MiniDisc?

[MuZI]

I`m thinking of getting the new Hi-MD players, any thoughts on them?

Is the quality of Mini Disc as good as MP3 players?

 

[rickcr42]

Quote:

Is the quality of Mini Disc as good as MP3 players?

better !

 

[MuZI]

Ok, well i need a little more information than that..

 

[SunByrne]

I used to be a MiniDisc guy. I've been in MiniDisc since 1999, before the MP3 thing really got serious. I never really liked MP3's because Sony's ATRAC blows away the "standard" 128 kbps MP3 in terms of sound quality. I had little interest in solid-state MP3 players when they first came around, and while I thought the first iPods looked cool and all, I still wasn't inclined to switch over. What moved me over was the combination of AAC encoding, reasonable drive sizes, PDA features, and size of the 3rd gen iPods. 192 kbps AAC files are actually good enough for the places where I tend to use portable players--airplanes/airports, buses/taxis, mowing the lawn, etc.--noisy places. 224 kbps AAC is probably as good as ATRAC. So I took the plunge and got an iPod.

Wow, do I ever NOT miss MD. Having 1000+ tracks on the iPod means that I don't have to have remembered to pack a specific disc if there's a particular song I want to hear later. I never have to dig through my bag on an airplane for a disc which I can't tell from another one in the dark. It's tons easier to make a mix via playlists in iTunes than it is to record one to MD.

The iPod convenience more than makes up for the very marginal difference in sound quality. At least in the U.S., I give MD like five more years tops--it's a dying technology that even Sony only supports in a half-ass (err, arse) way here. Oh, and Sony's role as a member of the RIAA doesn't exactly put me in their corner, either.

Oh, and iPods have a drastically higher coolness factor.

 

[myself, aka me]

MD is already gone from Sony. HiMD is where it's at. US$10 for three 1GB discs. You can also format a standard 80 minute disc to 300MB. You can record in lossless PCM, and at $3 a GB it's not so bad to do that, at about 1hr 30 minutes a disc. You can store your CDs and use a scratchless MD instead, although typically Sony doesn't let you do this from a computer. If you prefer compression then you could fit about 8hr 30 min of 256k ATRAC which is meant to sound as good as or better than the equivilant mp3 file.

 

[MuZI]

The IPod costs much more than a MD player, and i`ve seen the new Hi-MD players, they look good but do you really think MD will be out in 5 years? What about MP3`s?

Also i`ve heard IPod has problems with the batteries..

 

[Watchdog]

I have a 30GB iPod and a MZ-N707. I use both and I find each is well suited to specific applications.

If I'm exercising or find myself taking a trip then I use MD. The exercising bit is obvious as MD doesn't skip even while running. Some people jog with an iPod, but given how much it costs, I don't want to subject the hard drive to that pounding. On a trip I find the battery life of the iPod to be so poor that MD again has an advantage. I know others will say you have to carry all those discs, but I like buying the 5 packs with the included carrying cases, so 5 MDs don't take up much room. I can easily take 10 on the road with me and to be honest I prefer this to taking the iPod it's charger and cable along. Also if my daughter (1 yr. old) gets a hold of my MD and bangs it around I don't worry about it, however if she grabbed the iPod I'd take it away from her immediately.

I like using the iPod when I'm commuting on transit or basically applications where short battery life isn't a problem. I also like using the iPod at home with the dock and lossless files.

It all depends upon how you plan to use your portable player. If you tell us how you plan on using the portable, I might be able to suggest one is better suited for you.

 

[MuZI]

I`m just looking for something mainly for home usage, i broke my cd player and need something new that will last a LONG time.. I don`t wana use somethign big and bulky, i can`t carry around me computer around the house or a dvd player.

 

[Watchdog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuZI I`m just looking for something mainly for home usage, i broke my cd player and need something new that will last a LONG time.. I don`t wana use somethign big and bulky, i can`t carry around me computer around the house or a dvd player.

In that case, definitely go with a HD player. You don't need to worry about battery life if you're at home. Plus you might want to use some headphones that are power hungry and HD players have far higher output levels than any other type of portable.

Some people might vote for a classic PCDP in this case, but they're old and you never know how much longer they're going to last.

 

[Zanth]

I've always been partial to units that permit media swapping. If the HD fails, there goes the unit. At least with MD units and PCDP's, the music is still there on the media format. With the size upgrade and full PCM, I feel HiMD will be it for me. I only ever need a few with me, even at work. Now with full PCM, a handful of discs will last me the day. Plenty for my needs at least.

Plus I think MD is infinitely cooler. It's also far more light weight and has battery life that destroys the IPOD.

 

[myself, aka me]

Not necessarily longer. The Hi-MD players with PCM are only around the 8 hour mark with battery life. The HDD crashing is true, but largely irrelevant, 'cause it takes such a short time to reload the music [if your HD player is quality].

 

[ampgalore]

Reload music? I thought once the read head hits the disc, the hard disk is gone.