MD vs mp3 players which are better

[nezz18]

For someone who's always using headphones at work. I was wondering what would sound better, a MD or mp3 player, with a set of Er6 headphones which, by the way I have yet to buy. I also have about a $300 spending limit and don't want to have to use an amp.

 

[Braver]

MD. the compression is superior and the players are of better quality.

 

[blr]

I second Braver.
The only advantage of mp3 to some people was the fast trensfer. With NetMD this is no longer the case

 

[fyleow]

I would have to disagree with the crowd and go with the MP3 player. It's kinda out of your price range though. Either the Nomad Jukebox 3 or Ipod will deliver better sound quality since they can use really high byte rate. I don't even use mp3 compression for my Jukebox. I don't have that many songs so I just rip my CDs in WAV and use that.

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by fyleow I would have to disagree with the crowd and go with the MP3 player. It's kinda out of your price range though. Either the Nomad Jukebox 3 or Ipod will deliver better sound quality since they can use really high byte rate. I don't even use mp3 compression for my Jukebox. I don't have that many songs so I just rip my CDs in WAV and use that.

Granted, if you rip your CDs to the iPod or JB uncompressed, it will sound better than MD -- because it's basically a CD. But two things to consider:

1) If you use any kind of MP3 compression, standard MD will sound better.
2) The difference between standard MD and CD/uncompressed rip is often undetectable in a portable environment.

 

[DeanA]

Quote:

Originally posted by MacDEF 2) The difference between standard MD and CD/uncompressed rip is often undetectable in a portable environment.

Actually, I think the difference between MD, CD and a high bit rate MP3 is practically undistinguisable in a portable environment. But if nezz18 is looking to stay under $300, MD is the way to go.

 

[Ken]

does anyone agree with this?
Minidisc processing somehow improves the appeal of the sound.
I have 10000 songs on my computer on hard drives. I recorded 99% of the cd in highest rate mp3from the original cd.
yet when these tracks are stored/used to the minidisc they sound very nice , not that they shouldnt.
All sounding alot like they were recorded in similar studio.
Yet on my expensive home stereo system I can easily hear microphones being turned on and off in recordings , the start of echo's being changed ect ect.
Lastly recordings sound very different from one album to the next on my home system. There is great variety. This variety of types of sounds is largely missing with the sony net md mini disc.
So what im saying is that sony put a signiture to all songs recorded. A processor tidies things up somehow, for the better. Yet I like the sony alot.
Just my 5c worth

 

[lucien]

i have a sony mzr900, which i love to bits. even using lp2 with ety er4ps, it sounds great.

the only mp3 player even worth considering over md would be the ipod, but it has a massive disadvantage that epeople don't seem to focus on -- it ONLY uses an internal rechargeable battery.

so if you travel a lot, as i do, you only get about 10 hours play. with an md player, you not anly get three times the battery life, but you can attach the tiny little single AA unit and just use those indefinitely. with the ipod, you have to find a power outlet, and have the correct adapter if overseas. then you have to site next to it for an hour or two while it charges.

with my travel patterns, generally in airports and on plane for 30 or 40 staright hours, that just won't do.

 

[Mystyler]

I say minidisc.
They are far more portable and versitile, and sound great. The only thing that a jukebox might have over an MD is that they can store a lot of files at the highest quality. However, even though a jukebox might have, say, 10Gb of space, once you've filled it, that's it, you must delete songs, while you could record to MD in the highest quality (SP, Type R) and when you run out of space, you can delete songs, or just buy another blank.

Also, you can't beat having an equilizer on a portable MD if you like fiddling around with you sound.

 

[ray4jc]

the reason i favor an MD player/recorder of an mp3 player is that most...i'm sure not all...but most....mp3 players require a computer to transfer the music efficiently..i could be wrong..but....with md....if its got an output....just plug it into the input and record.......anyone agree????

ray

 

[nezz18]

Just to let everyone know this post if for a friend who wants a new portable player. I actually just bought a new sony mz-s1 MD for myself and I find It great except for the fact that it lacks in bass but other tan that im going to agree with everyone that Md are better than mp3 simply because of their overall versatility and reliability. As for me and my friend were both thinking about buying a pair of er6's. OOOOHHHHH Yeahhh.

 

[BBalls]

I still think I'm gonna go with the Nomad Jukebox 3, and you really dont need a computer to record either, it records in either WAV at various settings including 44.1khz and MP3 at up to 320kbps, it will work with anything, it even has an optical line just like those found on MDs.

I just like the idea that I can carry all my songs in one tight package

Size is not an issue for me, I dont feel like jogging with it, Nezz seems to be far ahead in that department anyway

(dont worry, by the end of the summer, I will catch him

)

Battery life isnt too bad either, 10 hours is perfect for the work day and I can just rechare every night or so.

Will someone please back me up, Nezz is hounding me on this one!!! Tell him the NJB3 is better than his wimpy sony mz-s1 MD player

 

[fyleow]

Yes go with the Nomad 3 I support you lol.

I would certainly go with the Nomad 3 myself and it's great if you don't mind the price. If the storage is not enough for you, its not really difficult to pop in a 40 gig in there. And 10 hours of battery life is plenty, many people boast about the high battery life of the MD players but you can always spend abit of money on a second battery pack to get 22 hours on your JB if you really need it.

It also comes with line outs (2 for surround sound), digital in, and the headphone amp built in is 100 MW so you should be able to power most things with good amounts of volume.

You can also use it to transfer files etc between computers, I doubt that function will be used often but its still good to have. I store most of my MP3s on my hard drive and when i want to reformat I have to burn it all on CD and it's a pain. Storing my entire collection on the JB is much more convenient.

There are also other things like the Advance EQ, spatialization things but most of that is just sales gimmick.

Oh and BBalls I noticed you asked about the built in amp in the Jukebox. Well in comparison, my Nomad 2 MG has only about 7 mW compared to the 100 mW of my Jukebox 3. My uncle works at creative so I get all of this for free...yay me.

 

[kerelybonto]

For $300 or less it has to be MiniDisc. You're not going to get a MP3 player for that price that competes with the sound you'll get from a MD player. That and MD players are built better than MP3 players. Much better.

Really, if it comes down to it, you can record your MP3 files onto MiniDisc. And it'd still be cheaper and you could make the sound quality higher than if you had to think about storage space.

kerelybonto

 

[shafu]

I have an Intel Pocket Concert and a Sony E90 MD player. I actually think the IPC sounds better because of the added power output of the player. The ETY ER6 sounds *so* much better with added power (try to listen to the ER6s directly from a home amp, sounds a world of a difference better). Most MD players are maxed for battery performance, and push a little less out for the headphones.

Then again, the encoding is better on an MD. It all depends on what you are looking for, and if you want a path to upgrade. If you eventually want to get an amp, then an MD will do you better in the long run. If you think you'll upgrade the player to a Nomand or iPod, then go with an MP3 player.