dcx693

Don't know if you'll see this, but.... you can't use the headphone jack when the remote is plugged in. I have this unit also. You plug your headphones into your remote to listen to the unit. the original packaging for the unit did not include any batteries (IIRC), but the unit is capable of charging a rechargeable battery if one is installed in the unit (just press down on the control pad when the unit is off and plugged into power. You should download SonicStage from Sony and use that to manage your music. You can couple it with Simple Burner to download music from your CDs direct to the MD player, but you must have SonicStage installed in order to use it.

This question really belongs in the pre-MDLP section of the forums, btw. I used to have the R70 (loved it). It has a mic/optical in jack, no USB connection. If memory serves, the R70 was sold in various configurations only differentiated by the type of cable it was shipped with. The simplest way to get audio onto your player is to connect it to the output of your sound card using a male/male minijack cable. (Or if you have an advanced sound card, an optical out designed especially for minidiscs. My Herculces Digifire 7.1 has this jack, I'm not sure how common it is.) This male/male cable is commonly available at any electronics store. You can spend $2 and up for it. I found these at Radio Shack: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.js...rentPage=family I believe Sony also shipped USB to minijack cables with some versions of the player, but I didn't have those myself.

I believe the "quality" setting for VBR recordings refers to how often the variation in the bit rate occurs to accommodate the source. For example, it might check the bit rate every 1/4 sec to see if it needs to be increased or decreased to more adequately encode the music. Changing the setting changes how often the checking occurs.

I actually use ABR most of the time. I use VBR with min of 64 kbps and max of 192 kbps and set the ABR to be 128. It nets me a good mix of quality and file size. In listening tests, I found it very good, so I stuck with it.

Let me take a stab at it, if I may.... When greenmachine says that: constant bitrate = variable quality variable bitrate = constant quality He means that if you use CBR, the quality of your encodings will vary because no matter how complex or simple the music is, the same amount of encoded information is saved. Even if more data is required to accurate encode a section of music, CBR won't do it. The quality is "variable" because the ability of CBR to accurate encode the music is "variable". With VBR, the amount of encoded information varies with the complexity of the music. Yes, you should get a smaller file size if you are encoding very simple music, but you'll also get a bigger file if you encode something more complex. The quality of the encoding is certainly more "constant" in the sense that you'll get a more accurate representation of the original source.

I originally answered the poll saying I use LP4, but then I went home and did a test. I encoded 3 different tracks from 3 different music types and did some quick tests. I knew I was sacrificing quality with LP4, but I decided that I liked having lots of music with me. Now, after the tests, I've decided that I'd rather carry a few more MDs with me than live with LP4. Some music works fine on LP4 and I will continue using it occasionally. However for most classical, instrumental, or vocal music, LP4 is just not good enough. I use Simple Burner for all my transfers to my N505 (thank you Nero ImageDrive!), so I don't use SP ever. Now, I'm considering getting a Hi-MD unit. Even with LP2 I can fit almost 5 hours on a regular MD.

Here's a really annoying workaround that even I wouldn't bother with: rip the CDs to your HD, use Nero to look up the CD text, then rewrite the CD to a CD-R. I wouldn't do it personally since it would drive me crazy to have to dupe each CD that I own...but it is possible to do.

Well, I doubt this post will help the original poster, but might help someone in the future. The control pad on my MZ-N505 started acting up maybe 2 years ago. The FWD button would sometimes go back. I got it fixed by Sony under warranty. I haven't used the unit that much in the time since, but it's recently started acting up again. The pad simply isn't designed for the term IMHO. Luckily for me, I recently got a remote control for the N505 (the RM-MC33EL) and now I won't have to deal with the control pad on the unit as much. There is no easy fix I know of for the pad. I've tried canned air as suggested on another forum.

No prob. Sony-dude seems to have lots of remotes for sale and good feedback. What IS the deal with Sony and their crazy remote prices?

If you're looking for the RM-MC37LT, there's a listing on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Sony-RM-MC37LT-MD-...1QQcmdZViewItem