・XM-R2

051   |   Victor   |   '97  02

Surpass the Contemporary　Pen Touch MD

After a long hiatus of two years, Victor (now renamed as JVC) launched a sequel, the XM-R2, which featured an eye-catching and adorable design that showcased unparalleled contemporary originality and overturned common knowledge of portable music players.

The screen, taking up about half the size of the body, was both luxurious and imposing. It was also the first MD with an advanced touch panel, Victor defined as the "Pen Touch MD".

It boasted a phenomenal display capability of up to 48 characters, The screen was divided into quick function zones, separating common functions such as volume control, display switching, editing, and deleting into independent sections. This almost entirely eliminated the need to enter submenus, maximizing the inherent advantages of MD to the fullest.

The supplied stylus was convenient for selecting options and could be neatly stored in the body of the device. However, the screen used pressure-sensitive technology instead of capacitive touch like modern smartphones, so anything that could press could replace the stylus (such as your fingers, though the operation might not be very smooth). Considering this, Victor retained physical buttons for basic functions like Play, FF, Stop, and REC. The same year saw the release of an OEM- version, the Akai PMD-R7, with identical functionality.

The included rechargeable battery was an astonishing 3,000mAh, the highest capacity at the MD history. However, its performance was somewhat disappointing, offering only REC 2.5hrs / Play 4hrs  (the touch panel and large screen likely consumed a lot of power). Combine withexternal battery pack (AA x 4 ) could extend the REC 6.5hrs / Play 13hrs.

A simple wired remote control without a screen was included, featuring the rare ability to control recording directly. The separate mini plug  jack allowed users to pair it with any headphones.

The downside of the touch screen was the bulky body, measuring 34.5mm thick and weighing 330g including the rechargeable battery. In actual use, the overall experience was not very satisfactory. The cutting-edge technology of the time was still immature, and the innovative thinking was perhaps a few steps ahead of its time, making it less competitive and affecting sales as the trend moved towards lighter and thinner devices.

Decades later, its advanced features, unique for its time, and limited circulation have made it incredibly popular among nostalgic players and on auction sites.

MZ-F40