jonny mac

That's just for Macs, probably there's no software for handling ATRAC on a Mac yet so for the time being MP3s are easier to implement as they already exist on the Mac platform. I'd be surprised if there isn't an update before long to allow ATRAC downloading.

Raja, those are Sharp, not Shure. I'm pretty sure the Sennheiser CX300s are exactly the same as the SHarp model but with a standard 3-pole plug. They're available here for just over £30, the retailer is excellent but the phones may be cheaper elsewhere.

I've never experianced this, it can't be the volume restriction. At very high volumes any bands on the EQ which are above 0 will be forced back down to 0, altering the EQ accordingly because the amp can't boost the volume above the maximum.

I think this forum should be kept separate from ATRAClife. There's plenty of activity and interest here and it's good to have a forum with a common ground between most of the contributors. Besides, we wouldn't want to alienate all the non-Sony MD unit users.

You mean you want to buy regular 74/80 minute minidiscs? These are pretty widely available online and in many shops. Surely if you ONLY use HiMD then you'd be better with the higher capacity 1gb discs? Your post has me confused, sorry.

I've yet to see any online retailers based in the UK offering the RH1. They had the 1st and 2nd gen at on their sites at least a month before the release date but for the RH - nothing. I don't think retailers are very excited about this.

At the end of the day digital has higher potential for fidelity. The sample rate can be increased and if you take that to it's extreme digital virtually becomes analogue but with far greater control and ability to filter/avoid unwanted noise. It's technology for the future but it'll happen eventually. For now digital is better because the sound is so much cleaner and clearer.

I have 30 Sharp cheapie discs with plastic shutters and have never had any problems with them. In fact, the only disc that's ever given me problems was a Sony Premium which would seem to record and then later would contain nothing. Oher than that, no probs from Sony, Sharp or TDK.

32 and 48 kHz without re-sampling to 44.1? That'll please a few. The pics are lovely, they give a real feel to the unit. I take it the three output graphs are for MP3 playback to demonstrate the non-crippled MP3 playback?

I haven't had any problems using a rechargeable with my NH900 but then it's rare that I use the AA pack. If you're using that many batteries it'll be cheaper to go with rechargeables. Thi shasn't come up so far and I don't know what your recording environment is but I'm assuming it's not possible to use the mains adaptor?

He's not on the jury yet, just up for possible selection. I doubt many people would be daft enough to try to covertly record legal proceedings. Basically he has to sit in a room and wait until his name is called. The X-Ray scanners won't harm your MD unit or discs in the slightest. I've passed mine through numerous airport and embassy/govornment building scanners and it's never been harmed. If it was an all-metal unit the X-rays wouldn't even penetrate to the disc!

I have all my MP3s on DVD as my PC HDD is only 40 gigs. I have all the music imported to SS and mostly this works without a hitch, I just have to make sure I have the correct disc in the drive before I try to transfer. Most DVD players will not play MP3s from a DVD, only from CDs. While the file format is the same most manufacturers have missed this ability. I would never use the SS backup tool and with DRMless ATRAC there is absolutely no need to.

I'd love to see a SB 3.0 with new bitrates and the "higher" quality ripping option available in SS 3.4. Unfortunately, while SS runs all Sony's MD/flash/HDD players, SB is MD-specific and therefore has a smaller user-base. Sony may not consider it to be worth much effort.

The only NH600 that does it for me is the dark blue one. Good pics though.

ATRAC SDK???

I'm afraid you can't convert LP2 to LP4 on the player. You can record in one or the other and that's it. If you have an LP2 file on your PC you can convert it to LP4 before transferring but once it's on the disc there's nothing you can do with the file except listen to it. You can't upload a track from MD to a computer unless you have HiMD, the newer, more versatile and higher-capacity version of MD. HiMD is very useful but if you love the player you have now then stick with it, true love is hard to find...

The NH1 is the fastest MD unit so far, I expect the RH1 to be faster. Incidentally, HiMD units write music data (ATRAC at least) faster than dragged-and-dropped file data.

There are a lot of people who maintain that MD is primarily a recording medium and that it's strength is here rather than in playback. I think this is rubbish. I rarely use my MDs for recording (although it's nice to know that when I do I'll get top-notch quality). My main reason for choosing MD over other media/codecs etc is that the sound quality just can't be beaten. That's where it's strength lies, if only people knew.

I have to say I bought these hoping for great results but now, after 35 hours or so of burn-in they still sound absolutely hideous. They block out a bit of sound so might be useful for public transport but other than that I'm thoroughly disappointed with these.

This was done to cut costs on all 2nd gen HiMD recorders.

MD was too expensive to replace cassette tapes - sure people want better quality but they don't necessarily want to pay the prices that MD units were asking. A little foresight would have meant lower prices so that MD could become more embedded in the consumer market and therefore more tolerant of competing formats. Sony did not think about competing formats since MP3 players have only come of age in the last 4 to 5 years.

My friend, you echo the voices of thousands.

I've never heard of the internet preventing Sonicstage from transferring, it's a new one. At least you've got it working now so all is well.

Really!?!?!? Wow, that's expensive! I doubt that the 1GB discs will ever come down in price, in fact I've noticed in the last 6 months that prices are increasing. This is simply due to economies of scale: there aren't enough of them sold to bring the price down. Think of it this way: it's no cheaper than replacing the HDD on an MP3 player when it fails after a few months.

I believe the EH930 is also smaller and, now that the EH1 is gone from AudioCubes, I'd say it's the current top-of-the-line even though the EH70 is a newer model. I think that they're functionally the same so get whichever one appeals to you more.