...
Secondly, the Sony 'SonicStage' software that accompanies this player is nothing to write home about. You will not find yourself using it to manage your music collection, or as your default media player - it simply is not anywhere near as good as Windows MediaPlayer or iTunes in this role. ... Read review
Advantages: Great sound, small size, large memory, good battery life Disadvantages: Screen display, Sony software, Uploading time
...the dark.
Secondly, the Sony 'SonicStage' software that accompanies this player is nothing to write home about. You will not find yourself using it to manage your music collection, or as your default media player - it simply is not anywhere near as good as Windows MediaPlayer or iTunes in this role. However, you WILL have to use it to upload/download tracks to/from the minidsic player. This can end up being a lengthy process as it is necessary ... ...as a standard pair of Sony earphones. Although I used these for a while, I have now bought a new pair of better quality 'in-ear' earphones - this is an upgrade that should definitely be considered, giving much better value to the music you carry around with you.
All-in-all this is not a bad product. It delivers on sound quality, it delivers on music quantity, and it enables the user to engage with modern developments in MP3s and internet ... more
The MZ-NH600 represents an important upgrade in the minidisc category, making it much more relevant to the current music-player market. So, why is this minidisc player a good product? Taking discs of up to 1GB it is possible to store much more music than previously, and indeed is comparable to many MP3-players now available. In real terms this represents about 40 average length albums per disc - stored at a good sound quality. The ability to store MP3 and WMA files is what proves this player to be a winner, and indeed allow mindiscs to remain in the market. It is compatible with ever-growing sales in internet downloads of music, and the use of computer systems to store and manage music catalogues. Aesthetically this product makes no major statements and is not a design revolution in the minidisc category. However, it is compact, small enough to fit in trouser/jacket/coat pocket, and in this white colour looks more uptodate and 'of the iPod generation'. The sound quality is excellent. Although using the software, it is possible to select several quality settings (although the higher the quality the greater the memory usage), all levels deliver good enough sound for in-ear listening. Certain types of music may require higher quality settings e.g. classical, choral etc. Battery life is another positive. Taking AA batteries ensures that if your battery runs out you can at least find a shop that will sell you a replacement. The average battery life is around 24 hours, which is a considerable listening period. This player will work with rechargeable batteries - which helps to cut down on spending in this area.
That being said, there are some drawbacks to this product. Firstly, as a minidisc player it lacks certain functions that limit its ease of use. A fine example of this is the lack of backlighting on the LCD screen. Thus making it nigh on impossible to find music in the dark. Secondly, the Sony 'SonicStage' software that accompanies this player is nothing to write home about. You will not find yourself using it to manage your music collection, or as your default media player - it simply is not anywhere near as good as Windows MediaPlayer or iTunes in this role. However, you WILL have to use it to upload/download tracks to/from the minidsic player. This can end up being a lengthy process as it is necessary first to import the music you want to the SonicStage software profile, and then to convert and upload it. As much as the 'Simple Upload' function is faster, it does not allow you the same file compression options...meaning that to optimise the use of your minidisc you will need to spend time uploading the longway. As with most products in the music-player category, little thought has been given to the headphones. These arrive as a standard pair of Sony earphones. Although I used these for a while, I have now bought a new pair of better quality 'in-ear' earphones - this is an upgrade that should definitely be considered, giving much better value to the music you carry around with you.
All-in-all this is not a bad product. It delivers on sound quality, it delivers on music quantity, and it enables the user to engage with modern developments in MP3s and internet downloadings. Further, although the largest disc is 1GB, you can own as many discs as you like! Again, this an added flexibility that other basic MP3 players in the market do not have. So for those that want these benefits, and don't want to compromise on product/sound quality by purchasing a cheap MP3 player, but are not ready to splash out on an iPod, this is certainly a product to consider.
Advantages: Excellent Sound Quality Disadvantages: Very Temperamental
When I first got my MZ-NH600 as a replacement for my previous minidisc player, I was excited. But only because it was Christmas day.
When I first opened the box to try it out, I was immediately slapped in the face with 2 disappointments; firstly, it did not come with a remote device for changing the song or volume, and secondly, because it was incapable of recharging batteries (meaning for me that my battery expenditure would again rise to levels ... ...it). Further investigation only deepened my dislike for this product.
At this point I would like to state that I received this product as a gift from a loved one, and will continue to use it until it breaks (or until I put it in a safe and throw it into the Atlantic Ocean in a fit of temper) simply because it was a gift. Had I a choice in the matter, I would exchange it/get a refund/burn it at the stake at my first available opportunity.
Before ...
insertfunnynamehere 01.03.2005
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Sony Hi-MD Walkman MZ-NH600
Advantages: Loooonnnggg battery life, good sound quality Hi-MD Disadvantages: Mediocre earphones, plastic body, 1gb discs too pricey
...better to go to the Sony website and download the latest version.
I purchased this player because of it's Hi-MD feature which lets you store up to 45 CD's per Hi-MD disc. This is a tad optimistic and is the norm for manufacturer's unrealistic claims. The fact is the more CD's you squeeze on it the lower the quality they have to be ripped. The lowest quality sounds like AM radio so you can guess what your 45 CD's will sound like. The software supplied ... ...without instructions and you could have your first couple of CD's ripped and transferred to your minidisc in a few minutes.
The player needs to be hooked up to the PC with the supplied cable and is recognised by windows as a mass storage device. You can drag and drop any file type you wish onto the minidisc including mp3's but you cannot play them back this way. The software first of all has to convert them to Sony's Atrac3 format and every file ...
LawrenceP 19.11.2005
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Sony Hi-MD Walkman MZ-NH600
Advantages: It holds loads of songs and is fast and easy to use Disadvantages: First time connecting to the computer was confusing
It's a really really good piece of audio equipment and the sound quality is amazing, it beats mp3 players and ipods on the audio side anyday. The menu system is very easy to use and everything is explained very clearly in the manual. The only downside is that the first time connecting was abit hard and required me to download a mircosoft patch but then again may just be my computer. After the first connection is so easy to transfer song and very ... ...mp3 player for that matter. One battery lasted about 2 to 3 weeks of being used alot each day. Furthermore its start up time on 'QuickMode' (which uses no more battery life than normal) is amazing. Overall the best MiniDisc player and the quickest. Plus I've dropped it time and time again and it keeps playing, hasn't broken yet! ...
duffsurfer 09.08.2005
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Sony Hi-MD Walkman MZ-NH600
Advantages: It can store 12-14 albums on a standard MD. Disadvantages: Easily damaged.
The Sony MZ-NH600 MiniDisc player is able to play Hi-MD and Atrac file formats, meaning it can get 12 - 13 albums on a standard MD. It has very high sound quality and is also compatable with NET-MD MiniDiscs. Also available are 1GB MD's that can store 4 times a standard MD.
One problem i found with this product is how easy it is to damage. I have had problems with the wheel used for selecting songs, but when it is still working the wheel provides ... ...using the software included. The Sony MZ-NH600 has no backlight on the screen which can be a problem sometimes and a remote for the player would have to be purchased seperatley.
Songs can be transfered to this product with the USB port on a PC but also using an optical cable to transfer directly from cd players.
I found this product very easy to use and simple to transfer music after reading the instructions and would reccomend this to potential ...
mg50016 12.12.2005
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Sony Hi-MD Walkman MZ-NH600
