Features: Essentially the same as an MDS-JE500 (circuit board, A/D/A chip, ATRAC chip, main ASIC, user manual, feet, all identical). Some units made in Malaysia. European/Japanese unit (see below) adds A-B erase. TOC cloning not possible (machine ejects disc when power applied).

Components: MD mechanism type: MDM-3A/3B, Optical pickup type: KMS-260A/J1N

Variants: Information in the service manuals indicate that there are at least two JE510 models, the AEP, UK, and German ``European'' model (with coax input) and the US, Canadian and E ``North American'' model (lacking coax input). The NA model contains the same mainboard, BD board, HP board, optical pick-up and drive mechanism as the JE500. The European model has a different mainboard layout to carry the coaxial input and a few more capacitors in its analog section. The coax input adds a connector, three resistors and one capacitor, but no new ICs. The principal difference is that the NA model has the CXD2650R chip while the European model has the CXD2652AR instead. The latter can control an external DRAM chip, in this case IC124 -- a 4Mbit dram memory buffer, giving a total of 6Mbit DRAM when the internal 2Mbit DRAM of the CXD2652AR is included, this allows the 6 second time machine function on the European and Japanese versions. Incidentally, the CXD2652AR with 4Mbit external DRAM memory is used in the MZ-R30. The CXD2650R and the CXD2652AR chips are both ATRAC 4.0. -Dirk ([email protected])

The MDS-JE510 sold in Japan has a 6 second time machine, 2 optical inputs (but no coax input), A-B repeat and A-B erase functions. The RM-D10P remote titler allows Katakana entry on US model.

Problems: Several users have reported a problem wherein the unit will switch itself on automatically. The cause is thought to be a failure in the disc insertion sensor microswitch. (Part Number: 176262121, Description: Switch, Push) The problem seems not to occur if a disc is left in the machine, although when this is done there have been occasional reports of the unit then behaving as if no disc were in the machine and refusing to eject it. Ethan Straffin has made a page for reporting and viewing the Sony MDS-JE510's self turn-on problems. Joe Redifer has made a page describing how to shim the microswitch to alleviate the problem. Chris Stanley and others report their success with Redifer's self turn-on fix for the Sony MDS-JE510 (and that it also works for the Sony MDS-S38).

Links: PCAVTech's Technical Benchmark page for this unit. Sony Business to Business page for this unit. Malaysian AudioFile's review of the MDS-JE510. Sony Deutschland's MDS-JE510 page. A user demonstrates that the JE510 can record out to 19kHz. An article from October '97 issue of What Hi*Fi? gives a comparison test of the Denon DMD-1300 and the Sony MDS-JE510. MiniDiscussion has collected user reviews for this unit.

Reviews:

User Manuals: MDS-S38, MDS-JE510, European, N. America

Service Manuals: MDS-JE510, MDS-JE510, Self turn-on Service Bulletin, MDS-JE510, block diag #1, block diag #2