The MD-X5 Makes Mini Discs Viable (But For How Long?)
Written: Mar 06 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Numerous analog and digital inputs, good range of timer functions, mono recording option
Cons: Too bright display, no high speed dub feature, possible overheating issues
The Bottom Line: A good system for those who record quite a bit from various sources and want more functionality from their shelf system.
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| wayne_cramp's Full Review: Sharp MD-X5 Shelf System |
With the proliferation of inexpensive MP3 players (with cheaper, faster, and more storage being added daily) many people wonder why I still cling to Mini Discs. I wonder myself, sometimes, and one thing is for sure: I would have chucked all my mini discs in the trash long ago if this system wasn't so darn feature laden and convenient to use. Sure, mini discs are going the way of the Dodo (even Sony has their own hard disk portable music player, although they are staunchly staying with their own ATRAC format), but for certain situations an MD player just can't be beaten.
I purchased this system about a year ago, and it was my 3rd mini disc related audio purchase. Previously I had purchased a Sony MZ-NE410 NetMD Walkman, and I enjoyed the little player immensely, although, with no "audio in" on my model, all my music had to be transferred via my PC, and that wasn't always the easiest thing to do (especially since Sony apparently hired people to write their software and gave them strict instructions to make it as weird as possible). What I wanted to do (but could not with the NE410's limited capabilities) was to record various talk shows, both on local AM radio and on XM Satellite radio. In order to do this I needed a shelf system to make it work.
I purchased a different Sharp MD system at first (the MD-M3), and had good luck with it, but it lacked several features that I dearly wanted. After looking around the 'net, I decided that, while no single MD shelf system had all the features I wanted, the MD-X5 came closest to fitting the bill.
Sharp's MD-X5 is excellent for recording. One big advantage it has over the MD-M3 is a plethora of audio inputs, both analog AND digital. The X5 has 2 sets of analog inputs (one marked "AUX" and the other "PHONO", ostensibly for the old record player I'm sure we all have laying around). With 2 analog inputs I could now run my XM radio in one a portable player in the other (very handy for getting around ATRAC compatibility issues as the latest Sony version wouldn't play in the Sharp's older MD). Now that I have finally broken down and purchased an MP3 player, as well, the second input is used for that. Sharp also includes 2 digital inputs as well, one optical and one coaxial for crystal clear digital to digital transfers.
While the gold mine of inputs makes this a great little bedroom system, the real feature that makes this stereo something I just can't live without is the myriad of timers it has. Sleep timers, wake timers, and recording timers, the last making this system indispensable. By setting the record timer and using the "Mono" recording feature, I was now able to record shows that came on overnight, and that alone was worth the price of admission. With a standard Mini Disc you are able to record 160 minutes of audio in the "mono" setting, and in addition to shows over night I am now also able to record shows from local AM radio that come on during the day, a time I normally would have to be sitting next to my radio to record. In addition, the MD-X5 remote makes it a snap to edit recordings. Once a show has been recorded I can sit down and listen, cutting out all commercials as I go along. Once finished, you have an excellent digital copy ready to be listened to on my evening bike ride (I still use my Sony Net MD Walkman as it is much smaller that my Creative Nomad Zen Jukebox and has a convenient arm strap to carry it). In addition, with mini discs' flexibility in recording/erasing I can get rid of sub-par shows with a press of a button or archive particularly good ones.
For sound quality, I'm really not the person to ask. I'm not an audiophile by any stretch of the imagination, but this system replays my talk shows just fine. The MD-X5 is not the system I generally listen to music on, so I really can't comment on the overall sound.
In appearance, this is a fairly nice looking system. It's not obtrusive in any way, and the accents on the speakers actually give it some warmth. Size-wise, the MD-X5 has a (fairly) small footprint, and it sits on my bedside table as I use it for an alarm clock (Yay for the wake timer!) as well.
Like any other piece of electronic gear, the MD-X5 does have some drawbacks (like anything else in this world, it's not perfect). With all the features Sharp chose to pack into this small package, they left out one feature that was included on my less expensive MD-M3: a high speed CD to MD recording mode. Why Sharp left this out on this model is beyond me, but thankfully I still have the MD-M3 to make quick CD copies if the need arises. This brings me to a positive point that I left out in the earlier notes: MD's are easy for kids to use. I put my old MD-M3 in my now 6 year old son's room. He has me make MD's of songs and other things he enjoys, and then we label the MD's so he knows exactly what he is listening to, and the smaller MD's are easier for smaller hands to handle. Instead of struggling with (and damaging) CD's he can pick up a much smaller MD, slide it into his stereo and hit play. If he somehow damages one, it's no problem making another copy. It's quite a bit less expensive to make a new MD than it is to have to go out to the store and purchase another copy of the "Spongebob Squarepants Movie" soundtrack plus I can make MD's that specifically cater to him. From growing up with a father (me) that enjoys jazz, he likes to put a jazz MD in to play while he goes to sleep and by making MD's for that purpose I don't have to worry about him damaging what very well might be a CD that is out of print.
Another flaw in the MD-X5 is the display. It has 2 settings: brighter than the Sun and slightly less bright that the Sun. There is no way (that I can find) of disabling the display, so if you have trouble sleeping in anything other than a pitch black room, you may want to angle the display so it's not right in your face as you drift off to dreamland.
As for MD and CD playing errors that are mentioned in other reviews, I have had no such trouble in the time (over a year) that I have owned this system. One thing I have found that is mentioned in other reviews is the amount of heat this little system puts out. If you leave an MD in for an extended amount of time, you will find it to be a few degrees North of "pleasantly warm", so make sure to remove all media from the unit whenever possible. I take MD's out immediately after play and that would probably be the best advice I can give. As for CD's, I haven't really noticed any heat issues with them, so generally I will leave a CD in overnight (CD is my format of choice for waking up, and I can recommend track 4 from Arturo Sandoval's Trumpet Evolution, "La Virgen De La Macarena", as a hot number to rouse you from the deepest sleep).
All in all, for those of you clinging to Mini Disc as your format of choice (or "format you're not willing to give up on just yet"), I highly recommend the Sharp MD-X5 as a good overall choice.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
wayne_cramp
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Reviews written: 3
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