netmduser

I finally ended buying a new rh1. My initial comments are it is so tiny and small and seems very fragile! Care must be taken when using it. I finally can compare the sound quality of the rh1 with the netmd downloader models. I have confirmed the downloader models definitely have excellent sound quality. I have many things to learn... sfbp has kindly pointed out that it can upload an actual ATRAC SP file (not wav). Some questions. -Where is a good place to find replacement stick batteries? Any compatible model #s? -Is it possible to skip tracks without the remote? -Any recommendations for general care and maintenance? -Is it possible to record with usb plugin?

Is there a link? What assumptions did they make because you can run any DSP like the ATRAC greater than 1x so it is possible to transfer > 1x hence timing would be << realtime. If it is in SS then it should be easy to call it from PC wouldn't it? SS is win api based what mechanism did the use to 'bury it deep'?

I may be wrong someone please chime in but there is not an ATRAC decoder embedded deep in SS. What is happening is the ATRAC chip inside the RH1 is being used to do the conversion > 1x and the resultant wav file is being transferred on the usb wire to the PC. If it was in SS then we should be able to easily find it. How will you handle encryption with the ATRAC data? With the ATRAC data you will still need to decode to wav, might as well let the hardware do it for you, the SPDIF sound card method does this for you? (I personally would just do the analog route for recording but my needs are different). If you are a developer/hacker I can understand why.

Okay I guess OP is trying to avoid the D/A conversion process from the deck. The RH1 may not be a solution either then. Maybe the OP is a software developer working on an ATRAC software decoder?

As others have posted you need an RH1 to do this (you are not getting a playable wav file correct?) ATRAC decoder is practically only available in a hardware chip (what is in every md player). There currently isn't a software decoder available for ATRAC for the consumer, unless someone writes some code for it. Does anyone know if there would also be an encryption issue? ATRAC3 is available though. The best feature of ATRAC is also its limitation. (2nd best option is to record analog line out / in this will give good results)

How does the CD sound when you play it? I don't understand how the MD could sound that much different due to transcoding? Commenting on your sons I-Pod I still don't understand why minidisc sounds better than mp3 players. I have several mp3 players and always prefer minidisc. Mp3s sound thin, on minidisc the same music sounds richer.

Thanks sfbp for checking into this for me. I have various models available to test. Would an NE410 sound different form Hi-MD 600D model? If you could also point out how someone would go about evaluating sound from different models. Is there a good commercial cd or recording I could get to that you could recommend for this?

Is it fair to say the netmd downloader only models have the same sound quality as other models? You only need 1 unit that can record with line in etc. The rest can be downloader only models. Example n420d ne410 etc. They play sp discs fine.

Hi, I was listening to Madonna's Ray of Light song on an SP MD this morning. First of all I thought the SP ATRAC codec sound quality was absolutely stunning (from optical CD recording). I felt this passage starting at -2:34 and also at -1:40 offers the ATRAC codec a challenge. I am wondering how lp2 or lp4 or ATRAC3+ would handle this. http://video.yahoo.com/watch/14246/817977 I was wondering what other passages you may have come across thats puts ATRAC to the challenge.

Hello everyone, I also have been surprised with LP4. My experience is going from CD to WAV using foobar and then import the WAV to LP4 in Sonicstage. I find the quality of the LP4 transferred this way to be excellent. Playback is on MZ-NE410 which I think is Type-S capable. Most of my listening is SP now so I was definitely surprised when I hear a good LP4 recording.

sounds like no one(at least in the minidisc.org community) has ever had to make a warranty claim

Online interaction is just as good as in person ie. social gatherings, remember it's so easy to communicate with each other online after a hard days work - sharing common interests and ideas, whereas in person it wouldn't be feasible. My friends here (only cause I think we share the same 'jive here) are sfbp, Chris G and you too Abby - even though they wouldn't even know it. Mind you, I'm not sure I'd want to meet you in person

I just bought some new Sony 80 min. minidiscs media, (I may upload a pictorial if there's any interest), attached was a Sony Lifetime Warranty card, just wondering if anyone has ever made a claim for a defective disc under this program, remember it is LIFETIME. The warranty sounds great... Anyone?

Okay, wow you're the vinyl expert, you will have to pass your master skills to us here..... I really do enjoy hearing that occasional pop and crackle, it really does give that distinctive quality for mixed music. CDs often then not, give me that white room feeling.

Hello, Can minidisc (ATRAC SP) capture the essence of vinyl? What do you think? Have you ever recorded directly from vinyl, I was wondering if minidisc could capture that vinyl sound so sought after? I have experienced a few vinyl albums recorded on minidisc and it definitely sounds different than when the same song is recorded from CDs.

I have a nwz-a815 and zune 8gb, still a cheapie n420d netmd sounds better.

I like hard candy as well - have it in ATRAC SP myself, just curious what cd player model do you have?

There is cd-text stored as data on the cd http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CD-Text besides database lookup. Sonicstage can read cd-text but not md simple burner.

An interesting result from another forum you will all find interesting. I had to backup a CDR that was beginning to be unreadable. Especially the last track. I used three methods to recover the track : -Ripping with EAC, secure mode C2 (Sony DDU 1621 drive), then applying deglitch.exe -Playing in the Sony DDU1621 and recording the SPDIF output with the Marian Soundcard slaved to the digital input -Playing in the external hifi Yamaha CDX860 CD player and recording the SPDIF output with the Marian soundcard slaved to the digital input. Summary: CD player recovered with no glitches http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/lofive....php/t2181.html Hopefully someone here can shed some technical info why this was so in this case. My personal experience with dvd optical out for cd da is scratches end up as silence ie. dropped.

Wrong.

I rank them this way in terms of optical sound quality 1) CD player 2) Playstation 3 3) Xbox 360

Interesting thread, although it appears its one for lock up. Found this link which explains DAC history for cd players. First DACs for CDs were 14-bit, then 16-bit came along, then 1-bit MASH and Bitstream. Then came SACD. 16-bit DACs are still expensive today. Regarding 24-bit DACs The extra bits used by these converters may be either thrown away, be left unused, or be put to other intelligent uses that will be discussed later. Unfortunately, it is a misconception that the use of an 18- or 20-bit DAC gives true 18 or 20-bit audio performance. http://www.tc.umn.edu/~erick205/Papers/paper.html In the end, minidisc DACs make no difference

goodluck with the sale, the hi-md discs are worth it for 375 NetMD unit lp2 sounds better than hi-md, are you sure?

Conclusion

Theres still time to make it open format