Sony MZ-N1 Net MD Walkman Player/Recorder with USB Review
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Unlike in the UK, the Minidisc (MD) technology never really caught on here in North America, most likely due to the fact that the media and players are pricier than the relatively inexpensive CDR or MP3 options. As a technology, however, it far surpasses anything on the market, so buying one for me was an easy decision. I decided to go with the Sony MZ-N1 for a variety of reasons, and it has more than lived up to my expectations. pPros:p1. Build Quality. Many of the lower-end MD players/recorders are made of plastic which makes me question the durability. The MZ-N1 is made of solid metal, and can easily withstand the expected bangs and clashes in your bag or pocket. The carrying case that's provided goes further to help protect the player. p2. The USB cradle makes transferring songs fast and incredibly easy. The player comes with the required software that functions exactly like regular CD burning software. It works fast, meaning that burning an entire album takes around 5-7 minutes, rather than other players where you need to record all the songs as they are being played. The burning application is also remarkably easy to use, and automatically looks up the song titles and insets to track breakers for you. p3. The remote control is excellent, and will make you wonder how you ever got along without one. The display is backlit, and displays the song title, along with other vital. There is a small learning curve with the volume control, since one dial is for both skipping and adjusting the volume. You need to "snap" the dial upwards to access the volume control, and snap down again to skip through the tracks. This takes a little bit to get used to, but it is better because there are less buttons to fiddle with. p4. The jog dial on the player itself makes accessing particular tracks quick and easy. In this respect, it is very similar to an MP3 player. p5. Battery Life. The rechargeable battery provided is not the best, but when combined with a dry battery, this player will last for weeks before a change and recharge is needed. As someone who is used to using a CD player that required a change at least once a week, this is especially useful, and cost effective no doubt. pCons:p1. The number of characters you can program into a particular MD is limited, so if you add a lot of tracks, the song titles will stop being recorded after the character limit has been reached. This will only happen is you record on level 4 (the longest, and why wouldn't you?), around song 65. Otherwise, it's not a huge problem.p2. Some MP3s will not record onto a MD. MP3s recorded at a lower level (meaning the lowest quality, which is the most common since it saves HD space) will not be readable on a MD, and the burner will not allow them to be copied. I don't know the reason for this, but it is problematic.p3. While the burning software provided is excellent, the jukebox software is horrible. It is cumbersome and frustrating, and since the instructions are inadequate, I recommend avoiding it. If you have Windows Media or I-Tunes, there is no need for it anyway. pThe MZ-N1 was a wise purchase for me, if for nothing more than the USB cradle that saves loads of recording time. It is remarkably durable and easy to use, so it is a great purchase for both people buying one for the first time, or upgrading their old one.
Sony MZ-N1 Net MD Walkman Player/Recorder with USB Feature
- Record MP3s or CDs at up to 32x speed on affordable MD media for over 5 hours of music per standard 80-minute disc
- Up to 110 hours of playback using the supplied rechargeable battery and 1 AA battery (not included)
- Plays ATRAC3 and ATRAC files; converts audio from MP3, WMA, and WAV files
- Includes USB docking and recharging cradle
- Music-management software ensures seamless file transfers to and from your hard drive; multi-speed transfers via USB port
Sony's minidisc format became a portable digital music standard before the age of MP3s. Sadly, though, minidisc lost its favor as MP3 players became ubiquitous. Sony aims to flare back up with their NetMD line, minidisc players that can also connect to your PC for transferring downloaded music.p As we ran the NetMD MZ-N1 through its paces, we were often pleasantly surprised, and sometimes downright annoyed, but mostly impressed with this pricey but versatile digital music player.p First off, you can use the optical connection cable to transfer songs directly from your stereo (CD player, DVD player, Xbox, etc.) to the NetMD. Like traditional minidiscs, the transfer takes place in real time, so a three-minute song takes three minutes to move.p With Sony's OpenMG software you can also move songs from your PC to the NetMD. But your music files must be converted to the OpenMG standard before being moved over, which slows down the transfer rate. We were able to move music at the rate of about one minute per three-minute song (although songs transferred more quickly on subsequent transfers since the conversion process had already been completed).p Ironically, Sony's NetMD Simple Burner, which allows you to transfer songs directly from your PC's CD-ROM drive to the NetMD, proved more efficient. It took us only 10 minutes to move an entire 45-minute album to the NetMD.p Unfortunately, you can officially only move tracks from minidisc to the PC that made the reverse trip: you can't load up the NetMD with songs from a CD in your stereo and then transfer them to your PC. We say "officially" because there's a workaround: connect the NetMD's headphone output to your sound card's input and then catch the music with a software mixer. Users with an advanced audio setup such as Creative Labs' Extigy can easily handle the process.p Transfer caveats aside, the NetMD is a well-designed digital music player with excellent sound output. Its mid-cord remote control, complete with backlight LCD display, clips onto your shirt and puts tools for manipulating the sound menus close at hand. And the inexpensive minidisc format means that you can load up lots of your favorite albums (at the highest compression level of LP4, a minidisc can hold almost 300 minutes of music). In addition to the rechargeable battery, you can connect a single AA battery to the NetMD to increase your play time to up to 110 hours.p It's not an inexpensive player, but its increased versatility, expansive removable media, and long battery life make it worth the extra dough. I--J. Curtis/IpBPros:/BbrulliCompact and versatile liLong life when combining batteries liExcellent sound /ulBCons:/BbrulliSlow transfer speeds liSome transfers are one-way /ul
Record MP3s or CDs at up to 32x speed with Sony's new MZ-N1 high speed NetMD Walkman player/recorder. Supplied with a USB cradle for charging and Easy PC connection, this NetMD recorder rocks! Featuring a 3-line dot matrix LCD display, up to 110 hours playback, an "Easy Skip" group/folder function, ATRAC3 playback and the support of multiple Internet audio formats, this recorder utilizes affordable MD media for over 5 hours of music storage on one 80-minute disc. A backlit LCD remote with editing functions, a rechargeable battery and AC adapter are also supplied. Record from the Net in no time with NetMD!
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Has the freedom and flexibility that mp3 players lack! - Cecillia -
Although minidisc players have never caught on in the US, I still continue to support them over mp3 players because of the freedom that they allow users. With mp3 player (I have iPods in mind because I know how they work), you connect it to your computer and it updates your entire library in only a few minutes. The MZ-N1 cannot boast such high transfer speeds, unfortunately. However, if you are like me and have an old laptop that is already chock full of mp3s, you are going to have a problem with uploading all those CDs when you don't even have room for another mp3! And don't think about deleting them after you put them on your mp3 player... because the next time you update, your tracks will have disappeared. br /br /So that is why I've chosen to use MDs: They are cheap, can be recorded over millions of times without wear, enable song transfer from your computer via either USB or analog, enable song transfer from the stereo, radio, TV, etc. and there's a mic input for recording meetings or lectures. br /br /If you already know about MDs and are thinking of an upgrade, the MZ-N1 is a vast improvement on their old models. It is a bit hard to find in the US, but if you get a chance and are an MD fan or would like to continue snubbing the annoyingly ubiquitous iPod, I think it is worth the money and effort. In comparison to my old Sony MD (MZ-R700), well sadly there is no comparison. N1 has headphone out and line out (for use with car adapters or speakers), as well as mic in and line in. It is smaller (without that dumb stick-out AA battery speed bump in the back), comes with a cradle for Net MD capability and recharging, and many more options in the menu (most importantly, treble and bass adjustment!).br /br /It is tiny, cute, and lightweight with a sturdy aluminum body--great for those commutes to work or class. And I'm so thankful that Sony made it quiet this time around! It was quite annoying to use my loudly whirring old MD in the library, with people shooting me "shush!" looks. The Net MD capability is okay... but not spectacular. I use Real One player to transfer songs, which is an improvement over the software they provide. But I am accustomed to recording analog anyway. br /br /I highly recommend this MD player to all MD fans, wannabe MD fans, iPod haters and mixtape making lovers.
Great Product - -
I recieved this product as a birthday present. This product is a very solid piece of electronic. It works well with no problem. It is easy to use and very straight forward. Sony MD players are great!!!
Apr 04, 2010 16:24:05
