The Best Upper Mid-Rage MDLP Deck You Can Get
Written: Nov 03 '02 (Updated Nov 04 '02)
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Pros: 2 Display Lines, Keyboard Input, 2 Optical Inputs, Sturdy Construction, 19 Segment Audio Level Meter
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: If you want a pre-NetMD deck with MDLP then the JB940 is the deck to get. Has all the features you will ever need and then some.
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| livinlife2000's Full Review: Sony MDS-JB940 Mini Disc Player |
As my first foray into the home minidisc deck was with the Sony MDS-S38, the DB940 is defiantly a step up. I am a little partial to Sony in the minidisc industry but they did invent the technology in 1993 and I have not been disappointed in their construction quality. Here is a list of the MD product I have used since 1998:
Sony MDS-S38 (Home Recorder)
Sony MDS-JB940 (Home MDLP Recorder)
Sony MZ-E50 (Portable Player)
Sony MZ-E900 (Portable MDLP Player)
Sony MDX-C7900 (Car Deck)
Sony MDX-CA680X (Car MDLP Deck)
As you can see, I upgraded to my current equipment with the introduction of MDLP technology. I won’t get into what MDLP is as if you are looking at this review you do know some aspects of what minidisc is. Here some of the specification of the deck:
Frequency Response: 5-20,000 Hz, - 0.3 dB
Dynamic Range: 98 dB
S/N Ratio: greater than 100 dB
Harmonic Distortion: less than 0.003%
Wow & Flutter: Unmeasurable
Optical Inputs: 2
Coaxial Inputs: 1
Analog Inputs: 1
Optical Outputs: 1
Coaxial Outputs: 1
Analog Outputs: 1
Headphone Output: 1
Power Consumption: 18 watts
Dimensions (approx.): 17” x 4-3/8” x 11-3/8” (430 x 111 x 286 mm) (w/h/d)
Weight (approx.): 11 lbs 11 oz (5.3 kg)
Build
This is a heavy deck compared to other models out there due to the inclusion of R-Core transformer, Aluminum front panel and a slanted circuit board. All the front panel buttons have a heavy feel to them and do not seem flimsy. Inputs and outputs are gold platted to allow maximum signal transfer but using quality audio cables also helps. Construction is top notch for the amount paid.
Display
There is a lot of information given in the display and features:
- 2 Line Display
- 15 Track Calendar
- 19 Segment Audio Level Meter
- Playback Indicator (Repeat, Shuffle, Program)
- Recording and Editing Indicator
- Input Indicator
- Sleep Indicator
- Remote Indicator (If controlled through and external device)
In stop mode the 2 line display will cycle through:
- Disc Information (Title & Total Length)
- Input Level of the current input
- Pitch
- Filter in use
During playback you can cycle through the above information including:
- Disc Title & Song Title
- Current Track Time
- Current Track Time Remaining
- Total Disc Time Remaining
Depending on the various operations (combine, divide, move etc) will display the required information.
Features
Along with the standard set of MD editing tools (combine, divide, move, erase track, erase disc etc) this deck also provides other functionality. One of the best features is the ability to have 2 optical inputs. In my case I connect my CD player and computer so I only have to press a button to switch between inputs which is very convenient since I record from CD and computer and don’t have to spend time physically switching between the two. Another useful feature is the keyboard input. Since I like know the song title of the current track it beats manually inputting it through the remote whereas I can do it less than 5 seconds through the keyboard. The other functions include:
- MDLP (MiniDisc Long Play)
- Adjust Recording Level
- Marking Tracks (Automatic or Manual)
- CD Syncho-recording
- Pitch Control
- Fader
- Sleep Timer
- Digital Filter
Some of the features that I haven’t really used are the Digital Filter and Pitch Control. You can change the pitch by 36 steps where 1 octave equals 12 steps. The other, Digital Filter, applies a sound stage to the output signal and has 4 options:
- Standard – An expansive sound of wide range
- Filter 1 – A sound that is clearly positioned and smooth.
- Filter 2 – A fresh and powerful sound
- Filter 3 – A resonant and mellow sound.
I have tried the Digital Filter out a bit but I like my music sounding pure and exactly what it is from the disc.
Conclusion
If you want to get a deck with NetMD then you will have to wait for the next version, MDS-JB980 which also has ATRAC DSP Type S. It will remain to be seen if that deck will out class the 940.
Update November 4th, 2002
As requested I will talk about more about how the deck sounds.
Some people believe that it is all up to the music deck that will determine if the sound is good but it is a combination of deck, reciever, quality cables and speakers that play the biggest part.
At the moment this deck is connected via analog cables to my reciever and 14 gauge wire to my speakers. I wound't know if connecting through the optical port will make a large differece in sound output but since it is the digital signal you think it would. Since the signal noise ratio ratio is well over 100 db, this deck is quite loud compared to you average player. All of my music is recorded in LP2 where you can fit approx. 150 minutes onto one disc. It's quite hard to tell the difference in sound quality from SP to LP2 but when you use maximum compression, LP4, there is a significant difference and I only recommend recording in that mode for speech/lecture anything that you don't want to listen over and over again.
Hopefully this will answer some questions out there and if you would like to learn more give me a shout.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 399.99
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Epinions.com ID:
livinlife2000
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Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 0 members
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