Excellent, overall
Written: Mar 28 '02 (Updated Nov 01 '05)
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Pros: excellent sound, versatile, tiny, intuitive controls, lots of useful extras
Cons: downloading software is clunky and restrictive
The Bottom Line: The software is not acceptable, the remote control might be awkward for some, but the rest of the device and its included accessories are excellent.
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| mapaquette's Full Review: Sony Net MD Walkman MZ-N707 Personal MiniDisc Play... |
Portable minidisc (MD) player/recorders offered the same sound as MP3 players, the same portability, offered more capacity, but lost on convenience for recording sound. MP3 players, connected to computers by USB or even FireWire with matching quick, convenient software, beat out MD recorders easily.
Now Sony offers MD player/recorders with their NetMD feature. A NetMD Walkman device has a built-in USB port and OpenMG software for desktop computers that lets you download music to your MD Walkman at up to (as Sony claims) 32 times the normal recording speed.
"Finally!" you say, "Now portable MD player/recorders are as good, if not better than, MP3 players." Well, for the most part. While the idea is a good one, Sony's software is not as convenient as you might hope.
The OpenMG Jukebox software reliably imports then rapidly transfers audio CDs and digital sound files (including MP3 files) to a NetMD-enabled MD recorder. However...
First, the software only runs on computers with Microsoft Windows. Macintosh and Linux users need not bother paying extra for NetMD. Oddly, Sony does not offer software to connect Sony NetMD recorders to the Sony PlayStation 2 game console, which has 2 USB ports.
Second, it arbitrarily limits the number of times you transfer music from your computer. This unacceptable inconvenience is meant to prevent piracy, but in effect is just a hassle to work around. It frustrates honest music listeners and gives bootleggers an insignificant hurdle to jump over.
Third, the OpenMG Jukebox's user interface is clunky, over-wrought, and difficult to understand and use.
Other included software, NetMD Simple Burner, is much better. NetMD Simple Burner works well and is easy to figure out and use. And it does not seem to limit the number of times tracks are transferred, unlike OpenMG Jukebox.
Unfortunately, NetMD Simple Burner only allows CD tracks to be downloaded to the device. Ironically, you will have to burn your MP3 files to an audio CD if you want to avoid OpenMG Jukebox's clunkiness in favor of NetMD Simple Burner.
As for the MD Walkman itself, the device gives excellent sound, is compact, attractive, and generally well-designed. The device offers 3 levels of music compression from the regular compression, to LP2, to LP4. LP4 recording allows up to 320 minutes of music to be recorded on a regular 74-minute minidisc. Practically everyone, including most audiophiles, will have a hard time distinguishing the difference in sound between all three levels of compression.
I recorded from analog sources and a digital source, using all levels of compression. Of course, the digitally-sourced music sounded clearer and fuller, but the analog-sourced music still sounded excellent.
The device comes with plain Sony ear buds. But plugging in better headphones or amplified speakers are a better choice to take full advantage of digital sound's promise.
The remote control, a pen-sized, spring-clipped object works well but might be too small to operate if you have big or clumsy hands.
The MZ-N707 comes with many extras, including a rechargeable AA battery, AC power adapter, battery-charging docking cradle, digital optical cable, USB cable and the earlier-mentioned software, earphones, wired remote control, a carrying case, and a complete kit for using the device with your car stereo.
Overall the device is excellent, the workable-but-awkward software being the only blemish on a near-perfect machine.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 260
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Epinions.com ID:
mapaquette
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Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Reviews written: 18
Trusted by: 1 member
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