BenJammin

Ok that's good to know, but my question still stands. Can I listen to it *while* its being charged or is that a bad thing?

not yet why? i just got em hours ago and i'm at work.

an original Bruce Springstein MD (as in released on MD) greatest hits, although that has lots of songs from old analog recordings, not musically a great example and an old standard MD that i made by optical CD>Sharp MT-77 at normal MD (no compression beyond normal MD). specifically Pop and Achtung baby. i really think its the new E888s. literally after 2 hours they sound fuller and richer. i've owned 3 pairs and i've found that always to be true. its getting better and better as i listen. plus it doesn't help i sit on a trading floor with 1500 people and ambiant noise is horrible.

I just got mine and the battery has 1 bar on it, figure I should charge it but I want to listen. Will I screw the battery by listening while charging?

Ok I got it now and am listening to it. So far all I've been able to play is Bruce Springstein's greatest hits and some optically recorded U2 albums (Pop and Achtung Baby), the latter of which (u2 albums) I did not do such a great job of recording onto MD, so I don't want to judge it yet. Plus I am using new MDR-E888s (speaking of which, anyone know how to break these in?) So with that caveat, I am at the moment not optimistic, just comparing it to my Sharp MT-77. But like i said, new buds, not the greatest reference recordings, and I can't even play my MT-77 at the moment, I've lost my charger. So my judgement is highly couched. Maybe in 6 hours I'll feel differently. I suspect the newbuds are part of the issue. Give me another 36 hours and we'll see. It is nice looking though

I emailed Sharp so yime will tell. In the meantime I am wondering though if its possible to charge thu gummy battery stick in my NH1 and then use it in the Sharp? Is that kosher?

Got it at Minidisco, same place I bought my Sharp MT-77 four years ago. I guess you are probably right that I will like it. It seems that to get the best out of the iPod mini I would need a seperate amp and even more expensive headphones. Also, in that thread I linked to (the 2nd one above) he goes on to state that the sound of the NH1 is like that of the old Sharps. So that is good news to me. If I were using one or the other for home listening in a quiet room then maybe I'd need to rethink the NH1, but clearly the point is portability and for that it sounds like its audio quality can beat the iPod mini due to its EQ.

Seems like the same guy gives some more background to his opinion here, taken from this thread: http://www.t-station.net/forum/showthread.php?threadid=23690 It seems his bottom line point is that the iPod mini provides a purer audiophile quality output, but that its limited in its adjustability (poor EQ and distorted base). Conversely, the NH1 has a far better EQ and at the end of the day could sound better when tweaked, given that the iPod mini would be ideal with a custom amp (something that negates it as a portable option).

Yikes I am a little confused. That doesn't sound comforting. I am not terribly concerned what the iPod users are hearing, just what I am hearing. What exactly does it mean that the mW output is higher and why would that make it provide better sound? For the record I am on my 3rd pair of MDR-E888 (thanks to various feline companions I've held over the years). If the NH1 meets the quality of the Sharp MT-77 I will be happy. But right now it is sounding like it is not. If you are saying I could be listening to an iPod and it will sound better than the NH1 (when using higher quality phones) then I am wondering why I got the NH1. Maybe there is a 3rd device that has the better quality that I'm looking for?

Let's put it this way, I've heard enough iPod to know I am not that impressed with its audio quality. That's why when I heard NH1 is superior, I grew interested. But now I am starting to worry. But putting all other benefits aside of the HiMD I am really curious is bhangra's statements about sound quality are considered accurate amongst those familiar with both devices. I already placed my order and the unit is on the way, so I am wondering what the deal is. I don't want to open it if its pretty well established that this guy is right. Is there a concensus amongst NH1 users here?

I just sprang for the NH1 this morning and then ran into this comparison of the iPod Mini vs. the NH1, and the reviewer is saying that he judges the sound quality of the NH1 to be slightly inferior to the iPod Mini, especially on higher end headphones. He also states that the digital amp in the NH1 (while technically better) has no effect on the sound quality and that its only there for power saving purposes. Well I would like to know if there is any merrit in his points? I hope I am not starting a flame war here, its just that I was convinced that the NH1 has superior audio quality and that the digital amp was the difference at least in part. I come from a Sharp MT-77 that I thought sounded terrific, and was weary about the Sony sound quality. Now I'm wondering if I've made a mistake and should cancel my order? Please help soon! Btw, here is the review in question: http://www5.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=78472

I probably wasn't clear. More important than the AC adaptor is the fact that I lost the charging cradle for the MT-77. Without that it won't matter what kind of adaptor I have because the MT-77 has a proprietary power connector (like most/all MDs?). Any idea on how to score a replacement?

Hmm, that's a fly in my ointment. Well, I pretty much need to have something soon, so I'm wondering, even if they announce something great at the CES next week, wouldn't it be at least 2 months before it hits the street in the US?

I have the Japanese Sharp MT-77 and recently lost the charging cradle and the voltage converter. Where or where can I order this at a reasonable price?

I am very close to buying the NH1, but two questions linger: 1) Why doesn't this thing have an optical output? I notice a difference when playing CD's through my digital receiver with optical toslink vs. analog, and I know that the iRiver HD based players sport optical outputs. This seems like a big downer to me. 2) I have read reviews here of the NH1 that firmly state the sound quality (when playing uncompressed audio) beats the pants off of the iPod (I guess due in large part to its superior digital amplifier?). That said, are there any alternatives to the NH1 that offer superior sound, either in formats (96/24) or their electronics/amplification? And if so, what are they? 3) Am I correct in understanding that the NH1 can play 8 hours of uncompressed CD quality audio on one 1GB HiMD disc? 4) Back to the sound quality issue, I am coming from a Sharp MT-77 (better known in the States as the MT-877). I love its sound, so how does the NH1 stack up? I remember at the time the competing product from Sony did not match the MT-77 in terms of suond. Has that improved? And is there any known roadmap for a Sharp HiMD unit? Thanks for any help on these questions.