leslief44's Full Review: Sony Net MD Walkman MZ-N505 Personal MiniDisc Play...
Storage
The best thing about the MD player is that you can store up to 5 hours of music (depending on the sound quality that you choose) on one minidisc, not to mention the fact that a 5 pack of minidiscs will cost you $10 max. I can really appreciate this feature after owning an MP3 player which could only store about 30 minutes of song on a 32meg card, and additional memory chips tend to be expensive.
Sound Quality
The sound quality varies depending on the mode you choose to record (LP2 or LP4), but both are superior to any personal audio device I have ever owned. The headphones that come with the player are bulky and don't have great sound, so I would recommend investing in a good pair to improve the sound quality.
Creating MiniDiscs
This can be a time consuming process but the software provided with the player is very user friendly (compatible With Windows 98/98SE/2000/Me/XP Operating Systems)and has many nice features. This process does not seem to be any longer than that required to transfer songs to an MP3 player, maybe shorter. The software converts your songs to the Sony format if they are in MP3, WAV, or WMA format. No converting on your part makes this a great feature. Another advantage to the Sony MD is the ability to record to a minidisc using devices other than your computer, such as a portable CD, home CD unit, or radio. The player has a feature which allows you to title or rename your tracks, and you can create folders to organize songs as well.
Playback
Among the many accessories that you can purchase for your player is the car stereo adapter for listening to minidiscs in your car. You can also bookmark your tracks on the minidisc for listening to only selected tracks. The treble and bass can also be adjusted according to your liking.
Size and Durability
The size is very compact and after dropping mine several times accidentally, I would have to say durable. It can be a little bulky when working out, but I noticed that they are now selling an armband case, so that may work well.
Comparisons
Compared to a Rio MP3 player:
-Storage is cheaper, but a minidisc is larger in physical size than a memory card
-Songs must be converted to the Sony format but the software is compatible with WMA, MP3, and WAV files
-You can record onto minidiscs using a CD player, whereas you need a computer for recording onto an MP3 player
-Both have excellent shock protection
-Both have excellent sound quality
-They each come with software that is user friendly
Product Support
The product support provided by Sony is excellent, but if you don't purchase any extended warranties it expires only 3 months after purchase. My player stopped properly recording songs and would erase the minidiscs instead, so I had to send it into Sony. My warranty had actually expired only several days prior, but they still provided me with free service. I am assuming they were unable to repair the player because they sent me a new one about 3 weeks later. The great thing was that it was an upgrade from my other player (it came with a car kit and a remote control). I did not review this product based on this problem because even well made electronics have some that malfunction, and Sony more than made up for it.
Record MP3s or CDs at up to 32x speed on affordable MD media for over 5 hours of music per standard 80-minute disc Easy Skip group/folder navigation i...More at Amazon Marketplace
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