Help me find my next MD player + recorder?

[SpirInk]

Hey there!

I'm new to the forums here but definitely not new to MDs. I bought my first MD - the Sony MZ-R700DPC - when it first came out back in... 2002ish? and I never looked back in terms of considering other serious portable music players.

My R700 isn't broken and is, in fact, far from broken, but the fact of the matter is, it can only record in real-time as it uses the older optical in + digital converter method for data transferring from PC to MD and once the recording's on the disc... it's stuck there pretty much permanently with no way to export it back out. Delete, yes. Export? Nope.

All of this is getting to be a bit of a pain to deal with and so I'm possibly in the market for a newer Sony USB-transfer MD recorder and player combo and that's why I'm posting here.

Anyone have any suggestions for me to look into and could anyone give me a quick pros and cons list for MD vs Hi-MD? I've been reading and researching and reading some more, but I haven't really been able to figure out any particularly distinct pros or cons besides a much greater data storage capacity.

Here are a few odds and ends about me that might make a difference:

- If I got Hi-MD, it would primarily be because I would like to use it for data storage in addition to listening to music. Different data discs and different music discs really appeals to me. Also, I never forget to bring my music, but I oftentimes forget to bring the flash drives or CDs or other data holding devices/formats and having two-in-one would help eliminate the issue.

- I listen more than I do actual recording (mp3/music transferring would not/do not count) but I like having the function as I've found use for it on several important occasions.

- My MZ-R700 has a wicked battery life (uses AA) of 48 hours or so (alkaline, rechargeable is longer) - especially for something getting a bit old - and I'd like to get another MD player that also has the potential for a long battery life. AA battery is my preference if at all possible.

- Remote, please. If the unit doesn't come with a remote but has the remote jack, I'll still consider it.

- I don't care about the default earphones or headphones as I always replace them anyways.

- I'm not much of a fan of all-plastic (I might not have a choice in that matter, I realize) as my current MD player has an aluminum body.

- Color doesn't matter so long as it isn't pink. (Are there even any pink ones out there?)

- I would like to not break the bank so to speak. Music is a major part of my life, but I'm not a musician (serious one, anyways) and going all 'pro' isn't necessary...? I don't think?

Here are some models that I have looked at over the years:

- MZ-N1

- MZ-N410

- MZ-N707

- MZ-N10

- MZ-NF610

- MZ-NH1

- MZ-NH600 (not the D)

Yes, they are all Sony but I have no problem considering another brand so long as people can give me honest reviews/opinions. I absolutely loved my R700 and the sound quality was nothing short of fantastic and the battery life was nothing short of incredible and so I have a bit of brand loyalty if only because I've had nothing but a great experience with my MD player (and other Sony devices like my Clie).

So... please?

Help?

Please and thank you in advance!

Edited December 16, 2008 by SpirInk

[KJ_Palmer]

Hi, the first 5 on your list (N1 - NF610) are NetMD units, which means you're still stuck with one-way transfer ie. from and not back to a PC.

You'd probably want a Hi-MD recorder (look for an'H' in the model). The NH1 and NH600 will transfer Hi-MD recordings back to a PC, but not your original format ATRAC recordings. The NH600 is nice for playback and line-in recordings, but lacks a mic input so you'd need an external battery box/mic pre-amp for live recordings. I'd actually recommend the NH700 (or NHF800 with radio) which has a mic input but still uses just AA batteries.

Of course there's the 'ultimate' MD recorder, the RH1 which will transfer even your original recordings back to a PC.

[Strungup]

Second Motion for the RH1 , I used it last night for the first time to Upload Legacy discs , on a Sony Viao that was found in the Garbage , I reloaded a Clean XP install and Sonic Stage 4.2 .

RH1 is the only way ,

[SpirInk]

@ Barock:

The first five were the ones I looked at a few years before Hi-MD became available more recently. Once Hi-MD became available, I've been leaning more and more towards Hi-MD.

Especially with the whole thing with the contents on a MD being stuck and mostly un-extractable, the Hi-MD becomes more and more appealing.

Thanks for the recs; I'm going to do more research on the NH700 and NH800 models and, of course, the RH1/M200.

@ Guitarfxr:

The RH1's the cream of the crop so to speak, though I don't know if I can justify dropping so much cash on it. I wish I could play around with one to get a better idea of its workings and functionality and battery life.

@ Both of you:

Thanks for the suggestions; time for me to do more homework.

[A440]

One more thing to note.

There is an NH600, with a line input for live recording, and an NH600D, which has NO realtime input--it's just a portable player for downloading songs. If you do see the NH600, make sure someone's not trying to sell you the NH600D instead.

If you have a lot of R700 recordings you owe it to yourself to get the MZ-RH1 while you can still find it. I love my NH700 for new recordings because it runs a long time on one AA battery, but it doesn't upload old MD recordings.

[hygienist53]

Can't believe I'm offering advice, but though I don't understand any of the technical stuff, I do know how to find good prices. I've done a lot of research and have found a coded link to a well-known UK site for the MZ-RH1 which sells it for £172.99 +£5 postage (depending where you are).

Amazon UK and Play.com, for example sell them for a bit more, and I watched an auction for a new one on ebay last night, which went for £196.87 + £20 postage....go figure

Send me a message if you want the link.

Cheers

IV