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Hard disk based players that *can be made* to record to WAV such as the iRiver sound fairly good to my ears - good enough for speech and the noises coming out of an overdriven public PA system. However, they were engineered and built for playback only, not recording. They cannot compare in sound quality to a real recorder. All optical drive recorders (including CD recorders) need special software (CD machines have most functionality they require built into desktop operating systems) to access them from computers. This includes the HiMDs. So yes, you need Sonic Stage or the HiMD Music transfer packages for the RH1. If this is unacceptible to you, then try the M-Audio MT, which records 24-bit WAVs to CF cards. It costs only slightly more than the RH1, though. The media are still horrendously expensive compared to the HiMD blanks - look out! Also, in my not so humble opinion, the MT, in my ownership experience, is an unmitigated overpriced piece of junk. But I knew what I was getting when I bought it! Those of us who truly care about quality don't mind in the least the little hurdles putting our precious takes on computer. Let me add that even though the market is moving to flash based media, in no way does that change the fact that flash is ancient technology, as is the hard drive. MO (magneto-optical) the latest and greatest, and while not the fastest for some hobbyists out there, nothing beats the durability, economy, and quality. cheers

It's all about preference, I suppose. Now our MZ-RH(9)10s, 5G video *pod, and MT - they feel cheap and scratch if you look at them wrong. I need to keep them in cases to preserve their looks. Did anyone ever hold and use the MT in their hand? Now that's the benchmark of cheapness in my book. Not so with the incredibly tiny RH1. They had to use thinner metal (vs. thick plastic) to get it down to that size... cheers

I hear ya. I've taken a closer look at the sides - they are awfully thin and strong. So the RH1 may have an all-metal case after all (who'da thunkit! ) I need uncompromising recording and playback quality, with accurate LR level meters. It has utterly beaten my M-Audio MT CF recorder in all departments, so it stays in my little collection. I'm hoping to get rid of the MT soon... cheers

Both the lid and bottom are definitely metal. Obviously the switchgear is plastic, and the sides are either very hard tough plastic (most likely) or metal as well (unlikely). I like the grippy sides - this thing is amazingly well made. The mechanism is virtually identical to the 2nd gen. RH(9)10 decks, but seems quicker. One would guess that Sony made a few updates to it. I've just filled the included disk with data and did a binary comparison with the original. As expected it was bit-perfect and fast - much faster than my RH10. I believe the RH1 finally realizes the data storage possibilities of HiMD/USB2.0. Back to topic... cheers

One hour ago I received (in my hot little hands ) a black RH1 from onecall.com. I had just ordered it yesterday. So yes, they are finally shipping. A side note: Frankly, I'm blown away by the quality and design. It's superior to my RH10 and RH910s in every way. I've also spent the last few weeks listening to my 5G *Pod (don't ask) and when it comes to musical sounds there's just no comparison... I'm looking forward to making great recordings. My MT is going back in a fire-proof case. Cheers

Thanks, I was indeed speaking from personal experience owning the MT and/or its ilk. In my opinion the design, assembly, and overall manufacturing quality is worlds apart from the RH(9)10s. I apologize for my vague post.

Welcome to Marketing 101: The M200 package includes the RH1 , a microphone and probably Soundforge. Compared to the awful build quality of other sub-$500 "Professional" recorders, Sony has every right to label the RH1 as Professional. Cheers

Oh my how I envy you. We're still languishing here in the US. The good news (for me) is that I found a brand new Sony Style store within easy walking distance of where I work. Enjoy your new recorder! Cheers

Would you be terribly disappointed if I told you it was merely a rebadged RH1?

I love my wittle RH10 too, but exactly how would the RH1 be a downgrade? Am I missing something here? Run that by me again... Cheers

True enough, but I still expected better command of the English language from someone in her position. Where on earth do they find these people? For example, contrast Sony's marketing literature with what the leading competition (you know who) provides. It's like night and day in my opinion. BTW, to my utter horror, the local Fry's store just stopped stocking Hi-MD recorders. Cheers

Exactly - and to think Valerie is from Korporate Kommunications speaks volumes on the state of Sony US's marketing department, I'm afraid. The language used in the email was a bit clumsy, too: "showed" and "is." Sigh. Fortunately, much of Sony's product palette has better quality control than the competition!

The author's abominable writing skills tell me all I need to know... What or where are his references? Cheers

So very true - thanks for the laugh!

Indeed - I remember those times. I used an open-reel PCM recorder. Still have it, weighs over 100lbs. You lost me here - didn't you mean 292kbps? Where did you get 17kHz? Maybe you mean MP3 which has design limitations with frequencies above 15.8kHz (Wikipedia has a good entry). Actually, in my view this is not a problem since MP3 was created for voice, whereas ATRAC was designed specifically for music compression. The quality difference was obvious to my ears back then, and it remains to some extent today. By whom? Some folks left MD, some didn't. My DAT decks work well to this day, but never inspire the confidence I have with even an older MD portable. For field recording, at this price range, it's the only tool available. Period. Yes, I have an MT2496 flash recorder. Sorry, M-Audio is not even in the same league as Sony. I looked at Edirol and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Enough said. Whoa - where do I begin? Are you being serious? For MD to be resurrected it would have had to die first, don't you think? I wouldn't touch a $499 Dell for recording. My Powerbook includes 24-bit sound out of the box. With the Dell I'd need to spend over $100 just for a decent sound card. Then there's all that weight to lug around. How about the studio software? Decent packages cost more than that "whopping $349" you mention. Cheers

It was justified for older versions of SS perhaps, but as one who uses iTunes 6.0.4.2 and SS 3.4 side-by-side for many weeks now, I can no longer say that it is justified. Of course, it helps to have a recent technology (=fast) computer as well What I think is more striking about these public forums is that there is little to no discussion about sound quality. We're talking about sound recording and reproducing equipment here - SQ should be front and center! For the masses, convenience is instead the leading purchase factor. Here's a question: If Hi-MD had taken over the (player) market instead of the iPod, do you honestly believe we would be able to do digital DRM-free uploads today?

Many thanks for the link. But I wouldn't trust a Sony test over a Hydrogen Audio test either, for a reason: Vested Interest. I let my own ears be the judge. Your ears may judge differently. Objectively, there is no doubt in my mind that in the realm of analog(ue) audio circuitry, Sony is (was) one of the best (along with Sharp et al) when it comes to music reproduction. Notice that I say analog since these stages have a large impact on sound quality, larger perhaps than the digital components and compression schemes/software used. Much of the public apparently struggles to grasp this concept. Then again, why should they bother? They care so much more about convenience of carrying around their entire collection than in pure quality of reproduction.

Fair yes, relevant - not really anymore. ATRAC3 (some feel it was the worst ever) had been superceded by ATRAC3+ (some think it's one of the best) just after that "test." After reading through a few discussions on Hydrogen Audio I've come to the personal conclusion that all too often quality takes a back seat to politics when it comes to subjective listening tests. HA seems to have a vested interest in LAME MP3 encoding anyway, so I have no good reason to trust them. Yes, I use LAME almost daily for converting PCM into MP3 and it probably is the best tool out there. But MP3 has reached it's potential long ago. For an excellent example of the public misconceptions about MD and blind hatred of Sony in general, take a look at: Slashdot discussion on this topic Sony's slow 20-year takeover by US Hollywood lawyers had predictable, sad results (CD rootkit, anyone?). I hope Sony Japan wakes up, sheds the pork, and starts innovating again. But that's as likely as hell freezing over or "content provider" lawsuits going away. Just my $.02

Couldn't have said it better myself!

Indeed. Storage as the primary reason given for purchase just isn't right!

This, along with microphone quality and placement, cannot be emphasized enough. All the digital bits in the world won't make a difference if the analog sections can't keep up. The little HiMD recorders strike a brilliant balance in this regard.

The noise is normal, especially when new. After your RH10 gets broken in, the noise abates somewhat. The white lithium grease on the tracks needs some time to work its way around the mechanism. Cheers

Does the new iPod have digital in? Can it record in 16-bit 44.1 khz stereo without reflashing/hacking? I believe the answer is no to both questions. Apple would be crazy to enable these features out of the box. If I'm wrong it'd be great if someone filled me in. The flash recorders I've tried do not compete well with the old DAT and the new technology HiMD. So I'm back to HiMD (and my trusty PCM-M1 DAT) for shirt pocket recording... I can fill two 1GB HiMD discs with 3 hrs uncompressed PCM on one battery charge (1400mAh Sony gumstick), so I'm not complaining!

It happened to me once back in 1998. I thought something was wrong with my R50 . Now I try to keep the discs and recorders in the cases when not in use.

I use a Powerbook G4 and Bias Peak with great results. Your setup seems rock solid to me. I recommend installing OS X 10.4 Tiger if you haven't already. The RH10 makes a great backup. The ADC and preamps in the USB Pre are worse than those in those in the RH10. I suggest the following instead: Lunatec V3 Cheers