Sony moving to flash based

[nathantw666]

I guess we may have seen the last minidisc unit with the MZ-RH1. Looks like Sony is going to flash instead. http://www.bradlinder.net/2007/10/sony-ann...held-flash.html

[bobzilli]

I think they have been on this trail for awhile as the concensus is this is what the public wants. If the quality is as good as the specs show, this new Sony will be a suburb recorder/player. Since I don't need a "live" unit I will wait it out until a consumer unit is made with high quality specs that shows album art and easily transfers to Pc/Mac.

Edited October 8, 2007 by SourMilkMoon

[nathantw666]

Since I don't need a ""live" unit I will wait it out until a consumer unit is made with high quality specs that shows album art and easily transfers to Pc/Mac.

Have you seen the portable flash based players that Sony has out? They're actually pretty sweet and they have what you want. I almost picked one up because of their size.

[srizvi1]

I got my RH1 mainly to do recording with and then move to content to my HD. I don't really archive anything on Minidiscs so it doesn't matter to me if it's flash or minidisc, as long as it's something capable of bringing in high quality recordings.

[Strungup]

This part of the review , kills the H2 argument dead in its tracks .

What does the PCM-D50 have that the FR2-LE doesn't? On paper, not much. In fact, the D50 doesn't even have XLR inputs or offer phantom power for external condenser mics. But here's why I'm leaning toward picking one up in November:

It's compact, fits easily in the hand, and has excellent internal mics, making it great for grab and go recording. The FR2-LE has internal mics too, but they're the kind of mics you'd find on a third rate digital voice recorder. I think my PDA has a better mic.

When I plugged a dynamic mic into the FR2-LE I had to crank up the gain all the way to get a decent record level. When I plugged the same mic into the PCM-D50, I had to turn the record volume down to 3 or 4 to keep from clipping. This little puppy has some powerful preamps.

The PCM-D50 automatically detects when you've got an external mic plugged in and switches between the internal and external mic.

I picked up the Zoom H4 earlier this year because it offered some of the same features as the PCM-D1 at a fraction of the price. I was on a budget and it seemed like a good buy. But here's why I'm thinking about upgrading to the PCM-D50.

I haven't found a single external mic that sounds good with the H4. The preamps are way too noisy.

When using the excellent internal mics on the H4, the unit is susceptible to handling noise. I detected almost no handling noise when using the PCM-D50.

In order to save your track or create a new file on the H4, you have to stop your recording and start a new one, which causes a you to lose a few seconds of audio. The PCM-D50 lets you create new tracks on the fly.

The PCM-D50 controls are super easy to use, and you can change record levels on the fly with a simple jog dial. On the H4, you have to go through a bunch of software menus which will result in handling noise if you're using the internal mics.

The H4 has a cheap plastic feel, the PCM-D50 has a sturdy metal feel.

[Richard]

* Moved to Off-Topic section