MZ-N707, EZ MP3 to MD ASAP
Written: Nov 18 '02 (Updated Nov 19 '02)
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Pros: Small, Durable, Great sound quality
Cons: Traditional MiniDisc cons - realtime uploads. Could use more recording features.
The Bottom Line: Download times are a vast improvement over previous models. Durable and quality sound. Though still a long time before MD takes over the portable audio market.
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| kgray00's Full Review: Sony Net MD Walkman MZ-N707 Personal MiniDisc Play... |
Could this be the beginning of a MiniDisc revolution? Could we be on the verge of a near perfect portable media and an efficient way to use it? Maybe, but not just yet...
The Sony MZ-N707 makes a great improvement on previous MD (MiniDisc) recorders and players with the new NetMD feature. Files can be downloaded from computer at up to 32x realtime speed. But the world still awaits the ability to upload from the player to computer at anything other than realtime speed.
I have used this unit almost exclusively for recording lectures using a sony stereo lapel microphone. This was my original reason for purchase and it has far exceeded my expectations of sound quality, ease of use, and speed.
SOUND QUALITY
Let's get right down to what's most important...the quality of the sound recorded and produced by the unit. First of all, without a good mic, you can't correctly judge just how well the MZ-N707 records. I started out with an average lapel mic before upgrading to the Sony ECM-717. The quality on the average mic was good, but I have truly been able to test this unit with the Sony mic. I have compared with mp3 recorders and a few older model MD recorders and have found the MZ-N707 to record less background noise than any other that I've used. The unit is extremely quiet as it records and therefore is not picked up by the mic. What you get is very clear, understandable, and crisp sound. There are 3 rates of compression that can be used...Realtime, LP2, and LP4. I have used LP2 with superb quality of sound.
For files that I have downloaded from computer to MD. I have found that most depends on the quality of the file. If a low quality mp3 is compressed to LP4, then you don't get a lot out of it. But if you have good or high quality mp3's and a decent set of headphones, you get as good or better quality from the MZ-N707 than any other unit I've tried including mp3 players.
PORTABILITY
The MZ-N707 is small and lightweight. It is constructed almost entirely of a lightweight metal that provides durability and a good feel while still remaining easy to carry. It doesn't bother me at all to place it in my pocket, and I have had an easy time running with it strapped to my arm. The MZ-N707 has a form of "skip-protection" that keeps the unit from ever hesitating as I run, walk, or sit.
DURABILITY
I've had the MZ-N707 a little over two months and have dropped it or seen it dropped by others about ten or twelve times, and it's ,still going strong. The metal casing seems to do it's job and is not easily scratched, so the unit still looks sharp. (No pun intended...Sharp is the major Sony competitor in MD.)
TECHIE STUFF
OK, skip this if you don't want to hear a bunch of figures and acronyms. NetMD allows for fast downloads of music files to MD and is the major selling point for Sony's new MD players and recorders. The advertised 32x speeds are only for recording in LP4 compression mode. In LP2 the rate is 16x, and for no compression the rate is only 2x. That being said, I find LP4 sufficient for most MP3s and comparable to most MP3 players. These quoted speeds are rather true to form, but the files must be converted to ATRAC before being downloaded. (ATRAC is the recording format used by MD players) This adds a little extra time but not much. I can download 12-15 songs in about 10 minutes start to finish in LP4. So Sony isn't quite on the verge of perfection yet, but progress is all we can hope for (and the leniency of the music industry).
BATTERY
The battery that comes with the unit has been sufficient for any of my needs. I record 2-3 hours of lecture on a daily basis and come home and put it on the charger. I go running with it during the day and that doesn't seem to wear it out either (likely because that's significantly less than 2-3 hours).
EASE OF USE
Before I bought this unit I knew very little about MD and how it all works. The MZ-N707 is very easy to use and has a rather intuitive menu. There are some things you have to learn in general before getting and properly operating any MD player. The best way to do this is online through MD communities. My only real complaint resides in this category and that is the play button. The four way button that Sony uses doesn't make it easy to know that you've pressed play instead of one of the other commands. This can be a small problem while in the menu functions, but overall it has yet to be a real issue with me. You just have to learn how to work it correctly and push straight down.
SOFTWARE
To clear up a few misnomers caused by advertising, you cannot just freely exchange music from your PC to MD. But it's good enough. The software requires you to "check out" each song when you download it to MD. You can have a song checked out 3 times at any given time. I have yet to encounter this as a real problem or hindrance, but I can see how others might see it as damaging to their musical freedom. One way around this is to merely copy the songs before uploading them. I've used this method and have had no problem with using my music on MD. The software is easy to use, but is not the most well designed I've seen. It's easy enough to use and serves it's purpose though. Which is ultimately to quickly convert your files and upload them to MD.
OVERALL
This is a great MD recorder/player and I would reccomend it to just about anyone who has average needs for such a product. If you are looking for something to record your band demos on, I don't think you'll find it in the portable category. The only digital uploading MD recorder that's faster than realtime is a stereo component unit and costs around $2,000 or more.
We're holding in our hands an inexpensive media, smaller than CDs or tapes, that can hold up to 5 hours of music and has players that are extremely portable. Q: Why has MD never really taken off in the real world? A: Upload/Download times. Sony is willing to let us download much faster now with some restrictions. Will the electronics giant with a huge interest in the Music industry ever allow us free reign over our music on MiniDisc and give us fast upload times as well? It's doubtful any time soon that we'll have the MD revolution...but keep on waiting.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 220
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Epinions.com ID:
kgray00
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Member: Kyle Gray
Location: Dallas, TX
Reviews written: 21
Trusted by: 5 members
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