[leon]

Sharp MD-DR7 (silver, blue, pink)
http://www.sharp.co.jp/corporate/news/021128.html
MSRP 37800 yen
to be released on December 10

- 1-bit amp and 4-conductor plug
- 10th generation LSI - ATRAC and amp integrated into one chip (like DS8)
- 42/120-hour playback, 22/64-hour recording (LP4)
27/72-hour playback, 10.5/28-hour recording (SP)
- can be powered solely with an alkaline AA
- "trace back recording" for mic and analog input, functions like Sony's time machine thing, can be set to 5/10/30-second
- "group up recording" for mic recording only - create new groups while recording
- favorites function - like Sony's bookmark function. Remembers up to 10 tracks each, for up to 9 discs. Can be set to auto-play favorite tracks on loading.
- playback speed control from -30% to +15%
- treble control (2 steps each for up/down); bass boost is unchanged
- 1-99-minute alarm
- size: 78.9x17.8x71.9mm, 140g including battery
- headphone amp output 8+8mW @ 32ohm;

EDIT - the DR7 does have a rated line out output.

So there... we finally get a Sharp recorder. Still no new SP ATRAC *gasp*

Another piece of info: Back in October Sharp came out with a "4-conductor to 3-conductor conversion cord". Now they're officially saying that this is not meant for connecting headphones, just the car adaptors.

 

[Mystyler]

You champ leon!

I think I might forget the new video card, and get this to finally retire the MR200.

No new SP ATRAC - you mean that it is still version 8 (4.5)?

You don't mind if I steal your link for T-Board?

 

[leon]

Well, it's still version 6, because
7 is version 6 in a different LSI, and
8.3 is also a different LSI plus ATRAC3

And we don't know if the ATRAC3 algorithm got updated.

Go ahead with the T-board... just remember to quote my name.

Speculation: would Sharp do 10+10mW or 15+15 for the models that replace the MT180? In her Toriness' words, it could be a bliss of another kind...

 

[Mystyler]

I've never understood Sharp's ATRAC versions - although you have shed some new light on them - thanks!

Your name is indeed quoted.

I though Sharp has already done a 10+10mW @32 on the MT17/8/90? Perhaps the question is 20+20mW.

Do you think we are seeing MD go back to the "old-school" days, but with the help of newer tech? I'd like to hope so...we could see and MD with iPod output just around the corner.

 

[leon]

Thanks!

In theory, we could keep shrinking the mechanical parts (motor, magnetic head, optical head), keep improving and consolidating the ICs/LSIs, so that they'd consume less power. Then you could perhaps "transfer the quota" over to the amp so that you get higher output without drastically cutting down on battery life. That's theory, though... wonder if it could be executed that way in reality.

Sharp is kind of random with their ATRAC versions. There are player-specific ones, and certain numbers are missing.

 

[myself, aka me]

That is one Sharp MD I might actually consider.. It's like an MT180 and a MT77 into one fine unit. 8mW x2 at 32 ohms.. Goodness!

Now If I hadn't bought that PC1 from you mystyler, you might have saved me from the Sony campus and MZ-E710

It's all cool.

 

[Superbaldguy]

Looks a bit like the MT831.....Maybe we are going back to the "good old days," somewhat.....I do like the more powerful amp.

 

[leon]

Guys, I made a mistake - the DR7 does have a line out output listed in the specs. Please update your respective tboard posts *Japanese ( ) school girl sob*

Still no catalog pages from Sharp...

 

[bangraman]

Yes but theres a problem, you are locked into using the headphones they give you for 'mobile 1 bit digital amp'. It says you can still use other regular stereo headphones but it doesn't say what happens anen you do.

 

[myself, aka me]

They give more stereo seperation. A 3 pole one doesn't give as much, although I think a high quality headphone would be better than the stock, even though they are four polar..

 

[leon]

Quote:

Originally posted by bangraman Yes but theres a problem, you are locked into using the headphones they give you for 'mobile 1 bit digital amp'. It says you can still use other regular stereo headphones but it doesn't say what happens anen you do.

Actually it does say what happens on the press release - you don't get the best result from the unit. That however is more of a subtle, buy-our-headphone promotion. Many DS8 owners use it with normal 3-conductor phones everyday - including me - and the phones themselves would still more than make up for the quality gap.

IIRC the math is that when you use the 4-conductor ones, it becomes a "full bridge" connection and the amp can produce 4 times the output of an analog amp that's identical in power consumption.

There are certain things you can do with the design, so that it doesn't burn up when you use a pair of phones with shared ground (3-conductor). This arrangement means that the digital amp only produces twice the output of an analog amp that's identical in power consumption.

Sharp has advertised "half the power consumption" (= double output with the same power consumption) all along, never bringing up the "quadrouple output" thing, so I'd assume they took the safe route.

On a side note, it's very easy to envision creating cables for the ER-4 that would tap into the separate ground/4-conductor thing.

 

[Mystyler]

Quote:

Originally posted by leon Guys, I made a mistake - the DR7 does have a line out output listed in the specs. Please update your respective tboard posts *Japanese ( ) school girl sob* Still no catalog pages from Sharp...

Done.

 

[andrzejpw]

mmmm, line out. Very nice.

 

[Cyanide]

If you look at the T-station and Minidisc.org news pages i acctualy broke the news , but i just couldnt be bothered posting it here (i had already written it 3 times!). Sorry to keep you guys in the dark

It is very tempting and its swaying my decision to purcase the new sony player with eq.

BTW does anyone know what frequencys you can adjust with the sony EQ built into their new 10th aniversary models? This would be good info to know , but no reveiwer has posted it......

 

[leon]

*drag queen mode* Oh honey, I posted on these boards (and the minidisc.org forum) 12 hours before it showed up on minidisc.org, I just wasn't bright enough to e-mail the man himself *giggle*

I saw the following on a Japanese forum, in a discussion about the E10 EQ, these 6 frequencies are listed:

100Hz
250Hz
630Hz
1.6kHz
4kHz
10kHz

There's this opinion that if you turn up the lowest frequency, it sounds as if the output is hissing (?!). E10/N10 owners, help us out!