Sony Portable Mini-Disc Player/Recorder (MZR500PC)
Great for the MiniDisc Beginner
I recently purchased the Sony MZR-500, and it has proven to be one of the best investments I have ever made. I chose this over an MP3 player, and it has satisfied me greatly. The sound, although not as powerful as other portables, is very very refined. The BassBoost is clean, and the sound is sharp, smooth and perfectly balanced. There is a 10 milliwatt amp inside this device, and it is more than enough to power a pair of decent earbuds. One word of advice: treat yourself to a decent pair of earbuds or headphones. They make the listening experience much better. The PCLink option is decent. The battery life is great, too...although recording sucks up a lot of battery power. The unit, might I add, is quite solid, and feels like a quality piece of electronics. I have a few gripes though--first, they don't include a power adaptor, nor a rechargeable battery... they should be included. Second, the included headphones are god-awful--replace them. Third, they dont include an optical cable, or an RCA splitter cable. Fourth, you can't use a remote with this player, and there is no microphone preamp. I say, save your money and go with the MZ-R700, or even the MZ-R900 or 909, since they come with everything you need. If you are strapped for cash though, I whole-heartedly reccomend this MiniDisc player, and you will not be dissapointed with it as long as you don't care about what it lacks. Enjoy!