I had wanted an MD player for quite some time. I had a lot of MP3's as well as a vast CD collection that I wanted to whittle down into some mixes that I could take with me whether I was running, driving, or just working out in the gym. However, I wanted something smaller than a CD player mainly because I found the size of a CD player to be quite cumbersome while doing activities like running. So this led me to look for an MD player.

After narrowing that down, I wanted to narrow down what kind of player to get. I had seen friends buy MD players but then stop using them or not taking full advantage of them because of what was perceived as too much effort to make mixes. They got tired of connecting cables to their stereos or making sure which cables to buy. They also couldn't find an easy way to copy MP3's onto an MD (mind you this was 1999). In seeing their struggles, I knew what I wanted to avoid.

So my research led me to the Sharp MD MT15VQ. Now for me, the VQ is the reason why I love this player so much. VQ stands for Voquette. What it is is a software package and attachment that allow for easy recording of various audio files from music, news, speeches, etc. The attachment connects your computer and player together and runs off your computer's power supply so there is no need for additional adaptors. Meanwhile, the software is a quick and easy to use application that makes recording as easy and dragging and dropping the files into a recording list.

However, back to the player itself. The sound quality is very good. When using an optical cable to copy CDs or the Voquette, the tracks come out extremely clean. In some cases, I can pick up small subtleties that don't come out as clear when listening to the CD in my stereo. You can adjust the Bass and volume as you see fit easily.

The controls are easy to use. A nice feature is the Hold button on the underside of the player. When placed in Hold mode, any pushing of the buttons will not affect the player. This is extremely helpful while running and holding the player in your hand. You can run and listen to continuous music no matter what your fingers press. This brings me to my next point, skip protection is decent for this player. While jogging or using it in my car, I haven't heard any skips. However, while sprinting at top speed and holding the player in my hand has cause it to skip from time to time.

The Sharp MD MT15 also allows you controls to title your mixes as well as your tracks. This is a time consuming process and is hard to correct errors, so plan ahead. You can also rearrange and erase tracks at the touch of a button.

The alert messages are very easy to read and understand. Any of the more complicated alerts usually arise during recording and can be deciphered using the user's manual which is very extensive and details the proper manner for maintaining your MD player.

The size, although larger than most of the Sony versions, is still manageable. I can easily hold it in my hands and it can fit in the breast pockets of shirts. Included is an adapter for when you have access to an outlet. However, battery life is very good. I can't give exact numbers but I'll give you the hours based on my every day usage.

In using mainly rechargeable batteries, I've found I can get about 8-10 hours of use in two hours increments. While driving, I've had the player last continuously for a good 5 hours with power to spare.

In terms of durability, I guess this is where its larger size comes in handy. I have dropped this thing a few times and it keeps on working with only small scratches on the casing to show for it.

The main drawback I have with this player is a) there is no belt clip and related to that, the included pouch isn't very useful. I would much rather be able to clip this thing to my belt versus holding it in my hand, especially while working out or doing something that requires both my hands. However, if this is the only drawback, I can't complain.

All in all, this is a very good player. I purchased mine (with Voquette bundle) for $185 on Ubid.com. However, I saw similar packages retailing for $250. The price might drop as more advanced models come out which only makes this an even more appealing package. For the novice that wants an easy to use MD player to make some mixes, this would be an ideal choice.



Recommended: Yes