MZ-RH1: What's it worth?

[rich1068]

Hi guys.

I wasn't sure if this should go in Classifieds or here. Someone move if I chose incorrectly!

I've dug out my MZ-RH1 again. I do this periodically. I marvel at what a lovely bit of kit it is, have a little play with it, convince myself Minidisc is the future, get pissed off with SonicStage and then put it back in a drawer. This really is a waste when true enthusiasts could get much more use out of it.

So if I was to sell it on here what is it worth? It's in generally good condition and works perfectly. I'm missing the 'phones but do have the in-line remote. I have no idea where the box is either I could obviously post up pictures if that helps.

Anyhoo, if anyone reads this I'd appreciate any advice you can give.

[SileEeles]

It seems to go for £150+ on many sites like eBay. But from what I understand since being a member here, the build quality of it is pretty bad.

Someone probably knows a better price range than me, HiMD is not my thing, I see no point to go with it over regular MD, so I don't know too much about it.

[Azureal]

Here is a good search on eBay.com which shows the sold prices for RH1 units over the last couple of months: MZ-RH1 sold on eBay

I only included auctions as in my opinion they are the only real indicator of what the market is willing to pay, too many folks listing these units for crazy prices.

The price range is pretty dramatic between $200 US to $600 US. You have to consider the additional items thrown in to the sales to entice the buyer, blank Hi-MD disks will drive the price higher.

[jim.hoggarth]

If it is in good physical condition and does not suffer from the usual problem - the FF/REW control not working properly - now may be a very good time to sell as resale values are surprisingly high. Also check the battery storage capacity is reasonable, and that the two halves of the display are balanced and bright. And if there is little in the way of physical marks, and perhaps it even still has its rubber feet fixed firmly, and if it includes the mains-to-USB power converter, it will be snapped up. Some folk are paying daft prices at present, as these recorders get harder to come by month on month.

Jim

[rich1068]

Thanks for the replies.

I've charged it up and had a play with it. As on previous occasions, I don't think I can get rid of it. It's just such a lovely little thing!

As far as condition and accessories are concerned, it's in good order. The battery still seems to hold a charge, the display is bright and clear and there aren't any faults. It appears one of the rubber feet is missing but I'm keeping my eye out for a replacement. There isn't any damage or scratches. I used to mainly use it as an in-car player and it sat on a shelf in the glovebox so I didn't expect signs of wear. All that said, I can't find the box, literature, cloth bag or original 'phones but they're no loss to me.

I've also come across rather a lot of blank, unused MiniDiscs. I have 6 x 'Color' MDW80CRL/G/Y/B and 10 x 'Premium' MDW74.

I may let these go as I really can't see myself using them. Offers? Or I'll pop over to 'Classifieds'. The other 'Color' discs and the HiMDs I'll keep.

Anyway, I've loaded up the evil SonicStage and had a mess around with some files. I've also listened to some stuff in the car that I haven't heard for a long time. It's all good On past form the MZ-RH1 should be back in a drawer by the end of the weekend. We'll see.

One more thing, since installing SS my optical drive has disappeared. It's still in Device Manager but not Explorer. Some guff about missing drivers or they've changed location. Is this some sort of extreme SonicStage anti-piracy DRM? Delete the disc drive altogether to stop illegal copies? Any ideas?

[SileEeles]

One more thing, since installing SS my optical drive has disappeared. It's still in Device Manager but not Explorer. Some guff about missing drivers or they've changed location. Is this some sort of extreme SonicStage anti-piracy DRM? Delete the disc drive altogether to stop illegal copies? Any ideas?

Shouldn't be since it also needs the disc drive to rip CD's in the first place. Mine has certainly never vanished, either before or after the installation of SS, so I'm betting something else is at fault.

[rich1068]

I was joking about the DRM thing but as soon as I'd installed SS and rebooted the drive disappeared. Google turns up one other instance of this but the advice given doesn't help me unfortunately.

[freddyjollo]

there was on ebay in the last month went a MZRH1 that went for about £220 incl some himd, in vgc - a rare bargain

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sony-Hi-MD-Walkman-MZ-RH1/161034487774?_trksid=p5197.m1997&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D16%26meid%3D8353539054829693111%26pid%3D100016%26prg%3D1006%26rk%3D1%26sd%3D181157481781%26

[mwithell]

I have one of these marvellous little machines, which is still in regular use. Just one problem; the remote is wearing out. I use the pause/record volume knob every time I use it, and it now is not reliable. I can adjust the volume and then find, several seconds later, that it's paused itself!

A question: what remotes will work with it apart from the one it came with? I don't need 100% compatibility; just the facility to pause the recording and adjust the record volume. I've looked through that very informative Guide to Sony LCD Remotes but it doesn't answer my specific question! I'm thinking of buying a cheap minidisc off Ebay for the sake of the remote, as it seems to be cheaper to do that than buy a new remote - if indeed it would be available anyway.

I'd be grateful for any advice.

Malcolm

[sfbp]

Just search ebay for RM-MC38EL. There should be lots.

However they are all waaay overpriced right now.

It might b worth waiting to see if anything turns up.

[mwithell]

I have been, and there are! My question though was what remotes would work sufficiently well with it to serve my purpose. In the article I referred to it says some are backwards compatible with various others, but I suppose I need to know what is forwards compatible!

Malcolm

[Jimma]

I've just tested an RM-MC33L with my MZ-RH10 and it pauses a recording and adjusts the recording level without any problems so I would assume it will for the RH1 as well.

That would mean the RM-MC33EL should also work as it's the same but with a backlight for the display.

[mwithell]

Thanks very much. I've checked Ebay and I can certainly get the 38, but they're all abroad and I can probably get a whole recorder for less than the price of a remote!

[sfbp]

Too bad... they used to go for about 10 bucks.

[mwithell]

Thanks for your help everyone. I picked up an N910 on Ebay with an RM-MC33EL remote and the remote seems to work fine on my RH1. :-) I now, of course, have a thoroughly decent second machine. The internal battery seems to be entirely shot but at least there's the external battery pack which works fine. I assume the USB transfer of recordings is only one way on this - on my RH1 I can of course transfer my recordings to my computer, not just music to the minidisc. This no great hassle as I can just use my RH1 to do it.

[sfbp]

Advice: keep your RH1 for transfers only. You can easily get a HiMD player or recorder (other than RH1) if you have a need to listen to HiMD disks.

[punkrockaddict]

nobody should keep theirs just for transfering in my opinion.it´s my concert recorder .. that´s what it was meant to be.

ok i got 4 of them but its a recorder as i whished i had in the early nineties.. so why just keep them for transfering?

i don´t get this^^ i suppose there´s not half as much ppl as you think that want to transfer SP recorded Mds to their library..

[mwithell]

Advice: keep your RH1 for transfers only. You can easily get a HiMD player or recorder (other than RH1) if you have a need to listen to HiMD disks.

Well, I hardly ever listen to MD recordings. I just transfer them direct to the computer and output them as MP3 files or put them on CD.

[PsychoPimpKiller]

I used to record concerts with my MZ-M200 and now I just use it to transfer my shows to my computer. I dropped once or twice and luckily I didn't do any real damage to it except for a few scratches. So now I use my other recorders for shows so that I don't take any unnecessary chances with it again. It has to last me a long time and a replacement unit is going to be way more expensive to buy in a few years time.

[rich1068]

Reviving this one.

 

It's been a year since the last time I dug out all my MD stuff. I run on a 12 month cycle. However, this time I really am getting rid of it all. I've had another play and though this may upset one or two on here, for me MD has no place in 2014.

 

Anyhoo, some details of what I have are above but unfortunately the pics are no longer on Photobucket. Here is one I took yesterday...

 

 

Everything has to go and I'll get better descriptions and pics up within the next day or two. I'll give some thought to price too as ideally I want everything to go together and preferably collection. I'm in Sheffield.

 

Any comments in the meantime would be appreciated.

[damnspynovels]

I know what you mean. 

 

I'm still on the fence about it all if I'm totally honest. 

 

I successfully removed myself from MD at the right time originally - in 2001 - when I got the first iPod. 

 

For some inexplicable reason, I bought a home deck last year on eBay. Love it at first, all the nostalgia etc - grand plans of recording / archiving radio concerts etc. It never happened, and as it was I recorded one MD - of a playlist I made on Spotify - go figure. That period lasted about a month - in which time I'd found I'd bought 80+ blanks. Weird huh? 

I moved house in February and the home deck went in storage - the whole time wishing I didn't have this £100 piece of useless kit in my attic. I mean it's not an amazing amount of money to write off, but it still felt a bit of a waste. But I was sort of relieved that I was avoiding falling into the trap of having to continually spend money on tracking down discs and machines that might not work.  

 

Until a month ago.

 

Once again, I've got the same grand plans of archiving concerts on the radio (6music do a great one hour program in the middle of the night rebroadcasting old sessions. I record them on my tv's set top box each night, and delete them if I'm not interested, and keep the ones I am until I'm ready to record them onto MD - something I've actually yet to do).

 

And as such I've bought another 20 blanks - to add to the 80 unopened discs I already have. I've also bought two portables. WHAT AM I DOING? 

I'm someone who hates mp3s - and as a result don't actually have any. My on the go music solution is to pay for a monthly Spotify subscription for my iPhone. At home, I have a mix of a large vinyl and CD collection that I love equally. 

 

Where does MD fit in? I'm trying to find the gap. I don't need an on the go solution for CDs or vinyl - i.e. copying them to MD because I can't play CDs on the go, because Spotify answers that problem. 

 

I don't have the time to sit over my deck with a load of records making my own compilations - I wish I did. But I do see a gap for things like radio concerts, sessions etc. I have dreams of having a huge archive of this kind of material that I can refer to in later years. Ironically, for me recording these to MD seems less cumbersome than recording them to a computer. Plus I get to look at my amassed collection on a shelf. 

 

 

I need to get over trying to justify it being anything else. 



 

[freddyjollo]

I did the  "record radio" along time ago using a  tuner, deck and timer. Never again en mass. lol I have many/most of the  comedies and dramas incl scifi   from the BBC on md.( about 50 GB on PC)  I am glad I have them, but what an effort. The boring bit was  editing the  start and end padding off. really laborious using the edit function on decks. After I got an MZ-RH1 i copied to my pc and used  Sony AudioStudio which will read and write atrac files - can be got cheap off ebay to do that. Still a real chore but  better. 

 

I (used to) listen to them thru my notebook from a small nas. So really the md was now redundant. but I still use it to record  important telephone converstions & have the md as  backup - I think they are prob more reliable as a backup than hd or cd/dvd? And you can get loads into an old LP case  - where I store mine - a very compact soln. So i bet many people are in the same boat as you trying to  find a new way to justify md. I think the first to go would be my decks, never the portables as they dont take up much space and  I am not that hard up for cash. Once they are gone they are gone?.

[damnspynovels]

the worst part is throwing good money after bad. I mean, I'm spending more to justify it? 

[freddyjollo]

the worst part is throwing good money after bad. I mean, I'm spending more to justify it? 

well how much junk have you got not a lot and what can u sell it for? if u buy hardware at  budget  prices you can easily sell it back at no loss or even a profit? I bought 2 very nice  2nd JB940 decks a few years ago in London, no postage pay on collect for approx £70  each in mint condition. Seems like I can easily get my money back now - I saw one go for £140 on Ebay recently.I also have a JB980 that goes for higher that I can nearly get back what I paid for it new long time ago. Its hard to know whats best to do, its a bit of a jump in the dark.  I bought  a Dawes 1-down  cycle  in 1999 mainly as I got a 20% discount from the then YHA shop in London - I didnt need the bike and in fact for years I didnt use it as it  didnt really fit. A year or so ago after my main bike was vandalised I had to use this or nothing, in the end I found all I had to do was to spend £60 on a few bits and I  now think it is the best  bike I have ever had. I had in the past nearly sold it as a lemon, glad I didnt. So maybe  at the back of your mind there is a thought for the future. As long as the cash not needed for some thing else then some times  taking a chance worth it? I suppose  you need to compare your actions with other ones  - this a habitual way of reacting or an abberration. I tend to buy stuff incase I may need it some times I get it wrong lol re the bike  I at the time got  a load of spares,  was a silly idea then but now  is a good idea as the bits have changed and cant be got so all turned out  fine.

 

If you really feel BAD about it then  stop!

[damnspynovels]

This is all true - I'm not even that bothered by recouping to be honest. If i get enjoyment out of something I don't mind spending money. I just have to justify it to myself

 

Plus I have a very supportive partner in that she doesn't mind the fact I have over 2000 vinyl LPs and almost as many CDs, so she'll support my whims and fancies. But then she's the same with clothes so I guess it evens out  

[freddyjollo]

This is all true - I'm not even that bothered by recouping to be honest. If i get enjoyment out of something I don't mind spending money. I just have to justify it to myself

 

Plus I have a very supportive partner in that she doesn't mind the fact I have over 2000 vinyl LPs and almost as many CDs, so she'll support my whims and fancies. But then she's the same with clothes so I guess it evens out

yes  now the LP  obsession is some thing to be worried about. I "only" have about 400 or so now and the boxes they take up and have to  shift if/when I move is not something I like to think about - & the fire risk of all that plastic. some dealers I  know have  rooms of the things. If you want  a justification then think of MD as some thing to have  to compare the latest  devices by and see if they are that much better in practice. 10 years from now.  The only thing that negates md is the (pathetic) capacity of the discs. But regarding portables all of mine use AA batteries and could be running when the latest lithium powered devices have dead irreplaceable batteries? -look at how the tablet market is going?  they are all stuck to gether with GLUE not  screws!, you are only MEANT  keep them, for  2-3 years lol. I dont know about you I just cant afford that purchase scheme.

[l2ob]

Still selling all this stuff OP?

[rich1068]

I am, I am. Much as it pains me.

 

In fact I'm going to make time this weekend and give you guys a bit more info on what I've got. I'd rather it all go to one of you than arse around with eBay.

[ShriDurga]

Richard was kind enough to share a couple of Hi-MDs for the cost of postage.  Seems like quite a generous fellow.  

[rich1068]

Saintly is the word you're looking for.

[l2ob]

I am, I am. Much as it pains me.

 

In fact I'm going to make time this weekend and give you guys a bit more info on what I've got. I'd rather it all go to one of you than arse around with eBay.

 

yeah... I pretty much refuse to sell anything worth over $100 on there. not only do you get taxed like crazy, eBay has become a place where Buyers can screw over sellers and petty much get away with it with out consequence. 

 

Richard was kind enough to share a couple of Hi-MDs for the cost of postage.  Seems like quite a generous fellow.  

 

thats really cool!

 

I never owned a HI-MD... and to buy one now on eBay would just be insane.... $30 or more for used ones? I never even actually seen them in the states. Minidisc had lost all its momentum over here well before the HI-MD came to market. I was however able to get a Used MZ-M200 on eBay for a reasonable price but sadly it dint come with any HI-MDs.

[zokuchou]

I did the  "record radio" along time ago using a  tuner, deck and timer. Never again en mass. lol I have many/most of the  comedies and dramas incl scifi   from the BBC on md.( about 50 GB on PC)  I am glad I have them, but what an effort. The boring bit was  editing the  start and end padding off. really laborious using the edit function on decks. After I got an MZ-RH1 i copied to my pc and used  Sony AudioStudio which will read and write atrac files - can be got cheap off ebay to do that. Still a real chore but  better. 

 

I (used to) listen to them thru my notebook from a small nas. So really the md was now redundant. but I still use it to record  important telephone converstions & have the md as  backup - I think they are prob more reliable as a backup than hd or cd/dvd? And you can get loads into an old LP case  - where I store mine - a very compact soln. So i bet many people are in the same boat as you trying to  find a new way to justify md. I think the first to go would be my decks, never the portables as they dont take up much space and  I am not that hard up for cash. Once they are gone they are gone?.

Hmm, sounds very similar to my own story. I would record MD to PC using a Creative external box and software. Record whole MD's to MP3 real time. Then load the whole MP3 file into Soundforge and edit out the rubbish so I would have a near seamless audio file. It was about 10 years ago that I did that I now I listen to these recordings more via MD than I do via the PC or an MP3 player. These days MD is more a hobby than anything else, so I'm currently in the stage of making up labels for all my old radio show discs. Long live MD!

[ShriDurga]

Saintly is the word you're looking for.

 

I acknowledge the shortcoming of my description.  A thousand pardons, sir.  

[rich1068]

Right then. I've finally pulled my finger out and got everything together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So that's an MZ-RH1, an MZ-N710 and an NW-HD3. All working and holding their charge.

 

Plus 5no. used Hi-MDs, 7no. used Colour MDs, 5 new/unopened Colour MDs, 10no. new/unopened Premium MDs.

 

Also includes all the correct cables/chargers, the correct remotes for the two MD players and some funky space age Sony headphones I found in the same box. I've also got some period Sony travel speakers which may or may not work and will be thrown in.

 

As previously mentioned I can't really be bothered with eBay and I especially can't be bothered selling off everything separately so they're all going in one big box for £250. With three players and all the MDs I think this is fair. But I'm willing to be corrected so long as you're not trying to pull my leg. I'm not going to pull yours. If something isn't as described I'm easy to find.

 

I'm in Sheffield and would much prefer collection or I can meet within a reasonable distance. Any postage would be in addition to my price. 

 

Let me know what you think. And I've just realised this is in totally the wrong section...

[sfbp]

Well, congratulations. I wish I could get my act together to get rid of some stuff too.

 

For the moment, my only interest here is to do the opposite of what you have asked, namely to see if you are interested in letting me acquire just one item, the NW-HD3.

 

a. I live half a world away and postage will be prohibitive

b. I am way oversupplied with the other items, though I admit the blue MZ-N710 is very pretty.

 

The NW-HD3 represents a very interesting stage in the development of the Sony portable player which I managed to miss completely. For one thing they were expensive, I believe. For another, I had no disposable cash at the relevant time. And thirdly, I think they must have worked quite well because one rarely saw people trying to unload them here or even on Ebay. So - not exactly a "must-have" but at least "would-rather-like" item for the collection. I totally take your word on it that the battery is in good nick. Does anyone have a clue as to whether said battery can be replaced, and/or whether the HD itself is either reliable or upgradeable?

 

That's all for now, don't mind me. Proceed with your goal of selling the whole lot. You might actually realise more in bits but I totally understand why you don't wish to.

 

Merry Christmas from (currently and unusually) freezing Vancouver

 

Stephen

[rich1068]

Well let's see how it goes. I've not been overwhelmed with offers and I think there's only you in the whole world that's interested in the little HDD player. I may end up dropping it in a Jiffy bag after all.

[MoCoChris]

If you do that rich, I will possibly be interested in the N910!

 

wish I had the cash for the RH1 but can't really justify the spend.

[rich1068]

Not sure if that was a typo but it's an N710.

[MoCoChris]

It was a typo. My bad.

 

EDIT: I'd also take the color 80 MD's as they are my usual brand.

[rich1068]

Well it appears from the responses on here and PMs I've received that I'd have more luck if I split this lot up. So just to keep everything neat and tidy I'll divide it up into bundles. Hopefully this will mean I'm not posting off individual MDs from now until I die of old age.

 

Bundle 1: The MZ-N710 plus all the Colour MDs, new and used. Including remote, cables etc

 

Bundle 2: The NW-HD3. Including cables etc.

 

Bundle 3: The MZ-RH1 plus all the used HiMDs. Including remote, cables etc.

 

Bundle 4: The unused, unopened Premium MDs.

 

Would anyone like to make an offer on any of the above? I still really don't know what they're worth and the likes of eBay are really no help at all due to the number of chancers out there. 

 

Anyone...? Bueller...?