melmel

Peace and love! I apologize for sounding so defensive. You are right that Mac users may not even know where itunes keeps their audio files. But that goes for windows users too! Anyway, I just don't like the stereotype of Mac users being rich, trendy, and "computer illiterate." Going back to my car analogy, it is important to be able to control the car well in the driver's seat, enjoy the drive, and go places. I personally believe that Mac computers let their users achieve those things.

Hey, I considered that system too. The C7NT is so cool! Especially if you get the green one, even the speakers light up in green! But I passed because it's just way too old. 2001... think about it, 11 years... I'm not sure if it can last another 10 years. Remember, people really used their systems back then. A lot of mileage. I chose the Z05 because it was made in 2004, and it was used lightly and probably stored away. BTW, the CMT-A01MD is another cool system to consider. It has a lot going for it and probably used lightly by their original owners too.

Cool.

But is the $3 for software problems or hardware problems? You also have to consider the time lost just to bring the system to the shop, and that you lose productivity while the system is out. Also, are they gonna mess with your (confidential/private) files? If it's only $3, you can probably google it and fix it yourself. This goes for both PC and Mac.

Maybe you misunderstood me. I was referring to the link to the company in Vietnam. http://muaban.hiha.vn/HOT-Hang-noi-dia-Nhat-moi-ve-Dong-ho-treo-tuong-co-Quat-co-May-nghe-CD-co-v-v-tp103681.aspx That company sells cheap crap like fans and rice cookers. Minidisc systems are there too. This suggests that minidisc systems belong in the same "category" of cheap crap. That's unfortunate.

I think Sergio probably has 10 of these. Not rare... haha

Not sure about the first two words. Exclamations? Bara bing bara boom? Anyway, I paid $120. I bought it from a Japanese friend in Japan. It's 90% new, in silver. I checked your two links, and they only have the Z03. I really do not recommend the Z03. The LAM-X1 is still very pricey, even in the used market. But I can see how it can be useful and convenient. The design is a little bit too much for me, though. It's unfortunate that minidisc devices are found in a company that basically sells cheap crap.

I'm not sure if the question is directed to me. But I don't have ONE hi-md unit. I only have the Z05 and many many MDLP players From a logical point of view, SP 292kbps would sound better. First, the bit rate is higher. Second, we had the discussion in another thread on how the Sony engineers used their ears to test the quality in the beginning, and then they just tried to achieve some spec based on mathematics and statistics. So, I would think the higher bit rate and "human-tested" quality will be better.

I've been a PC user for 20 years and a Mac user for 6 years. Mac's have almost no problems, seriously, so you don't have things to actually "fix"--maybe flash and java. Moreover, Apple stores are available in big cities to help you with anything. It's like buying a BMW and getting free dealership service (for a year). It only looks easy to fix things in the PC world because the information is widely available online. So many so many people have problems, that the problems themselves have become common. So the solutions have become common. I disagree with the "computer illiterate" comment because I "believe" that there are actually more Windows (XP?) users running around with weak netbooks and cheap notebooks from Walmart, and not really accomplishing anything with them. I am fully aware that the Mac system and ecosystem can be viewed as "restrictive." But that is another topic. I just disagree that Mac users are "computer illiterate." Common Mac users actually upgrade their systems and "try" to learn new tools and new ways of doing things.

I bought the Sony LAM-Z05 mini combo unit last month, and I want to say a few things about it. I'll talk about the setup too. I do not do any live-recording with my portable minidisc devices. There are better tools for that nowadays. What I need is to have a good setup so that I can SIMPLY record my CD's into the stereo SP format. The Z05 fits my needs. On the back, there is a speaker-port, a headphone-out port, and a USB port (more on this later). The speaker-port is some Sony proprietary port. The headphone port is the standard green 3.5mm one. The USB port is for your computer and NETMD. There is a "lid" on the top of the Z05, and it can open to both sides. The MD slot is on the left and the CD slot on the right. They suck in your discs like car players. The sound quality is good! It's not going to blow you away, but given their size, they are great speakers. There is bass and it has some Sony technology to project the sound up and around. I think the unit is good for rooms up to 100 sq feet. It also has several pre-set EQ settings available (rock, pop, jazz, etc.) and a "Matrix Surround" feature. I like this feature. The music becomes more dynamic with a better soundstage. I really enjoy the sound from the unit and the speakers. The Z05 can do normal 1x dubbing from CD to MD and also 4x high-speed. I use 4x every time, and it takes 12-15 minutes to record a CD album. Great! However, I want to say that one time there was a problem. In one album, on the very first note of the first song, there is a hard acoustic guitar strum. When I listened to the MD, the strum was missing the bass strings. It's as if the guitar player only strummed the first three strings (E B G). I went back to the Z05 and re-recorded in real-time, and it was fine again with the full strum. The point is, I am sure that there is some quality variation (and loss) when recording in high-speed mode. I will use 4x, but if you have the time, 1x is still preferred to ensure the best quality. The unit can record in SP, LP2, and LP4. You can title songs and albums on the unit with the remote control. It took me 10 minutes to figure things out, but it's not really that hard. The last button on the remote toggles between entering Katakana and English characters. Creating groups and moving tracks also work. At first, I was going to get the Z03, because its design "seemed" better. The Z03 felt cuter and rounder, and the Z05 seemed boring and too boxy. But later I realized that the Z03 actually feels cheap and fragile. It looks like it is about to break, and its colors tend to fade off the plastic. The Z05 has a better finish, and the clear plastic parts and metal buttons are more durable. The metal base for the unit and speakers also help. It actually feels expensive and strong, unlike the Z03. Do not get the white version of either the Z03 or Z05. The white becomes yellow after a few years. I'll continue with the computer setup in the next post.

This is what I think: It makes no sense to me. How can you say that designers and musicians (stereotypes) who use Apple computers are computer-illiterate? Yo, they are using a computer and accomplishing some big things! Am I car-illiterate if I only drive, speed, and park? Unless you mean that Mac users "may" not understand file systems, drivers, the registry, hacks, networking, and hardware stuff such as installing ram's, upgrading video cards, and installing a second hard-drive? I personally think that some people have been "conditioned" by Microsoft into believing that they know their way around a computer just because it had so many problems to begin with. I could continue, but then it would become another Apple vs. Microsoft topic, which has been argued to death. Times have changed. This is 2012. I am certainly not car-illiterate if I can only drive a car and maybe change the windshield wipers. Mac users who can do great things with their computers but can only install new ram are certainly NOT computer illiterate. From what I see, the professionals who are computer geeks are moving to the Mac because they want to spend more time creating things, instead of tinkering/fixing their computers. I belong in this group. A new generation of young users who are into Linux and hacking also enjoy the Mac. I personally think the "computer illiterate" people today are those who buy weak 10" netbooks and cheap 15" laptops. These devices are mostly unusable, so that means they aren't really using them anyway (and they probably don't even know it).

Two possibilities: The RH1 has hardware or software issues. I would think it's software since it has trouble decoding the pre-himd music. The discs have problems or are not the best quality. The RH1 is being too precise or too "picky" when reading the discs. I don't think it's your C5, because the C5 and all the other players get along fine!

I agree with sfbp. If you MUST use a computer to transfer CD's to MD's, saving a copy of the music in "AAL High Quality" as your "base" is recommended. Then you can export in various bit rates. For mere mortals, a direct transfer with simpleburner is the answer. Fewer things to manage and remember. It will be LP2 quality by default.

I think we'll just have to agree that Apple wins on convenience and "acceptable quality." The sound quality is not the best, but it is good. And actually, even big producers and "computer-literate" people use iTunes and Apple software. They don't have time to tinker, adjust, and test as "geeks" do. They trust the tools and do stuff. The idea that Apple and iTunes are for "non computer literate" people sounds counter-intuitive. It doesn't make sense.

Could you talk about each photo? I want to know the back story, since I wasn't here when those sales happened. That's a lot of minidiscs!

I read it three times.

I agree that sp and hi-sp sound better than mp3's and aac's.

I'm also okay with Sonicstage. I use it to transfer music that I only have in the mp3 format, to LP2. Things are different today, and you have options. But I remember pre-2006, Sonicstage really sucked. It was a system hog and crashed often. iTunes was (and is) a breath of fresh air for me. It was comparatively reliable and organized. Filenames and tags in Japanese (and other languages) worked fine. Sonicstage is now stable because of our Core 2 Duo, i3/i5/i7 processors. I have my complete music library organized in iTunes.

OMG... is this your collection of md blanks? IT IS a bit scary. The last photo boggles my mind.

That's great to hear! The NH900 is one cool unit. But remember, minidisc equipment was actually very expensive... especially if you consider inflation. The NH900 would cost about $360 in 2012. And this price is for a product that has its quirks and flaws, and requires technical knowledge to really understand.

I didn't exactly "dig" around, but I googled the member's username. It seems that he is a real audiophile and he knows Chinese. That helps.

Yeah, I checked his profile. He became a member only a few days ago. Anyway, I think a face-to-face transaction in Shanghai would be best for such a high-value item. Again, I do not recommend anything. These are just opinions. Try at your own risk! Of course, you would have to fly to Shanghai.

I remember I considered the NH900 when himd was released. Yes, the NH700 has all the ports, but look at that thing... Let's just say it is not a piece of art. I also don't understand the need of the AA for recording. My R91 could record for more than 2 hours on the nimh. I checked the browser page, and it says the popular N910 can record 11 hours on the nimh. Even if real-usage is half of that (5), it is plenty enough. Plus, people bring spare nimh's if needed.

I have no affiliation with the guy, and I can offer NO FEEDBACK. Try at your own risk. However, people have told me that he has a shop in Shanghai and he even has a "listening room" for customers to chill and test their units. He's on Taobao too. He has feedback there. Just trying to help out this member with one post. It's interesting that Azureal says that he has heard his "plea" before... but he only has one post? Wrong member?

Units like the NE410/N505/N707 and the NH600 fit a certain demographic well. Some of my family and friends had those units. I never understood the point of the battery add-on thing. It felt ugly and flimsy. I had the R91 and the battery life sucked, but I never used the battery add-on. Thankfully, they managed to improve the technology and my newer player units have long battery life with the nimh.