[norbs]

First, a big thanks to you all for this superb forum. Last monday I realised i knew nothing about headphones, I did some reading on head-fi, and decided I needed to get rid of my MDR-G72 streetstyles. In the end I ordered the Ety 4p's from Headphone.com on the Friday. I was amazed to find that they arrived (here in the UK) first thing on monday morning. And they sound just awesome too.

Anyway, I currently have an MZ-R90 on its last legs. A totally cracked and unreadable screen make it less than ideal portable player. I have a deck at home to do the bulk of my recording, and the 90 still works if i ever need to "portable record", so I need:
- a great sounding player
- enough beef to power the Ety's (don't really want a separate amp)
- no need for mp3 or long play or anything.
- around USD300 (£200), though cheaper would be nice.

Thanks, and keep up the good work.

Andy

p.s Also, to make it harder

I am a big fan of plain old AA batteries, so it would be nice (not essential) to use them in my MD without a crazy adapter. I realise battery life in a player without a "slimline internal battery" as well would be less, and its a bigger unit, but i reckon its worth it for less to break. Anyone else with me on this??!?

 

[Superbaldguy]

Sounds like you may be an ideal candidate for the Sharp MD-MT190; MiniDisco are selling them for $199 USD. Uses a gumstick battery plus a convevenient AA cell pack add-on, and has a healthy 10 mW headphone amp.

The ER-4P's work just fine with weaker Sony 5 mW headphone amps, as these little babies are very efficient.

Too bad about the MZ-R90, as it was a nice MD recorder in its day.

 

[fierce_freak]

I miss my MZ-R90 (was my second MD). It was so sexy.

/me cries for your MZ-R90

 

[Mystyler]

The only thing that **might** turn you off the MT190 is the size and lack of LCD remote. If you are interested in a decent portable unit, then these are minor. I'm looking at one myself.
If you want, the MT170 will be cheaper, no mic input or remote, but the same internals, just looks different.

 

[norbs]

cheers guys

From reading, I see that the Sharp MD-MT190 is a recoder - I guess if I look at player only models then I will get an even better sound - right

Although looking i see that all the sharp and sony players are just the puny 5 watts per channel... hmmmm

Thanks

Andy

p.s. fierce_freak, I cried too - i cracked it in the first week of buying it, and within about a month the LCD had leaked across the whole thing making it totally unreadable. then i lost the remote, so i just gave up labelling....

 

[myself, aka me]

The Sharp DR7 is 8mW per channel... Player only doesn't necessarily mean better sound although I did notice my E900 sounded better than my R37 and girlfriends R900, and her DS8 sounds better than her R900. (and probably my E900)

 

[norbs]

its funny, i was just looking at both the E900 and then DS8. Both are good looking machines, but the 5 watt per channel thing concerns me. If it doesn't drive my phones better than my R90 then there is really no point in upgrading...

 

[Mystyler]

Sony units are 5mW into 16 ohms, and Sharps are usually 5mW into 32 ohms or higher. As I understand it, 5mW into 32 ohms is the same as 10mW into 16 ohms...
If it is a player you are after, then maybe the new DS5 is right up your alley...

 

[swalker]

With Sony, the ratings don't mean much as as far as i know almost all of their recent players/recorders,except e909, have the rating of 16/ohm/5mw yet they sound different. Generally speaking, I find the Sony players sound similar to but significantly better than the contemporary Sony recorders. eg : E900 sounds better than R900, E10 sounds better than N10, etc. They'll drive ER4P comfortably although you'll notice a bit of white noise if you listen to Sony thourgh your Etys in a quiet setting. I know it's a bit of generalisation.. but since a player-only models tend to be mechanically much more simplistic than recorders, I think there should be less chances of players getting damaged than recorders do in outdoors. Not to mention that players are generally smaller and lighter than recorders.

At the end, both E900 and DS8 would sound better and louder than R90. If you're like and used to the Sony sound through Etys E900 is a good choice. If you want some more bass I'd look into Sharps or Aiwas.

 

[Duncan]

Quote:

Originally posted by norbs If it doesn't drive my phones better than my R90 then there is really no point in upgrading...

What is your definition of 'better'?

I am well known for abusing my ears (

) here at Head-Fi, but it has to be said that the N707 and E10 that I have are more than loud enough to use with my D66 eggos, to block out the outside world completely... so, if better to you is louder they might be on the same level as your current player, but that isn't a bad thing with ETYs which isolate so well in the first place...

Or, if your idea of 'better' is sound quality... prepare to be impressed!! - I have the R55, which is the top of the range model from the year before the R90 / R91, and unless someone at Sony radically improved the sound in those 12 or so months, you definetly won't be disappointed in the increased sound quality!!

My vote... Get an N707... the price will shortly (if it isn't already) fall through the floor on these models, as they are from last year... and, it uses AA batteries ~ rather than the E10 with its snazzy lithium cell... you have user adjustable bass and treble controls... much better than megabass... at 27 ohms, i'm sure it'd drive the ETY 4Ps pretty damned well

 

[joelongwood]

My Sony MZ-E75, at 5mW per channel drives the Ety 4Ps more than adequately.

 

[Duncan]

Joe...

You want to know something scarey? - I don't know how much you paid for your red MZ-E75 from appar111... but, I paid including postage from the US to the UK and the 3% PayPal fee... $82 ~ which'd work out at about hmm... £45-£50...

That very same player, albeit in blue, is still (attempting to be) sold at a dealer near me... at a 'reduced' price of £180, instead of £200

If norbs can pick up the E75 in the UK for a lot less than the only place I saw it (maybe through head-fi... or, whatever the normal channels are) so be it... great bargain... but if the E75 were at 'cost' price, I personally would rather go for either the N910, N10, or... for player only E10...

Just another case of... 'Rip Off Britain'

 

[norbs]

Quote:

Originally posted by Duncan What is your definition of 'better'?

Bit of a fan of quality - yes. I just don't know how much things have moved on in the player side of MD in 3 years...

Quote:

Or, if your idea of 'better' is sound quality... prepare to be impressed!! - I have the R55, which is the top of the range model from the year before the R90 / R91, and unless someone at Sony radically improved the sound in those 12 or so months, you definetly won't be disappointed in the increased sound quality!!

Sorry Duncan, but I can't tell from your post whether or not you are implying that my R90 still stacks up great, or if I was to buy an N707 i would soon notice the increase in quality.

The R90 is a great looking machine, using the gumsticks rather than the adapter its a really really lovely looking machine - but if there is a fairly large gap in the sound quality (plus the luxury of having a working screen again) could just be the start of me becoming a true MD "collector"

Thanks guys...

Andy

 

[Duncan]

Hi Andy,

I don't know for definite, having never heard the R90/R91, but Sony really do seem to be pulling more and more out of the MD hat with each passing year...

The biggest improvement with the most up to date recorders is ATRAC R/S... which will be a LOT better than the 4.5 that I believe the R90/R91 use...

Do you have anywhere where you could audition the units, old and new, side by side?

 

[norbs]

I am recording on a MDS-JA33ES, which is type R, i think.... It sounds pretty amazing direct from that, although I would guess the amp is slightly bigger too

I shall pop into the Sony Centre with some discs and the ety's and see what they have. Looks like the N707 and E10 are the ones to try... Whatever they sound like, I like the sound of something that is last years, cut down price, runs on AA's, has a screen that works, basically that does everything I want it to..

Andy

p.s. Have just thought that if i get one that uses the same remote, I can use that on my 90... clearly wouldn't want it on my "player".. so thats another reason for a shop demo... nice one!