Damage

OLED and LCD look significantly different. That wasn't my point, however. The point is, is that a CD player that's 1/2 the cost of the RH910 has a better LCD and makes better use of it than the RH910's normal LCD. Considering that, why not a backlit LCD for the 910 and the 710? Sony's jobbing the US market of any decent remotes, the least we deserve is a functional LCD that's on a comparable priced Flash or HD-DAP. That's the point.

To add to things: Various rates (128-192kbps): 231 tracks, 11 hours and 16 minutes on a 1GB disc almost full (about 11:00 remaining).

I'd wager from the service manual. ;-) On a more amusing note, it is a variation on one of the more famous secret codes. Something about thirty men backup?

You know, all of these would've been answered quite easily by saying something to the order of: About the same as other 1GB MP3 players -or- About the same as 1GB iPod Shuffle -or- About 30% more than your average single MP3/CD.

For all practical purposes, the Digital Amp appears to have very little (if any) changes to SQ (in the case of Sony audio items, I have more than my fair share). In terms of Sony's audio products, the Digital Amp does help with passive noise, in that there isn't any (in 2/3 items with Digital Amp, this has been true). And supposedly help with battery life as well, though that seems to have been... ignored. HD Digital Amp does alter the SQ somewhat, but I believe it to be very inconsequential to most users here and nearly all general audiences. The difference is there, but it's neither blatant nor dramatic as Panasonic's D-Sound AMP system, for example. My biggest beef with this unit is the LCD. If a $80 PCDP (D-NE520) can have a high-res backlit LCD on unit, then there really isn't any good excuse for the RH910 not to have one. It is one of the most puzzling and questionable decisions with regards to a unit that is otherwise well designed. Oh, and don't half-ass the multilingual aspects either. Seriously, just because this is the US doesn't mean that we only use latin languages. Get the multilanguage support right, this mean the proper display of tag info, easy way to change the language menu, etc.

And been playing around with it for about couple of days. While Damage this time isn't the trend-setter that I was last year (Man, that was sweet with one of the first HiMD units. hehehe), I did get onboard for the 2nd gen. Here are some quick thoughts on the unit. Unlike the 1st gen, the 2nd gen comes with MP3 abilities, so I tried more of that, since that is the biggest focus on the second get go. 1. Seamless MP3, or as close to it without fudging things much. By this, I mean the same gapless you get from transcoded MP3s, you get with native MP3 playback. There is still a distinct gap, however. In quiet transitions, you won't notice it. In concert sets (or long electronica) here's is still an audible gap, which still jarrs you out of the experience. This isn't bad as HD DAPS though. 2. MP3 sound quality seems slightly off... I think in the end, its no better or worse than any other Sony MP3 products. I've been sticking with sony's MP3 decoder for a better part of this decade hardware wise, so I think that comes into play here. Digital AMP makes the unit more pleasant, since the ever present low-level noise isn't there, for the most part. (D-NE520, despite it having a Digital AMP, buzzed in a very annoying manner..) I'd hope that it would've been nicer/better overall, considering the MD at one point carried that high quality sound reputation... 3. File View is nice, but I believe it to be vestigial. It would be nice if you can store some text files and read it (especially during playback, since this function is disabled during playback). It might have better use on DH10P, but not on a RH910. 4. RH910 could've gone with high-res backlit LCD ala D-NE9/5XX series, and probably would've had very little impact on final unit price. If you're going to job the US market of a remote, at least give us a backlit LCD. 5. Speaking of Remotes, the RM-MC40ELK works wonders. The navigation functionalities work on the remote as it would on the remote. While the navigation scheme's changed from the 1st gen to the 2nd gen (I prefer the 1st gen, it's quicker with normal mode), the whole general idea remains the same. The MC40ELK makes it all that much better. RM-MC5X series loses out here, as the search button is disabled. That is questionable since the PCDP folks managed to nicely simulate the search UI with one line remote quite elegantly. 6. Unit feels much more solid than the NH900, 800 or 600. This was said several times, and I'll repeat it here. The mirrored surface picks up fingerprints and minor scratches easily, which was also said many a times. PDA screen overlay saver thingy would be mighty useful. The thickness? It's about 1.5x the thickness of the NH1. No, it won't win any pagents like NH1 would, but I see some of the design carried over from NH1 to the 910/10 series. I also think the new orientation of the player was inspired by iPod (making it "taller" vs. "wider")... 7. USB charging is a nice perk, but I'd still keep that wall wart charger around. I think I need to find a way to get the RH10/910 dock from elsewhere though. 8. You know, if they wanted to get the iPod crowd, they should've made this white, gave it two 1GB blanks, and removed the LCD, call it HiMDShuffle or something. I'm reaching for things here. 9. Gone is the line-out and VPF. But come on, did you really use the VPF? I did on some occassion. The EQ works well equally on Atrac3plus and MP3 files, so no worries there ala HD3. 10. You can try the initial search before the HD5 gets released. Again, it's a nice feature, allowing you to quickly find the individual songs, songs by artists, etc. I suspect though, it works better on a larger capacity players vs. a 1GB one. So, my thoughts overall, they're one generation late. This really should've been the NH1/900/800/600 from the get go. It is better late than never, but one wonders... And Sony should seriously investigate a simple drag and drop extension for Explorer or some sort of easy file manager for the HiMD, I think that's the biggest obstacle here. If I were Howard, I'd seriously call Steve in Appleland and take up on his offer of iTunes. But I'm not Howard, and neither are you.

Be aware, he will bother you incessantly with his endless tirade of flashlights and batteries! (He made me say that, honest!) Other than mistiming, the trade went off without a hitch. Great guy too, this Polar character. I still need to remind myself to listen to the disc he sent me as well!

Interesting topic, and interesting rhetoric-as in MD vs. HiMD. We do know that MD as a format has seen no advancement in last two years or so (NetMD and Type S DSP being the last major advancements). Also consider, the lack of MD and MDLP recording options for 2nd Gen HiMD products outside of SonicStage. If nothing else, I wonder whether or not this is just the official announcement for the non-Hi flavored MD. We're seeing the last days of MD, being replaced more and more by HiMD... It is nothing new.

EDIT: To bring this post back to topic, the Entry code and what not works the same as RH910 as RH10. The language support works for RH910, provided that you have a "K" remote (the RH910 has a chunky LCD, so it doesn't look as if it'll display Japanese or Asian fonts properly. As far as my understanding goes, it's a EU/France restriction deal, where portable units with their default headphones can not exceed a certain decibal level (103dB/SPL was the figure thrown out). Actually, it's a France Restriction, but them being one of the founding members of the EU, the restrictions supposedly applies to all of Europe, not just France. So, in order to comply, Sony has to restrict output, by volume capping, limiting EQ, etc. Not sure how kosher that theory is. But in order to cost save, altering firmware could probably be the cheapest way to achieve this (uniform packaging, accessories, etc.). Likewise, Sony could use crummier headphones to conform with the law as well, and that'd sound like a better option, one'd think. Moral of the Story: Blame the French!

My recent 2nd Gen. Acquirement (RH-910) has given me more inspiration: New Additions: ====== 2ND Generation HiMD 1. What's the big deal with these units anyway? Biggest deal with these units are that they can now finally play MP3 files without having to be first transcoded into ATRAC3/plus formats. That means, you do not suffer any hits in quality when you transfer your MP3 files to your HiMD units. A side benefit to this is that all your MP3s by default has "almost-gapless" playback by default (about or less than 1/10th of a second, equal to the small slight gap that you'd notice with transcoded files). 2. What models are available? MZ-DH10 - Playback/Downloading Unit. Flagship unit for 2nd Generation HiMD. Besides the usual flagship offerings (dock, full metal construction, LiIon battery), this unit combines music playback with a 1MP camera and a Color LCD screen. MZ-RH10 - Playback/Recording/Downloading Unit, features OLED screen MZ-RH910 - Playback/Recording/Downloading Unit, features 5-line LCD screen, and usual inputs necessary for any self respecting MD recorder. Asian units would most likely offer high-resolution LCD screen. MZ-DH710 - US Only, Downloading unit only, offers USB port only! MZ-RH710 - Worldwide. Playback/Recording/Downloading Unit, basic 3 line LCD screen and Line-in/Digital-in only. In what could be considered a major improvement to the entire HiMD Walkman line, none of the units have VPT Acoustic Engine (a.k.a. fake surround sound). 3. What modes can I record in with these units? MZ-RH910(US) can record only in HiMD mode: LinearPCM, HiSP (256kbps), and HiLP (64kbps). No recording options are availble for MP3s as previously thought, and 48kbps Atrac3plus mode. You CAN NOT record to your MD discs! You can however download tracks to your MD discs via SonicStage. 4. Are there any restrictions in transferring MP3 files from my computer to my HiMD discs? As of now, you must use SonicStage to transfer your MP3 to your HiMD unit. Other than that, no other restrictions are known, but improperly encoded MP3 files will not be transcoded into ATRAC3/plus. Instead, those tracks will result in CANNOT PLAY error. 5. Can I play my HiMD discs full of MP3s on my 1st Gen unit? No first generation units will be able to play MP3 files transferred, though it will read the track listings and display the basic information stored in the database file generated. The first gen unit will attempt to play, but will report Cannot Play (RM-MC40ELK) or Can'tPLAY (NH1) error. 6. What is Digital Amp and why should I be interested in it? Informal testing has shown that Digital Amp unit helps to minimize low level noise that may be apparent to listeners with some headphones. However, unlike HD Digital Amp, it is assumed that the sound output is not altered in any significant manner. I really need to gather up everything into one single flat file.

Because I'm lazy (and work has been murderous lately) I haven't had the chance to do a full review of these. Instead, I give you a nice comparison with the XD200s I did briefly last night, posted on head-fi. Again, since I am a lazy person, I'll just cut and paste: Target (Brick and Mortar stores) in So. Cal (West Covina) has one pair left, used to have two before I got there tonight. I'm doing a brief testing them vs. the XD400s, and thus far, the XD400s do trump these in every area, but then again, the XD400s are 3x the costs of the XD200s, so something like this is to be expected. I have to say that the XD200s are not cheaper version of XD400s. Read on! Vocals are not as sinus nor nasal as the XD300s, but as much as XD400s before burn-in. Out of the blisterpack, the mid-range sounds slightly more balanced than 400s, but that's out of the blisterpack. The vocals did resolve much nicely for the most part after about 50 odd hours of burn in for the XD400, so I'd expect the same for XD200s. These cans are much harder to drive than the XD400s. These may perform admirably with a stronger source than a Walkman or an amp. I don't have one in my collection, so I can't say for certain. XD200s have a bit of a smaller soundstage vs. XD400s, but I've noticed that the XD400s has a strange presentation in their soundstaging, especially with regards to cymbols and the like (they sound as if they're being played right over my head!). Overall, not too bad in this regard. I'd say they sound softer and maybe darker than XD400s, with a touch of sibilience for the time being (guitars, cymbols, the like). I hope with a bit of burning in, that gets taken care of. Movie-Music mode has more impact with these vs. the XD400s. They also share the same visceral, head-shaking bass impact(!!!), but I think they are more flabbier and sloppier with extra super duper bass applied. On that note, they are easily equalized to whatever flavor you like. Well worth the $30, but at the moment, I wish I still had the XD300s to do a bit of testing with those. These will serve as a backup unit, computer unit, or wherever where critical listening isn't required. Much like the XD400s, I say these performs best of Jazz, Classical, and Acoustic sets vs. Rock or Hip Hop. XD200 vs. Philips SBC HS900 Both retail for about $30 in many a brick and mortar, these are more portable and smaller than the XD200. HS900 has less bass, but is sibilant with its trebles. Not detailed mind you, but the hissy, shrilly sibilant. Mids sounds really recessed on the HS900, but XD200s sounds nasal, especially with female tracks, so it's a give and take. XD200s has more controlled bass vs. HS900 with super duper mega ultra bass applied. With no bass, it's about same I'd wager. XD200s has more visceral impact with its bass. By visceral, I mean head shaking, feel it through your body type. Comfort, it's a give and take. Both the HS900 and the XD200's plastic headband end up touching my crown, so you're aware that you've got headphones on. The HS900, with its narrower padding, feels like a pair of vice though. XD200 may lack padding on the front (rather, the sloped driver makes it feel as if it has less padding on the front), but it's more comfortable other than the earmuff effect. XD200 is probably better in most aspects over HS900 save size, maybe trebles, maybe comfort, and lack of nasal vocals. (Testing was done with D-NE520->iSpitter->XD200/400 and XD200/HS900. Spiderman just killed the Hobgoblin on my TV.)

1. Give it some time to work itself. Burn ins are a must with the EX71s. 2. No, you're not supposed to remove the paper diaphgram, but one of the mods do involve such and replacing the said piece of paper with duct tape. I never liked the results of that mod. The best thing you can do at the moment to improve the sound somewhat (other than burn-in) is to use some duct-tape to cover up the three holes on each of the driver housing.

The Battle of the Consoles!! http://www.hcn.zaq.ne.jp/cabic508/rsf/SF6-2i.swf

For files, you're not limited in transferring from one PC to another. That is, drag and dropped files using Windows Explorer isn't subject to any sort of limitation. As for music from SonicStage, you're limited to the the device and the PC that file originated from. For instance, if you use computer A to transfer an album to your HiMD, you can only transfer it back to computer A only. However, the disc itself is free for playback on any and all HiMD devices. For any music that you import on your own, you have unlimited transfer rights to unlimited number of devices. So you can use two, three, or several HiMD devices on a single PC to manage your music. I've done so with a NH900 and NH1 on one single PC, so it shouldn't be a problem with 2 NH600Ds. As for SQ, I found that the comparable generation of HiMD and Sony PCDP devices sound very close to one another. The new generation of PCDPs with Digital Amp, however, gets rid of the low level hiss that is very apparent on devices without Digital Amp.

I've used three thus far, and none of them has issues like that. I guess I did luck out on mine, I suppose. Curious as to what color you got for your replacements. The white cord EX71s looks tad more rugged/sturdier because of the slightly thicker cord on the white vs. the black EX71s. Finally, Aeriyn, what happened to your Shure E3s, and would you recommend the ER6is over the E3s?

Off top of my head, for about 40 Pounds Sterling or US$80, you have quite a bit of choice: Senn PX100/PX200 Koss Porta Pros Sony MDR-V6 (though they border on being not quite portable), MDR-XD200 Sony MDR-E888 or MDR-EX81/71 Sharp MD33 I'd personally recommend the Senn PX100s, I happen to think they sound the best for US$50 (I haven't tried KOSS Porta Pros, and I wasn't too thrilled with Porta Pro 2s). If you did purchase the Sony EX71s, you will want to let them burn-in or let them run about 200 or odd hours or so before they reach their final sound signature. Before then, you may not like the sound they are known for (really sharp and screech trebles and bad bass).

Not sure if this applies to Japanese/Asian units, but: The US Gumstics will have a small "Recycle" Logo in the orange area of the Gumstick on both sides of the battery label. Missing those, and you got yourself a questionable unit.

Extra brownie points for identifying my avatar, the set of can's she's rocking on, and the album she's working on (I don't know that one either unfortunately).

Pics will be coming with more comprehensive review. Stay tuned. Speaking of which, I intend to use several artists to get a feel for these cans. I'll list them below, feel free to add your suggestions, but unless there is something incredibly huge missing (other than R&B/Rap, as I'm not quite versed in that area other than an odd album here or there), I'll go few tracks from these albums. U2 - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (Modern Rock) The Pillows - FLCL OST 1 - (J-Rock/Alt. Rock) Vivaldi - The Four Seasons - (Baroque) Outrun 2 OST - (Game/Easy Rock/Instrumental) REM - Eponymous - (Alt. Rock) Scorpions - (Hard Rock) Midnight Club 2 Sampler - (Trance/Electronica)

Copy and pasted from my initial review on Head-Fi. Expect a comprehensive review on these later today or this week. Hopefully --- Big thumbs up here, post 24 hour burn-in: Procedurals For the burn-ins, I run a various high-bitrate MP3s on a random CD, connect the cans of choice to either D-NE1 or D-NE900 (I find the two sound fairly interchangable), and chuck the entire setup for couple of days or so in a drawer. About couple of days later, you have a well burned in phone. For this quickie, the equipment are as follows: D-NE1 -> RM-MC33EL -> MDR-XD400 (Remotes are necessary to control this unit more or less). MZ-NH1 -> MDR-XD300 (for some hours, no more than 5 to 10 hours burn in) No Digital Megabass applied. MP3s include: Outrun2 soundtrack (Jazz vocals, Easy Rock instrumental) Cowboy Bebop soundtrack, vols 1-3 (Jazz vocals, jazz tracks, world tracks) FLCL OST 1 (J-Rock) Random assortments of JPOP, Hard Rock instrumentals, and Electronica. Bass They can drive a quite a bit of bass if necessary. Even with the Digital MegaBass setting at 2, i tpumps out all the bass and retains quite a bit of bass details without being flabby or messy. At these high bass boost levels, it becomes almost as if you're strapping a very small subwoofer on your ears, and I can almost feel the bass through my body. Amazing. Not to say that these are total bass-head set of cans, the bass isn't overwhelming at default (no EQ) settings under MUSIC mode, it might be infact somewhat muted for bass lovers. MOVIE mode adds a bit of mid-bass to the sound, somewhat similar to the CD580s, but nothing too overpowering. I left mine on at MUSIC setting. Vocals Other than its staging slightly towards behind (maybe recessed is a better word?) and initial nasalness, there's nothing to really complain about. The nasalness that I really didn't like with XD300 is still somewhat present with the XD400, but I'm uncertain at this point whether it's truly nasal or just bright at the female vocal tracks. As for XD300, the vocals (male and female) suffers from a bout of sinal infection, or Barbara Streisanditis. Perhaps my unit was a dud, but even with a bit of burn-in (about 5-6 odd hours or so) didn't clear it up, not one bit. I didn't like it. You might, however. Trebles XD300 sounds like there's a veil over the entire treble range, and be it sibilance, brightness, or detail, but quite a bit of that brightness is lost. It makes everything sound a bit dull. XD400, on the other hand, lifts the vail right out, and rounds out the entire package. It could be contrived as bright, almost sibilant to some, but I find the touch of that brightness adds to the overall SQ of the XD400. The final sound of the 400s sounds energetic and overall complete vs. the XD300s. Ergonomics Very light and comfortable, but traps heat much like some other closed cans. The Pleather pad also picks up sweat and oil like there's no business though (the CD580's cloth padding was very comfy vs. the pleathers). It's essentially designed for extended listening for Music or Movie, though if you're on the sweaty side, something to consider. So far Great cans, but the nasal vocals I need to investigate more, i.e. more burn-in time. I wonder if the mids' are far brighter than I first thought (thus the nasalness of the vocals in the 300 and perhaps in the 400)? I'll listen to more sources in the next few upcoming days to round out my opinion, but chances are, they won't change much, I think. Having said that, I'd totally avoid the XD300s, considering that the XD200s are half the price, and the 400s can be had for $20-40 extra vs. the XD300s depending on the retailer. -- Afterwards, I noted this in the same thread: The bass on these cans are amazing!! You can set the XD400 to give you what is probably a great listening experience no matter the device or the situation (as well as a $100 set of can give). Considering the audience, I'd suspect a lot of us would be happy with these as a final set of headphones. My later impressions on these, including the huge bass these can offer: Very Equalizable. Finally: Initially, I was underwhelmed with these as a Gaming phone, but that I'd suspect is more due to the onboard sound vs. anything else (Nforce2 SoundStorm for the curious). There was a lot of clipping and noise, but at the same time, the environmental effects and the spacial abilites of these phones were quite satisfactory. On console gaming, set at MOVIE mode, it works fairly well and is rather enjoyable. As for TV and Movie/DVD watching? I still need to work on these, as I got these primairly for music purposes. They are very versatile however in anything you throw at it. I'll no doubt have more to write on this, the initial nasalness of the vocals will turn off some people. Size is rather too big for portable use, and the upper-mids/vocals seems brighter than most phones, though not harsh. Trebles will probably seem harsh to some people who prefer more mellow, darker sounds, but I have no problems with it. Finally, all plastic construction makes this fragile feeling, though the two steel bars will help with its durability. As it stands, this seems like a $100 set of phones that could be easily charged more and still be satisfactory to most listeners. The MOVIE mode is somewhat of a gimmick (and a dud to me), but the option is nice for those who like bigger bass. Finally, because the XD400s are so easily driven and equalizable, I'm retracting my harsh stance on the XD300s for the moment. Properly equalized, I think the XD300s could very well be perfect for those of us who can't shell out the $100 MSRP but still have a quality set of headphones. As soon as I get my grubby hands on a pair of XD200s, I intend to break it in and test them out as much in the same way as the XD400s (the 200s I intend to use for general PC usage and occassional gaming). The XD200s lack the auto headband adjustment and uses 40mm drivers vs 50mm on the XD400s. B(h)angraman already gave great review on his blog (the comparisons of good $30 budget can and the End of the World is not to be missed). But I suspect someone here will want a comparison between the two, and this is another excuse to get one. Keep here for more details.

I will assume that you have access to your local Radio Shack, Target, K-Mart or whatever. NH900 can be charged with a normal AC adaptor, and most stores these days sells a kit for $20-30. Match the proper polarity, voltage and amp, and you got yourself a charging kit for your NH900.

And if my car's stereo is to be believed, for models with HD Digital Amp, it seems to bypass the Digital Amp circuitry. I realize that car's stereo system isn't the best way to test this, but at least on an informal level, this seems to hold case several times I've tried this (checking line-out vs. normal HD out with volume at 27-30, no EQ/VSUR). Whether or not it actually bypasses the HD AMP? Got me.

That particular remote (RM-MC33EL) will work for your NHF800, including the backlit display and all, but remember, you won't have any FM/AM Tuner function with that remote. As for the CD player, that's a fine CD Player if you can get it for sub-$100, but if not, I'd pass and get the D-NE10 or 900, which has better options, such as a parametric equalizer and gapless playback (similar to HiMDs) for Atrac3/plus files.

Quite a few, including one from Sony. That particular one ($30-$40 street price) has an extensible FM Wire antenna for reception purposes, but couldn't tell you if it worked in practice.

Be aware that no other remote besides the one that came with your unit will have RADIO TUNER function. None of the remotes that I will recommend has radio tuner functionality, so be aware of that fact before buying a new one. RM-MC40ELK is my first and foremost recommendation. It's backlit, has a very generous 3 line display, and has jog wheel navigation perfectly suited for all HiMD units. RM-MC33/38EL is the standard stick remote w/ LCD display for most Sony electronics that come with it. It's shaped like the remote you have, minus the radio on/off button and is slightly slimmer. You should be able to find these remotes with import electronic stores on-line or on eBay, not sure what the going rate for the RM-MC40ELK, but I wouldn't fork over $75 for either of them, and the latter could be had much cheaper (sub-$50), IIRC>