tekdroid

For sitting-at-the-desk purposes, I would agree. For playback while moving, I disagree. A good on-unit display always goes a long way to unit usefulness, though. Three things that bother me about the MZ-RH1: *longevity of glowy display (if previous model is anything to go by...) *reliability of upping the maximum RPMs the disc spins at (a couple of posts here saying recordings weren't saved) *rudimentary on-unit display

Not necessarily. I clip the remotes to a pocket, to the middle of my shirt...whatever, for the convenience of not having the remote "fly around" or easily get hooked onto something else. And just generally not dangling about when moving. I do this with the LCD-less MZ-NH700 remote, too (RM-MC21). It's definitely not heavy, but clips are always handy. Sure, the bigger remotes can be weighty. But again, not really an issue when clipped. I find cable lengths pretty ideal. Obviously there needs to be some slack to sell to taller customers and fit different placement configurations (in a pocket, on a belt clip, on a bag, etc). Dunno if I can agree with MD units themselves being small enough to be operated without a remote. Remotes are highly useful to any unit that can't be wrapped around your neck easily, I reckon. I'm amused when I see people carrying their ipods in their hands while jogging, for instance. Or simply to just change a track on their nano or whatever. Especially to see that in 2007 on supposedly high-tech products. I couldn't live with it unless I were sitting stationary on public transport, and even then it would be a bit of a pain...

I read a thread talking about Sony's apparent interest last year in releasing 2 Hi-MD units in 2006 instead of just one. Dunno if it's true, but if it is, chances are the other model had some much-needed differentiation from the MZ-RH1. Probably LCD instead of glowy. Possibly with a more detailed display, too. comspec, the RM-MC40ELK remote will make life much easier with the MZ-RH1.

I think u got some fakes there In all seriousness, I wouldn't put a cent towards a new unit without listening to it first, if sound quality is your primary concern. I don't know how many shops allow you to put a track or two on Hi-MD and take a listen. Pretty much the only one selling that does what you want is the MZ-RH1 (which isn't cheap). Previous models had the infamous mp3-sounding-worse-due-to-bug-or-intentional-Sony-feature-feature. And ones before that had no native mp3 playback without transcoding. So you're pretty much left with the MZ-RH1 as your only choice.

no, they haven't and nobody knows if they are making a deck, as far as I know. Onkyo has, though. http://www.minidisc.org/part_Onkyo_MD-133.html Check the Equipment Browser for more info: http://www.minidisc.org/equipment_browser.html

I can. There are billions out there. Millions sold each year. Costs cents to burn one on the PC. Makes sense. It's the world's most popular music carrier with many posers trying to take it over, but failing. Also the most easily shared with that reassuring "no problemo" wink and a smile. ...and it does lossless...as god intended. Stability is just fine with a little care, particularly premastered discs. As for standard connections on the front panel not being made available, I'm all for that public flogging.

All I can say is that for 200 bucks they better be good. Hopefully they last. Was looking at these the other day and quite like the oldschool design (if it is real metal ) ...and your description of the case begs for a pic or three So, tell me... 'cause my first experience with in-ear-thingies was not positive. Cable handling noise in your ears, ear noise when chewing, etc. Do these suffer from that? Or are they just like regular earbuds that don't slide halfway into your ears (as far as cable noise goes). Another question: Being a man of wayward travels, why didn't you get them overseas at a much more reasonable price?

Press NAV/MENU button Choose: Normal Group Artist Album Bookmark Alternatively, you can search On my MZ-NH700: Hold down the NAV/MENU button for 1 second: choose Useful choose Search choose any of the following: By Track By Group By Artist By Album Each of these options will bring up an alphabetical list you can choose from. The MZ-RH1 is probably the same, but with the limitations of a 1-line remote. Download the PDF manual just to check.. IMO, if you want to browse, the MZ-RH1 is not ideal, but may be ideal with optional remote with 3-line display and rolly wheel. A 3-line display is the absolute minimum I would consider if I did want to get around a disc easily. I only do PCM recordings which normally results in far less tracks per disc than ATRAC, but even so I would never want to live without a 3-line display and jog dial or rolly wheel on remote for getting around a disc. To me it just makes things sooo much more livable.

then you'll love this thread Hi-MD, Bye-MD?

some good points adding clarity to the discussion, but I'd add some pretty unique Hi-MD abilities for the sake of those coming across this thread and wondering what these Hi-MD fanatics are so passionate about: 1) optical input on most units (USB digital transfers aren't always possible, let alone away from the computer) 2) removable batteries (very few removable battery devices out there) 3) On-unit titling, tracking, grouping, etc...(i find it pretty blasted amazing considering the limitations of no computer - and make use of on-disc editing a fair bit these days). 4) of course Hi-MDs comprehensive recording controls (sensitivity adjustment, level display, AGC and manual levels, etc...) 5) remotes pretty much standard... Back to the discussion, Rockbox gapless is out of the scope of the average Joe, I feel (most just buy stuff and expect it to be standard). So I dunno if that can be really argued convincingly. So while some of Hi-MDs things are possible here and there (Apple doing gapless now, apparently)...they're not really all there in the one unit. The 'what's better, what's worse' argument will continue, but only 'cause it's subjective. All these articles (and the responses to them) come down to is people favouring some thing(s) over another, generally-speaking. Different devices for different needs In other words, there are different uses for different devices appealing to different people. None is the best in all areas...so what's given importance is a subjective thing for sure. And yeh, there is no need to really sugar-coat Hi-MD appeal or announce an absolute better or worse product - at least not in all areas like some articles seems to imply. They each have their strengths and weaknesses. ...but saying that doesn't make for popular journalism. The public apparently likes winners and losers, not objective and well-reasoned argument or clarification of opinions Limitations? ...and to be fair, there's probably no room for well-reasoned argument...the journalist probably is told to write x amount of words (in x time). And above all, the journalist(s) are just Average Joes...and many Average Joes see MiniDisc / Hi-MD (if they've heard of it) as exactly that way... dinosaurs... black/white judgements & perceptions. Recent technology (particularly popular tech) wins out again...so sometimes you just have to laugh things off and accept the fact that many in writing positions are no more clued in than Joe Shmoe on the street...(often less ) or at least understand why they have these perceptions and opinions. Just as we are clueless in many other areas enthusiasts in those areas would put us right with...hehe. Context While I feel most so-called journalists aren't worth the electrons they've manipulated, in context, it all makes sense when you think about it. There's a lowest-common-denominator out there, and it reveals itself in many articles and most of the readership would be in complete agreement considering they may have had experience with MiniDisc and it may have been limited or sub-par in some area, not really knowing the finer points (or making use of them), their strengths, not keeping up with latest advancements, not coming from a recording angle...whatever. So in summary, I think idiotic-or-not journalists are par for the course. They are average Joe - and their opinions should be taken in that context. Very few journalists are authorities in the fields they write about. It's cheaper that way

Short answer: I would recommend: MZ-NH700 (no date/time stamp, jog dial, 3-line display on unit) MZ-NHF800 (same unit as MZ-NH700 but with radio remote...but in the spirit of cost-cutting and same-modelness, you can't record off the radio, if that's what you're after) MZ-NH1 (no AA batts, date/time stamp, no jog dial, SpeedControl, proprietary USB cable, 3-line remote, rudimentary 1-line on-unit display) Long answer: My MZ-NH700 has silver coming off all faces of the device where its painted. The thing is, I don't mind considering the price I got it for, but is it tacky? OH YES. Would it be better had they not made it silver? OH YES. There's a blue model out, too...not sure if it's in fact silver/blue coated deal and suffers from the same fate, or if it's 'real blue' plastic. Really don't know. Despite this, I prefer the MZ-NH700's jog dial and AA batteries so much more than the no jog dial and gumstick battery of the MZ-NH1. Battery cover MZ-NH700 battery cover has never been an issue to me (I slide it in its dust cover and then slide that into its belt-clip carry pouch..). MZ-RH1 A good review on the unit can be found here. I don't own the MZ-RH1, but despite this it might be the best recorder going if the public opinion is anything to go by (despite the on-unit display not showing track names or bookmarked tracks, etc). However, public opinion was great on the MZ-RH10 when it was released, too...mostly due to the huge display, only to end up suffering from button issues, some reported display issues, battery latch issues and other weaknesses... Personally, (and this is my reliability-paranoia speaking)... 1) I don't expect the glowy display of the MZ-RH1 to last as long as an LCD (and I prefer LCDs for proper daylight viewing...). The life of the display in and of itself is worrying to me. Normally I wouldn't worry about such things, except with these new-fangled displays... 2) I have read a thread indicating 2 users have experienced the MZ-RH1 not saving a recording after it was stopped (this would spoil my day/week/year, depending on the importance of the recording. It may be a weakness with this model or just freak occurrence...I don't know. --- And just to add more reliability paranoia to the mix, I'm a bit iffy on the USB speed improvements offered on the MZ-RH1. If these speed improvements were technically possible without reliability problems or trade-offs, why weren't they implemented in generation 1 and 2 models. Apparently the disc spins faster in this model. Keep in mind faster spindle speeds means less time the laser has heating up any given spot on the disc, yet Hi-MD/MD media hasn't changed formulations, so will the reliability be affected? I dunno. I also dunno if higher spindle speeds are also used when recording portably versus powered-by-usb...but it's an issue I might have issue with... When all is said and done, I'd choose a Generation 1 device without button issues despite Generation 1 devices having their own track moving/erasing/combining bugs which I don't seem to remember the exact details of right now Sony have been quite disappointing with the quality control on several models, IMO...

http://www.overdrive.com/DeviceResourceCenter/compatible.asp Their motto is "audio for everyone" LOL. http://www.overdrive.com/DeviceResourceCenter/faqs.asp Sounds like crap to me. Great to see libraries adopting DRMd formats...

It's bad form for the manufacturer of a product to undercut their retailers. Retailers have a hard enough time moving boxes without the manufacturer undercutting them on price, so you often see manufacturers sell for the recommended retail price (RRP, SRP...whatever), and no less. Obviously Sony realises that it's in their best interests to support their dealers, who are helping to push their products into the hands of mum & dad and little Billy...

Always sad to hear MiniDisc-related injuries. New unit? There should be a "known problems" list somewhere, but... The MZ-RH10 / MZ-M100 / MZ-RH910 / MZ-RH900 ...have all been reported on numerous occasions as having "button weaknesses"...wherein the controls will fail doing what they're supposed to do after some time. Come to think of it, I've never seen the MZ-RH910 reported with a control problem, but seeing it's made the same way as the MZ-RH10, I think it would. It was just less popular here due to the lack of glowy screen...). Might be something to keep in mind.

Decades of huge volumes and refinement, probably. Probably a lot like DVD players going for dirt cheap...(and PC dvd drives, CD players, etc). MiniDisc never reached anything like those volumes (and I would argue NetMD did more harm than good to the perception of the format). Now of course the volumes selling are lower (MiniDisc peaked in 2000/2001ish...)

In my opinion, there's no market for it. Licensing fees will need to be paid, regardless. Magnetic head, pick-ups and associated chips will all need to be sourced from Sony. Manufacturing in-house for these unique components would be far too expensive (not to mention pointless, because it wouldn't save them money). And all for a market that is basically non-existent... The Chinese (and Koreans, like http://www.cowon.com) are big on royalty-free formats like Ogg Vorbis, FLAC and xvid on commodity flash-memory and HD devices. MP3 and WMA/WMV aren't free to license, so the last thing they'd want is to pay more to Sony for the wonders of unpopular ATRAC, in addition to expensive unique hardware for a format that's irrelevant to the mainstream... IMO, the (traditional) MiniDisc market these days is satisfied by the second-hand market. For everything else, Hi-MD is miles ahead (and yet still relatively unpopular, which tells you something about the market potential, IMO).

Logic. What do you think original MiniDisc offers that can't be had today with Hi-MD? I assume you mean pre-NetMD when you say "original MiniDisc standard"? Or do you mean NetMD, which wasn't the original MiniDisc standard?

Isn't the no-cords-on-mic problem solved with a T-mic?

The SonoPak is a revolution. Death to those who oppose! (erm, sorry...got carried away there)

Personally, I feel "new model time" is approaching... 1) I still feel there is a decent enough demand for Sony to continue the format. The days of mainstream retail presence and "high tech gadget" appeal in the public's mind are are definitely over, though. Nothing can shake the mass-market's perceptions of the format as a has-been (let alone the perceptions of SonicStage, etc) 2) I feel no manufacturer is really interested in even semi-serious recorders and Sony is meeting market needs with Hi-MD (and a far less restrictive SonicStage). 3) I think Sony will want to get more out of the R&D they put into Hi-MD than merely than 3 years of market life (5 minimum, IMO). Flash memory is coming down in price severely, and if they wanted to, Sony would make something to compete with Hi-MD for recording with dimensions far smaller and potential capacities far larger, yet in the same price or less - but they don't. To me, these are all indications that they want to continue with Hi-MD - at least until a competitor starts challenging them on their Hi-MD turf...

Sorry, don't know where to get them either. If it means anything to ya, just like dural, I'm eager to get my hands on some, especially if you are in Australia and want some compensation for your postage and time Otherwise, I dunno what to say except enjoy the dust-free large goodness of your jumbo Hi-MD cases. I think they would be roughly 300x better than the close-to-useless unsealed, dust-allowing slip-cases.

You should ask yourself: "What's important to me?" If lots and lots of music is important to carry around with you, there are devices with more capacity (and less, too). If tiny size is important to you, there are smaller devices. There are also bigger ones, too. If glitzy displays and videos are important to you, there are larger and more colourful displays for night-time use. If recording from radio on the unit itself is important to you, forget it on Hi-MD. If transferring audio to and from computers with no software is important to you, forget it (you'll need to use SonicStage) - if you want to transfer faster-than-realtime, that is. Otherwise you have more options than any other recorder, IMO. If an alarm clock and timer and games are important to you...look elsewhere. If recording live audio from a MIC is important to you, there are no devices that reach the level of quality Hi-MD does (for the price). If sound quality is important to you, Hi-MD Walkmans might be a good choice (just remember to not use the included earbuds...) If optical, mic and line inputs are important to you, have fun finding them in a similarly-priced device, let alone one this small, or implemented this well (note, only a few units don't have all three inputs). If you trust hard drives (and flash-based units) about as much as you can throw them, perhaps Hi-MD will be good for you. If you think that embedded, non-removable batteries make no sense at all and just limit practicality, Hi-MD is a good choice (especially the older AA-powered models, IMO) If you think that embedded flash is nonsensical and limiting, then Hi-MD might be good for you. If you like gapless playback and think that any device without it really isn't...then Hi-MD might be good for you. If you want to change speed of playback without changing pitch, then some Hi-MD models might be good for you. If you can't find any units that do what Hi-MD does well ....then you'd be right. It's 2007 and no company has still made a recorder that matches Hi-MD's capabilities, size, battery life for the price. So I find it quite amusing when people think the current recorder is their "last recorder". Outside of quality sound and recording (and editing) prowess, you can be tempted by any number of other devices. It all depends on what's most important to you.

I've often thought the same (write-protect switch having to be disabled to upload, too). Then again they could surprise us with a future SonicStage... The only reason I think they do what they do is with store-bought DRMd tracks losing their 'authorization' when edited. But I don't think that applies today (but really have no idea since I'd never buy lossy tracks, let alone ones from Sony)

Beep beep. Don't mistake rumour as fact.

ah, the MA-XG brings back memories. I bought a total of ONE of those. I think I paid about 15 AU dollars or something. Just wanted to try one... Great tape, great weight and feel...and SMELL (and sound ;P) tho I was mostly into SA and SA-X back then... (If my memory serves...) I did buy the occasional metal tape for their "strong" high-impact sound... So the TDK XA-PRO were made with metal shells? Amazing. TDK were always quality. Maxell also made some great tapes. BASF were still using chromium dioxide for the longest time...and we all know what happened to BASF Gotta love TDK.