This...

[Xircuits]

So I'm thinking of bidding on this:

http://www.ebay.com/...984.m1426.l2649

But I just noticed the seller saying that the batteries for both machines either charge poorly or not at all. Is there a double-A battery add-on like other MD players??? I really want me a MZ-RH1d and I'm willing to pay up to a certain point, but am discouraged if there is no alternative to these rechargeable battery sticks. I just scored a MZ-N-707 and it's awesome and it takes a double A battery!

I really want a Hi-MD player, but if they don't have a battery alternative, then I'll just have to abandon the machine and stick with Net-MD. I think it's silly that battery alternatives were made for the MD players and Net MD players but not for the Hi-MD.

OK. Rant finished. Thanks for listening.

[sfbp]

I'd be a bit dubious buying from that guy, as he clearly doesn't know what he has. One of those units is an RH10 aka M100.

The most reliable HiMD seems to be the NH700 which takes an AA battery. However the NH900 which is based on gumstick ("prismatic") NiMH, does allow the sidecar AA battery case.

[ShriDurga]

The NH600, as well. I've had mine for 5 year years and use it nearly everyday in my car. I replace the battery about once every two weeks. Durable, lightweight, and with a little practice you can use it one-handed (except for replacing a disc).

(And there it is in my profile pic!)

[Xircuits]

I thought the MZ-RH1 was the "Most perfectly realized Minidisc instrument to date." according to the minidisc.org site, plus it's the one that is featured in most videos and pictures. I guess I was wrong? Can you tell me how the NH700, NH900, and NH600 compare to the MZ-RH1? Please excuse my ignorance/inexperience. My first MD player wasn't even a Net-MD ---it predates it. :-( And shortly after my MD player, I went on to iPods.

[Azureal]

The RH1 is a really nice machine and you're right, it is probably the flagship unit in that sale but it does have some short comings. The fact that it can only run from a single LIP-4MW LION battery is an issue, no side car for an "AA" battery reduces its viability as a long term portable. Getting those batteries is becoming more of a challenge every year and eventually we won't be able to get them at all or they'll cost so much we won't want them. The nice thing is the unit can be powered from just about any USB power source, almost all I have found will run the unit but not all have the current capability to charge a battery. I have heard the RH1 referred to as a small deck which is how I use mine. I have three of them and only one has ever been out of the box, my silver Japanese model RH1, the remaining black RH1 and the MZ-M200 are untouched. These units have been reported by many to develop issues with the buttons and the lever for control of operation over a period of time. I have had no problems with my silver unit since I put it into service 5 years ago.

The RH10 unit in that sale you list is a cool unit, I own one which I bought used, it uses the NiMH gumstick which seem to last longer (as in lifespan in years) in my opinion but also has an "AA" sidecar to power the unit with Rayo-vacs down the road. This unit has a beautiful multi-line display which is OLED, a technology which was reported to be on track to revolutionize portable electronics but never did. All the same the display is very cool, unfortunately many have reported that after years of use the display will eventually fade and become unusable. I do not use mine too often, mainly as a downloader but my display is still pretty bright and clear.

I have an NH600 and an NH710, both are cool, they run off of a single "AA" battery which is really nice, but like the N707, they have a huge hump on the back for the battery which makes they a bit more bulky to tote around. Has that ever stopped me? No way man! I have used my NH600 while mowing my lawn or shoveling snow from my drive for the past 3 years and it is a great little unit, it is built pretty well, not as sturdy as the old days (think R900, R50, etc) but tough enough to be a good, usable little unit and I love that I can just throw a battery in it and be off.

I also have a couple of NH900 units, I bought both of these used as well and one of them woks great to this day, the other developed some issue with the buttons and it cannot be controlled properly, as a matter of fact, the bad one begins recording nothing on multiple tracks the instant you close the door with a disk inserted! I have been meaning to talk to Jim and Stephen about this unit as I am sure it is repairable. The nice thing about the NH 900 is that you can tack on the "AA" side car and use it forever but it still uses the NiMH gumsticks, a lot like the RH10.

That's my 20 cents worth, if you could get that auction for under $250, you would have a couple of nice units. The R700 is not worth discussing as far as that sale goes, it adds little value and all of the other stuff is just that, other stuff ...

I see that auction going for a good price (low) as the seller did not really call out the RH1 or RH10 in too much detail, not too many folks are bidding on it. I plan to watch it and see how the sale ends tonight. Good luck Xircuits!

[Azureal]

This is up to $265 with three hours to go!

[Xircuits]

I'm the one who bid $250 earlier today. I'm actually glad I didn't go any higher. $250 is the tops I will go for a Hi-MD unit --if it's new with box. But if it's used, I don't see why it should be that expensive. That said, there are 2 Hi-MD units and 1 Net-MD unit. The bad thing about this bid is that for all 3 of these units, there is something wrong with each. The RH1 doesn't charge and as you mentioned, it doesn't close properly either. The seller suggests using a rubber band. The Net-MD's headphone jack is messed up, so you can't listen to anything it's playing. The M100 doesn't charge either, but it has a AA battery compartment, but as you said, the OLED does fade. It seems these units have been used and abused. Someone must want these guys really badly to go up to $265, but as for me, I'm finished.

I just scored another Net-MD that I'm glad I got. I rarely see any that has FM/AM radio. I'm pretty happy with the MZ-NF810 except that it currently doesn't have a AA battery side compartment. I did buy one off Ebay today (some of the $$ I didn't spend on the 3 units above) goes toward it. I can use the MD player at the office listening to WNYC or playing my MDs. I also scored what I think is a pretty cheap Net-MD machine. It's actually the first I bought off of Ebay and I'm pretty glad I only paid about $25 for it. It's that awful orange/gold coloured thing MZ-N505. I noticed only after I had it in my hands that it doesn't even have a microphone jack!

Thanks for explaining the ups and downs of the different players. It will definitely help me in finding my 1 Hi-MD player. I'm only looking for 1 Hi-MD player. The Hi-MD discs are super expensive even on Ebay!

I had a few Sparkling MDs (74 min.) discs that were new in the package. I regret to say I recently opened them and recorded music on them. Do you know if they are rare or not? I've seen a lot of the Memorex 80 min discs on Ebay.

[sfbp]

The NH600, as well. I've had mine for 5 year years and use it nearly everyday in my car. I replace the battery about once every two weeks. Durable, lightweight, and with a little practice you can use it one-handed (except for replacing a disc).

(And there it is in my profile pic!)

Sorry, I forgot. Unfortunately out there in the USA it would appear that many units advertised as NH600 are in fact NH600D. This makes quite a difference as the D model does not have even a line in socket or a DC input. None of the 600's are able to recharge batteries. Outside N America the unit is usually the full featured model. So whilst I like it, to my thinking the 600 isn't quite the real deal if you need to make do with only one hiMD unit.

[Xircuits]

It seems all the European versions of MD players are far superior than American ones. I've always wondered why things that are popular in Europe/Asia never fully catch on in America.

[Xircuits]

Final price $350.01 - wow

[Azureal]

Wow, that auction went for $350! I think you made a wise choice not to go higher than $250, I read about and then forgot the whole rubber band issue, that's is reall a hack. Hopefully whoever ended up with it is satisfied.

The 810 has always seemed like such a cool unit to me, not only because of the radio tuner remote, but it is one of the last NetMD units made and it is Type-S ATRAC which I think really makes LP2 and LP4 usable CODECs, plus it has that nice metal front.

Hang in there for a deal on the HiMD unit you really want at the right price, to be honest, I still record most stuff in SP via optical and listen to it on any of my units. Sometimes I go with HiSP on a HiMD formatted disk to fit a few albums on one disk, but I have always preferred SP over any other CODEC. LP2 sounds pretty good on a HiMD unit (which are all inherently Type-S DSPs) so you can squeeze something like 5 or ten hours on a single 80 minute disk.

Regarding blanks, nothing too special about the 74 minute disks, I think they may actually be more common now that the 80 minute stock is being all bought up. The Memorex disks are ok but I prefer Sony or TDK blanks. I have bought so many in the past few years, I'll end up leaving them to my kids someday ... :-/ but I will not run out! Save your money and just concentrate on getting a stash of 74 0r 80 minute blanks, you can use them for your NetMD and HiMD units. The cost of HiMD blanks is crazy and if you have a few you will be fine, they hold so much ATRAC3plus encoded music you can put your entire collection of music on a half dozen disks!

Any way, enjoy the NF810, how much did it cost you? I have followed few over the years and given up at around a hundred or so. BTW, my NH600 is the euro model, it came in a box and has the line input as well as the charging circuit, it is definitely a more capable unit than the "D" version but in reality for me, I just use it as a player so it does not matter.

[PhilippeC]

sescoscuba still have a lot of MD blanks

[Xircuits]

@Azureal -- I had no idea the NF810 was one of the last made. I feel very lucky to have found one on Ebay then. It seemed to have come with everything except for the AA compartment --but that's an easy fix. The rechargeable battery still holds about 2 days worth of power. I got it for $56.49 --I've seen a few of this model on Ebay, most recently a blue version. Here's the link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SONY-Mini-Disc-Walkman-Great-Working-Cond-Many-Accesories-NO-RESERVE-/130786145378?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&nma=true&si=HWVserZejAEH%2F5E5I%2FiKas2SRMg%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

I guess I'll keep waiting for a good Hi-MD. I just want one just to say I have one. I probably won't use it much, but for some reason, they look better than the Net-MDs I've seen on Ebay. The one thing I really like about the NF-810 is the way you open it. I like that "mechanical" slide button thing that just pops the disc open. I'm not to happy with the N707 or N505 because they have this flimsy plastic squishy button.

@PhilippeC -- I've been looking through the pictures of his discs. I'll have to contact him about how much he's willing to part with. I recently acquired 70 MDs of various 74/80 mins on Ebay. Still on the lookout for more.

[sescoscuba]

Ciao Xircuits

welcome!

I read your post, if you have not already read, here you can read some impressions of the sound of the machines.

I'm not a fan of Hi-MD, an old user of tapes are tied equation 1 cd - 1 md.

Also listening to rotation all my mds, I record almost exclusively in mdlp2 mode.

If I were you, I would buy one machine himd and a pair of MDLP in such a way that they can always have a working md.

The final price of the auction on ebay was definitely not high, a RH10 is in good condition sells for about $ 300.

Have a nice day and again welcome

Sergio

[sfbp]

I had no idea the NF810 was one of the last made.

Well, there were others made after that.

Specifically the MZ-N910, 920 (with microphone and line inputs) and MZ-DN420 and 430 (without either).

The biggest problem I have with my 810 is that it won't run (power) off the USB (none of the NetMD units will). The second biggest problem is that the contacts on the radio tend to get unreliable leading to erratic working when turning the radio function on and off. I bought a replacement radio, which also works in an NH700.

But 510,610,710,810,910 as well as NE410, DN420/430 are all Type-S.