gepner Posted March 11, 2004 Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 Does anyone know what the difference is? How much is it worth to get the high definition? Thanks for any feedback. Ivan Gepner gepner@monmouth.edu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted March 11, 2004 Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 Hello, and welcome to the forums. :happy: Anyway, there is a difference between these amps and I'm glad you asked. Not many people are aware of the fact. The Sony HD digital amp [ala E720, NH1, and so on] is similiar to digital amps found in newer generation Sharp [Auvi - DS8/DS70/DR7/DR80, etc] and Kenwood players/recorders [s33, S55, S77, S9NET, etc]. Units with these amps are essentially the pinnacle of portable MD sound, and are so detailed and natural sounding I would think it's nearly impossible for words to really describe how it sounds to someone who has never heard one before. Regular digital amps [ala N920, E10, ST500, and so on] do have an advantage over units that carry an analog one, but it's mostly in the sense of power consumption. The sound advantage isn't really there, but it's better than nothing at all, I suppose. More or less a gimmick in my mind, as the differences aren't really that apparent. So, is a unit with a HD digital amp [or a newer-generation Sharp or Kenwood] worth it? If you're already a connoisseur of ATRAC audio then this will definitely open your eyes quite a bit. The soundstage is much more defined, and each instrument in whatever song [or genre] you're listening to is so clearly articulated it leaves you breathless at times.. I'd recommend it. :happy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gepner Posted March 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 Sound quality is what it is all about for me. Looks like I'm going to have to pony up for the most expensive hi-md when available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted March 12, 2004 Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 Sounds like a plan. I think I'll be waiting for Sharp's offerings myself. On a related note, most people who have heard a Sharp digital amp [or 1-bit as they call it, and similar to HD and Kenwood amp I spoke of earlier] agree it spanks most DAP's like the iPod, Karma, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gepner Posted March 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 How long do you think it will take Sharp to come out with Hi MD? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted March 12, 2004 Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 Hard to tell since there's been no offical word from Sharp yet. I do know that they played an active part in the development, however.. Probably late this year or early next year. Sony's definitely going to have an advantage over everyone else for a little while until others catch up. :sleep: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Stamp Posted March 14, 2004 Report Share Posted March 14, 2004 Well Looky Looky! the new site (of 3/14/04) says that the 900 will have a HD digital amp! i checked (and compared) to see if there ws a difference (of ampage) between the two, and they have the same amp (says the uro version of sony) that puts an end to this thread! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted March 14, 2004 Report Share Posted March 14, 2004 Doesn't put an "end" to this thread, as there is still an important difference between a regular digital amp and HD one. Units like the N920 have this "digital amp". I did notice the NH900 having a HD digital amp yesterday, though..that is most fantastic news! :happy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFK Posted March 29, 2004 Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 First, sorry if this question have ever been answered, but : have you got any links for the Sony HD amp or what are your sources? In your first reply do you want to say that the HDamp is like the first generation of Auvi (2.855Mhz re-engeening sound) and the new Sharp and kenwood features the new 5.6Mhz? I'm a little surprised (quite astonished) that Sony do not use an "portable version" of the S-Master or S-Master Pro. To my mind the S-Master and the Auvi systems are very different, so why do they own an other technology? Problems of consumtion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted March 29, 2004 Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 When you say links, what do you mean? Links to more information about the HD digital amp? All of the information I've garnered came from user reviews and Sony Japan websites. About the 5.6mhz bit, your assumptions are a little misguided. Some new Sharp bookshelf and home theatre systems carry the 5.6mhz sampling rate, and as far as I know no Kenwood system does. No portable has this kind of sampling rate. S-Master [mostly for home theatre] is quite interesting, but I believe it's a different entity than the HD digital amp. I'm sure the similarities outweigh the differences, though.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFK Posted March 29, 2004 Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 Yes, by link I was meaning, web pages. I think I will try mechanical translation for those infos. Those 2 class d amplifiers all makes a sampling rate conversion (internal, but, 2.8Mhz and 768khz) and Sony S-Master solution additions a noise shapper (as far as I know). When you were talking about as the HD was an Auvi, I was thinking about the reason for Sony to integrate the "Auvi solution" in their range. Why did they not work on a "S-Master portable" chip? I couldn't understand why they use Sharp tech when they have an other product. Infact I think you were saying that HD was an sort of Auvi, not that Sony use Auvi, sorry for this mistake. :grin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted March 29, 2004 Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 Indeed, I was saying a Sony HD digital amp is comprable to an Auvi [aka Sharp], but not one. The S-Master bit is interesting, it's prompted me to look into it further.. Welcome to the forums, btw. :happy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumz Posted March 29, 2004 Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 kurisu-- no word yet from Sony USA as to whether the NH900 actually will have an HD digital amp? (not that it matters with the delay and all :wacky: ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted March 29, 2004 Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 Actually, MDfreak confirmed it through his sources. I was waiting for him to announce it at T-Board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverBlade Posted March 29, 2004 Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 For me, as long as the NH-600 (or 700, still debating which one to get) has the same amp as the NetMD MZN-707, I'm perfectly happy with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Hopping Posted April 4, 2004 Report Share Posted April 4, 2004 kurisu, all my current MD is recorded on the MZ-R3, would the same piece of music sounded better on the NH1 or does the high definition amp. requires the source to be PCM uncompressed to sound natural? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jadeclaw Posted April 4, 2004 Report Share Posted April 4, 2004 kurisu, all my current MD is recorded on the MZ-R3, would the same piece of music sounded better on the NH1 ... I say, the encoder inside the R3 is the limiting factor here, but - improving on the playback side always enhances the reproduction. So your old recordings will still gain from newer equipment. ... or does the high definition amp. requires the source to be PCM uncompressed to sound natural?Not necessarily, but the better amp makes flaws in the recordings more audible (LP4-compression artefacts, noisy microphone, etc). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay_zhead Posted April 5, 2004 Report Share Posted April 5, 2004 The specs say that the NH900 will have the HD Digital Amp, but even before I knew that I settled for it, I just like it more than the NH1, mostly because of the dry cell pouch that I really need. I do a lot of important recordings with the MD as well as listening to it all the time, so I can't be caught in a situation where I'm unable to record something as my battery ran low. I'm used to the fact that I can go to any corner store and get "AA" batteries to power my MD in case of a need for it. Also, the 900 is just more appealing to me. I did not like the swapping of the displays on the NH1 (because, if fact, what Sony did was just swap the displays - the narrow display, which is traditionally on the remote, was put on the MD while the 3-line display was put onto the remote). I don't like neither the fact that the display on the unit is so tiny, nor the fact that the remote got so fat. So, it seems that it does have a Hi-Def digital amp, but it is unknown if it's the same one as the NH1 has. Currently, judging by second-hand information and the specs, I think that the NH900 is the better unit (at least for me). And, co-incidentally, it's also cheaper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted April 7, 2004 Report Share Posted April 7, 2004 kurisu, all my current MD is recorded on the MZ-R3, would the same piece of music sounded better on the NH1 or does the high definition amp. requires the source to be PCM uncompressed to sound natural?Happy Hopping, I believe that you may notice a good difference between a recording made the the R3 and a hypothetical NH1 you'd own. jade pretty much answered your question, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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