Audiowars: The Complete Guide to mp3 and Minidisc (aka The Best Way to Rip off the Recording Industry)
Nov 08 '00 (Updated Nov 16 '00)
We are fortunate enough to live in a completely digitized world where emphasis seems to be on smaller and faster (but alas, more expensive) electronics items. In the audio world you can't escape the ongoing mp3 controversy, which seems will never be resolved anytime soon. Chances are that you've got at least three dozen mp3 files on your computer, and maybe you're listening or downloading some now. It's easy to store several hundred mp3 files on your computer; after all, with hard drives storing 30.0 gigs or more nowadays, and with sites like mp3.com listing files or software like Napster and Scour permitting filesharing, building a decent mp3 playlist takes no effort at all. Is it easy? Of course. Is it worth it? Sure. Is it illegal? Well, that's for the courts to decide. But however they rule, mp3's will always exist in the Underground. There's just no escaping them.
But when it comes to transporting these mp3 files, life becomes much more difficult and decidedly more expensive. You've got three choices: an mp3 player, a minidisc player, or your old CD player (remember that thing?) which you can supply with burned CDs.
CD Burner
This is one of the more cost effective options that gives you leeway between CD-R (permanent CDs) or CD-RW (re-writeable media). A good burner will cost anywhere from $150 to $300 and you can use it to burn program files as well as audio. Most CD players will accept the CD-R format; only more specialized models will accept CD-RW. However, you can't just put an mp3 file on a CD and pop in your CD player; mp3 is a compressed format and CD players just won't read them. Instead you'll have to convert mp3s to wav files using additional software that you can download off the internet. And in the end, you're still stuck with a 74-min audio CD. The newer computers come with CD burners built-in, and for those that already have a burner, I would definitely suggest looking into an mp3 CD player (see below!). In terms of practicality this is just the best way to go.
Pros: Cost effectiveness. Blank CD's cost $15 to $20 for a pack of fifty to one hundred and the CD burner can be used to store all sorts of programs. It is not limited to audio.
Cons: You're stuck with your old CD player. It is not as small as an mp3 player or minidisc; you have to convert it to wav format for use with a CD player, unless you have an mp3 CD player.
MP3 Player
Ah, the cutting edge of the audio world: mp3. Who would have thought an audio compression format would turn the recording industry upside down with lawsuits and court rulings? In any case, the messy court issue won't be settled anytime soon, so mp3s in the meantime will continue to flourish. Heck, they'll flourish no matter what decision is made, I'm sure. Mp3 players are the smallest out there on the market and is the only type of player that operates without any moving parts, unless you plan to buy one with an internal hard drive. With no lasers, motors, or anti-shock systems to worry about, those crafty engineers have created a player that is small, versatile, and extremely portable. And extremely expensive. You can expect to pay anywhere from $150 to $500 on a brand-new player. Some players offer many extras: rechargeable batteries, FM radios, backlit displays, USB or parallel connections, and even voice recorders. However, mp3 players are themselves divided into separate categories:
Flash memory/Smart Media players
These are generally small, with memory stored internally. Memory upgrades can be purchased in the form of small memory chips or sticks, but can be very expensive. The average cost of these can vary from $34 for a 16-meg stick to over $100 for memory greater than 64 megs. Sometimes memory will cost you much more than the player itself. Case in point: the Diamond RIO 600, which costs a nice $160 or so, but will easily cost more than $300 if you want to upgrade it to its full capacity of 340 megabytes. Another example of a flash memory player: Sony Memory Stick Walkman. Smart Media players differ only in the format memory they use. Instead of memory chips and sticks, they use standard Smart Media cards. Unfortunately, these cards can be just as expensive as flash memory sticks, and purchasing these cards can also cost more than the player itself. Other than that, everything about Smart Media players are the same as flash memory players. Here are examples of Smart Media mp3 players: D-Link DMP 100, Creative Labs Nomad, and the Samsung YP-E32.
Pros: These players are small, and don’t contain moving parts. They won’t skip and mp3s can be downloaded in a flash using supplied software.
Cons: Memory is terribly expensive. Players usually come with only 32 or 64 megs of built in memory, which is good for about twenty high-quality mp3s or about one to two hours of music.
I recommend: the Memory Stick Walkman for flash players; the Creative Labs Nomad and the DMP-100 for Smart Media Players. I also recommend a USB connection for fast downloads.
Mp3 Jukeboxes
Mp3 jukeboxes are flash memory/Smart Media players on steroids. Instead of a measly 32 or 64 megs, these memory behemoths offer up to 8 gigabytes of mp3s. To put things in perspective, a 64 meg mp3 player will give you two hours of music; an mp3 jukebox will easily give you a week or more of round-the-clock music mayhem. I’d get one of these if I could afford it. After all, these babies cost up to $700; you might as well put your money to better use on a nice pair of speakers or a gift for your mom. However, if you’re a professional DJ or if you rely a lot on audio on a daily basis, an mp3 jukebox might be a bargain. The rest of us (or at least me, anyway), will have to find a more cost-effective option.
Pros:Memory! Sheer memory!
Cons: Cost! Horrible, horrible cost!
I recommend: Creative Labs Nomad Jukebox. Creative Labs has proven to be an excellent company and you can get the Nomad for about $430 at amazon.com
Pocket Zip Players
Iomega has joined the mp3 market with the addition of their HipZip mp3 player, which uses Iomega 40-meg pocket zip (formerly named Clik!) disks. These are unique in that they are not limited to storing mp3 files; you can store a range of other applications on the disks as well. Innovative! However, as of yet there is are only two mp3 players on the market that use the pocket zip format, one being Iomega’s Hip Zip and the other being the Rave MP 2300. You can check out reviews on these players here at epinions or visit other sites for more info. A concern many have about these players is that they have moving parts: motors, reader devices, etc. that may cause the unit to skip and not operate fluidly. However, Iomega and Rave claim the devices will not do this and many reviews seem to back up their claim. And if you’re wondering how much those pocket zips will cost, they are advertised for about $10 to $15 for a 40 meg disk - not bad at all.
Pros:Cost effective technology that allows both audio and other applications to be stored on removable media disks. The disks are cheap and versatile and the pocket zip format is getting a lot of support from many companies. A good alternative to minidiscs.
Cons:They have moving parts; the players are larger than flash and Smart Media players and are somewhat expensive (both cost approximately $300).
I recommend: I’m actually impressed with Iomega and am thinking of buying a HipZip for myself; I’m sure the Rave MP 2300 is an equally impressive model.
Mp3 CD Players
These are great if you already own a CD burner. Mp3 CD players allow you to burn CD’s with mp3s instead of just WAV files, so you can cram a good 600 megabytes or so of music onto one blank CD. Granted these have moving parts and are as prone to skipping as a regular CD player, but mp3 CD players will usually equip anti-shock systems and buffer memory to ensure fluid music play. Pretty cool!
Pros:A great value if you own a CD burner.
Cons: Pretty worthless if you don’t own one.
I recommend:Phillips Expanium EXP103. Their ESP anti-shock memory systems are great; I own a regular Phillips CD player and I've never once experienced skipping problems.
Minidiscs
...And minidiscs. Minidiscs are great if you want to be able to store your files on small discs but don’t quite trust the pocket zip. Also, some models can actually record files at superior than CD-quality sampling rates. Of course, minidiscs have several drawbacks. They tend to be heavy and bulky and lack the ruggedness that some mp3 players have. Also, with lasers, motors, and anti-shock systems to power, the units can skip when jostled and require much larger power sources. Motor noise can also be an audible problem and can get annoying at times. Perhaps the biggest drawback is actually recording the mp3s. You can’t just drag and drop files to your minidisc; you have to actually play the tracks you want recorded so the unit can separate them into neat little tracks. It’s annoying and time-consuming, but the process is worth it considering the hefty price that you have to pay for some mp3 players. Minidiscs are really cheap - $30 can get you a pack of twenty, each disc recording an hour of songs. You can play minidiscs on desktop and stereo units and even in your car if you’re lucky enough to have a minidisc changer in your trunk. If you plan on putting mp3s on your minidisc, be sure it has a USB cable. Otherwise you’ll be stuck with stereo cables that won’t give you the best sound quality possible, and I’m sure that you only want the best.
Pros:You’re not limited because of memory constraints, blank minidiscs are cheap, most minidisc player/recorders are cheaper than most mp3 players.
Cons:Recording is a pain, and the minidisc player is only good for mp3s if it has an available USB cable.
I recommend:I got a Sony MZ-r70PC as a gift and it’s served me pretty well. I’ve also heard that the Sharp Minidisc MT15VQ is also great since it comes with computer software. Also, the Sony MZ-r91 if you can get your hands on one (they don’t sell them in the US!).
Decision
This is up to you, really, and your type of lifestyle. Maybe an Mp3 jukebox is the way to go, or a minidisc. Or maybe you’re a jogger and want a small, versatile, jounce-free unit. Be sure to take all of these into consideration. And don’t just take my word for it! Epinons is a great place to do some research and ask questions. Email me, if you like!
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Epinions.com ID:
OhNubilousOne
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Member: Kevin Saavedra
Location: Berkeley, CA
Reviews written: 20
Trusted by: 13 members
About Me:
Techno-nerd and marching band junkie, NPR addict and closet airsoft commando.
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