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jadeclaw

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Everything posted by jadeclaw

  1. No, Kurisu, it was the original install from Sony's Connect site. It crashed during playback, it crashed when accessing the connect site, scrolling through a longer list of titles caused 1 second lockups, sending Sysmetrix' CPU-load display rocksolid against the roof - on an Athlon XP 2500+ ... Being used to the stability of non-Microsoft programs and Linux, I would classify SS2 just above alpha preview.
  2. The problem with SoundStage is the fact, that the visible Export-options depend on the recorder connected. Change that into High posibility. However, SS2 didn't like my DVD-Writer. (Benq DW-800). But that's it almost... Agreed. I strongly suggest, that you wait atleast until the first Hi-MD are sold and we get some reports back from users. (June, July) Another point to consider is the quality of the A/D-Converter and preamp. Noise, distortion etcetera. MD-Recorders are usually constructed with Audio in mind, I'm not so sure, if this is the case with MP3 players. And don't fixate on the iRiver, other brands have good offers as well, so take time and compare.
  3. So, now here is the promised report about MP4-AAC and how it fares against ATRAC. I took OGG-Vorbis in as well, as this codec is completely free and available on a multitude of Operating systems, including Windows, FreeBSD, BeOS(Zeta) and of course Linux. Ok, let's start qualitywise: PCM - the original. That's our reference again with 100% MP4 256k : completely transparent, except for a very slightly smaller soundstage, aside from that, no artefacts, nothing. A good 99% and identical to Hi-SP qualitywise. OGG 256k : Same as above, 99% as well. Plus it's free! MP4 128k : Slightly rougher than the original, difference to the original can be called marginal. A good deal better than LP2-132k. A good 95% for that. OGG 128k : Same performance, 95% as well. And both are much better than MP3@128k... But it is the low rates, where things are getting interesting. MP4 96k : Same perfomance than LP2-132k, a little bit smoother, the same 90% in quality. The same is true for OGG@96k as well. 90% too. MP4 - 64k : Audible artefacts, but less critical than Hi-LP@64k. the old LP4 can't compete here. It is near LP2@105k. 70% for that OGG - 64k : A step better, stronger high range here. I'll prefer it over MP4 here, Music is still quite enjoyable here. 80% OGG - 48k : Still considerably better than Hi-LP 64k, it is still near LP2 105k. 70% for that one. MP4 - 48k : High range suffers here + audible artefacts. Still above LP4. The codec tries to smooth things out, but that doesn't really helps here. 50%. MP4 - 32k : It sounds rough and the high range goes down the drain. 35% Still better than LP4 since the gargling sound effects are mostly absent. Hi-LP 48k sound smoother but not really better. If you like AM-Radio, then this is for you... Final conclusion: While I don't claim to have the 'absolute' ear, I have to declare OGG-Vorbis as the winner here, especially when things get narrow. Sony has still much work to do on their codecs. While 256k delivers the quality expected for a modern product, OGG and MP4-AAC show, what state of the art is in the area at or below 128k. However, OGG and MP4-AAC gain, if a varable bitrate is allowed, but to create equal conditions, I nailed both on a fixed rate. In addition, SoundStage 2 crashed multiple times throughout the tests and had to be restarted again and again. This thing is less ripe than a green banana... And now I deinstall it, as it seems to create intermittend crashes of other applications as well.
  4. 70 files. Is that all? I've imported 378 mp3-files into a single album and hit convert. Result: 212 files were converted, then possibly I hit a bug. One of the DLL-files crashed. And it keeps crashing, when I try to encode any track above tracknumber 212. So, just for safety, stay below that number in an Album. Oh, did I say, it takes almost forever to convert these?
  5. Yes, you can. Select Import Files over the left button. There it is possible to load the files into an Album. After that, you can do a 'Convert Format'. Select Atrac3plus 256k to get the highest soundquality. Everything below 132k is not recommended, except for Audio books(speech). Note: It still says MP3 under 'Format' in the Tracklist.
  6. Yes, you can. See here: http://www.minidisc.org/hi-md_faq.html#_q93 However, to play back these on old equipment, you have to set the recorder into NetMD-mode before transfer. MDCenter.nl reported that. And of course, use standard discs as well.
  7. The ATRAC CD-players don't understand SP, so it is not available when there is no MD connected. I can remember, that other members reported SP - transfers with NetMD. And the Hi-MD recorders include NetMD as well, so my guess is, the options become visible when you connect a recorder.
  8. Nope, in a normal CD-player with 1-bit DAC, the output of the D/A-converter goes directly or via the Volume - control into the analog output stage. However, digital amp done the right way would mean that the Amp is an integral part of the whole signal processing/converter system - including the abillity to calculate out any imperfections of the amp. Despite that, a well designed analog stage still outperforms any digital amp, but there is a price to pay - Split supply, +- 15 V with a few hundred milliamps just for a headphone. Not possible in a small MD-portable - Especially if there is only a single AA-cell to live off... Yes.
  9. Luckily, MD blanks are cheap nowadays, so you have to do it only once...
  10. You need one with Microphone input, that means the NH-700 and the NH-900 are suitable here. Both allow upload as well. NH-700: http://www.minidisc.org/part_Sony_MZ-NH700.html NH-900: http://www.minidisc.org/part_Sony_MZ-NH900.html Hope this helps.
  11. From the pic in the equipment browser, it looks like this PCLink is output only. If so, you have to use your regular soundcard to record back into the computer. Connect the MD's headphone out to line-in of the soundcard, then start recording on the PC and immediately press play on the MD. Of course, switch off any effects on the MD like Megabass. There are multiple applications available on the net, free, open source or 'pay for' software. Google is your friend here. Often soundcards have something useable already included.
  12. The MZ-R700 is not computer capable. That simply means, you can only record in realtime via Line-In/Optical-In. No special software needed - And not possible either.
  13. After following the few projects on OpenSource projects on this matter, I'm quite sure, that current NetMD units don't have upload capabilities on the hardware side. That means, a NetMD can take Atrac-data and write it off to a disc, but there is no way provided to get that data back onto the comp. The only data, that will go back is title, track, and disc-info. So, you're out of luck. The only way back is through Line-In via Soundcard. Or Digital In, if you have a MDLP Homedeck like the JB780...
  14. Paws. With blunt claws. Well, the benefit comes with the high capacity of Hi-MD-discs. Suppose, you have 6 or 7 albums on one disc, now select Track 3 on Album 5. That's where the Group mode comes in. Now you want to hear Album 2,5 and 6. That's, where the Group Program comes in. Saves a lot of hassle... And extends the lifespan of the buttons as well.
  15. 64k is sufficient for talk radio, especially AM-Radio - But Music needs more bits. See further down. Different datarates could share the same disc. Different modes not. That means, Hi-SP and Hi-LP on the same disc is ok, LP2/LP4 and one of the Hi-MD modes on the disc not... ( why not? when someone got a Hi-MD-recorder, please test ) Now the central point: A comparison of the different codecs and datarates: I took the same track and encoded it with everything, SS2 had to offer. PCM - the original track. Hi-SP 256k - to my ears, it was fully transparent. However, listening through the whole track, the PCM orignal had a little more openness. Hardly to describe, A-B comparison doesn't reveal it, it runs on a subconscious level - It feels better, more relaxed, easier... Still, Hi-SP delivers an excellent result. Hi-LP - 64k - It sucks. I don't know, how some people think that this is better than MP3@128k. Compression artefacts and discoloration is well audible. I say, for speech or recording of analog shortwave transmissions only. Sorry, but digital shortwave(DRM) even sounds better... ( That uses MP4-AAC-SBR) Hi-LP2 - 48k - It sucks even more. Speech and analog telephone only. Carbon mic anyone? NetMD LP2 - 132k - very good FM quality. It sound rougher than Hi-SP but for listening on the road or in the car, it is more than adequate. Regarding the bad results for Hi-LP, I cannot understand, why there is no Hi-MD mode with that datarate. It would have been a good compromise between quality and running time. NetMD LP'3' - 105k - Rougher as 132k and sounding more compressed, losing more of the recording room. However, still far superior compared to Hi-LP. I would recommend that over Hi-LP anytime... NetMD LP4 - 66k - It sucks. Less highrange than Hi-LP, gargling sound like someone singing underwater... Sorry, speech only. So, on a scale between 100% and 0% the ranks are as follows: PCM : 100% (It's the Original) Hi-SP 256k : 99% Old SP 292k (MDS-JE500) : 97% NetMD LP2 - 132k : 90% NetMD LP'3' - 105k : 85% Hi-LP - 64k : 40% NetMD LP4 - 66k : 30% Hi-LP2 - 48k : 20% In comparison, my old ST-S370 FM-Tuner still manages around 87% and my Galaxis DVB-C Digital receiver would got 95%. Ok, that's it for today, tomorrow I'll repeat that for MP4-AAC using the same datarates.
  16. I've tried that one a short time ago and the results were like this: MD-SP sounded almost identical to CD, the difference was smaller than the difference between 2 different CD-players, so I could say, it was a draw... CD vs. OGG: above a certain datarate, OGG was fully transparent to my ears, CBR 256k or above or VBR allowing peaks to go 320k. OGG was quite good at 64k, better than WMA9, and waaay better than MP3 or MP3plus. MP3 just plain sucks like a black hole below 128k. CD vs. MP3: MP3 is old. And it shows. Try MP3 at 384k. You should reach a decent quality at that datarate, but 256k is the minimum for good quality. OGG and MD outperform MP3 without any problem... I still cannot understand, why someone wants MP3 playback on a Hi-MD - atleast not from a quality point of view. Equipment used: HiFi-Side CD: Sony CDP-711 MD: Sony MDS-JE500 Amp: Sony TA-F470 with Line-Direct active Headphones: Beyer Dynamic DT-770 Computer-side: Sony MDS-S38 as a DA-Converter, connected to a non-resampling soundcard via TOSlink. (CMedia 8738 based card.) And my DT-770 again directly connected to the MDs phone out. Music: Multiple jazz and classic pieces. Everything was copied via digital or ripped directly onto harddisk. Since I have now the lastest Nero-Suite installed, I will repeat that with MP4-AAC sometimes next week. However, first tries sounded promising... Ok, there you have it - combined with Symphara's experience, one could say, Hi-SP and old SP are playing in the same class, so no fear about losing quality when moving up to Hi-MD.
  17. Yes and no. In another thread, that point already has been discussed. Minidisco says, a battery case is included with the NH1, MDCenter.nl and the equipment pages here on minidisc.org don't mention it. I suggest, order it from minidisco and complain, if the battery case is missing... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- @Fray: I still call it fraud - for a good reason: When you start learning about computers, you learn, that everything is base 2. And the harddisk manufacturers are fully aware of this. Time for a lawsuit, I think...
  18. Does it play via analog out? If yes, the soundcard is the problem. Possibly the soundcard driver sees Winamp as protected material and mutes the digital out. Only Creative is doing these braindead things... You might want to check under Preferences in Winamp, go to the plugin section, then Output, then select the DirectSound plugin, then click on Configure and select the Device tab. If it shows your soundcard there, select Primary sounddevice instead and uncheck the two checkboxes below that dropdown list as well. (Winamp 5, should be similar in Winamp 2). You may try to do the same with the WaveOut plugin as well. (Microsoft Soundmapper instead of your Soundcard). Hope, this helps...
  19. Nope. What you transfer through the digital out is the decoded audio, when you playback the files on your computer. It's no wonder, as the digital out is an OUTput. No data is going back to the computer through that one. Therefore, Sonicstage won't recognize anything connected there. Normally, if you can play back the music on your computer, the signal should be available on the digital out as well. (Except Creative Audigy, which blocks digital out on DRM-infested material, but I never heard, that a terratec card is doing that.) However, you might check the Controlpanel of the soundcard, on the tab configuration check the Master Clock setting, it should be set to internal and 44100. Otherwise, an invalid signal comes out of the card...
  20. Nope. It is the digital to analog converter. From that point on, everything is analog. A digital amp is something completely different and its construction is more like switchmode power-supply than an amplifier. In fact, you can think of it as an audio controlled power supply... I'm not going into details here, as that would require more information from Sony about the construction principles used there. ELV here in Germany has offered a DIY-Kit for a digital high-power amp for surround sound and as a subwoofer drive. ELV uses a module from these guys: http://www.tripath.com/ Efficiency at 150W into 4 Ohms: 88% A conventional amp reaches a maximum of 50%... The kit is here. (Sorry, only in German) http://www.elv.de/Shopping/ArtikelDetail.a...VT%2DAT&Stufe=2 Gives an impression, how small this thing is...
  21. Well, there are three types: Players: Don't record anything. Downloaders: Recording through USB only. the US version of the NH600 and some other NetMDs as well. Real recorders: Have Analog and/or SP/DIF inputs besides any computer connection. Might not have any computer-connector at all, like most home decks. And it doesn't matter, what the advertisements say, if it records through analog, its a recorder, even if it is called a 'player'. Yes, Sony is guilty of that too... *Grmpf* -------------------------------------- @efenili: Windows calculates on base 2. And that's what I'm doing as well. And that's what anyone else is doing as well. However, Harddisk makers calculate on the base 10 - Result: A 60 GByte drive suddenly has only 55 GBytes... Too bad, that the courts still allow this type of fraud.
  22. Sorry, you're stuck... Recordings done on current equipment cannot be uploaded through USB. Not even using a Hi-MD unit, when that comes out. The only way is via Analog or using a home deck and through a soundcard with optical in. If that recording is done in SP-Mode, you can use any home deck with digital out, e.g. the JE 500, which starts at about 50 bucks on ebay - If done in LP2 or LP4, you have to use a more modern home deck, these are more expensive. And then you need optical in on your laptop, think Edirol and USB. Sorry, that is the way to go... And that is the way I'm doing it currently.
  23. Here: http://www.sony.net/Products/Hi-MD/capacity.html it is in English, just scroll down a bit.
  24. The thing under the NH900 is the charging stand. The battery case is either screwed on, like it was on the R30 or it is (much more likely) a separate case, connected via a cable. The gumpacks should last as many cycles as any other rechargeable battery of the same technology.
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