About To Get Rh10, Need Some Clarifications Please

[bri]

Hi there,

Long time lurker - thanks for all the tips I've picked up already. I'm about to buy an RH10 but have some (unsurprising) reservations/questions about this model. I know it has plenty of flaws but it's the usual catch with waiting for the next improvement (esp. with Sony!), so I need to get either this or HD player and I prefer Hi-MD. It should be noted that my last portable purchase was the Sony MZ-G750 so I'm a long way behind things. I have a lot of original 74/80 min SP MDs, and I like(d) the option of recording from line in to SP. Another big aspect was 100% gapless play yet with trackmarks. It's this sort of thing (along with battery life) that is keeping me buying this over any HD player. I'd be vaguely tempted by the NW-HD5 but probably not enough.

I would really appreciate some clarifications...although I've done plenty of reading I'm finding my mind a little fried at this stage and I'm confusing myself!

Anyway, could you advise me on the following please:

- The seller has informed me the that the RH10s they sell dont contain ALL the letters and characters, for adding track names on the device itself. Planetminidisc say it isn't a problem as teh characters appear in the name just not when inputting. Is this correct?

-I will not be able to record in original SP mode, say from my decks and mixer and go and play a 74min disk in my car (I have something like the mdx_c670 - 5 years old anyway so no MDLP play - let alone Hi-MD!) - correct? I know it's been discussed here, but I'm a little confused as to my options. Keep the G750 for recording myself to listen in the car, but rip all CDs to the computer and then download them via SS? Buy a FM tranmitter for the car and use all old MDs in their expanded form? Do people regard the optical input as totally obsolete, or would you recommend recording from Hi-fi to Hi-MD using the optical cable over ripping and then SS?

-By ripping my CDs to FLAC format I can get SS to simply convert to ATRAC/plus and I'll be enjoying my music in a reasonably good quality? I don't want to use mp3s at 128kpbs, and I've no experience of the ATRACplus format. I use mp3s at 192vbr when necessary, but generally try to use FLAC. What bitrate would you recommend (I can live with less than 30+hrs on 1 disk!)

-There is no Line Out on this unit; where does that leave me? If it has no noise restriction or is hacked can I simply put a cable into the headphone socket and play into other devices...I'm no expert but I thought headphones were pre-amplified and line outs were not, which could lead to heavy distortion if you plugged it into something like a mixer via the headphone socket?

-Treating the NiMH battery ok; is it like a laptop battery that needs a full charge, then a full usage, then a full charge - or it will lose capacity quickly, or is it as robust as my G750 one which has never been changed and lasts for ages (can't remember the type; round sony AA style but called Ni__ something). This is removable and cheap to replace right?!

-I'm about to buy this in the states to play back in Ireland, and I'm concerned about permanently using an adapter to bring it into 3-pin sockets. Will I end up with this unearthed problem like here? Does anyone have any experience at using their RH10 like this? I know people who have bought different players (from eBay etc.) and this never came up. Maybe I'm worrying too much.

-Finally, can Sony provide firmware updates on the web for d/l to your machine, or does it require the player to be shipped in to them? I would have thought it was the former but I'm getting a different impression from some posts.

Thank you very much in advance.

Edited June 20, 2005 by bri

[KJ_Palmer]

Hi.

1. Can't answer the missing letters query - they're all there on my European model, though I presume the problem is only in the fact that you can't enter them on the unit. I'd imagine they display all right and can still be entered via Sonicstage/Simpleburner software.

2. You can't record directly in SP via optical/line in to the RH10, though I believe Sonicstage will allow you to record 'fake' SP and certainly 'real' MDLP for playback on old units. I can't see myself using the optical/line inputs much on the RH10, but its nice to have the option... I'd certainly keep your G750 for true SP recording (if that's what you want).

3. Hi-SP format (256kbps) is probably best for you: 8 hours on a 1GB disc or 2:20 hours on an 80 min blank. I'd recommend just going direct from CD to Hi-SP via Simpleburner, unless you really want to store them on your PC hard drive. Not sure if there's a FLAC to ATRAC converter either...

4. No line out mode is extremely inconvenient - IMO the worst 'feature' of the RH10. Even the G750 can be hacked to give a line out mode. The best you can do is to turn off the EQ mode and turn the volume right up - I dont think I can be bothered with doing this every time I want to hook it up to my equipment, so I'll be hanging on to my NH900 thanks very much..

5. I think the best with NiMH batteries is to let them run down completely before charging them up fully, not to top them up constantly like Li-ion batteries... The RH10 battery is a standard NH-14WM gumstick battery, fairly easily available, though not quite so much as AA cells. Buy a few and they'll keep you going for years..

6. I think it's fine to use any regulated 3V/1A adapter with the RH10...

7. Never heard of any firmware updates from Sony, I dont think they really do them, maybe they will now with this missing letter problem...

[The Low Volta]

just a small addition to the very clear explanations of KJ_Palmer:

1. see this thread, it explains all that is known about the titling error

2. indeed for 'SP' the only possibility is 'fake SP' through SS or SB (this will be played by your car unit, but won't sound as good)

5. you can recharge before the battery is completely empty, but be sure to have a couple of successive full decharge/charge cycli each couple of months to heal the memory effect (read all about battery use here)

greetings, Volta

Edited June 21, 2005 by The Low Volta

[veezhun]

2. indeed for 'SP' the only possibility is 'fake SP' through SS or SB (this will be played by your car unit, but won't sound as good)

greetings, Volta

←

fake sp is only through Sonicstage. Simpleburner only does Lp2 or Lp4 in Net MD mode.. Strangely, sony has PCM as an option in the Hi Md mode. Isnt that strange? Offer the highest quality in SB for Hi md but not for Net md??

[The Low Volta]

fake sp is only through Sonicstage. Simpleburner only does Lp2 or Lp4 in Net MD mode.. Strangely, sony has  PCM as an option in the Hi Md mode. Isnt that strange? Offer the highest quality in SB for Hi md but not for Net md??

gosh, just checked and you're right...no fake SP in SB, sorry (I have edited my previous post)

PS: a bit off topic but not all versions of SB (even some 2.0... ones) offer PCM, I had a SB2.0 version before that didn't, later I downloaded the one offered here on MDCF and that one did.

greetings, Volta

[veezhun]

i found it very funny.. sony and its policies.. someone on top should actually use the product before making it public, specially on the software side.

SB that i installed from the cd that came with the rh10 had the pcm option.. i am still hoping the next verison of SB and SS gives SP (true sp) .. is it possible or am i dreaming??

Edited June 21, 2005 by veezhun

[The Low Volta]

i am still hoping the next verison of SB and SS gives SP (true sp) .. is it possible or am i dreaming??

just read this post and on it explains why that won't happen... if you have further questions or remarks about real SP or PCM and SS/SB I would suggest posting them in that thread, as this one actually drifts quite off topic this way

greetings, Volta

[bri]

1. I'd imagine they display all right and can still be entered via Sonicstage/Simpleburner software.

Thanks, I figure this is a minor annoyance that probably won't crop up much if at all.

2. You can't record directly in SP via optical/line in to the RH10, though I believe Sonicstage will allow you to record 'fake' SP and certainly 'real' MDLP for playback on old units. I can't see myself using the optical/line inputs much on the RH10, but its nice to have the option... I'd certainly keep your G750 for true SP recording (if that's what you want).

Ok so, I'll have to read up on 'fake' SP I guess! I have thought one major use is the ability to transfer old real SP disks (esp. analog recordings) straight onto Hi-MD via optical (or line when necessary). Presumably this won't lead much loss in quality, esp. for the analog recordings tranferred digitally. I'd def. agree with you here and keep the G750 for this and other things.

3. Hi-SP format (256kbps) is probably best for you: 8 hours on a 1GB disc or 2:20 hours on an 80 min blank. I'd recommend just going direct from CD to Hi-SP via Simpleburner, unless you really want to store them on your PC hard drive. Not sure if there's a FLAC to ATRAC converter either...

4. No line out mode is extremely inconvenient - IMO the worst 'feature' of the RH10. Even the G750 can be hacked to give a line out mode. The best you can do is to turn off the EQ mode and turn the volume right up - I dont think I can be bothered with doing this every time I want to hook it up to my equipment, so I'll be hanging on to my NH900 thanks very much..

I was hoping you wouldn't say this...

Presumably if I buy an FM tranmitter (given all the flaws involved) I'll be plugging it into the headphone socket and it's probably the cheapest way for me to be able to listen to certain tracks in the car that arn't backwards compatible/saves me time.

5. I think the best with NiMH batteries is to let them run down completely before charging them up fully, not to top them up constantly like Li-ion batteries... The RH10 battery is a standard NH-14WM gumstick battery, fairly easily available, though not quite so much as AA cells. Buy a few and they'll keep you going for years..

Yeah they seem even cheap here in Dublin (rip-off central) in high-street shops. Did some more reading and apparantly they're an improvement on the NiCd battery I have.

6. I think it's fine to use any regulated 3V/1A adapter with the RH10...

This for me is a big issue. Talking to a friend who bought an American N10, he had to pay 75eu to get a working adaptor. I'm really out of my depth here but previous experience in N.America has led me to believe that Euro models used in the U.S. don't often get enough to charge, whereas U.S. models used here are overcharged. This is a major scare-factor for me, and at the moment I'll be buying a 60eu+ more expensive version on amazon as opposed to planetminidisc unless someone is willing to reassure me on this.

7. Never heard of any firmware updates from Sony, I dont think they really do them, maybe they will now with this missing letter problem...

Let's hope!

Thanks again for all the help everyone (you too volta). If anyone has any experience with buying U.S. models to use in Europe please let me know ASAP!

Edited June 22, 2005 by bri