The N1 is noticeably lighter in your hand than the R909 however the extremely light weight of the unit actually makes it feel a little less "solid" than the R909 and R900. If you've been using the same Servired leather case since the R90/91 (like I have), you might need a new one, as the N1 is a little small for the case for the R90/900/909. The N1 measures 78.7 mm x 71.8 mm x 16.9 mm at its slimmest portions (maximum dimensions due to protrusions are 79.1 mm x 73.8 mm x 19.9 mm), and it weighs a paltry 117g with the battery (90g without). The result is a clean, sleek looking unit with futuristic hues to its design. The Sony and Walkman logos are now chrome-stamped. The round, conspicuous control pad is gone in its place is a new, slim, "rocker-switch" control bar, which takes up less space on the unit's face. The LCD is slightly smaller, however nothing is lost in the display, as everything is slightly scaled-down in size to fit the smaller window. Gone is the chrome "trim" around the edge of the unit the top and bottom panels of the body now close together flushly. The body is constructed of magnesium-alloy panels (to slim down on its weight, from the standard aluminum body). While the previous 3 generations of flagship recorders were "square" with flat edges and nothing-but-90-degree corners, the N1's body features curved edges and angled corners. Sony has finally broken out of the cookie-cutter body mold that was used for the R90/91, R900, and R909. (The separate BEEP settings for the main unit and remote, the group number display on the LCD in group mode, and the ability to charge the unit in the stand during usage were the only three real differences I could find on the main unit).įrom left-to-right: the Sony R900, R909, and the N1. In fact, if you take the time to compare the two units, you'll find that the N1 is essentially a R909 with a redesigned body - the two units are almost functionally identical.
There is not a single feature on the MZ-R909 (the N1's predecessor, and previously the most feature-rich Sony MD portable to date) that is not present on the MZ-N1.
Apart from its NetMD high-speed-music-transfer capabilities, the N1 is a fully-functional (and fantastic) MD unit in its own.