The Sony MZ-R900 is my first venture into the world of the MiniDisc (MD) format, and let me say from the outset that I am impressed. Thanks to the MiniDisc Long Play (MDLP) system and the supplied optical lead, you can record almost two-and-a-half hours of music in LP2 mode direct from CD ... Read review
Recording functionality of a Notetaker with all the flexibility ofMini Disc - divide ... more
combine erase title move and with MDLP youcan record for over 5 hours onto a single 80 minute disc. With abuilt-in microphone and speaker for playback you will be a
Postage & Packaging:£4.39 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: small & light, MDLP recording/playback, very good battery life Disadvantages: not cheap, no radio
The Sony MZ-R900 is my first venture into the world of the MiniDisc (MD) format, and let me say from the outset that I am impressed. Thanks to the MiniDisc Long Play (MDLP) system and the supplied optical lead, you can record almost two-and-a-half hours of music in LP2 mode direct from CD onto a sturdy 74-minute disc costing less than a quid with no discernable loss of sound quality. MDLP will in fact allow you to double that recording time again, ... ...As I already mentioned, Sony provide an optical cable to facilitate this that would normally set you back £20 - but make sure that you have an optical output on your CD player. This is sometimes labelled 'TOSlink' and looks like a square hole and should be plugged with an angular dust exclusion peg. Beware the output labelled 'S/PDIF', 'digital coaxial out' or plain 'digital out' and looks like the 'TV out' on your video recorder - this produces ... more
The Sony MZ-R900 is my first venture into the world of the MiniDisc (MD) format, and let me say from the outset that I am impressed. Thanks to the MiniDisc Long Play (MDLP) system and the supplied optical lead, you can record almost two-and-a-half hours of music in LP2 mode direct from CD onto a sturdy 74-minute disc costing less than a quid with no discernable loss of sound quality. MDLP will in fact allow you to double that recording time again, but at the cost of poor rendition of high-frequency sounds (such as acoustic guitar) - therefore I would not recommend the use of that particular mode (LP4) for anything but voice recording. Give it a go and judge for yourself if you decide to buy one of these little boxes of tricks, but remember that while recording it monitors the source - you will need to play your disc back to hear what has been laid down.
The supplied headphones give remarkable performance, especially in the bass department. My only niggle is that the cord length is ridiculously short - to listen without appearing to be committing a lewd act, you must wear the remote on your collar and thus look quite the prize idiot. Be prepared to spend at least £20 on replacements of equal or better sound quality - cheaper ones will be badly exposed.
The life of the custom battery is quite astounding. Quoted at 60 hours' playback from a 3.5 hour charge (remember to press the stop/charge button after connecting the included power adaptor!), it will easily last out a whole week of arduous commuting; alternatively it will quite happily record an entire disc and play it back to you at full volume on the way to work the next day.
While we're on the subject, I think it's worth pointing out that if you're used to recording a CD in seven or eight minutes, be it to hard drive or as a CD-R burn, going back to real-time, 1x speed transfer is going to come as a shock. At least you don't have all that messing about with levels and timing that vinyl to tape requires - if you're recording digitally that is. As I already mentioned, Sony provide an optical cable to facilitate this that would normally set you back £20 - but make sure that you have an optical output on your CD player. This is sometimes labelled 'TOSlink' and looks like a square hole and should be plugged with an angular dust exclusion peg. Beware the output labelled 'S/PDIF', 'digital coaxial out' or plain 'digital out' and looks like the 'TV out' on your video recorder - this produces an electrical signal that will require a trip down Tottenham Court Road to get £45 worth of digital coaxial cable and conversion equipment before you can record. Any official Sony Centre will also be able to supply the converter bundled with the mains adaptor it requires, but chances are they will not keep it in stock and you will need to clearly state that you require a 'digital coaxial in to optical out converter' - the direction is important as the reverse is also available. Don't forget to buy a short length of digital coaxial cable to connect it to your CD player output. If your CD player only has a coaxial output, or no digital output at all, remember that DVD players can also play audio CDs - so if you have one, check its outputs before setting off for central London. Alternatively you could shun digital recording altogether and buy an analogue lead - these are available for £7.99 from the average high street electrical retailer. If you're thinking of recording your old vinyl or tape collection onto MD then you will need one anyway, but by recording through an analogue lead from a digital source you will be losing some sound quality and the automatic track marks that are transferred with the format, plus you may need to adjust the recording level.
The MZ-R900 is not cheap; the recommended selling price is £250, although you can pick one up from an internet retailer for £200 - and this figure will only go down as new models are introduced. Apart from the cost, the only thing against this little box is that there is no integrated radio. I don't think adding this extra would increase the size much and there is plenty of space on the fascia for base unit controls. It would be a challenge to add the functionality to the already versatile remote, but I'm sure it could be done with a little thought...
There are a few gimmicks included such as the auto volume limiting system (AVLS) which makes sure sound output does not rise above a certain (for me, fairly low) level, and the ability to vary the speed of playback by steps (a bit playing a 7", 45rpm single at 33 or 78rpm - fun for about 10 seconds). Sony also include a leather pouch with a belt-clip to carry the unit in, but it does seem a shame to hide those beatiful metallic silver or blue looks away (other colours are available, but not in the UK for some reason).
Overall, the MZ-R900 package is a fine offering, and if the lack of a radio is not a problem and you have the money to spare, I highly recommend it.
Advantages: Lots of music - low cost! Disadvantages: um.... well... the supplied headphones are crap?
...want to know:
The Sony device is an excellent solution - it has many features to aid recording and playback, and the MDLP system lets you record to MDLP2 at least without much noticeable quality loss. MDLP4 is good for voice recording if you are a journalist or somebody else who would have to record 320 minutes of somebody talking.
The battery is Sony's NIMH rectangular battery, but there is also a single AA batery compartment supplied, which can ... ...£35 on a set of sony in ear headphones, you can still use them!
Recording facilities include:
Multiple record formats - mono, LP2, LP4, standard
Track naming and date/time stamping
Digital input with syncro record.
Mic input
Line input
All editing controls (T-Mark, Move, Erase etc)
Playback facilities include:
Speed control
2 editable sound settings (bass and treble controls on both)
Full length readout on remote control
Repeat, shuffle, ...
owenberg 06.03.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Sony MiniDisc recorder
Advantages: Looks great, feels great, small, light, feature packed, short but thorough manual, remote, backlight Disadvantages: Nothing really - Groove headphones would have been nice, not idiot-proof
...CD players, although the cheapest Sony currently costs around £60. The cheapest record able is around £120 from Panasonic.
THE LOOK
Ahhhh, perfection. Sony always manages to make their products aesthetically pleasing. The machine itself is TINY, measuring just 78.9 x 17.1 x 72 mm and weighing only 135g!!! It’s amazing holding it in your hand for the first time. The main unit has a small screen on it as well as a few buttons. On the two sides ... ...the amazingly crisp bass that Sony has included. Personal Disc Memory allows you to keep settings for up to 20 discs, so that when you insert a disc, it uses the same sound settings, the same program and shuffle/repeat if it was selected. THE RECORDER
The recorder is simple to use and feature packed. Firstly, if you stick a microphone in, all you have to do is hit and slide record and you’ll be off! Pressing ‘T Mark’ gives you ...
murban 03.07.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Sony MiniDisc recorder
Advantages: Lightweight, Superb Battery Life and Recharge Time, Exceptional Quality Disadvantages: Pricey
...you should be looking at Sony who are not only the masters of the personal stereo but when it comes to minidisc they are the originators and still the market leaders in my humble opinion. At first sight it seems an unassuming little gadget. A petite and inoffensive silver box of elegant design but its statistics quickly raised it in my estimation. At 120 grams with the battery in place it's a lightweight but that's no disadvantage when you realise ... ...MZ-R900 also allows you to plug in a normal AA battery which on its own will get you 30 hours of playback, and around 53 if you use both at once. It will last the long hall and will only cost you three and a half hours' wait to recharge that internal battery afterwards. The sound quality is hard to fault, being as good as any cd personal stereo I've ever used and an improvement on MP3 players. Even when you start using the Long Play mode the quality ...
GameCat 26.11.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Sony MiniDisc recorder
Advantages: High Quality unit and Durable Disadvantages: Still expensive after two years
...site I decided on the Sony MZ R900 or the Sharp MD MT77. They both were rival products, with the sharp coming with a charging stand but the Sony unit with a longer battery life and supposedly better sound quality. My dad went to Japan and bought me the Sony MZ R900. He bought it instead of the Sharp MT77 because it was on sale! £150 plus tax brought it up to about £180 (Once converted back to British currency) This was an excellent buy I thought ... ...I just recently bought a Sony MZN1. The battery flap at the side of the unit is pretty dodgey now. Its very loose and floppy once it has been open, but once its closed it stays closed, so you don't have to worry about you battery falling out and your music stopping in the middle of the track. The remote controls volume/track changer has gotten a bit stiff. I know it could be my fault as I have dropped and stepped on my remote countless times (I got ...
adrianisanutter 11.04.2003 (12.04.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Sony MiniDisc recorder
Advantages: small-light-compact-great sound quality-MDLP-great batery life Disadvantages: pricey!
...joy I was given a sony MZ-R900.This is a minidisc player.In case you don’t know what a minidisk is, it is a revolutionary invention by Sony.A minidisc is a 2.5" square cartridge with a digital optical disc inside.It is designed for recording music onto and can be recorded over 1 million times without a loss of sounds quality!Most minidiscs can hold 80 minutes of music on them in normal mode.
Anyway back to the minidisc player.The Sony MZ-R900 is ... ...my new gift.
The sony MZ-R900 can play minidisks as well as recording onto them.It can play MDLP (mini disc long play) and record in MDLP mode.The advantages of MDLP are that you can fit more music onto your minidisk!The MZ-R900 can record in normal mode, LP2 (doubles the length of your minidisc) and LP4 (Quadruples the length of your minidisc).The general problem is that in LP4 the sound quality isn’t as good but I noticed no difference between ...
rishibave 16.07.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Sony MiniDisc recorder
Sound Quality
Ease of Use
Look & Design
Range of Features
Value for Money
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One dull Saturday afternoon, I wandered into a Sony Centre and spotted a pocketsize silver box on display. It had this appealing futuristic look, and was so light I hardly noticed that I was holding it. Five minutes later, I was £179 poorer!
The little thingy is Sony MZ-N505, codename Net MD Walkman, or Sony Portable MiniDiscRecorder. MiniDisc was invented by Sony and uses a new compression technology to store digital sound in less space (up to 5 hours playback time in one MiniDisc). It’s very similar to floppy disk; you may record, play or erase any music file, and edit the track names (like filenames). A blank MiniDisc costs around £1.50. The MZ-N505 can record audio files (MP3, WAV and WMA) from PC via a USB cable, or CD audio tracks from a CD player (or CD Rom drive). It comes with a very user-friendly software to handle ...
Advantages: Small, excellent battery life, flexible Disadvantages: Poor headphones, can't get it off my girlfriend
Well, I?ve owned my little mini-discrecorder for about 6 weeks and I still haven?t figured out why I brought the little beastie! I know that I?ve always wanted one and finally took the plunge a few weeks ago, but when I try and pin down WHY I wanted one or why I finally bought it, I?m a bit stumped. Maybe I?ll be able to tell you when I?ve finished writing this!
So, probably best to start at the beginning and tell you what ?Mini-disc? is.
Well, Minidisc is a fairly new format for storing and recording and storing music. It was invented by Sony and released onto the market back in 1993. If you?ve never seen a minidisc, they are like little CD?s, about 7cms in diameter and encased in a plastic cover to protect them from dust and the possibility of being scratched. The whole thing looks a bit like like a small 3 1/2? diskette ...
Advantages: Looks good, good price, quite a few good features. Disadvantages: Not as many features as some MD's, not a NetMD
If you have had a look at my reviews, then you will have seen that I wrote about a MD player that I had before a few weeks ago. Unfortunately I left it on the bus a couple of weeks ago so I had to buy a new one. I saw this cheap on Ebay and decided to snap it up.
I'll start off by describing what a mini disc player is for those of you that don't have a clue what they are.
MiniDiscs were brought out by Sony in 1991 as a disc based digital medium for recording and distributing audio that is near CD in quality.
There are two types of discs: Premastered MDs, similar to CDs, and Recordable MDs, which can be recorded on repeatedly, like a CD-RW.
Anyway onto this MD player? I have only had this for a couple of days but I can still tell that it is better than the mp3 players that I have had in the past. With mp3 players the battery ...
Product Information for "Sony MiniDisc recorder" »
Audio system
Sound Output Mode
Stereo
Sound Effects
Mega Bass
Automatic Volume Limiter System (AVLS)
Yes
Record Level Control
Automatic, manual
Features
Joint text capability, ATRAC technology, bass & treble control
Md system
Type
MiniDisc recorder
Media Load Type
Slot-load
Playback Modes
Programme play, programme repeat, repeat shuffle, random play / shuffle, all tracks repeat, one track repeat
Response Bandwidth
20 - 20000 Hz
Sample Rate
44.1 kHz
Shockproof Memory
160 seconds
Features
Synchro recording, monaural playback mode, MDLP, mono extended time recording
Headphones
Headphones Type
Headphones - binaural - ear-bud
Connectivity Technology
Wired
Sound Output Mode
Stereo
Remote control
Type
Player remote control - cable
Features
LCD backlight
Connections
Connector Type
1 x microphone ( mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm )
1 x audio line-in ( mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm )
1 x SPDIF input ( TOS Link )
1 x headphones ( mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm )
1 x audio line-out ( mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm )
Manufacturer's product description
The new models of MD Walkman have attained extremely small size and lightweight through the development of a new optical pickup that has fewer components and through further integration of electrical circuits. The feature-heavy MZ-R900 is the most compact, lightweight MiniDisc Walkman player ever. It features the newly developed "MDLP", that allows for up to up to 320 minutes of stereo recording using ATRAC3 compression. Enhancements include a CD text transfer capability to record text information from a CD to an MD, and a new backlit LCD stick remote with a headphone jack. Additionally, a click of the player's double jog lever quickly moves the user through tracks while another press of the lever selects editing functions. The personal disc memory function stores the listener's favored settings when playing pre-programmed discs, while the digital sound preset operation recalls the user's sound quality preferences. The MD Walkman player automatically stamps the date and time of the recording for easy reference and, with the press of a button, indicates how much unrecorded time remains on a disc. Sony has also added the alarm feature, which can be set from 1-99 minutes, after which an alarm goes off in the user's headphones. It is useful for exercising, or to keep you from missing your stop on the train.
