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NH1 vs NH900

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wahlau

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Hi all,

hope this is not a repeated question :)

anyone can tell me which would be better before i plan to invest in either of the mentioned two? I know NH1 is considered as better unit because of extra feature, while NH900 has the advantage of supporting external AA battery... but from functionality and usage, are they basically the same?

or should i save up for a Rh10/RH910 instead? ;)

thanks guys.

regards,

wahlau

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Hi all,

hope this is not a repeated question :)

anyone can tell me which would be better before i plan to invest in either of the mentioned two?

thanks guys.

regards,

wahlau

This has indeed been 'debated' at length in other posts, but as I own both minidisc models, my brief summary answer would be

NH1 - beautifully made, real quality, and very compact. But it has a unique USB plug, and uses exclusive li-ion batteries, with no add-on AA battery pack. Also has a very minimal lcd screen on the unit, and really needs the very good remote. I'm delighted with my NH1

NH900 - compared to the NH1, feels ordinary, but is nicely made by any other standards. Has useful 'jog wheel' and good lcd screen on the unit, and has a standard miniUSB plug.

Neither the RH10/910 better the above, other than the oled screen, so I'd say go for an NH1 if you can find one at a good price . . . it'll never be repeated again.

regards

Andrew

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It's a tough call which I'm contemplating at the moment...

The NH1 looks better, but it feels pretty silly for me to buy it because of that when it's gonna be inside a pouch/bag/case anyway. The NH-900's ability to use AA batteries could be crucial for me when going on holiday trips.

BTW, does the LIP-4WM battery last the specified 15 hours (Hi-SP) and can it take 500 recharges or so? It's pretty expensive... Is it possible to recharge the player without the pretty, but bulky, cradle?

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... but from functionality and usage, are they basically the same?

or should i save up for a Rh10/RH910 instead? ;)

From what I understand:

MZ-NH1

Advantages

*can change recording levels on the back-lit remote in dark places

*all-metal construction of unit (magnesium) like oldskool MD units

*Lithium Ion battery as opposed to Ni-MH

Disadvantages

*proprietary, hideously overpriced Sony battery (if you want a spare or replacement)

*non-standard USB cable (an issue if you lose it and/or damage it & need a replacement)

*hideous cradle (some love it - I hate it)

MZ-NH900

Advantages

*Ability to use tried-and-true standard (and cheap) AA batteries

*Standard USB cable

Disadvantages

*Half plastic/metal construction

*Inability to change recording levels on remote in dark places (must use non-backlit LCD on main unit)

The NH1's lack of AA battery support and the hideous cradle (and non-standard proprietary USB cable) bother me, but I still think it might be the better unit when all the pros and cons are weighed in (at least for my uses).

2nd generation units

*have fully plastic exteriors.

*The RH10's face has been reported to be scratch and fingerprint-prone

*The RH10's OLED display is generally considered great for night viewing

*Native MP3 support (no need for transcoding to ATRAC beforehand)

A note

MP3 playback has been crippled in the sense that Sony has made mp3s sound duller than ATRAC (accident or on purpose? You decide). The RH10 was also initially released with a notable firmware bugs that required the unit to be returned for a firmware update to correct the 'missing letters' problem. It might be a non-issue if you're buying now but you never know who has older stock.

Personally, the second-generation MD units leave me underwhelmed. Especially at regular prices. But I have no use for compressed audio like MP3 and ATRAC, so your needs may differ.

DRM restrictions in SonicStage 3.2

The good news (that you may or may not have heard) is that DRM restrictions (Digital Rights Management, aka "a pain in the arse") have finally been lifted in SonicStage 3.2 for your own MIC/LINE-IN recordings. That is, you can upload as many times as you like. How sweet of Sony for giving us permission to use our own recordings as we see fit :rolleyes: Something that should have been done ages ago because there was no logic in it whatsoever. But good news nonetheless.

Anyway, there are interface/usability/design issues you might encounter when using your unit (and tastes vary), so I recommend downloading their manuals and having a read-through before deciding on what's best for you. Good luck :)

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I was in the same situation. In the end I got the NH1 and couldn't be happier.

Went through minidisc.com.au, so the difference was only $30.

I can live with slightly less playback time (no AA), and the limited time I have used the remote is easier than I thought it would be.

Plus, the NH1 just looks soooo cool!!!

One happy MD fan here.

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thanks guys for your suggestions/info.

i have somehow decided to get a NH900 instead of NH1, because i don't need cool look and a 3 line remote :P Time Stamp is also something i can forgo... so i guess the $$$ i save for making this decision would earn me a carrying case.

should place my order in minidisc.com.au soon, so that my friend will pick up for me ;) hope i can settle the registration part soon now since he is offline now ;)

thanks. more comments are still welcomed :D

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i've had all three. MH900, NZ1, and RH-10.

Personally i feel the NH1 was the the nicest looking, but the WORST HiMD model to date. Proprietary and flimsy USB cable and it was dependant on the cradle to charge the battery. When sitting in the cradle, you cannot open the door, making it worthless for any serious use.

Given the choice, and you'll save bucks too, buy the MH900. Little secret: it's in a metal case too!

The RH-10 is sheer joy, though. You'll love the OLED display. I have a Zen Micro HD player but I make excuses to play with the RH-10 as much as possible. I use it primarily for field work, but that display is so cool that you find yourself just always wanting to use it for everything. It will also charge itself off of USB (unlike the aforementioned units).

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Personally i feel the NH1 was the the nicest looking, but the WORST HiMD model to date. Proprietary and flimsy USB cable and it was dependant on the cradle to charge the battery.

That was what I feared, recalled reading that quite some time ago. But I guess there ought to be stand-alone chargers for LIP-4WM batteries, would be nice to have if you have two batteries - one in the player and one on reload...

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i've had all three. MH900, NZ1, and RH-10.

Personally i feel the NH1 was the the nicest looking, but the WORST HiMD model to date. Proprietary and flimsy USB cable and it was dependant on the cradle to charge the battery. When sitting in the cradle, you cannot open the door, making it worthless for any serious use.

Given the choice, and you'll save bucks too, buy the MH900. Little secret: it's in a metal case too!

I can't think of any Hi-MD player whose door will open completely whilst in the cradle. And is this really such a big deal - I can't see how this makes it "worthless for any serious use". Only the front of the NH900 is metal the back is plastic.

Tommy - there is no external charger currently for LIP-4WM batteries. The USB cables for the NH1 / DH10P are not that flimsy in my opinion if you treat them carefully - the NH1 / DH10P (unlike other units) come with 2 USB cable - 1 longer & 1 short. And if you somehow destroy both of these you can buy replacements.

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Thanks, for your answer. How bulky is the NH1 cradle really for bringing on travel? It looks larger than what one would like to bring on a "light luggage" trip.

So, the supplied charger - is that a standard one, with a standard connector? It plugs into the cradle, but is removable? But the NH1 has a non-standard connector that only fits the cradle, and an adapter between the charger and NH1 is nowhere to be found? The cradle is the only adapter... :(

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Thanks, for your answer. How bulky is the NH1 cradle really for bringing on travel? It looks larger than what one would like to bring on a "light luggage" trip.

So, the supplied charger - is that a standard one, with a standard connector? It plugs into the cradle, but is removable? But the NH1 has a non-standard connector that only fits the cradle, and an adapter between the charger and NH1 is nowhere to be found? The cradle is the only adapter... :(

The charger itself is quite bulky - I don' have the exact measurements.

The adaptor is standard in the sense that it is a 6V - the same as all other Sony Hi-MD players using the LIP-4WM battery. And the socket connection between adaptor and charger is standard - as you say it's the connection between the cradle and the player that is unique.

You could theoretically use a charger from say the DH10P or the EH1 and plug these into the NH1 cradle, but you still need the NH1 cradle to charge as the player itself has no ac input socket.

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