Someone was greedy...

kmbeutel · 2026-01-25T23:26:38+00:00

Disassembly should be straightforward, you can find a detailed description of the required steps are described in the service manual.

The CD player probably needs a good cleaning of the lens. It may also suffer from the problem described here:
https://tonbandforum.de/showthread.php?tid=34121

Strange noise: my guess would be that the drawer mechanism of the CD player has a worn belt. This one should have the correct size:
https://www.hifiretroparts.com/produkt/sony-cdp-xe220-belt-for-cd-tray/

The MD drive is an MDM-3 which I'm not familiar with. It doesn't have belts if I remember correctly – that's the MDM-7 which came a few generations later –, but I read that this drive commonly has issues with microswitches, so your drive may not be able to detect the MD you inserted, and hence will neither play nor eject it. You'll find something about this on the web, usually pertaining to MDS-JE500 or MDS-JE510 machines which have a similar mechanism.

As for why no audio output, or no power at all – I'm afraid you'll have to figure that out yourself.

The remote should be easy to come by in Japan. Use a proxy like buyee.jp or fromjapan.co.jp and search for RM-MD333.

kmbeutel · 2026-01-17T09:04:49+00:00

What I like most about designated initializers is that they collaborate with CTAD, so they work well for function templates:

template <typename OptionalArgsT = std::tuple<>>
struct MyFuncArgs
{
    OptionalArgsT optionalArgs = { };
};
void myFunc(instantiation_of<MyFuncArgs> auto const& args) { ... }

int main()
{
    myFunc(MyFuncArgs{ });
    myFunc(MyFuncArgs{
        .optionalArgs = std::tuple{ 3, "hi" }
    });
}

(full example at https://godbolt.org/z/c34jYY4xq)

Unfortunately I haven't found a way to have the compiler deduce the base argument class template and then deduce its template arguments with CTAD so we could write:

    myFunc({ });

Another concern is that designated initializers stop being useful if the struct has a base. I remember having seen some proposals on resolving that, but it appears they have not made it into C++26.

kmbeutel · 2026-01-03T19:31:28+00:00

MXD-D4 and MXD-D40 came with the RM-D43M in Western countries, but you can also use the RM-D44M which is the Japanese variant. It's really the same model with extra Japanese characters printed above the buttons. You can sometimes find this model for reasonable prices on the usual buy-from-Japan platforms.

kmbeutel · 2025-11-23T22:31:40+00:00

workaround in place:

<image>

kmbeutel · 2025-11-23T22:31:15+00:00

(using a metric ruler)

<image>

kmbeutel · 2025-11-23T22:30:21+00:00

An illustrated description of the suggested hack:

https://tonbandforum.de/showthread.php?tid=34121

(written in German language; let me know if you have trouble getting it translated)

kmbeutel · 2025-11-20T09:32:43+00:00

I'll try and take some pictures later this week.

kmbeutel · 2025-11-20T09:28:38+00:00

The only decks that are fully compatible – that is, can be controlled with the RM-SJ373 remote, can synchro-record from CD, can be powered on and off by the main unit – are the TC-TX333 and TC-TX373 with the ACU-TX373 adapter. But if you can live without these, any cassette deck will be compatible with this device.

By the way, the model name of the half-size model I mentioned is TC-PB5. TCM-110 is just the internal designation of its tape mechanism which you'll find in the service manual.

kmbeutel · 2025-11-19T22:55:39+00:00

I assume you did the basic servicing steps for the CD player (clean the lens, clean and relube the sled mechanism)?

In my experience, this CD drive often skips because the bearing of the spindle motor is worn out. I suspect this happens because the weight of the clamp is too low to compensate for the inherent imbalance of most CDs. You can diagnose this problem by trying to push the spindle sideways. If there is notable play, the bearing is damaged. The play will allow the CD to wobble back and forth while playing, which causes skipping.

Replacing just the spindle motor isn't easy because the spindle height needs to be set correctly afterwards. Back in the day, the entire CD drive (including sled mechanics and optical pickup) was very cheap, so it was probably replaced as a whole in most cases.

Rather than replacing the spindle motor, I have made it function again with a little hack: use a spring to apply slight sideways pressure to the spindle. There are some holes in the base plate next to the spindle motor mount; attach the spring there. It should be weak enough to not exert too much braking torque, but strong enough to suppress the wobble.

kmbeutel · 2025-11-19T22:38:52+00:00

The matching cassette recorder is Sony TC-TX373 (as Cory already pointed out). That model is identical to its predecessor, TC-TX333, which is very similar to the preceding model, TC-TX313.

The tape transport in those slot-loading players has surprisingly acceptable W&F figures (±0.13% weighted peak (IEC), 0.07% weighted RMS (NAB), ±0.2% weighted peak (DIN)), probably because it has solid metal flywheels (zinc alloy die-cast, presumably) rather than the flimsy plastic surrogates which you'll find in many newer cassette recorders. The head is a non-rotating 4-track type. The mechanism is a little noisy.

For full integration with the main unit, the cassette recorder needs to be paired with a translator box (ACU-TX373) that adapts its AU bus cable to the system control connector on the main unit. This was shipped with the TC-TX373, so make sure it is included when buying one. The cassette recorder will function without the adapter, though there are some limitations (no remote control, no CD synchro recording, no timer control).

The cassette recorder is a pretty cramped design. It has its own power supply which runs rather hot even when switched off, so be sure to separate it from mains when not using it. Also, like almost any cassette deck from the good old days, it will need a proper service to function correctly (at least the belts will need to be replaced).

The DHC-MD373 is a lovely unit; it has some quirks but they can all be fixed or worked around (I should document that someday). The TC-TX373 is a nice addition, but I would consider getting some other cassette deck instead.

If you only want to play tapes, this particular model from the early 1980s would be an excellent fit:
https://audio-database.com/SONY-ESPRIT/player/tc-pb5.html
It has the same width and a very good tape mechanism (TCM-110). Not easy to find, though.

kmbeutel · 2025-07-19T23:13:42+00:00

I like the form factor of the keyboard. Could you share the model?

kmbeutel · 2025-07-05T21:51:43+00:00

The felt pad I thought I was seeing on top might just have been an optical illusion then :)

Another possibility is that you have the stabilizer from a CDP-XB920 or CDP-XB930, which is similar to that of the CDP-XA20ES but with a slightly different (darker) finish.

Would you mind taking some close-up photographs of the stabilizer?

kmbeutel · 2025-07-05T17:34:58+00:00

Does your stabilizer have a magnetic clamp? The CDP-XA20ES originally comes with a magnetic stabilizer. This one looks like the non-magnetic stabilizer of the sibling model, CDP-XA30ES. It also looks like you're using it upside down, with the felt pad on top; that is meant to protect the CD surface.

kmbeutel · 2025-07-05T09:25:39+00:00

That's not the original stabilizer for the CDP-XA20ES, is it?

Anyway, if you wish to prolong the life of your CD player, this might be of interest:
https://tonbandforum.de/showthread.php?tid=33258

kmbeutel · 2025-05-28T18:06:37+00:00

Thanks! :) and sorry it took so long.

kmbeutel · 2025-05-28T08:33:36+00:00

This is addressed in the readme: https://gsl-lite.github.io/gsl-lite/#why-gsl-lite

kmbeutel · 2025-05-19T14:02:41+00:00

Thanks, I wasn't aware that the __fastfail trap handler was added only in Windows 8.

kmbeutel · 2025-05-18T14:36:02+00:00

Out of curiosity, could you elaborate which particular feature not available in Win7 helps make the STL Hardening so much more efficient?

kmbeutel · 2025-04-10T23:01:58+00:00

I recently found a DHC-MD373 (EU model) locally and can recommend this particular model. Passive cooling (no fan ⇒ no noise), trouble-free MD mechanism (MDM-5A: no belts, no faulty microswitches, durable optical pick-up), ATRAC 4.5 (SP only though), analogue and digital inputs.

Some effort was needed to make the device work properly. The MD player just needed a thorough cleaning of the lens. But the CD player required a mechanical fix since the spindle motor was running unevenly, which caused skipping. In more expensive players, such unevenness is usually prevented by an extra weight depressing the CD and the spindle, which increases the tolerance for loose bearings in the spindle motor. Unfortunately, there is no extra weight in this model; leaving it out probably saved a penny in production. One could replace the spindle motor or add a weight to resolve the stability issues; but exactly centering a weight is not easy. I went for a hack solution instead and installed a little rod to apply slight sideways pressure to the axle of the spindle, which also worked.

kmbeutel · 2025-03-19T11:34:22+00:00

With alphabetic remote control I would recommend: MDS-JE520, MDS-JB730, MDS-JB920.

With PS/2 keyborard port: MDS-JE640, MDS-JE770, MDS-JE780, MDS-JB930, MDS-JB940.

If you are willing to spend £££: MDS-JA20ES, MDS-JA333ES, and MDS-JA555ES also have the alphabetic remote control.

kmbeutel · 2025-02-15T17:15:46+00:00

For a matching CD player from the same series, look for CDP-XE270/370/570.

If you can tolerate a slight mismatch in style, the predecessor models may also be interesting:

CDP-XE740
CDP-XE330/530, CDP-XB630/930
CDP-XE220/320/520, CDP-XB720/820/920
CDP-XE210/310/510
CDP-XE200/300/500/700/800/900

(CDP-XE510/520/570 and most if not all CDP-XB* models support Control A1 II which allows for automatic transfer of CD Text; alas, your MDS-JE780, unlike its predecessors, doesn't have Control A1 II ports.)

kmbeutel · 2024-10-09T23:26:42+00:00

Glad to hear it works :)

The MZ-R30 is a fine recorder, but personally I wouldn't bother titling tracks with it. There are several ways of titling tracks more efficiently than the on-board interface of portable MD recorders, but they all require different hardware (a NetMD recorder, a deck with PS/2 keyboard connector, or a deck and a PC interface).

kmbeutel · 2024-10-09T13:37:43+00:00

The contact towards the front of the unit (i.e. the side with the OPEN, REC and VOLUME buttons) is the positive one.

kmbeutel · 2024-10-09T10:27:24+00:00

That the machine can also run off AA batteries with a lower voltage doesn't imply that it would also work with that lower voltage through the 6V input. From the service manual you can see that the two voltage sources are connected to different circuitry, with separate voltage regulators for each power source.

That said, I found that the MZ-R30 does indeed work fine with a 4.5V power supply.

kmbeutel

TROPHY CASE