A couple of RH1 questions from an N710 owner

[philpem]

Hi guys,

I've just ordered an MZ-RH1 from Ask Online - ETA for stock is the end of this month, which gives me about two weeks to scrape together some more cash. But until then, I've got a few little questions for any of the lucky few who managed to get one of the first-run units:

I've got a feature-hacked MZ-N710 at the moment, and it came with a little fabric case with a belt-clip. Do Sony still bundle these with the MZ-RH1, or not?

What's the download (PC-to-MD) speed like, in comparison to NetMD (MZ-N710 or similar)?

Has anyone done a real-world test on the lifetime (i.e. charge to full, hit play, see how long it lasts) of the RH1's Li-ion battery?

Does anyone know what earbuds the UK-model RH1 comes with? I've got some Sennheiser MX500s so I'm not too fussed if the bundled 'buds are junk; I just want to know for the sake of curiosity

Finally, does anyone know which remote control is included with the UK-model RH1?

Thanks.

Edited July 10, 2006 by philpem

[grf]

>fabric case with a belt-clip. Do Sony still bundle these with the MZ-RH1, or not?

GRF - I am afraid not, all the R+D dollars were blown on the unit itself. It comes with a usless cloth bag.

What's the download (PC-to-MD) speed like, in comparison to NetMD (MZ-N710 or similar)?

GRF- The dowload speed seems faster but I have only tried this on a slow PC.

Has anyone done a real-world test on the lifetime (i.e. charge to full, hit play, see how long it lasts) of the RH1's Li-ion battery?

GRF - I am sure there are many posts on this but my personal experience is that the playing time is so long that it is hard to get to the end and fully discharge the battery. btw I have got Chinese RH1 batteries from eBay and they are genuine Sony ones at 10 GB Pounds. They are obviously production shrinkage but worth geeting a few in at that price.

Does anyone know what earbuds the UK-model RH1 comes with? I've got some Sennheiser MX500s so I'm not too fussed if the bundled 'buds are junk; I just want to know for the sake of curiosity

GRF - The ear buds are junk and unmarked so stay with you MX500's

Finally, does anyone know which remote control is included with the UK-model RH1?

GRF The remote is a nice Black RM-MC38EL which is a good remote. I have tried it with a RM-MC40ELK and it is not worth it as the display does not show the full information possible (Group AND Track for example).

GRF - The RH1 is a very nice machine, its definately a show-off item which will impress.

Best regards

Graham

[philpem]

>>fabric case with a belt-clip. Do Sony still bundle these with the MZ-RH1, or not?

>GRF - I am afraid not, all the R+D dollars were blown on the unit itself. It comes with a usless cloth bag.

Well, as long as it stops the MD getting all scratched up..

> GRF - The ear buds are junk and unmarked so stay with you MX500's

That's what I planned to do anyway - the MX500s have gained some "I can't believe they still work!" value after they survived a trip through the washing machine in my trouser pocket.

I wonder if the earbuds are a sneaky way to get around the European "volume limit" legislation. I seem to recall the wording is something to the effect of "less than 100dBa output with the stock earphones" -- bundle cheap, ultra-inefficient earphones with the thing and in theory you'd be able to give it a 5mW output without incurring the Wrath of the Law .

Just idle speculation - IANAL...

> GRF The remote is a nice Black RM-MC38EL which is a good remote. I have tried it with a RM-MC40ELK and it is not worth it as the display does not show the full information possible (Group AND Track for example).

In other words, a backlit RM-MC33L with a HiMD indicator on it. Nice.

> GRF - The RH1 is a very nice machine, its definately a show-off item which will impress.

Then it's probably a waste buying one - I tend to shove my Minidisc into my coat pocket and leave it there. I'm not much of a show-off, unless someone actually asks about it...

I must admit, the upload feature is tempting. I'm a student, so my MD gets used a lot for recording lectures and such. At the moment I'm stuck fumbling around with line-out patch leads and audio recording software...

Ah well, I've got until the end of the month to decide - thanks for answering my questions, GRF.

[jrv2kgt-s]

Hi guys,

I've just ordered an MZ-RH1 from Ask Online - ETA for stock is the end of this month, which gives me about two weeks to scrape together some more cash. But until then, I've got a few little questions for any of the lucky few who managed to get one of the first-run units:

I've got a feature-hacked MZ-N710 at the moment, and it came with a little fabric case with a belt-clip. Do Sony still bundle these with the MZ-RH1, or not?

As mentioned above all you get is a micro fiber bag which helps with dust and scuff marks. I would recommend custom cutting a screen protector for the EL display on the unit. Unfortunately due to the fact that the display readout is tinted black, fine scratches easily show up on the unit. Placing a screen protector will help to protect it.

What's the download (PC-to-MD) speed like, in comparison to NetMD (MZ-N710 or similar)?

Typically you are looking at a 30-70% increase in transfer rates. Transferring data onto the RH1 is much faster than the 1st and 2nd gen HiMD units.(Note: see below link)

Has anyone done a real-world test on the lifetime (i.e. charge to full, hit play, see how long it lasts) of the RH1's Li-ion battery?

The battery run quotes are fairly close to real world estimates. I did find the record time to be slightly off by 30 minutes or so.

If you are considering purchasing the RH1, below are a few things it excels at.

-Transferring of old MD and MDLP recordings to the PC.

-Provides long record times under battery power(my old MZ-N707 only had a 4 hour record time).

-High quality audio inputs.

-Accurate reproduction of sound.

-Better MP3 playback over 1st and 2nd gen units.

I've had my RH1 for little over a week now and I am very satisfied with the unit. I was a little leery about picking up the unit at first, but I have come to enjoy the quality and ease of use it provides. MDCenter did a very good job at evaluating the RH1. Be sure to check out the below link.

http://www.mdcenter.nl/redirect.php?file=h...h1/index_en.php

[smkranz]

I would recommend custom cutting a screen protector for the EL display on the unit. Unfortunately due to the fact that the display readout is tinted black, fine scratches easily show up on the unit. Placing a screen protector will help to protect it.

http://www.mdcenter.nl/redirect.php?file=h...h1/index_en.php

That's a dandy idea...I used to have some of them around here but no more, it seems. If anyone has applied any screen protectors to their RH1 display, please post feedback as to what type you used. Cut it slightly smaller than the size of the whole display, to avoid it getting lifted at the edges?

[philpem]

That's a dandy idea...I used to have some of them around here but no more, it seems. If anyone has applied any screen protectors to their RH1 display, please post feedback as to what type you used. Cut it slightly smaller than the size of the whole display, to avoid it getting lifted at the edges?

Personally I'd take a piece of paper and fold it over the front of the MD player to get an idea of how big the cover needs to be.

Then cut that piece of paper along the creases and make sure it matches the MD player. Keep going until it covers the display.

Now cut a screen protector down to that size, peel it off and stick it on the display. Make sure the display's clean first - a (clean!) microfibre cloth and a bit of water should get any fingermarks and dirt off without scratching it.

[jrv2kgt-s]

That's what I did.

[Hungerdunger]

If anyone has applied any screen protectors to their RH1 display, please post feedback as to what type you used.

I've always used Fellowes WriteRight screen protectors for Pocket PCs. I put one on my RH10 as soon as I got it out of the box, and I also use them to cover the displays on all other MDs (I'd hate to spoil the display on the RH1) and also on my remotes, as well as the screen on my mobile phone.

You have to be careful when applying them to avoid air bubbles, but even if it takes a couple of attempts to get it right it's still worth it.

[smkranz]

I bought a package of Pelican brand "Invisi Shields" sized for the Nintendo DS Lite. They come 2 to a package, for aboput $8. Looks like I should be able to cut four protectors for the RH1 from each one. I traced the shape of the display first on a piece of paper, but that really doesn't work because one edge of the display (the bottom, if you look at it straight on) is beveled, so I just had to fudge. The rounded edge...again, just had to fudge. It's not a work of art, but it'll keep scratches and wear & tear away from Baby's face. I'll get better at it over time. The good thing is there are no bubbles. These shields are semi-hard crystal clear plastic. Will see how long they stay on...