Sony MZ-R700DPC MiniDisc Walkman with Stick Style Remote
Best Around!
I just bought this player, and I love it! I sold my old player (Sharp MD-SR60S) because I wanted one with the LP modes and also one that would support digital recording. After browsing Sony's extensive line of MD players, I chose this one because I thought it was the best value. The price was a little high, but I found some good deals on refurbished ones online, so I was all set! I decided on this one for two reasons. First, it has digital PC Link feature, allowing you to record digitally from your computer's USB port. Second, it had LP modes, allowing me to get tons of music on a single minidisc. The features are great. It has the editing features that I liked on my old one, and it's small, lightweight, and extremely easy to use. I was actually surprised to see that it came with 2 rechargeable batteries and the charging time is a mere 3 hours. After looking over the manual, I hooked it up to test the features. Windows XP automatically picked it up and made it the default output device (instead of the soundcard). The manual says to use LP2 (160 Minutes) or normal stereo (80 minutes) modes for best sound quality, but I can't tell the difference between the mp3 files on the computer and the sound quality on the MD. The only downside is the way the synchro-record feature inserts extra track marks all over the place! I found at least 15 extra track marks that were inserted, but removing them is relatively easy, so I can't complain. The battery has a long life (7.5 hours recording/18 hours playback in LP4 mode), which allows you to create a playlist on your computer, set the unit to record, and walk off as the computer goes through the songs. It's awesome! This thing is fun! If you can't decide between an MP3 player and a Minidisc player, the ultimate decision should be based on how much you're willing to pay. Sure, you can get an MP3 player with 20GB of memory, if you're willing to pay nearly [a price]. On the other hand, you can buy this for [a price] or less (Yahoo! Shopping), and never run out of space! Need minidiscs? No problem. They're [inexpensive]! Bottom line: This is the best Minidisc player/recorder for your money. The higher-priced models don't have much else, except maybe a fancier bass boost system or something like that.