[jadalias]

I just got my hands on a Sharp MD-MS702mk minidisc player with all the original accessories. I payed a price rarely seen on headfi: $0. This got me curious about minidsc. Now, I know minidisc is dead, DAPs are better, etc. so I don't need to hear that. I was just curious as to which minidisc player is considered the best one ever. Throw in pics of your players if you want.

 

[Sparky191]

Theres been a few polls about this on MiniDisc.Org and the consensus was the HiMD NH1.


NH1 (56k unfriendly)
http://www.audiotstation.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=27963

Next popular was the MZ-RH10 (also 56k unfriendly)
http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=9326

 

[bangraman]

I think my favourite would be the Sharp MD-MT888. It had a slightly less pathetic output when compared with virtually any Sony MD of late, supported all the SP/LP modes, had a good remote, very decent sound, very decent everything actually... and they seemed to have sorted out the infamous UTOC problem by the time this was introduced. Some of the colours used on the product was a little odd, but functionally it was great. I liked the DR7 less for various reasons.


I was not that impressed by the 'legendary' MZ-R50, which I'm sure someone will bring up. I saw it in an exchange shop for £60 and I picked it up. It's an old machine and shows it's age. The Sharp MD-MT821 was probably the first MD which really made me step back and go "wow". Unfortunately the reality of owning it was that if you sneezed on it, it'd come up with the dreaded "UTOC error". Many MD's do die after you drop them, but the 821 was particularly delicate.


The second RH10 (the first met a premature end under my large butt) and an interesting European-spec N10 with no volume restriction are what I have now. Both of them don't do much except for sit around, but it's nice to have very decent recording capability on tap.


The NH1 was the only MD that I've been required to know inside out. In many ways it's my least favourite MD player, because I was introduced to it when the Hi-MD concept had a lot more potential and wasn't strangled to the state that it was when the NH1 finally hit the market. Despite the advances on offer, it was still too little too late and if anything, I would say that the NH1 is the machine that put the final nail in the coffin of Minidisc. If they had rolled out the key software / firmware 'de-crippling' of the second gen with the NH1, the picture may have looked somewhat different now.

 

[Teerawit]

How does the Qualia player fare?

 

[Embio]

RH10 over an NH900??

RH10:
- No HD Digital amp
- Bigger
- Heavier
- Doesn't come with a dock...
- ... or an LCD remote
- It's all plastic! No metal at all!

having said that it does have MP3 (which as we all know is brilliant...

) and a nice screen.

 

[Sparky191]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Embio RH10 over an NH900?? ....and a nice screen.

Its the screen I think that sells the RH10. It has no other plus over any other HiMD IMO. (MP3 is worthless)

 

[JeffS]

MZ-R50 - The Best!

The line out on it is fantastic, and audio quality rivals the full size component
MD players of the time. It still holds it's own, and in my opinion can only
be beaten by the new Hi-MD units.

Personally, I prefer the original Atrac SP, vs the atrac-3 and atrac-3+ that's
being used now. I found it indistinguishable from the original CD when
recorded from the optical input.

The unit is built like a tank, and mine has stood up to quite a lot of abuse. It's
still going strong. The only negative point that the unit has would be the
LIP-8 battery that it uses. It doesn't have that long of a life. The unit is
also fairly big, but still feels comfy.

I've owned a few units sense, and they all felt cheaply made by comparison.

In the last year I switched to a Karma only because it could deliver the same
level of sound quality. It's also nice to not switch discs as much while riding
the train to work.

-Jeff

 

[D555]

I like (Sony):

MZ-1 : big, heavy, built like a tank, optical in, *optical out*, somewhat hissy headphone output, non-standard battery (good luck finding a good one), battery hog, very strong dynamic output, lighted display. Switchable AFC/Attenuator. On-the-fly gain. Numerical keypad. Motorized loading. No doubt this was a testbed: throw all the possible features at the public and see what sticks -- keep those that are popular and economically viable. I love it.

MZ-R3 : less big, built like a small tank, optical in, less hissy, takes AA batteries (can recharge), less of a battery hog, strong dyanmic output, non-lighted display. Cannot ride gain. I love this one too.

MZ-N10 : small, light, stealthy, decent battery time, less strong headphone output. It's a beautiful piece of work but just doesn't have the romance of the earlier units.

MZ-RH10 : actually has some metal around the face, mostly plastic though, gorgeous display, good sound, lots of capability.

Paul

 

[Superbaldguy]

MiniDisc is far from "dead" but the software developed for the newer units is questionable, but the hardware remains excellent.

The R50 is solildy built but heavy for what I'd call portable use; repairmen will tell you it's one of the few machines that is actually worth fixing (if parts are still available), though, and the line out is superb, as mentioned, teams up beautifully with an amp.

The MZ-N910 is the most impressive model I have ever owned in terms of design and functionality. Some of the newer Sony high-end models feature a stupid, cheap plastic battery cover door, but the N910 is designed to be sturdier in this regard. It feels silky-smooth and you can tell it is a pure Sony Japan product.

A feature that Sharp used to feature was a discharge/conditioner circuit in their cradles - sadly, that has disappeared, but it was a brilliant idea.

It's tough to say what is the best portable MD unit of all time, but the main thing is to continue to enjoy the format for as long as possible.

 

[jpelg]

That Sharp unit is terrific. I had one myself, and always regret selling it. The older Sharps like the MS702, and its successor the MS722, had one of the most powerful headphone-outs built inside. No amp required for most portable usage. I also liked the slot-loading mechanism. Overall, it had a nice heft to it that said 'quality'.

I was impressed with the Qualia player I heard at the Sony Qualia store last year. As a result, I purchased an NH900, which can optically record in straight PCM. Some of the best portable sound I've ever heard. ATRAC also beats any mp3 rip I've heard in my casual comparisons. I never used SonicStage, or the USB connectivity though. I only sold it because I wasn't using it much.

You got a great deal

! Enjoy.

 

[Superbaldguy]

I have an MZ-NH1 coming within a week and I am looking forward to listening to linear PCM recordings. It's too bad Sony sort of crippled the impact Hi-MD would have had with the continual imposing of the DRM issues and software.

 

[KrazyIvan]

My favorites would have to be the NH900 for reasons already posted. The RH10 is a looker but that's about it when you compare it to other models. I have to say that I really like the MZ-1 and the R900 too. I regret selling my MZ-1. I still have my R900 and do not plan to sell it.

 

[Sparky191]

Most of the DRM issues and software problems have been eliminated in SS 3.2/3.3 so what what outstanding problems are you guys referring to?

 

[sant430]

I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised with SonicStage 3.2 and it's capabilities. I don't transcode mp3's to ATRAC and before going to optical SP recordings, SimpleBurner always worked flawlessly when going from CD to MD. Right now, I don't use my NH1 as a portable player (that's what the X5 is for). It's strictly for live recordings. I use SonicStage to do simple editing, and I'm very happy with it's capabilities.

I love the NH1 because I can still record in legacy formats as well as the Hi-MD formats along with the ability to change to the recording levels 'on the fly'.

 

[DigDub]

the best md units i've ever had are the aiwa f80 and f70, followed by the sharp dr7.