Who owns the MZ-RH1?

[trogg]

I'll try again. Wow am I out of date! but then living in Bulgaria will do that to you. I thought the NH1 was still the bee's knees until I read about the RH1 which I do believe I must have(the NH1 is still fantastic but being able to put all my SP MD's onto PC....well). This revelation comes at just the right time as I must admit to having had a brief and strangely disturbing yearning for the 160mg iPod. I'm over that now. As someone, somewhere here said,....I like the mechanics.

However, I have a few questions....

Clearly the RH1 is gorgeous, so why is it so cheap compared to the price I paid for my NH1?

Does anyone know if Sony have any plans to upgrade/update the RH1 or bring out a new and even better model within the next 6 months?

Does anybody know, what are the chances of the 1gb disc being expanded, or if this is even posssible?

Does any one want an MZ-R909 with all the bits? It works fine, I just don't use it.

Cheers

[kino170878]

Does anyone know if Sony have any plans to upgrade/update the RH1 or bring out a new and even better model within the next 6 months?

Does anybody know, what are the chances of the 1gb disc being expanded, or if this is even posssible?

Sony has effectively decided to kill of minidisc. The ONLY possibility is if somehow Japan gets to see a final model as a commemorative gesture to die hard fans. But the chances are against it. As for media i think 1gb is the most due to the nature of magneto optical media, but somebody else may have better info on that.

Edited January 20, 2008 by kino170878

[Avrin]

I would say that since SONY did not intruduce anything on the 15th anniversary of the format, the chance for a new unit being intruduced later is zero.

And no, 1Gb discs won't be expanded. While this is theoretically possible, a serious expansion, like from 1 Gb to 2 Gb will render them incompatible with existing units. And a slight expansion (say 1 Gb to 1.2 Gb), although theoretically it will keep them compatible, is simply not worth the effort.

What I would say to you personally - go and grab an RH1, while it is still possible. Or even two, like I've done.

[cochra1]

I have had one of these babies for about a year now (I think...time flies!) Unfortunately, the supplied remote was not built to last. The cable is suffering wear and tear at the exit point, and as a result it malfunctions when I press various buttons on it, and the display frequently disappears. However, it still carries the sound signal perfectly.

After much desperate searching for a replacement (including the useless official Sony site) I purchased a cheap Chinese fake off e-bay. But despite looking completely genuine, it degrades the sound - making it tinny and lacking deep bass - so it's useless to me. It's an obvious fake. However, it was so dirt cheap that I figured it was worth the risk.

I wonder if anyone knows where I can get a genuine Sony replacement RM-MC38EL remote - or something similar that is still compatible with Hi-MD Walkmans?

[Strungup]

I have had one of these babies for about a year now (I think...time flies!) Unfortunately, the supplied remote was not built to last. The cable is suffering wear and tear at the exit point, and as a result it malfunctions when I press various buttons on it, and the display frequently disappears. However, it still carries the sound signal perfectly.

After much desperate searching for a replacement (including the useless official Sony site) I purchased a cheap Chinese fake off e-bay. But despite looking completely genuine, it degrades the sound - making it tinny and lacking deep bass - so it's useless to me. It's an obvious fake. However, it was so dirt cheap that I figured it was worth the risk.

I wonder if anyone knows where I can get a genuine Sony replacement RM-MC38EL remote - or something similar that is still compatible with Hi-MD Walkmans?

I will look thru my box of stuff , and see what I have , ( I have about 17 remotes) I know I have a couple 35's I might have an extra 38 as well. check wit me later , maybe tomorrow

[cochra1]

I will look thru my box of stuff , and see what I have , ( I have about 17 remotes) I know I have a couple 35's I might have an extra 38 as well. check wit me later , maybe tomorrow

Wow, that's so kind. Thanks man. If you can't help, don't worry, I appreciate you trying! Fingers and toes crossed...

[Pastagaman]

I have just got my black RH1 some days ago when I came back to France after a long wait in China....

Whaoooo what a beast ! It's thinner and lighter than my RH10 ! I love the black anodized Magnesium, remember me the Aluminium of my old 707. The sound is great, a little better than the RH10 maybe thanks to the HD digital amp I don't know.

The uploading of my SP recording is just a fantastic feature...if sony gives us earlier....maybe there would have been less Ipods and more MD on earth.

Well, i think it's time for my RH10 to take some vacancies...

Edited February 1, 2008 by Pastagaman

[Strungup]

I have just got my black RH1 some days ago when I came back to France after a long wait in China....

Whaoooo what a beast ! It's thinner and lighter than my RH10 ! I love the black anodized Magnesium, remember me the Aluminium of my old 707. The sound is great, a little better than the RH10 maybe thinks to the HD digital amp I don't know.

The uploading of my SP recording is just a fantastic features...if sony gives us earlier....maybe there would have been less Ipods and more MD on earth.

Well, i think it's time for my RH10 to take some vacancies...

ummm , I wouldnt mind the RH10 !!

[Strungup]

Keep your hat on TC... Have all the Hard-offs sold out of their MD gear?

Besides you don't do online payments...

we got other biz wiz , ha !! I am going to RULE the MD world one day you watch !!!! na nanannaanaaa

[cochra1]

Clearly the RH1 is gorgeous, so why is it so cheap compared to the price I paid for my NH1?

Does anyone know if Sony have any plans to upgrade/update the RH1 or bring out a new and even better model within the next 6 months?

Does anybody know, what are the chances of the 1gb disc being expanded, or if this is even posssible?

Does any one want an MZ-R909 with all the bits? It works fine, I just don't use it.

Cheers

It might be gorgeous, but it is by no means the 'perfect' Hi-MD Walkman. The navigation - in particular that 'half-wheel' thing that can be nudged up or down to skip tracks and menu options or pressed in to play or pause or select options, is very fiddly - too easy to nudge up or down when all you want to do is press it in. And why must the record switch bit stick out like that?

It also feels a bit on the fragile side. I know it's metal, but it's very thin metal with a large slab of transparent plastic at the front (which becomes scratched over time). I'd hate to drop this machine on a hard floor.

I also don't get why the rubber feet on the underside. Just checked mine and one of the feet has come off! I know they wanted to almost replicate a mini hifi separate - but I think this idea was taken too far IMO.

The main reason I bought it was I'd read what a good sound it had, including MP3 compatibility which is fantastic (unlike earlier models that were designed to make MP3 sound rubbish). I was also impressed by how beautiful it looked in photos on the net. The sound really is the best I have ever heard from a portable music player, so I'm glad I bought it. But I recognise its faults too, and do think on reflection that £200 or more is too much for this machine. I reckon £120 would be more reasonable. Especially as the format has now been killed off.

Hope this doesn't offend any RH1 devotees! I still love Hi-MD for the superior sound (namely ATRAC3). I just wish that since they decided to kill it, they had replaced it with something as good or better. No evidence of that yet.

[kino170878]

Sony UK are selling them for £250 each. That's almost $500. At that price nobody is going to buy them.

[cochra1]

Love the leather cigarillo case thing you have going there. That's tougher (and way cooler) than anything you could get supplied by Sony!

As for storing/carrying it badly (losing a rubber foot) - I've always treated it with a good deal of care, but admittedly never invested in a tough case (like you wisely did!) and it always slips in my inside coat pocket in it's soft pouch. Maybe the missing foot got dislodged as I slid the Walkman either in or out of my pocket. Not a big deal though, I won't be losing any sleep!

I also have a deep rooted hate-hate relationship with Sony - there's such a lack of customer support, with an eagerness to rip us off (selling Walkman replacement remotes for £109), and their products are frequently built to break down or fall apart within a year or so (this is not unique to Sony, I know), so I look upon my Sony Walkman with mixed emotions!

I need therapy.

Oh yeah, thanks for the tip about the screen protector - good advice.

Edited January 29, 2008 by KanakoAndTheNumbSkulls

[Nicky Butt]

Hi, This post of mine is very beneficial and informative, however there are some specific facts or information that I require. If anyone can help me in this matter then please send me a private message. Best Regards,

[Levanel]

You can also use the N10's remote on an RH1.. they're functionally identical except for the color.

[cochra1]

You can also use the N10's remote on an RH1.. they're functionally identical except for the color.

Except that colour is not a function.

[jmsla]

I've got 2...an M200 and an RH1 which is still pristine in its box. Brought out only once to check for flaws and proper operation. I'm about to buy a third because I want two actively working units and a back-up unit.

Does anyone know of blank Hi-MD discs for less than $5.27 per from a reputable establishment?

[takashirose]

I have the MZ-M200. I got it because for some reason it was cheaper than the one without the stereo microphone and because it came with one. I use it primarily to make copies of my albums in linear PCM. I love the size of them. I am slowly, but surely on the road to copying all of my albums. I also get some pre-recorded albums on the side. Some of them are obscure. I wish the format was more loved. I was on the subway and saw everyone fiddling with their iPhone/iPod. I just want to listen to music. Sony should have released a successor to MD/Hi-MD. The UMD could have been a good one, but alas they did not let it out of its home in the PSP. Imagine recordable 1.8 gigabyte discs. I got the Hi-MD because I am not limited by a flash drive based player's memory.

[nathantw666]

The UMD could have been a good one, but alas they did not let it out of its home in the PSP. Imagine recordable 1.8 gigabyte discs.

If they had put it on UMD they absolutely shouldn't use the case that the PSP uses. The clear plastic cover always get gets pushed in and the disc fails to read. Its happened to at least 2 or 3 discs I've had. Not very reliable, especially if it were used in a professional environment.

That said I'd love something more than 1 GB, especially when recording PCM (I missed the last 4 songs of a concert because I was recording in PCM by mistake). However, that's what we have if we want to stay with minidisc. The unfortunate part about the SD card-based units is that they look like recording devices. If the security guard saw that he'd say leave it at home. If they saw the MZ-RH1 you just say it's your music machine and they wouldn't think twice about it.

[Nate A]

boy I'd say they should have made the PSP just a little bigger and use MD media in it and scraped the UMD.

emagine a PSP that could also record HiMD ?

btw, has anyone plugged their M200 or other MD player/recorder into their PS3 ?

[nathantw666]

btw, has anyone plugged their M200 or other MD player/recorder into their PS3 ?

I tried this when I first got my PS3 a year or two ago and it didn't work. The PS3 also doesn't seem to read ATRAC CD's, which is really strange considering it'll encode your music onto the PS3 in ATRAC if you want it to copy your CD.

[Nate A]

have you tried just putting a movie file on it ? or some pictures ?

[nathantw666]

have you tried just putting a movie file on it ? or some pictures ?

Truthfully I tried this a while ago so I don't remember. I do remember that it didn't even see my minidisc player. Maybe they fixed it since the last time I tried. My PS3 isn't near me so I can't try.

[Levanel]

Thanks for reviving such an old thread.

[BIGHMW]

In case anybody doesn't know, I own no less than three MZ-RH1 units to go along with my somewhat massive collection of MD/Hi-MD units.

[baturjan]

Yes, but I posted it for sale on ebay yesterday. In fact all my md stuff was posted yesterday. I don't use md for listening to music, though I think it's the coolest Xgen music listener. I record a lot and just purchased a Sony PCM-M10.

[darrencouch]

Yes, but I posted it for sale on ebay yesterday. In fact all my md stuff was posted yesterday. I don't use md for listening to music, though I think it's the coolest Xgen music listener. I record a lot and just purchased a Sony PCM-M10.

Dang-you're in my neck of the woods. Wish I'd have known before I bought my 910

[Joe Great]

In case anybody doesn't know, I own no less than three MZ-RH1 units to go along with my somewhat massive collection of MD/Hi-MD units.

Hi, I currently own only one RH1 - but will definitely get another one - maybe a US version MZM200...

With kind regards

Joe

[B.I.L.B.]

I am LUCKY enough to own two RH1's, one black and the other is silver. I haven't even opened the silver one yet(except to make sure everything was there and that it worked). I'm saving the silver one for that unfortunate day when (and if) the black RH1 bites the dust. I simply love the machine...

[PsychoPimpKiller]

I bought my MZ-M200 off of Levanel around the turn of the year. It sounds great. I've recorded a few local bands shows with it and it sounds pretty good. I'm glad that I finally got one. I've wanted one for a over a year when I first read about it on www.minidisc.org. Maybe I will get a silver one next if I can afford it.

[ym901s]

Currently with a US MZ-M200 but will get at least 3 more when price has gone southwards.

[sfbp]

FWIW I wouldn't wait. Most of them seem to develop faults, sadly.

[bobt]

FWIW I wouldn't wait. Most of them seem to develop faults, sadly.

Really! No more than anything else, probably less so. I'm not an angel when it comes to using my equipment, if it withstands my use, anyone else will get exemplary service from theirs

Bob

[vsherry]

Currently with a US MZ-M200 but will get at least 3 more when price has gone southwards.

That player has been out since 2006, and as it and Hi-MD get rarer, I wouldn't be surprised if the price actually increased instead. I would like a second-generation player, preferably this one, so I can add MP3s to my MiniDiscs since I don't really do ATRAC and MiniDisc faithfully anymore but would like to keep the format on some level. However, I simply cannot bring myself to pay RH1 prices when I consider that devices much more feature-rich cost less.

[sfbp]

Really! No more than anything else, probably less so. I'm not an angel when it comes to using my equipment, if it withstands my use, anyone else will get exemplary service from theirs

Bob

Nor am I. But both my unit that I bought new developed, and the one that I bought second hand already had, a fault with the jog lever. I "pretty much" fixed it but so many people have complained that I thought it would be worth the comment. YMMV, of course.

Stephen

[1kyle]

Hi all

I have 3 Black one's -- two (tested once) are in "backup" as I keep intending to use the format for a LONG LONG time. Even though I'm now using Windows 7 I can still copy music to the device using Simple burner via a Windows XP virtual Machine -- I don't use Sonic Stage any more for Library management - I don't need to.

Even though I now use a Squeezebox system to stream music I still use the RH1 a lot -- I create on Audio "Virtual" or Image CD using NERO and my FLAC libraries -- just takes a few seconds to create an "Image" CD. I then mount this with Alcohol 52% Free edition in an XP Virtual machine and use SIMPLE BURNER to burn to MD either in LP2 mode or usually HI-SP. NERO will allow FLAC files to be used directly to create audio CD's and the Alcohol 52% software (Free edition) will allow nero NRG IMAGE files to be mounted successfully too as audio CD's.

Cheers

-K

[theblueraja]

^That post just made my head spin. Then again my setup is weird too.

In order for me to make standard LP2 minidiscs, here's what I have to do:

I use Sun Virtualbox to run XP in my Vista 64bit system for Sonic Stage. My main problem is every virtual PC I originally researched would not find CD-ROM hardware. So to rip a CD I have to rip it in Vista's Sonic Stage, then transfer it to HiMD disc, then rip it back into the Virtual PC's Sonic Stage from the HiMD disc, THEN it allows me to rip to an MDLP standard MD format disc. This is all because Vista 64bit does not support MDLP, only HiMD mode. Is your Alcohol image CD thing a way around ripping a CD in a virtual platform or am I missing something? Also I've never used Simple Burner before... I don't archive my music in the computer, I just want to get it to minidisc, should I try that? What's the last (most recent) version? Thanks

[1kyle]

^That post just made my head spin. Then again my setup is weird too.

In order for me to make standard LP2 minidiscs, here's what I have to do:

I use Sun Virtualbox to run XP in my Vista 64bit system for Sonic Stage. My main problem is every virtual PC I originally researched would not find CD-ROM hardware. So to rip a CD I have to rip it in Vista's Sonic Stage, then transfer it to HiMD disc, then rip it back into the Virtual PC's Sonic Stage from the HiMD disc, THEN it allows me to rip to an MDLP standard MD format disc. This is all because Vista 64bit does not support MDLP, only HiMD mode. Is your Alcohol image CD thing a way around ripping a CD in a virtual platform or am I missing something? Also I've never used Simple Burner before... I don't archive my music in the computer, I just want to get it to minidisc, should I try that? What's the last (most recent) version? Thanks

Hi there

I'll try and reply in "Chunks"

1) use vmware server or vmware player for your virtual machine software -- these are both free and IMO whilst VBOX is good vmware hasn't any problems running XP virtual machines.

2) Install Sonic Stage (4.3) and MD simple burner on your XP Virtual machine - Sonic stage needs to be installed to get Simple Burner to run - http://www.gooduse.com/netmd.html use V2 for simple burner and use the Net MD drivers if you want to burn to LP2 using something like an older but brilliant deck MDS JB980 for example -- an RH1 will probably not need any extra drivers.

Sonic stage software load from here (the Sony site) http://support.sony-europe.com/hub/hub.html

3) Install Alcohol 52% Free edition on your Virtual Machine

4) simply copy a CD to an image -- use something like Nero to copy the audio cd to an image - do this on your HOST.

5) connect your MD to the VM

6 now MOUNT the image on the VM with the alcohol 52% software -- you'll see the MD simple burner connect to Gracenote to get the CD info and you can now burn - the MD -- LP2 etc if it's an MD or HI-SP 256, HI-LP, PCM etc if you are in HI-MD mode.

Unmount the image again and mount the next one for continuing to burn to MD. -- Simple

I have already ripped my CD's to FLAC with winamp - nero with the mega plugin allows me to re-create an audio CD from the FLAC files - if you don't need this step then just copy the audio CD to an image with NERO and mount it on the vm with alcohol 52%

http://www.free-downloads.net/programs/Alcohol_52__Free_Edition

Cheers

-K

[theblueraja]

Thanks so much for the details, and for taking the time.

How are you getting this CD image file TO your VIRTUAL machine??

Virtual machines can't read CD-ROM drives, so I presume you are MAKING the image in your regular Win7 environment. How are you getting that FILE to the virtual environment to import into Alchohol, or whatever? I've tried 'sharing' files between my real Windows and virtual and have had little success.

[jmsla]

Hey All,

I also own three. My first was actually an M200 but, that mike is useless. I got the second, an RH1, as back up because I immediately loved the unit. That one has been out of the box only once and just to test that all functions worked. I recently got my third on Craigslist for $250 and it is in pristine condition, hardly used at all. Even came with the 1gig disk still wrapped up.

Now I keep the first one I acquired at my practice studio set up for recording...a stack of blank discs next to it and my AT 822 always plugged in ready to go. The newly acquired is at home for use with the computer and some playback. And the first back up is still in the box. If opportunity presents. I'll get a 4th to use as a portable player to carry around 'cause it's so thin and light.

These are in addition to my somewhat extensive and growing collection collection of ATRAC and Hi-MD units. I just really dig this medium, even though I take a lot of grief and ribbing from pals who keep telling me to abandon MD for a flash player. I know better. Just wish we could TOC clone Hi-MD discs.

jmsla

Jim

[freddyjollo]

I have one I only use for transferring not as a portable. it seems a bit flimsey and too expenive for that purpose.

I havent had any problems with mine. The battery has never been used nor the remote.

I have been busy getting all my hundreds of LP2 and LP4 recordings onto my pc. I hope it lasts the course.