[JML]

They may list it, but try and find it for sale in the US! I just tried a Google search, and came up with only the same product listing from Sony. Maybe you can find a source... I would love to try one, just to see what they're like. Those MA-R tapes were about $5 -7 or so in the 1980s, which adjusted for inflation, etc. are around the same price level.

 

[Audio-Me]

I miss my Sony portable cassete player/recorder, I don't even remember the model, but I think it was the D6C that everyone says is killer. Is there a pic on the web? I'll know if I see it. The damn thing was so freaking expensive though (while all the kids were out spending $200 on a pcdp, I was out saving more money for tape recorder, lol), it probably costs even more now. =\
All my tapes are Maxell XLII-S recorded using Dolby B.
I'm surprised many of you still listen to analog sources. =P That makes me feel less weird.

 

[JML]

http://www.sel.sony.com/SEL/consumer...6c_specs.shtml is the Sony WM-D6C link.

 

[Audio-Me]

OMG, that is it! I still have the crappy cheaphones that it came with though I think. *brings trash can to closet

$400?

I knew it, $100 more than I paid.

 

[ronzoni]

What about the headphones that came with the WM-D6C? I still have mine. I always like their clear sound and detail even though they were lite on the bottom.

I sold my D6C to a friend but still have the D3 which is very good also.

 

[Audio Redneck]

Quote:

Originally posted by ronzoni ...When going from analog to digital, whether it's MD, CD, or computer disk, the critial step is the analog to digital conversion circuits. I know most all, except possibly some professional sound cards do a mediore job of conversion, at best. And I suspect that most CD-audio burners are not that great either......

Really good point. I know a lot of guys that are doing the LP to CD thing and Marantz (translated: Philips Premiem Models) and Pioneer models seem to be the choice. These are guys whos tables are worth more than the rest of there system and who would normally RUN from anything with the name Pioneer on it. But the concesus is that Marantz & Pioneer got ADC right (at least on the PD-5 & PD-509).

I've been wanting to get into MD, but since CDR is so "cheap 'n easy" and I'm on a heavy budget I am leaning toward CDR.

Any disagreement?

 

[JML]

The retail price is about $330. And the supplied heaphones are the MDR-51L. They're available only with the unit, or as a replacement part, for $80. They're intriguing, and I haven't yet figured out what to make of them. I had -- my son still has -- a cheap version, the MDR-03, which fifteen years ago sounded far more musical than anything that small I could carry easily. The 51L has a nice midrange, and the bass is better than one would think (midbass peak, of course, but not bad). The highs are brittle and raspy, but I'm trying to break them in to see what they end up sounding like; they're getting a bit better. The phones sound worse through my big rig than when connected to the portables. Comfy little things, though.

 

[Audio-Me]

I couldn't find them in the closet, I must have thrown them out prior to or sold them @ garage sale. I don't remember how they sounded, but I imagine the highs were brittle and bass lacking. I think I listened to them once, then threw them in the closet, lol.

 

[ronzoni]

Quote:

Originally posted by Audio Redneck I've been wanting to get into MD, but since CDR is so "cheap 'n easy" and I'm on a heavy budget I am leaning toward CDR. Any disagreement?

Nope.

I have both MD and a burner. I use my MD for recording off of FM and other analog sources. But if I want to copy songs from a CD, I use my burner. I have a sound card with a digital input and MD deck with digital out so I can get a clean transfer to burn CD's from my MD. My MD has a much better ADC than my sound card. Although I sometimes use my computer as a tape deck to record through the line in.

 

[JML]

When you said, "I imagine the highs were brittle and bass lacking" you proved you had a good memory. The brittleness is the key problem...

 

[fredpb]

I use MD and CD to copy my vinyl. I used to use cassette. I was very picky about cassette decks. I found the best tape was Maxell XLIIS. No other tape came close, except perhaps metal.
I have disconnected all my cassette units, even from my car.

I have a Sony 920 MD home deck. I did some trial runs comparing MD, cassette, and recordable audio CD (a Pioneer recorder).

For making good copies of my vinyl, that I can play over and over and also use for portable use, I use CD only. The CD recorder loses a tiny bit of bass and some highs, but not really noticable.
The MD lost mucho very low end bass, and all around detail.
In summary, I removed cassette from my system for now, and no longer have the analog in to my MD deck connected.

I use MD a lot for portable use. Anything I like is now on CD, or can be put on CD. I only make MD's now from digital output of my CD players.

For my car, I now use an MP3/CD Kenwood deck. With Infinity speakers. My classical and jazz stuff is encoded 192 or 256kbps in MP3. My oldies and rock about 128kbps.

I would put my cassette back in my main system, but I have no more room, physically, for it.

All my good recordings are on CD or LP, so I don't need cassette anymore.

 

[Trawlerman]

Quote:

Originally posted by ronzoni Does anybody have a decent Home MD deck to dub vinyl/analog to MD with? The better home decks have superior ADC's compared to portable units, as well as Type-R encoding. I know my MDS-JB930 and 940 decks record better than portable MD's, especially with analog input.

Sure do. My equipment line-up in this respect is:

Rega Planar 3 w/ RB300 and Sumiko BluePoint MC Cartridge
EAR 834p Phono Stage (Tubed)
Audiolab 8000Q Pre-Amp
SONY MDS-JE30ES Minidisc Recorder.

Played back through:
SONY MDS-JA30ES
Rotel RDP980 DAC
Audiolab 8000Q Pre-Amp
2 x Tube Technology Genesis Monoblock Amps (Tubed again)
ProAc Response 1SC Mini Monitors on Target R4 stands



So the system is no slouch. I recently recorded some original Blondie LP's to Minidisc. Parallel Lines, KooKoo, DefDumBlonde, AutoAmerican, Rockbird and their Debut LP.

They were all in near imaculate condition and the sound was wonderful. The Rockbird recording in particular sounds so much more lifelike, when compared with the digital dub from CD.

I also found that the birdsong fom the Frankie Goes To Holywood - Welcome To The Pleasuredome LP sounds so much better than that of the CD. So much so, when I finally got around to buying it on CD I was so appalled with the quality of the mastering that I took it back and demanded my money back. Me? I'm sticking with my vinyl - certainly on these albums anyway.



I have quite a few dubs to Chrome & Metal Tape that I have done with the pair of TEAC v6030s that I also own. They are also quite nice to listen to, but I find that the MD's are better for me just on the premise of portability. To be honest, I did find a portable tape player that I liked.




Incidentally. Richer Sounds in the UK are doing the Nakamichi DR8 cassette decks for £200. Saving £350 on the MSRP. Get 'em while you can as they are now discontinued and it doesn't look like Nak will be making anymore.

As always, good listening

 

[JML]

If you want to see pics of the TDK MA-R cassettes, go to http://tenjin.coara.or.jp/~akitake/audio/mar.html. Click on the small thumbnails to get a larger image. (The page is in Japanese.)

I think I'll wait to convert vinyl to the next digital format until the SACD-DVD wars show a clear winner.

But if you're interested in digital vs. analog, take a look at the HiFI+ new issue (#14) I just picked up at the bookstore. This is a UK magazine. They review a Chord DAC64. It's a RAM buffer and new filter. I've never, never read a review like this one -- this may be the item that shows what CD sound could have been, and may still be. Fascinating reading.

 

[redshifter]

Quote:

Rega Planar 3 w/ RB300 and Sumiko BluePoint MC Cartridge EAR 834p Phono Stage (Tubed) Audiolab 8000Q Pre-Amp SONY MDS-JE30ES Minidisc Recorder. Played back through: SONY MDS-JA30ES Rotel RDP980 DAC Audiolab 8000Q Pre-Amp 2 x Tube Technology Genesis Monoblock Amps (Tubed again) ProAc Response 1SC Mini Monitors on Target R4 stands

please forward me your exact address and the next time you'll be out of town. thank you.

interesting you like the md version better than the cd for ripping lps. btw, does richer sound have a website and ship to the us?

 

[Audio Redneck]

Quote:

Originally posted by redshifter please forward me your exact address and the next time you'll be out of town. thank you.

DON'T DO IT MICK!!! What you should do is hire me to house sit when you go out of town - my rates are VERY resonable

(does the local pub deliver?)