Never Stop Learning!

The Sony MZ-S1 is a fun, rugged NetMD-capable (but why?) MiniDisc recorder that's actually splash-proof! It has multiple seals for all ports and a unique latching mechanism that keeps everything secure against elemental challenges. This model was working, but perhaps it was damaged in shipping because when I received it, it would "error" during playback (literally said "error" on the display with no audio). Since it was working electrically and was recently working properly, I figured it would be best to start with clean and lube to see if it would work properly after that. Getting into it was interesting since it's got an outer protective layer we need to get into before reaching the actual mechanism. Please watch the video for more details, but here are the steps: Remove 3 case screws (bottom, 2 on the "spine") Remove 2 hinge screws (unscrew, then pull out since there's a long non-threaded portion) Open the flap and unscrew 2 more near the ej...

Once you've accumulated a few (OK, more than a few) MiniDisc players and recorders, you'll want a way to keep them safe, organized, and dust-free. I first started using clear, stackable shoeboxes from Amazon that could hold plenty of MD devices in each box, but it ended up unorganized and honestly a bit messy and chaotic.  I had started with the fully-functional players on top, then the ones that needed a quick fix, down to the last tier which was pure junk. Still, players were getting stacked on top of each other as I collected more and more. Sometimes they would even slip out as I opened the hinged door (clearly I have too many...). I decided to look for some different solutions and after taking some measurements (including taking some to a nearby store - Micheal's), I settled on these! These stackable boxes can hold two MD devices each (sometimes you just need to rotate them 90 degrees, depending on the design) and the remotes that go with them or even some AA sidecars. ...

I wrote about a similar one awhile back (DMC-T55) but didn't get a proper video . Now I found a DMC-S55 (late 2003) with the same issue and was able to record and clearly illustrate the issue in a video! The Kenwood DMC-S55 started the new, round, speaker dock trend that was continued in the T-series and V-series. Like the DMC-T55 I fixed earlier, there's an interesting hinge system that connects the battery door's positive contact to the board. Many other manufacturers (Sony, Sharp, etc.) just used a rotating, clamped on hinge to connect the battery door to the board. Kenwood's design has a small "finger" that moves to a connected/closed position when the battery door is closed. What that means is you can clean the visible battery contacts (at the battery door and deeper inside), and still have a power issue. I used the process of elimination (testing it on the charging dock) to determine the unit was still getting power, but something else was still amiss. O...

click the image to go to YouTube - Sony LAM-Z05 The Sony LAM-Z05 (late 2004) is a slick, compact NetMD system. It didn't have any analog or digital inputs, just a USB port for NetMD, a headphone out, and a proprietary speaker jack. The LAM-series always had cool opening mechanisms and this one uses a sliding top to reveal either the MD side or the CD side. I bought this one cheap without speakers (since they're expensive to ship anyway), planning on it being a dedicated NetMD writer and using the headphone jack to listen to things.  Unfortunately, it wouldn't record. Neither CD to MD dubbing, nor NetMD was working. I was hoping that the write head got misaligned in transit which wouldn't be too bad of a fix (and it's happened to another deck I own). Getting into and out of the LAM-Z05 would be the real challenge since I didn't see anything documented online and there was no Service Manual available. Please check out the video for a walkthrough on opening it up, ...