banjo

Thanks everybody. That is very interesting. So, I spent the time with my old NetMD listening to what I thought was SP when in fact it was LP2 and I would have been as well listening to LP2 and putting two CDs on one disc rather than carrying around all those extra discs. Hmm. Does everybody out there still using NetMD know this?

Ok Volta. That makes a bit more sense. There is a comment elsewhere on the board (posted in recent days) that led me to believe that there is no SS codec for real SP. I found that disturbing from the legacy perspective. Would I be correct with the following summary of SS/software support for real SP: (1) SS and NetMD supports encoding and writing real SP to MD discs (necessarily in MD format) (2) SS and first generation HiMD supports encoding and writing real SP to MD discs (in MD format) The question I'm really trying to answer is if I have a legacy MD player and if I want to get the best quality playback on this player (i.e. SP) can I get SS (or a version of SS) to write SP onto MD format discs? Or am I stuck having to record my SP in real-time over optical? I know that this is off the original topic (SP on I Gb disc) but it is a concern.

I've read on the forum that there is no verson of SS that will write real SP. Is that really true? What about the SS software that came with NetMD devices - in principle it supports SP, LP2 and LP4 but is it really the case that it writes fake SP?

I'd say keep it. You probably won't get much for it anyway. I sold my old MDLP player off when I got the HiMD recorder and now, for convenience, I've gone and bought one again. I have loads of stuff in SP on old discs and I don't mind carrying a few with me. What I do mind is the poor battery life on the HiMD and the old MDLP devices solve that problem pretty well.

The Panasonc SJ MR50 is very handy because it has built-in speaker, built-in stereo mic and an easy-to-use on-device interface. The remote is not really needed. It is a compact one-stop shop and I find it great for recording meetings etc.

Ishiyoshi, since we are talking about digital encoding of the data on the disc, how can the disc type affect sound quality? I would guess that quality issues would be related to the reliability of the discs/media and that quality is impacted only if there is media degradation?

Hi all, I repeated these tests on an nh1 last week - the problems are there also. I've started trying to get some feedback from Sony but its not happening. After paying top dollar for a device that is clearly defective, the least that I'd expect is some customer support, however basic: surely that is factored into the Sony premium?

To my recollection, the Sony HD amp fared quite well when first reviewed (at the time of release of Nh1, Nh3d etc.). Correct me if I'm wrong? From my own perspective, I have put up quite a few listening hours on both the DS70 (Sharp/Auvi digital amp) and the NH1 (Sony 'High-Definition' digital amp). With comparable recordings and settings, I would favour the NH1 sound over the DS70. But, I don't think that isn't much in the difference: the devices do have different characteristics but overall I think that they weigh-in close to each other. So far, the discussion in this thread appears to paint the HD amp in quite a negative light. But is it so bad? Or are we debating about those last few percentage points that seperate it from comparable devices?

Hi, there are a number of angles. I have used Nh1 and 900 quite a lot and I will give you my opinion about usability, given my usage pattern, which is key to any comparison. I use MD a few hours a day walking to/from work. I like to keep the MD snug in a cost pocket because it can get quite wet. Further, I prefer not to use a remote which means that I have to control the MD 'blind', hand in pocket. In this context I much prefer the 900. It is easier to 'feel' the devic and easier to control the basics (fwd/back/stop/pause/volume). I find that the controls on the NH1 are harder to use. From a dispay perspective, I also prefer the 900. The display on the 900 allows you to browse disc content: this is essential for a HiMD with a lot of content. The display on the NH1 cannot be used for this and you really need to use the remote if you intend to do a lot of skipping to-and-fro. From a usability perspective, my one gripe with the 900 is that the display is not backlit. However, it still compares favourably to the NH1 display - the NH1 display is not backlit either! I guess the proof is in the pudding: there are two HiMD at home: a 900 and an Nh1 (my own). When I'm going out, if I can borrow the 900 for the walk, I will. Hope that helps.

Would it help if you published (somewhere) the amount collected to-date? It might stimulate donations.

Sorry! thats not a good price. I'll drop it to 190 USD with shipping to be negotiated. Thats a saving of 90 USD over the the audiocubes price, before shipping.

Hi, I have a Sharp DS70 - for sale. Bought mid-february 2004. The device is in perfect condition with few hours use. Reason for sale - I've moved to HiMD and the player isn't getting used at all any more since I've started putting music onto HiMD discs. The package contains all original package contents AND two useful extras: - an extra set of Sharp 4-pole in-ear phones (HD-MD33S) - a 3-pole to 4-pole conversion socket/lead so that you can use 3-pole phones withthe device FYI: the DS70 has a 4-pole earphone socket: it can be used directly with conventional 3-pole phones but for best results use of 4-pole phones (or a 3-to-4 adaptor) is recommended. I'm based in Ireland but can ship (depending on location and costs, we can negotiate on splitting the costs). Asking price is 210USD ONO (the earphone accessories cost about 50 USD extra shipping). Total saving for the bundle is about 70USD before taking shipping into consideration.

NF810 for sale. Includes all original package contents and carrying pouch. The device is in mint condition and has seen very little use - shortly after buying it I bought a deck and since then I've been using the deck with a player. The 810 has been in a drawer since, which is a pity for such a solid article. So. Anybody out there looking for a good NetMD recorder, let me know. Location is Ireland.

Hola! First post. Hope you're all well out there! I have been checking out the NH1 and NH3D HiMD models and one significant problem, from my point of view, is the battery life. I travel a lot (typically a week or more at a stretch) and the long battery life of more recent MD units has been a real bonus. I usually don't need to pack a charger, which is super. With the NH1 and NH3D models it looks like you would have to pack both the charging stand and a transformer! I usually travel with a laptop but that doesn't help since the units don't recharge over USB. Am I missing something? After years of battery life optimisation in MD portables, the latest and greatest seems to have taken a few steps backward in this regard. Does anybody know if there are any solutions to this one? Simplistic options would be a higher capacity battery or a dedicated USB cable that actually supported charging. This would have to come from Sony, I guess, so we'll probably be waiting... Another solution might be to replace the transformer with one of those USB cables that basically provides a DC out (used for charging mobile phones, for example). You'd still have to carry the charge stand but that shouldn't be too heavy. However I don't know if USB can provide the required level of juice? Any other ideas?