jonny mac

Nice review, too much detail in the recording for me (way over my head) and great photos too - I've never seen the NH700 look so sexy

I would certainly say that HiMD looks to be on the way out but how long that'll take is another question. I have seen very few HiMD players, I see quite a few older MD players down at the gym. I myself have made my choice and will stick with HiMD until the units I have no longer function and maybe by then there will be no replacements, maybe there will be - who knows? Hopefully we won't be abandoned and the dropping of compulsory DRM for ATRAC is a big step in the right direction. The ever decreasing size of the MD range available is statement to it's declining nature. I'm sure MD won't last too much longer unless there are radical changes but I can get by with the equipment I have for now. When I have to make a change I'll weigh up the options at the time

The NH1 is better: 1. Smaller form 2. All metal build 3. Made in Japan (better quality) 4. Ability to record in all formats 5. Much better remote 6. Charging stand in all regions 7. Better battery life on internal 8. High definition digital amp 9. Less Euro-crippled than RH10 (but equal once hacked so this is minor) Points where NH1 loses out 1. No external battery 2. No MP3 playback 3. Poor screen on main unit (but better on remote...)

So there is a line-in on the UK version, that's good news. Still don't understand why US gets a version without. The presence of the remote jack makes this possibly a better buy than the NH600 which is without (in Europe)

will there be an installer for the European version or just US?

You can use the 6WM batteries but I wouldn't charge them in the NH900, it may not be suitable. It may be possible to jury-rig an AA to the 900 with direct wiring without risk but I suggest you have a good hunt for that external case

All European models are volume-capped (including the NH1) but as far as I know all the MD and HDD units can be hacked up to 5mw. I rarely go above 22/30 on any of my units and the volume on my Japanese EH1 is the same as my European NH1 and NH900

Is that blue?? It looks silver/grey. I've put in bids on quite a few of these on E-Bay in the past but never secured one. The slimmer form and MDLP makes it quite a bit nicer than my E90. With my EH1 the yearning for a super-slim player-only unit has been staisfied, for now... Another good pictorial, Ishi

While the RH10 and NH1 are quite different machines (in that many features are different rather than better either way) I would have to say there's no competition and the NH1 would have to win hands down. The classier look, smaller size, proper accessories (all regions) and made-in-Japan build quality along with the HD amp make it a winner despite it's few shortcomings. As for the amp, they can't be the same - if the 1st gen HD amp was the same as the 2nd gen regular amp why did Sony put the HD amp in the MZ-DH10P? The RH10 has it's uses (lovely screen and MP3 playback for those who want it) but it's not a true top-of-the-range recorder.

Me too, given it one listen but wasn't really paying attention. There's a lot of organ on it and I like the final song, that's about all I can say so far

There's quite a lot it can't do but most of that is stuff that all the second gen recorders can't do. Price-wise it's more comparable to the NH600 and I think that's more fair but I think it would be very good for the price

That's a lot of hastle? Is it really worth it? If these functions are that important you should have got the NH700

noise cancelling 'phones are expensive, they have a box of electronics on them (which gets in the way) and some people report that they make the sound very artificial

The sound volume on European models is capped so on the NH1 24 is the loudest setting and going above this makes no difference. These can be uncapped. I have a walk-through for this for the NH900 that I could easily adapt for the NH1. Tell me if you want it (I really should get round to posting these somewhere as they simplify the uncapping process for those not familiar with it) This won't increase the sound quality, just the volume (by about 25%). I find the SQ on my NH1 to be superb though...

For the a cheap portable headphone amp I used to use the Boostaroo from Upbeat audio with my N710. It both boosted the volume and gave more vibrant sound http://www.upbeataudio.com/

That's one of the best HiMD (and portable audio) deals available. If you're not bothered with the smaller size and increased features of the higher spec models then the NH600 is a steal at £58 (shipping included). Blank 1gb discs are available cheaper elsewhere however so don't get them there. HiMD is better than flash unless you're using it for heavy duty sport. Unbeatable.co.uk are good - I got my NH1 from them and the delivery, although expensive, is next-day

1. Redesign Sonistage from the ground up - produce a fully working and reliable product. Re-name it to get rid of the SS ghosts... 2. As Syrius said - advertise the format for it's many advantages over flash, CD and HDD 3. ATRAC3+ 128kbps/160kbps codec to surpass LP2 4. Open ATRACand release the DRM currently imposed 5. Support for Macs (and possibly linux) 6. Greater capacity discs (if technically feasible) 7. Amps with output of 8mW at 32 ohms (or more) 8. Get other companies involved so it doesn't look like just Sony flogging a dead horse (appearances count) 9. Make the full range of HiMD units and their accessories available in all regions

MD is in no danger of being phased out in that kind of timescale (2-3 years). Tape players are stil around and they're far behind MD in terms of both technology, features, quality and convenience. Every dog has it's day but MD is not over yet, HiMD is great and with the proper TLC from Sony (and possibly other companies) will survive for many years yet. I don;t believe this rumour, it's just the latest of many, none of which have been substantiated.

Personally I'd have left well alone, I fear for the safety of my one and only NH1 cable. I dislike the proprietary nature of the NH1 cable and the relative difficulty in securing a replacement should anything go wrong. This should mean that every NH1 should be supplied with two, if not for the convenience of having a choice of lengths then as a backup. I'm sure Sony would charge me an arm and a leg if I tried to buy a spare from them here in the UK so I'd probably have to get one shipped from Japan via AC

They can't make MP3s sound good - they're hoping people will realise they sound awful and re-rip it all to ATRAC. Then Sony will own them It would also undermine the higher quality claims of ATRAC, something I believe but people should be allowed to make up their own minds

You should have started that with "I have a dream...". I appreciate the thoughts and it's a good idea but one of the things I don't like about HDD players is that there's only one unit and the only thing that varies is the capacity. It doesn't offer much choice and is no good if you're a bit short on the funds - this hypothetical unit would be expensive. There is no perfect medium for DAPs and until there is there will never be a perfect player.

The system should work in the exact same way for standard and HiMD discs. If formatting it doesn't work I would try the same thing as can be done with audio cassettes - put some tape over the protection tab. Just make sure it's stuck down well and won't come off and interfere with the mechanism

I have one of the Amazon £69.99 NH900s and I have to say I love it. Since I got it I have probably used it more frequently even than my NH1. I would certainly rate the NH900 above any of the second gen HiMDs, with the possible exception of the DH10P and would not want my lovely NH900 to be replaced. You're working on the assumption that everyone who has a first gen would rather have a second gen: this is not true at all. So far my NH900 has shown no sign of any faults although I am aware from this forum and the T-board that there do seem to be some issues with buttons and with editing functions on the NH900. Even apart from that, if something went wrong with it and it were to be replaced ( and I would much rather it were repaired, I have my NH1 while I wait) with the closest-priced model that would be the RH710 - a poor replacement for the second from top-of-the-line NH900. I don't think that all European NH900s are faulty (unless you count he now defeatable capping), it may be random units or certain batches. I think if anyone wants to try this it should be done on an individual basis, which is how Sony would treat it anyway - I don't see them ordering a mass recall. If someone has a recorder that doesn't work as it should then by all means let them send it for a repair or replacement, they have a right to get a functioning unit, that's what they paid for. (Having said all that, there is one player that should have been recalled en-masse and replacements/refunds issued as required: the criminally Euro-capped N710)

I see it comes with sonicstage so Sony are hoping to convert some people to HiMD/ATRAC rather than just using it as data storage. How much did you pay, about the same as an NH600 would cost? I think it's a good idea to try and build popularity by making it a data storage as well as music format; it builds on one of the other great benefits of HiMD. It's a shame the transfer is just so slow.

Phew, I just read all 11 pages of this in one go. It was pretty interesting stuff. I also like the idea of the HiMD ad. I'm in the UK and I worry about being able to obtain MD gear in the future. It's not hard to get it at the moment but it's getting exactly what you want at a price you're willing to pay, that's the problem. No player-only units over here so I have one on it's way from Japan. But given the higher popularity of MD in Japan if the worst comes to the worst I can get stuff from there while I gradually switch to some other format (at some point in the distant future). It would be such a shame if Sony abandoned MD, especially as it's unique. I hope for a HDD equivalent some time in the future - a super DAP that does everything MD can do (minus the removable media) - recording, HD digital amp etc. I suppose it all comes down to price and for most people quality is not the top of the list, it has to be cheap to compete with the iPod.