I just got my XH-A1 (literally a few hours ago) and I got a cleaning tape with it...Should I use it before using any other tape? How long should I run it? And is it true that you shouldn't rewind cleaning tapes but rather just buy a new one when you reach the end? Thanks in advance.

Yes -- run it once before using your first tape! About five or six seconds at the most is all you need. Never rewind it -- eventually someday you'll reach the end and then it's time to buy a new one. Hope this helps,