now and they're up to 2500mAh now. Any 2000mAh NiMH AA would be good really. A typical AA alkaline is around 2700mAh, with better ones (like Energizer and Duracell) being a bit over 2800mAh and the even "better" alkalines (the e^2 Titanium and the Ultra) being a little higher than that. Still alkalines can't do those rated capacities with any significant load on them (i.e. when recording for example or in digital camera applications, etc.). There is where NiMH will beat alkaline without a problem really. (There's more on this in other threads if you search.) The only thing is that you aren't "supposed" to use a rechargeable in the AA attachement with the internal battery installed (i.e. not at the same time). There is a reason for this but I won't get into it too much (you can do a search here and on the T-Board for more info) though many people still do it anyway with no problems. Your basic answer though: you should get decent times with a high cap. NiMH AA compared to an alkaline AA.

Actually I wouldn't touch those two with a 10ft pole--they both got hit with the ugly stick HARD! LOL. But that's another debate/issue I suppose.

Yeah why is this on this forum? lol. That's some weird *$*% right there... (Dunno if that pun was intended or not, lol) I've never heard this before but yeah jaylen's got it right looks like. Tried Wikipedia and surprisingly [this defninition of corn] isn't listed even in the Discussion section. But it sure is on www.urbandictionary.com ...

Sharp ATRAC encoders are a little "unknown" in that there really hasn't been that much AB testing between the two. It's reasonable to think that Type-R is the best ATRAC though. Perhaps Sharp has done something better than Type-R but it is really not easy to tell. For one thing a lot of the times you're comparing other things at the same time like Sharp's Auvi amplification or other electronics. It's even harder since ATRAC output quality is determined not only by the encoding done (which is the most important) but also to some degree by the decoding as well (less important but still important). So do we encode on Sharp and Sony and then compare on a Sony? Or a Sharp? Or compare Sharp on Sharp and Sony on Sony? Or do we go vice versa? With all these variables it really is difficult to do a proper audible comparison of the two. To answer your question directly, however, yes Sony does use 24-bit processes--this started with Sony's Wide Bit Stream feature. Originally I think it was 18-bit but later progressed to 20 and then 24-bit. There are some articles and info on Minidisc.org's main page but since the search feature stopped working a long time ago I can't seem to locate it. Not in the FAQ where I thought it was and can't find any links elsewhere.

Oh yeah and has anyone seen the video for Third Eye Blind's "Deep Inside of You"??? I have a video on my PC of this but the quality isn't good enough to tell. The chick on the rollerblades or whatever, she's listening to a small square portable audio device that is blue. I'm almost certain this is an MZ-E60, can anyone confirm this? Edit: I apologise for some reason I thought she was on rollerblades, but she's just walking down the street, not rolling, lol...

What is really interesting about this, is that though I remember the Matrix MD scenes I didn't really pay attention to what he had in the box there. You see that TDK MD74 in the box there? Well what's interesting about this is that I have an MD with the Maxtrix Soundtrack on it, that is on an identical TDK MD74 disc like that! Not the one he holds up but the one in the box. Now I didn't make this disc myself (I don't even have the Matrix Soundtrack anywhere other than this MD) but I got it *inside* one of the various MD units I purchased, used, off eBay. Though I guess it isn't of interest to most people I find it quite interesting that someone recorded the Soundtrack on the same type of disc. I now wonder if this was done on purpose?!?! PS: I'm surprised we don't have the images from Last Action Hero on here yet... That was, afterall the first [uS] appearance of MD on the big screen I believe. Those few minutes of that flick are pretty much an ad for MD. Also the movie had sound done in SDDS I believe

It is definitely possible to get counterfeit gumstick batteries, particularly from places like China and HK. The thing about the counterfeits is that they are very good at doing it so not easy to tell the difference. You have to buy from a reputable seller. Still they are just batteries and counterfeits may well perform as good as the Sony originals anyway. Cells made in China are typically lower quality and lower capacity, but the counterfeits are never going to tell you that, lol. The typical MIC gumstick (unbranded, from a manufacturer I mean) is usually 1100mAh nominal. I believe some of the NH-10WMs may now bear the "Made in China" on them as Sony has started to cost cut--in fact that may be the whole reason why the 10WMs are packaged with equipment now. I'm uncertain as I do not have a 10WM. I have seen some NC-6WM NiCd gumsticks that are MIC though. One way to tell [if the 14WMs bought from overseas are real] would be to load test/capacity test the battery, but that requires either careful testing or more expensive test equipment. But one do a more simple, more unscientific test--if they have a new Sony 14WM that came with a unit and a new battery imported from a seller and compare the play times. As for AA batteries... Certainly an AA battery will outperform a prismatic cell. Prismatics have both less capacity and lower useful cell life. NiMH manufacturers have gone from 1500mAh to 2500mAh capacity in only a few years; the prismatic in the size we use has gone nowhere. Even the "limited edition" 1750mAh battery is not actually 1750mAh nominal, instead it is 1750 max. Every other battery is rated by nominal capacity (including the 14WM) so the 1750mAh ld. battery is probably more like 1600-1700mAh nominal. Where the prismatics win out of course is their form factor--thin and rectangular--you can't do that with a cylindrical cell obviously.

ATRAC meaning ATRAC1 has never been used on CDs or Network Walkmans, to my knowledge. Only ATRAC3 and ATRAC3plus. On CDs ATRAC would make absolutely no sense as no CD player would be able to read it; on an NW it would make no sense either because there is no computer program available to use ATRAC with--SS does not provide options for transferring ATRAC to any device. (Though SS does allow transfer to SP on MDs, it's fake. SS only streams ATRAC3 132k to the recorder which then in turn transcodes to ATRAC.) ATRAC remains and will always remain "under lock and key" when it comes to computer access/transfer of the format--it simply isn't possible. However you're correct that ATRAC was the basis of SDDS--that's one of those exceptions I was speaking about when I said "there are some *technical* exceptions but irrelevant for this explanation", LOL. As for revisions to the ATRAC3 and 3plus codecs it is possible though that information has never been released by Sony. Since these are, the majority of the time (the only exception being MDLP recording really), encoded by a PC, Sony could have upgraded the encoding process several times and no one would ever have known. There have, afterall, been several revisions of SS the main program for encoding these formats. However, it's just as likely that the encoders have never been upgraded/revised at all. I.e. Barring some other information, we don't really know if there are revisions.

It will last FOREVER!!! hahahaha... Okay not really, lol. But like Krazyivan said, as long as it has to sounds about right. Chris I think merging the two (at some point in the future) would eventually make the most sense and would be a good idea.

??? Huh? What do you mean track titles are not visible? You mean when searching or just that you can't view track titles on the display at all? If that is the case, that is certainly stupid!

Again, you're missing one little thing here. You can't just compare ATRAC3plus to ATRAC1 4.5... Since ATRAC3plus has many bitrates you have to specify which one. E.g. ATRAC3plus at 48kbps is going to be no match for ATRAC encoded with revision 4.5 encoder. But ATRAC3plus at 256kbps is arguably roughly equivalent to original ATRAC, even at Type-R, perhaps even better. Though 256k is a little lower bitrate than 292k, ATRAC3plus is over 10 years newere a codec (not that much newer than the Type-R revision but as a base codec) and has significant enhancements in technology. ATRAC3plus at 352kbps should easily win over ATRAC just by sheer bitrate (352kbps is already 60kbps higher than 292kpbs), nevermind the fact that it is far newer. Same for ATRAC3plus @ 320kbps. In the end, however, it's just up to your ears. Compare SP encoded with Type-R to your favourite ATRAC3plus rate and you decide.

You're confusing ATRAC types and ATRAC revisions. Since the Minidisc.org pages are strangely out of order I'll explain this as briefly and quickly as possible. ATRAC is the original codec that started it all. 292kpbs and it is what MD started out using (MD in SP mode). This is the ATRAC or ATRAC1 codec. ATRAC is nearly entirely exclusive to MDs in SP mode and no other format on any other device or medium used this (there are some *technical* exceptions but irrelevant for this explanation). This ATRAC is more "nomenclaturally-correctly" called, based on later revisions, ATRAC1. Notice there is no space between the word ATRAC and the number 1. It isn't actually called/printed as ATRAC1 because it was the first--there was nothing else when it started so ATRAC is the name. ATRAC[1] comes in several revisions. Sony (and other companies as well) continually revised the codec and so we've had: ATRAC 1.0 ATRAC 2.0 ATRAC 3.0 ATRAC 3.5 ATRAC 4.0 ATRAC 4.5 ATRAC Type-R (really ATRAC 5.0 just named Type-R for coolness I guess, lol) Then we have ATRAC3. Again notice no space between the word and the number. ATRAC3 is a codec which originated with MDLP. It has three bitrates IIRC though only two are used for MDLP. There's 132kbps (LP2), 105kbps (not used on legacy MD), and 66kbps (LP4). You should stop and realise here that ATRAC 3.0 and ATRAC3 are not at all the same thing. One is the 3rd revision of the ATRAC codec and one is another codec altogether. Later Sony created ATRAC3plus which is what is mainly used with Hi-MDs and flash and HDD based Walkmans. This format has various bitrates available. There is one trick here. ATRAC Type-S is actually a playback-only enhancement for MDLP (ATRAC3) tracks. Type-S however, if it is displayed on a unit, automatically implies that the unit also has ATRAC Type-R for SP (ATRAC). This should clear things up. ATRAC3plus is it's own codec, not an encoder revision of the original ATRAC format. Comparing ATRAC3plus and its various bitrates to ATRAC 4.5 as you mention is like comparing apples to oranges. Hope that helps!

LOL, you're joking right? At least that's what I thought when I read the first post, but it seems like you have quite the discussion going on here! But yeah you still have to be joking if you think Hi-MD will ever be anywhere near as popular as the iPod. As for this: I hate to say it but I have to say it... It isn't at all about listening to it all at once--that's certainly clear when the average HDD player won't even play 1/50th of 20GB on a single charge. It's just about the convenience of having everything in one place. What's more convenient 20-80GB of music all in a small thing the size of an MD unit or so; or, the MD unit and like 150 MDs or 20 Hi-MDs? MD (Hi or otherwise) is a different animal than an HDD DAP and though they do overlap in their use, they are still different products. Just take a look at how many of us own and use MD/Hi-MD equipment as well as owning one or more HDD and or flash-based DAPs as well. The RH1 is a great announcement and I'm very pleased/excited to hear about it as are many MD fans. However, lets be honest, the RH1 doesn't do much at all to make Hi-MD any more popular or draw a 'new' crowd. The main razzle/dazzle of it so far has been the legacy uploading and that, let me tell you, is for legacy users. There are lots of people using Hi-MD that never used and never will use legacy MD formats (not just SP but even MDLP). What the RH1 does for them and any possible newcomers I can't really see. If anything I think Hi-MD is more of a niche market than std. MD was. Now I could very well be mistaken about that but it's what it seems like to me. Either way Hi-MD isn't ever going to become as popular as the iPod.

If you don't plan to ever get a unit like the DH10P or other ATRAC device which can utilise the pictures I would advise against using them in SS. It isn't a big deal, they are only a few K I guess but they do take up extra space when you transfer them to the device. For example if I put an album art on an album in SS and transfer to my HD3 it will transfer the album art as well. Only the HD3 will never show the album art since it isn't capable but it does transfer anyway 'cause SS is silly like that. So it's still wasting some HDD space so I avoid using it.

Where are you located (in what country I mean)? The models vary by country, that's why I ask. But it looks like you got pretty much all of them anyway. I've never actually heard of either an MDX-C780 or even a CA780X but I know there was a CA790X which was not released in the US IIRC. Anyway the quick answer is that they all will support CD changers They are all UniLink HUs There was no point that Sony changed the CD changer protocol, as you imagine. UniLink has been there as Sony's mobile audio protocol for well over 10 years now. There have been some changes in the devices that can be used and the features that each HU supports, but for CD changer operation it's been the same since it started (with the exception of CD-Text capability which started in the mid-90s on UniLink HUs/changers). You'll be fine with any of them, though note that all of them except perhaps the F5800 have been discontinued. They are available used (and sometimes new) on eBay and you might be able to find them at stores, depending on your location again... The CA680X is probably the best one of the lot though, as it has the best feature set as a car HU. The only thing it does lack, however is Group mode for MDLP so if you need that you'll have to go with the CA790X or later. The CA790X did drop some HU features though. For one it didn't use a rotary encoder knob but instead just +/- buttons; for another it downgraded to EQ3 from the CA680X's EQ7. The F5800 didn't seem to bring anything else new either--it just looks a lot uglier IMO, lol. There is also the option of just finding/going with an MDX-66XLP 6-MD changer since you already have a HU but the problem there is that you already have a CD changer. You could connect the MD changer as well, but you'd also need to buy an additional MCA (multi-changer adapter) like the XA-C30. Furthermore the 66XLP is a difficult to find and often expensive item. But just letting you know that option is available.