Chatbox Posted April 5, 2010 Report Share Posted April 5, 2010 Hey guys, Recently, I'm thinking about getting a 2nd hand MZ-R50 for listening to MD SP. But do you think the playback quality is going to be better than the MZ-RH1? Or are they pretty much the same? TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avrin Posted April 5, 2010 Report Share Posted April 5, 2010 The RH1 has a much later version of the ATRAC codec (Type-R, as compared to ATRAC 4.0 in the R50), and this should provide better recording and playback quality. But, on the other hand, the R50 is equipped with an analogue amplifier, which may sound more natural. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soundbox Posted April 5, 2010 Report Share Posted April 5, 2010 I have both here. The MZ-R50 has no audio control apart from a digital bass boost. This bass boost is not good in my opinion - just a lump at around 100Hz, therefore this machine is best used without bass boost. It plays SP very well, but not as well as my NH600 which sounds a bit more rounded and also has the (essential in my opininion) customisable EQ - and the analogue amp. The RH1 sounds great though (better than the R50) but since NH600's are so cheap, why not get one of those? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chatbox Posted April 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2010 Right now, I only have the RH1. And would like to get a secondary device for playback. So you recommended the NH600 over the R50 then? What other choices would you suggest? I can go as far as getting another RH1, but some people said that certain older models have better audio quality (didn't exactly specify). Kinda scratching my head here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azureal Posted April 5, 2010 Report Share Posted April 5, 2010 I also own both. It's interesting that you would post this question because of all the units I own, these are the two which I lug around every day to work and back. I think the line out sound from the R50 is hard to beat, even if it is an older version of ATRAC than the RH1. As Arvin mentioned, I am sure the clean smooth sound is a result of the high quality analog amplifier. The R50 is also built like a tank, there is no comparison between this unit and any other for build quality, IMHO. For SP playback, the R50 is amazing. I record on my JA20ES and playback with the R50 lineout into an off board high end Headphone amp, my cans are are on the lower end of the high fidelity range and it sounds amazing. This is of course completely subjective and in accordance with my ears. You can pick up an R50 for less than 40 bucks on eBay, if it is in good condition it's a steal ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chatbox Posted April 6, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2010 I also own both. It's interesting that you would post this question because of all the units I own, these are the two which I lug around every day to work and back. I think the line out sound from the R50 is hard to beat, even if it is an older version of ATRAC than the RH1. As Arvin mentioned, I am sure the clean smooth sound is a result of the high quality analog amplifier. The R50 is also built like a tank, there is no comparison between this unit and any other for build quality, IMHO. For SP playback, the R50 is amazing. I record on my JA20ES and playback with the R50 lineout into an off board high end Headphone amp, my cans are are on the lower end of the high fidelity range and it sounds amazing. This is of course completely subjective and in accordance with my ears. You can pick up an R50 for less than 40 bucks on eBay, if it is in good condition it's a steal ... Yeah, trying to get my hands on the R50...some dude was trying to rip me off for 150 euros...OMG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azureal Posted April 6, 2010 Report Share Posted April 6, 2010 Yeah, trying to get my hands on the R50...some dude was trying to rip me off for 150 euros...OMG. Yeah, that's way too expensive. These units are on eBay all the time and can range in price between $10US to $50US. I have two and paid about $40US for each. I just did a search of the US eBay site and found 4 currently for sale. Hold out for one that is not dented or scratched! Another thing to consider, if you want to be portable, you'll likely need to replace the Lithium Ion battery to be able to run for longer than an hour or so. I bought one from a battery specialty store in the US for around $20US. It was worth it to be portable, although even with no battery the unit runs perfectly using the AC adapter alone. Good luck grabbing one, keep us posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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