Never Stop Learning!

Many of you (OK, the handful of you) that watch or read my stuff know I have a soft spot for Sharp MD devices, especially the MD-DR7 (my favorite is my blue one!)! Browsing around on Yahoo Japan Auctions (via Buyee), I placed a bid on this nearly complete (missing the dock) Sharp MD-DR7 (late 2002) in silver that was unconfirmed. I woke up the next morning with a debit to my PayPal and I had won it for the low price of 370 yen! Now to see if it works...  The Sharp MD-DR7 (late 2002), as many of you may know, is one of my favorite Sharp MDLP recorders. It's a great-looking compact recorder and was Sharp's (the world's?) first portable MD recorder with a 1-bit digital amp AKA Sharp's Auvi/Delta Sigma amplifier. To get the maximum benefit you had to use Sharp's included balanced headphones or source your own 3.5mm balanced cable (not common). I'm a sucker for these quirky Sharps and I won this one on an auction for just 370 yen! It was basically complete except for...

One of the comments on YouTube asked about gumstick chargers recently so I thought I would share my two favorites. I use two - one for home and one for the road. Check out the video or the info below.  Any Amazon affiliate links help support the site and giveaways and of course, any purchases are appreciated. None of them are "sponsored" - these are the devices I like using! I'll keep a list of things I like using on my Essential Collection page . If you're searching for something on Amazon, consider searching for it here to help support the site including more repairs and MD giveaways. Thank you! Gumstick Chargers for Different Use-cases and Budgets Yes, many of your devices can charge a gumstick inside, but that's just one at a time and if you have multiple different devices and manufacturers (ahem...), there's more plug-contention happening there. Besides, those old chargers were made in the 90s or early 2000s and I'm sure charging technology has impro...

If you've read any of my blog posts or seen my videos (or lurked on Discord), you know I love Sharp players. I suppose because I grew up with the MD-MS702...  I also love their "newer" ones that had the 1-bit Digital Amps that were Auvi/Delta Sigma-branded. I won this one on Yahoo Japan (via Buyee) for 280 yen!  It was listed as "No Power", but it was complete with dock, remote, AC adapter, and it looked like it was in great shape.  Watch the video for some troubleshooting, cleaning, and finally, a working Sharp MD-DS8! The Sharp MD-DS8 is a nice-looking player and was Sharp's (the world's?) first portable MD player with a 1-bit digital amp AKA Sharp's Auvi/Delta Sigma amplifier. To get the maximum benefit you had to use Sharp's included balanced headphones or source your own 3.5mm balanced cable (not common). Turns out it was a failure near the battery door hinge, but I did take it apart for a full clean and lube. Check out the video if you'...

The Panasonic SJ-MR230 is a fun, MDLP-capable recorder that's known for its signature speakers and dock that resemble an answering machine or 10-key. Jokes aside, the small speakers sound surprisingly decent and it's a nice little dock for enjoying MiniDiscs at your desk. It looks nearly identical to its NetMD-enabled big brother, the SJ-MR250, though the NetMD dock does have the USB connector on the rear and different buttons on the front. Interestingly, the sleeker looking SJ-MR240 (MDLP, no NetMD) and SJ-MR270 (MDLP, NetMD) came out at nearly the same time, but look much more modern and used a different dock (same speakers). Often, these show up without the dock or in an unconfirmed state because of power issues. I have a few of these, and it typically is the hinge at the battery door causing problems. The hinge is crimped/clamped into place and after years of use, it can get loose, making poor contact. We can test this by jamming some copper in there to help the electrical...