[RYCeT]

Found Sharp IM-DR80 NetMD MiniDisc Recorder on audiocubes, Looks beautiful, anyone try it yet? any review? How is it compared to DR7 and sony mz-n910?

 

[DLP]

As far as can be told, it'll sound the same with headphones, will sound weaker with amps and such (lower line out level) but has a dedicated line out on the cradle.
I think it comes down to how important having an LCD on the unit is and how important having NetMD is. Many use the LCD in live recording situations (concerts, lectures, etc.), so to some it is essential and thus the DR7 is the better choice. For others, it serves little real purpose at all, and thus the DR7 is the better choice. NetMD gives you the ability to transfer MP3s in hopefully what winds up being faster than real time. It lets you title via computer which is helpful for those without faster titling options than with a units remote. To some NetMD is worthless because the quality is incapable of comparing to digital transfers into SP because one is only able to convert MP3s to ATRAC equivalents in sound quality of LP2 or LP4, so even though it will convert it to SP, it will sound exactly like LP2.

For me, the LCD makes no difference. For me, NetMD is not an appeal. For me, $100 less for something that offers me no more or less makes the DR7 ideal for me.

 

[skagen]

It was long overdue that Sharp came out with a NetMD version of ther new models, but I think this one is flawed.

The appeal of the DR7 was the lack of compromise - the powerful amp, the powerful line out, the recording on the fly features and most of all the LCD. That LCD is basically what was wrong with the MT-770.

So why Sharp would go backwards with AGAIN, I don't know.
1)Lack of LCD is a no-no - especially with that crap remote that Sharp has - zero ergonomics. In fact I dislike the remote on my DR7 that I have never used it after the first time.
2) the trade-off of real line out for cradle is like "come on, why are we trading flash for substance?".
3) Sharp basically appeals to the people who want more sound quality than what Sony gives. So Sharp issuing a NetMD recorder that doesn NetMD without SP is bull. This is the problem with Sharp licensing Minidisc from Sony. When Sony makes stupid decisions that are not engineering-based, you can't follow them down the same stupid path. Its lack of respect for your customers.

You gonna put out a top of the line MDR, why would you cut out features that people clearly want. Especially when you've jacked up the price by almost 50% over the DR7? I really don't get it.

If this is about protecting the DR7, its silly. The DR7 wouldn't need protection if Sharp hadn't saturated their MD product line with too many models that are essentially the same thing in diifferent packages and ever so slightly crippled here and there.

 

[leon]

I don't think the DR80 necessarily replaces the DR7.

While the DR7 may not compromise on anything, Sharp can charge less for the DR7 simply because it doesn't have NetMD. Remember this was the case with Sony's R909 and N1.

Plus, if the DR80 really replaces the DR7, Sharp isn't expanding their product line at all, they'd be taking one away and replacing it with another.

 

[tbdoah]

This one is a knock-in the teeth bad job by Sharp. Sharp's used to have those lovely large LCD's on the unit. With the DR7, I thought that maybe they would go back to their roots, but I guess I thought wrong.

IMO, they need to come out with another non-NetMD model, well because NetMD sucks. I feel the same way for sony, I'd love to see an R920 this year.

 

[Fish Tank X]

I personally think they should have just added NetMD to the DR7 and called it the DR-N7.

 

[matheis]

interesting that everyone replying to this post are tboarders

my 2-cents on the new sharp mdr are that it'd be fine to have no lcd screen if they revamped the remote for the non-lcd models! just adding a record button to their already-existant 1-line remote just doesn't cut it!!!

a 2-line remote for displaying the record time/time remaining and recording levels at the same time are a must for live recording situations, imho!!! if the new unit had a revamped 'recording remote', i'd definitely be tempted, as i really do like the 'player' look, but as it is...i'll wait to see what they come up with next or head or wait for a reasonably-priced 1.8" hd-dap

later
nikolaus

 

[Superbaldguy]

This new DR80 seems to be an offshoot of trying to bring togther Net MD and be more "Sony-like" without nice LCD's. As others have said, you *need* an on-body display for live recording. I just don't get the fancy docking cradle that doesn't even have a "smart" charger......

Looks like Sharp has gone away from its roots with the idea that not that many use MiniDisc for live stuff, which is far from the truth.

Yes, T-Boarders are all over the Web.

 

[skagen]

Quote:

Originally posted by matheis interesting that everyone replying to this post are tboarders my 2-cents on the new sharp mdr are that it'd be fine to have no lcd screen if they revamped the remote for the non-lcd models!

Yeah, well I guess its us T_boarder who would actually care about it, I guess. Everyone else is on the IPOD tip.....

Regarding the remote, I think its much more that those things. My most fundamental problem with that remote is that it was given ZERO ergonomic input in the design. How can a consumer electronics company do that?

That remote is very hard to hold without hitting somehting inadvertenty. Plus the button placement is not intuitive. And if that isn't enough, its very hard to look at the screen and the key buttons (play, ff, reverse etc) at the same time. You NEED TO see those when you're changing stuff.

If THAT's the remote they're expecting to use to replace the main LCD on the unit, they're freakin' kidding themselves. I love the sound of Sharps and wouldn't mind having some kind of PC-to-MD song transfer capability. But I will NOT be purchasing such a fundamentally flawed product at that ridiculous price.....

 

[D-EJ915]

I think the DR80 is a bad idea, although the DS30 does have my eye, I'd get a deck instead of the DR80, it's not having an LCD is just bizarre, I mean sony's got a million units, so they can pull of an NE810, but sharp can't...just watch and see sales flop.