Can Sony MZ-NH800 Tuner be used with other units ?

[MD4ME]

Recently bought a Sony MZ-NH800 with Fm/AM radio, can the tuner be used wth other HI-MD units ? and is there any difference between the actual MZ-NH800 and MZ-NH700 players ? Thanks !

[Avrin]

The FM tuner remote has two extra contacts providing power to the tuner. No other Hi-MD units are equipped with the respective mating contacts. So the answer to the first question is no.

The only difference between the NH700 and the NHF800 is in these contacts. The NH700 also has VPT circuitry (disabled at the factory), and both units have Speed Control circuitry (also disabled at the factory to make top models more attractive). You may try the NH600 method to add VPT and Speed Control to the NH700, and to add Speed Control to the NHF800 (it already has VPT): http://forums.sonyinsider.com/index.php?showtopic=24406 - the corresponding hardware of the three units is the same.

Edited September 19, 2009 by Avrin

[sfbp]

I and others have reported that the remote (RM-MC37LT) works fine with the MZ-NH700. I'm not sure about the RM-MC39LT that comes with the NHF800 but I think the differences are trivial (maybe a high-MD indicator since the 37LT was designed for the MZ-NF810 which is a non-HiMD unit).

Essentially the easiest hack (if you want to do one) is to tell the NH700 that it's an NHF800. However the hack is not necessary for radio function. I did it and I didn't notice a major change.

You will find that the radio can be (very) slow to turn on after some months of use. However cleaning the contacts on the remote seems to fix this.

(the price for 39LT is likely to be high - however you should be able to get a 37LT for $20-30).

[Avrin]

Looks like I was wrong to some extent. Checking the service manual shows that the NH700 really has the infamous VB and STAT contacts required for a tuner remote to operate. So the hardware of the NH700 and the NHF800 is absolutely the same, with the exception of the R829 jumper that tells the System Controller that the unit is an NHF800. But I hope it's possible to persuade the System Controller without soldering the jumper in. Like, by setting address 0113 to 30 or 50 for a start.

Still, no other Hi-MD units have these contacts.

Edited September 19, 2009 by Avrin

[sfbp]

This is splitting hairs (by me of course). If the 39LT doesn't work with an NH700 that would be by design (Greedy Sony?!). However without soldering or anything at all the NH700 works with the 37LT.

[Avrin]

So, the NH700 should be called NHF700, since it supports an FM remote, even if it is not included. And it should work, even without resoldering. In first generation Hi-MD units, Firmware Flag service mode addresses were not used (always had 00), and Hardware Flag service mode addresses did not exist. Actual physical hardware flags were used instead, which consisted of four pins of the System Controller selectively connected to the unit’s ground. These flags differentiate the NH600D, the NH600, the NH700, and the NHF800, affecting the availability of VPT, recording, and battery charging functions. But they don’t seem to affect tuner remote power supply, since that is taken from the unit's own power supply circuitry.

It would be interesting to compare the circuitry of the NH700/NHF800 and older units with tuner remotes.

Edited September 19, 2009 by Avrin

[BIGHMW]

This is splitting hairs (by me of course). If the 39LT doesn't work with an NH700 that would be by design (Greedy Sony?!). However without soldering or anything at all the NH700 works with the 37LT.

Guys, guys, guys.... relax. I own two 39LT remotes and can tell you guys straight up that while the NH700 lacks the VPF and speed controls the NHF800 has, that all of the other features and functions the 39LT has, including the Hi-MD-exclusive ones, will also work with the NH700 as well as the NHF800.

Also if it came down to one Hi-MD Walkman that I can depend on and would use on the road, other than my RH1 at home, the NH700 would be my pick, with it's AA battery use, the multi-remote compatibility (I would tandem up both the 39LT and the 40ELK with my EX90SL IEM's) and the other features it has it would be my first choice.

I know the guys over at Head-fi are gonna kill me for saying that, as I have already committed myself to using my NW-HD5 as my main player, but when the time comes (like if I run out of Sony's proprietary LIP-880 batteries and no more available for it in the future), I will definitely go back to the NH700.

[Hungerdunger]

You may try the NH600 method to add VPT and Speed Control to the NH700, and to add Speed Control to the NHF800

I'd be interested to add Speed Control to my NHF800. Excuse my ignorance, but how to I get it into Service Mode? I tried the method for the MZ-RH1, but this didn't work.

[sfbp]

I'd be interested to add Speed Control to my NHF800. Excuse my ignorance, but how to I get it into Service Mode? I tried the method for the MZ-RH1, but this didn't work.

Hold on... (read my lips!)

Depress and keep pressed GROUP

FF FF RW RW FF RW FF RW Pause Pause

Now you should be in service mode and can let go of the GROUP button.

[Hungerdunger]

Hold on... (read my lips!)

Depress and keep pressed GROUP

FF FF RW RW FF RW FF RW Pause Pause

Thanks - that worked.

[MD4ME]

Thanks for all the replies guys, so excuse my ignorance (well, i am still a newbie !) but what are the relative merits of 'VPT' and 'Speed Control' ?

[Avrin]

VPT (also called Virtual Surround) may provide interesting effects for some music. And Speed Control is convenient for journalists and translators, who may need to slow down recorded speech to understand what is being said.

[Hungerdunger]

Two more uses for Speed Control: Slowing down music without altering the pitch so that beginners can play along with it; and speeding up speech recordings to get through them more quickly. I use the latter one myself quite a bit as I listen to a lot of Podcasts, and I find that for many of them I can set the speed to +40% and they are completely comprehensible.