by Asivery
Introduction
The Sony MZ-RH10 is one of the last portable MiniDisc recorders made by Sony - it's a HiMD machine which also supports MP3 playback (unlike its EH- and NH- series cousins). It uses a state-of-the-art OLED screen, unlike most of the other MiniDisc devices, which prominently relied on LCD technology. This screen is why, to me, and many others, this device really shines. It is also its single most failure-prone component, due to the very nature of the EL-technology.
It utilizes a gumstick battery for power, with a sidecar as an available add-on. Unfortunately, since that particular sidecar was only used on the MZ-RH10 and MZ-RH910, it has become quite rare.
Design
Most MZ-RH10s available nowadays are black, although orange and blue devices were also available. While turned off, it's almost impossible to see the screen. Once turned on however, you're presented with a bright, clear and futuristic blue screen.
Even though the MZ-RH10 is a tad more bulky than most Sony-made portable MiniDisc players, in my opinion, that does not diminish its look. The metallic side panels are a stark contrast to the otherwise black, glassy-looking machine.
Connectivity
Being one of the most premium models, the MZ-RH10 has all the ports one could need on a MiniDisc portable. It of course has the line-in/optical combo jack, that has been a staple of high-end Sony recorders since the MZ-1 came out in 1992. The microphone input and headphone jack/remote port are also present. Its USB port can be used to transfer data to and from a computer, as well as for power and charging, which can also be done through the 3V barrel jack. Since the RH10 cannot charge using both ports at once, it has a flap allowing you to only use one.
User-Interface
Thanks in most part to the large screen, the MZ-RH10's UI is incredibly easy to navigate for both beginner and advanced users. All options in the main menu have icons associated with them, unlike most other MD portables. Other than that, it doesn't differ much in comparison to other devices in Sony's range. The playback screen is very readable as well, showing the elapsed time of the currently played track in a larger font, next to the track progress bar.
What also differentiates this device among other Sony machines is its text-entry interface. Instead of a small and tedious to navigate line of characters you need to scroll through, thanks to the beautiful OLED screen, you're presented with a large grid, which can be traversed using the jog wheel and next / previous track buttons. In my opinion, this makes the MZ-RH10 of of the best devices to enter text on, without using advanced features like NetMD.
Advanced features
Being a late HiMD portable, the MZ-RH10 supports plenty of advanced features, like NetMD, HiMD data storage and audio, as well as MP3 playback. When connected to Web MiniDisc Pro, it can also be used as an MD ripping machine, just like the RH1 (it utilizies the HiMD-RH family of exploits). This makes it the swiss-army-knife of portable MiniDisc recorders, able to record and read almost any codec utilized by MiniDisc (the exceptions being VBR MP3s and Mono-SP, which the RH10 can only play, not record).
The MZ-RH10 I photographed contains a screen replacement prototype, that is why its screen is white, not blue, and has a thin bezel visible through the case. The current version of the prototype is not yet eligible for mass production due to numerous issues (high power consumption, many invasive case modifications, etc...), but a second revision is in the works.
Conclusion
The MZ-RH10 is definitely one of the holy grails of the MiniDisc world, it is therefore sought after by many collectors. Its futuristic look still makes it seem like the device was made at most a few years ago. Unfortunately due to the displays failing, there aren't many working units remaining. Personally, I believe that even with a dead screen, the MZ-RH10 would make any MiniDisc enthusiast happy, and hopefully new screens will soon become available.
