RH10 vs. RH910 durability

[Justin42]

I'm looking to buy a "cheap" HiMD unit to use as a player (and very occasionally recorder) to tide me over til the RH1 arrives in the US and the price settles a bit. Plus, I'd like a "backup" that can take an external AA battery for emergencies. I already have an NH1 (although it has the "freeze up on recording" issue that some of us seem to have) so I have a nice remote and everything. I'd like another unit I won't worry about taking out so much as I do with the NH1. I've been debating the relative merits of the RH10 vs. the RH910.

Since I already have the NH1 and remote, I am thinking the 910 is the better choice. I also have read a lot of comments about the OLED display on the RH10 dying -- as much as I'd love to have a pretty screen, I don't want to spend the money on a flaky unit. (I am thinking of this as possibly my second to last HiMD unit, before the RH1)

I've done some searching but can't find any "long term" reports, other than just people chiming in that their display died or the like. But it seems to me the RH910 is a slightly more "durable" unit, just because it's a bit lower end and uses technology that is fairly reliable (the old LCD, instead of a new OLED).

Can anyone who's kept an eye on these things comment on the relative reliability of the RH910 vs. RH10?

(hopefully this is OK to post, I've done searches but can't find anything that focuses on long-term build quality [instead of just "this feels like it's built well" on day 1 of owning a new device!])

[jaylen]

A lot of people have been saying that the RH10's display is difficult to see in broad daylight. This might make you sway more towards the RH910. Good luck.

[Roamer]

RH10 is reported to scratch easily, and OLED don't last as long as LCD. So I would also recommend going for the RH910.

Edited April 28, 2006 by Roamer

[The Low Volta]

indeed, I've not read any reports of RH910's dying without serious cause...while the RH10 is known to be weak in regards to scratches and the slightly instable OLED

go for the RH910/NH1/RH1-combo ... it's not necessary to have the top model of each generation

[Justin42]

Cool, thanks everyone for your opinions. Besides the superficial differences, and remote, there's no internal differences, is there? (like, they both use the [non-HD] digital amp, same basic input/output circuitry, etc?)

Sounds like the 910 is perfect for me, really.

[WaywardTraveller]

Cool, thanks everyone for your opinions. Besides the superficial differences, and remote, there's no internal differences, is there? (like, they both use the [non-HD] digital amp, same basic input/output circuitry, etc?)

Sounds like the 910 is perfect for me, really.

Owning one of each, as far as I know the RH10 and RH910 are exactly the same unit; the only differences are the display, some cosmetics as a result (i.e. different graphics), and slightly better battery power for the 910 (because of the less-fancy display?).

In terms of durability, though, I would definitely agree with everyone here and suggest the 910. The RH10 is great, but I find that some of the unit buttons (notably the MENU button) have loosened a bit. They still work all right, but I find I have to hold the RH10 perfectly level and push down ssquarely on the button and hold it to enter the menu.

peace

WaywardTraveller

[tekdroid]

Owning one of each, as far as I know the RH10 and RH910 are exactly the same unit; the only differences are the display, some cosmetics as a result (i.e. different graphics), and slightly better battery power for the 910 (because of the less-fancy display?).

In terms of durability, though, I would definitely agree with everyone here and suggest the 910. The RH10 is great, but I find that some of the unit buttons (notably the MENU button) have loosened a bit. They still work all right, but I find I have to hold the RH10 perfectly level and push down ssquarely on the button and hold it to enter the menu.

peace

WaywardTraveller

If the units are essentially the same, wouldn't the buttons on the MZ-RH10 and MZ-RH910 be the same, too? Might be just a case of luck (or more use) that the MZ-RH10's buttons are not working like new?

General question:

Is there any evidence to suggest MZ-RH10's display is less reliable than LCD? So far I remember reading one thread where the OLED died. Is there a general trend that they're failing after some time or...?

[poe]

My 2 cents, go for the RH910, I own it, also it's the lesser of two evils. The 910's shinny surface scratchs very easy, it's only half the face of the unit, the 10's shinny surface goes all the way across, twice the scratches.POE

[Justin42]

Thanks all for your help, I have an RH910 on order now...

[Justin42]

Just wanted to thank everyone again for their input, I got my RH910 about 4 days ago and have been having a blast with it. It feels a bit cheaper constructed than I had hoped, but it seems to work fine, so I really can't complain. Love the sound quality and the standard USB cable it uses. I need to give it a bit more of a "break-in" workout than I've had the chance for but overall I'm quite happy! Hopefully it'll last for a while!!

Edited May 16, 2006 by Justin42

[dex Otaku]

I can't compare the RH10 vs. RH910, but I do have both a NH700 and RH10.

I have had the RH10 for nearly a year and have had no issues with it.

My one initial complaint about it was cosmetic - that the face scratches too easily. Once I got over being a tightarse about it and just let it get scratched as it wanted to, it wasn't an issue any more. I've polished the face once in the past year and the scratches come out very easily. The display itself is unscratched because the buttons are situated in such a way that pressure across the face of the unit falls mostly below the OLED.

The OLED display works perfectly and has no issues. As can be expected, it is difficult to see under direct sunlight, but this is a fairly obvious tradeoff that any buyer should be able to realise before purchasing. This is part of why I tend to carry both my units if I'll be recording under non-controlled/unexpected conditions - the NH700 is perfect for daytime use, the RH10 for nighttime. Both have identical input sections so recording quality is limited by the tolerances of the parts used to build them, rather than how expensive each model was.

I have no issues with loosening buttons, jacks, or the battery cover. I use my AA sidecar regularly and it has no issues either.

I tend to switch off between the RH10 and the NH700 for portable listening. The RH10 can be great for making fast discs of MP3s without having to transcode, though EQ is mandatory for proper listening. For consistency's sake I now usually transcode all audio regardless of originating format to a3+ just so I don't have to screw around wtih the EQ and its presets while walking.

Oddly perhaps, I find the sound of the NH700 more pleasing when listening. It has slightly lower output but is also flatter, especially in the upper-midrange/lower treble where the RH10's digital amp has a slight 1-2dB "bump" upwards which sweetens the sound to most people's ears, but to mine just makes it harsh and grating.

Build-wise, I have no complaints about the RH10 other than the cosmetic one of how easily it is scratched. Mine at least is solidly-built, and has taken a few tumbles without issue. I fully expect the display to last longer than the optical block, or for that matter, the format.