ONKYO FR-N9X REVIEW
by DJ Z Frog
INTRODUCTION
The Onkyo FR-N9X is a Hi-MD bookshelf unit sold only in Japan starting in 2006. It is a machine that does almost everything. It will play practically any minidisc you care to put in it, as well as playing compact discs! On the front, it has a beautiful vacuum fluorescent display and tactile controls that are a joy to use. On the back, it has a plethora of options for input and output, and includes an amplifier which will drive almost any small to midsize speakers.
If you want one unit that does it all, then you should give serious consideration to the FR-N9X.
MINIDISC FUNCTIONALITY
The FR-N9X is one of the few bookshelf units available that plays Hi-MD discs. This means that, with rare exceptions, it will play any disc you can load into it. The only discs I have found it unable to play have been Hi-MD discs with ATRAC/ATRAC3 audio stored on them; it seems to expect that if a disc is Hi-MD (or a regular MD formatted as Hi-MD), then the disc will contain only PCM or ATRAC3plus audio. However, since such discs are few and far between, it's a quirk that has been of little concern.
The FR-N9X is a fantastic unit for erasing discs. Unlike many MD players that will refuse to erase a disc that has been recorded with SonicStage, this Onkyo bookshelf unit gives you the option to completely format any disc. Regular 60, 74, and 80-minute discs can be formatted as MD or Hi-MD, regardless of whether they are currently formatted as MD or Hi-MD. 1GB Hi-MDs can be formatted only as Hi-MD.
Perhaps one of the best aspects of the Hi-MD drive in the FR-N9X is that it operates completely on gears without the use of any drive belts, which means that you will never be plagued by the belt failures that seem so common on many other aging MiniDisc decks. This drive (which, incidentally, was manufactured by Sony) is rock-solid.
INPUT AND OUTPUT
Despite its compact size, the FR-N9X has plenty of inputs and outputs to choose from. On the front of the unit there is a 3.5mm headphone jack, as well as 3.5mm line-level inputs and outputs. On the rear of the unit there are RCA jacks for tape in/out and CD-R in/out (it should be noted that these two sets of RCA in/out ports have slightly different gain levels, with the tape in/out running "hotter" than the CD-R in/out). There are antenna ports for AM and FM radio (although the FM tuner is limited to Japanese FM radio frequencies). There are stereo speaker outputs with an RCA pre-out for a subwoofer; the speaker output will handle speakers with impedance ranging from 4 to 16 ohms. And, most excitingly, there are TOSLINK ports for digital input *and* output, making this one of the very few Hi-MD devices with a TOSLINK output.
I used the TOSLINK input and output on the FR-N9X to generate the audio for the blind ATRAC listening test at https://atractest.net/ -- a test which you should take if you have not done so already.
The only I/O option that the FR-N9X lacks is NetMD, but this is made up for by the ability to record MiniDiscs directly from compact discs (at either 1x or 2x speed).
CONTROLS AND DISPLAY
The FR-N9X has reassuringly clicky buttons, a jog dial for more complicated input (such as entering track titles), and a nice large volume knob which is buttery-smooth with just the right amount of resistance as you turn it. The beautiful vacuum fluorescent display is legible in all but the harshest lighting conditions, and includes a small digital VU meter. MiniDisc track titles scroll across the display quickly, but slowly enough to still be readable.
If you do pick one of these units up, be sure you get the RC-659S remote control. Some functionality on the unit (such as the sleep timer, tone control, super bass, and the ability to fast forward/fast rewind through a track) are only controllable from the remote.
SOUND QUALITY
The sound quality on this unit is pure digital perfection. MiniDiscs sound incredible when played back on the FR-N9X, as do ordinary compact discs.
POWER
The FR-N9X runs on 100V AC. It's a bit of an extra expense to get a step-down converter if you're outside of Japan, but necessary if you don't want to fry the unit on 120V or 240V mains power.
CONCLUSION
The FR-N9X is one machine that does almost everything. If you want a compact bookshelf unit that handles Hi-MD discs, compact discs, and traditional MiniDiscs, this is the one to get. If you are looking for a Hi-MD unit with digital optical out, there are few alternatives. If you want a MD unit that won't let you down with broken belts, then definitely give strong consideration to the FR-N9X. The Onkyo FR-N9X shows up regularly on eBay and the various Japanese auction sites. If you get one, you will treasure it for decades to come.
- DJ Z Frog -