jadeclaw

They will, I'm sure about that, it just can take a bit until that happens. Since I'm not interested in this service (LP2 just don't cut it for me at that price), I'll stick with the 2.1 for now.

@rfs: I have to apologize here. Sony's Connect service IS available in Europe. Yes, in old blighty as well... http://www.connect-europe.com Only problem: They offer Sonicstage 2.0 and the Online System test doesn't recognize the 2.1. So you have the choice: Buying music or using the better software - I'm not sure, how reliable that test is

I don't know anything about the NH900 battery, so we have to wait, until the firs member gets a NH900 and can hold a ruler to the battery. Google turned up blank...

If you click on " < Back number index > " on that AV-Watch page, you get a bunch of interesting reads and reviews. Despite the machine translation, that stuff is quite readable. Second, if you want quickly test your Soundcard/recorder, hop over here: http://audio.rightmark.org/ and download RMAA 5.3. It sends a bunch of strange sounding test signals through the system and then reports the systems performance. Tested mine, result: Analog part sucks like a black hole, digital part delivers 16 bit quality - as expected for a 16-bit card. Record and analyse part can be separated, so that testing of recorders and encoders is possible. Btw, the software is free. And while rummaging through AV-Watch's reveiews, I stumbled upon this EMU 0404 review, which caught my eyes qualitywise and it's currently on sale for 99 bucks here.

You could have left the 2.1 installed. From the registration: ""Connect is currently available only in the US and Canada"" If you are outside that, it doesn't matter, which version you are using, you won't get an account. Keep that e-mail and use the credits, when the service opens in old blighty... Second, you can upload, reorder, edit, download your own recorded stuff inside Sonicstage. To use an external wave editor, either wait for the converter, or record it off the mixer while playing the track in SonicStage. 2.1 has an editor included, which mimicks the edit of a conventional home deck. Plus, it's more stable. SS2.1 is available at www.connect.com. To get rid of 2.0, follow the NetMD-FAQ here: http://forums.minidisc.org/viewtopic.php?t=4171 The N1 gumsticks are not useable for the NH1 N1== NiMH == 1.2 Volts NH1 == LiIon == 3.6 Volts plus different size. Hope, this yelps...

Looks good I say.

Hmm, lens dirty? I've had the half a minute per second problem when one of my home decks had a dirty lens. Any disc recorded with it showed this problem. After cleaning, it worked again. Re: the MP3 prob, methinks, Lame and SS2 don't seem to like each other, so going the route via uncompressed wave seems to be the best way.

Yes, that's it.

Never tried it as I don't have a recorder yet. If it uses the same encoding engine, then yes, if it has its own, then maybe. Hmm, a point worth investigating...

Sonicstage has some limits in converting MP3 files, from the helpfile: If all fails, use your MP3 programm to convert into Wave again and import that.

Well, the head could be dirty, it could be bend away or the cable to the recording head could be broken. In case of dirt, cleaning it with an alcohol soaked q-tip could solve the problem, head bend away or broken cable needs a trained technician to repair it. The head is exactly over the lens in the lid.

Found it here: http://forums.minidisc.org/viewtopic.php?p=25205#25205 After rereading, ETA : this fall.

Nope, no blind test. Knowingly comparing to the uncompressed original. And not looking for anything on the subconscious level either. Instead I looked for audible differences, that I could clearly point at. And these differences showed up consistently at and below 132k. Looked this morning on Amazon.de and found out, they had cut the price of the NH700 down to 239,-- Euros, so I gave my CreditCard the stretcher treatment. According to Amazon, it should show up tomorrow. Methinks, more testing is due. If the results are to my liking, 2 MD-Decks will go up on eBay for end of the month. Good one and I try to avoid to fall in the same trap. Try uninstalling following the instructions given here: http://forums.minidisc.org/viewtopic.php?t=4171 and reinstall SS2.1. You should then be able to set the codec with the button under the red transfer button.

It is done in real time, the difference: Everything stays in the digital domain without the soundcard affecting the sound quality. Sony promised to make a converter utility for Mic/Line-In recordings. ETA: next month.

I've never claimed anything differently. The key here is, that the encoder saves bandwidth, if it has to encode 1 full channel (L+R) plus the differences. The phase shift now creates so many differences between the channels that in fact the encoder has to encode 2 full channels. And thats the point, where the encoder runs out of bandwidth, just like a car going to fast running out of road... How to avoid this? Either account for the possibility, that this happens, e.g. by limiting the datarate for the difference signal, or do it the VQF-way - processing the channels completely separately. @dex: Yes, you're right, the Library system needs quite an improvement before it is useable. Winamp's system is topclass compared to this. Hmm, your listening results are interesting, 256k sounded completely transparent to me. Btw, I ripped directly from CD as well. I think, it is time for me to train my ears a bit more. Thanks for the report PS: Equipment used: CM8738 based soundcard --> digital out(no resampling) --> Sony MDS-S38 in Monitor mode as D/A-converter - headphone out --> Beyer Dynamic DT770.

If you used LP2@105k or better, no. The very small difference isn't worth the effort. If you used Hi-LP or LP4 then yes. But not to use these again, instead rerip to use the better ones. I still consider Hi-LP or LP4 unfit for serious music playback.

I included the old assessment, so I can concentrate on the differences between 2.1 and 2.0. Let's start with Hi-SP 256k, no improvement, but no degradation either, a very good result - 99% NetMD LP2 - 132k : 90%, things run now a bit smoother here, the 90% still stand. NetMD LP'3' - 105k : 85%, same here, cannot complain. Hi-LP - 64k : 50% : Quality improved, the discolorations are gone, the compression artefacts are less audible, but it still suffers when things get complex on the stage, Hi-Hats catch a warbling effect, especially when other instruments demand bandwith. More about that later. NetMD LP4 - 66k : 30%, no improvement, the old result stands. Btw, it kills the stereo effect almost completely. Hi-LP2 - 48k : 40%, Quality improved here as well, the carbon mic is gone, but the low bandwith is audible. But now it is an improvement compared to LP4. I then decided to take another CD into the test, the excellent Getz/Gilberto album from 1963. The version here is the digital reissue from 1997, which has been remastered to provide a quality you do not expect from a 40 year old analog tape. However, one fault hasn't been fixed on that one, a constant phase shift between the channels. In addition, it features partly true 'ping-pong' stereo. And that makes LP4 fall flat on its nose. Switch to mono, turn down the treble control on the amp completely and reverse the polarity on one speaker. What you then get, is what LP4 delivers. Now on to Hi-LP, here it sounds remarkably pleasant, but when things get crowded, you can hear the voice and the instruments fighting for bandwith. But Hi-LP still sounds better than MP3@128k with this one. How can that, especially after reading my old review? It is simple, the phase shift I noted earlier and the way the MP3 codec works at 128k and below. It is the Joint Stereo and that's, how it works: First, both channels are mixed down to mono, that is our L+R signal. Then the channels are subtracted, giving us the differences, the L-R signal. That saves on bandwith but lets fall the encoder flat on its nose. First the mixdown, that one alone already produces audible phasing effects, then the L-R grows as big as the L+R, so that the encoder runs out of bandwith. In addition, since parts of both signals doesn't make it into the data stream, additional warbling artefacts end up in the decoded signal. Result, that one is unbearable at 128k. Atrac tackles the problem differently, thus avoiding the phasing effects. However, clean digital recordings give a different picture, with MP3@128k clearly outperforming Hi-LP, but not reaching LP2 @ 132k. Btw, the Getz/Gilberto album is still available at Amazon.com: Normal CD SACD (Hi-Res audio) Finally a word about stability, it managed to convert my 370 file album without crashing. I froze during playback of this album somewhere towards the end. I therefor recommend to stay below 100 tracks per album. An Audio CD has 99 tracks as the limit. During the whole testing session, it never crashed, a vast improvement over 2.0. I think, we've moved from Alpha preview close to final beta. So, thats it for this version, comments and additional listening reports are welcome, especially comparisons between the encoder in the recorder and SS2.1

I'm through with testing SS 2.1 and I must say, things are improving on the codec side, in terms of stability too. I'll put that up in its own thread later today. When listening on the NH1 or also when listening to the uploaded file from the computer?

Dual boot isn't bad and normally there a no side effects, even when having multiple Operating Systems on one machine.

I just hand this Thank you over to Dr.Zhivago.

The dark side of lossy codecs... Luckily, I don't have any music containing castanets... But seriously, If you search long enough, you always find some music or combination of instruments, which makes a lossy codec fall flat on its nose. I have had samples, that tripped up MP3 and WMA, others tripped up ATRAC... Luckily, most codecs are now mature enough, so that this happens very seldom...

To some people, lossy codecs are actually ear-pleasing. The german magazine c't had organized hearing sessions to compare mp3 with CD. Some of the participants actually pointed consistently to the mp3 as the original. (Double blind test). Even at 128k.

A word about output power: Most earbuds achieve a SPL of 100 to 110 db/mW. It is now a general consensus among the medical community, that a prolonged exposure to soundlevels above 85db will damage the ears and lead to permanent hearing loss. In other words, even the weakest MD-player out there is unhealthy to one's hearing, if cranked up to the limit... Clearasil anyone? :grin:

From another Thread: Press and hold jog-dial for 2 seconds. (Remember different menu items appear when you just click or when you press and hold). Scroll down and select last option from menu.(Click) Select 9 option (click) Select 1 option (click) Voila . English.

What is on the store shelves, comes with 2.0 . But that isn't a problem, connect.com is your friend.