Quality MD Player
Written: Apr 27 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: small, sleek, functional
Cons: low batt. life by today's standards, 10-sec shock
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| dominickalcid's Full Review: Sony Walkman MZ-E44 Personal MiniDisc Player |
I should preface this entry by saying that I got this item for $99.99 and I would not have bought it if it were regular price, as I have a portable recording unit (MZ-R30) and a home shelf unit (DHC-MD555, or something like that). All in all, I am very glad that I did buy the unit (I bought the silver one). Of course, it was worth the money for me, but if you need a decent portable player, read on. (I think you can find this unit inexpensively on the Web).
Out of the box, I could not believe how small this unit is. It is roughly the size of two MD cases stacked, without the protruding hump which has the controls (go back and see photo). Furthermore it is very light. But don't let the dainty dimensions fool you- it is quite rugged and feels very solid. There is even a hard plastic rim around the perimeter of the body which should do well to absorb light shocks; I have read stories of people dropping this unit on concrete without harm- I wouldn't recommend this however.
My remote is blue (to match the other color choice), shows 6 characters at a time, and is the standard stick-style remote from Sony. It is also backlit, for all you night-owls. The sound is fine for its intended use: portable personal listening. Don't let audiophiles sway you from MD on grounds that the sound is inferior. You don't need that type of quality when walking or riding a train. I am pleased by the sound, but I did change the headphones- and luckily, the E44 has a miniplug for headphones (not micro as with earlier Sony units).
Controls: do not lose/break the remote as it is the brains behind this unit. The main unit has volume controls, play/fwd/rew and stop (along with AVLS and MegaBass). The remote has play functions, volume, repeat, pause, the only text-display for the unit, battery indicator (important!) and display options. I've seen the remote for about $50, so that goes to show you how important it is in relation to the entire product.
My gripes would be the battery life and the 10-second shock memory. First, the battery life of its supplied rechargeable battery (NH-9WM)is about 5.5 hours. I recommend buying another battery as a back-up so you don't have to interrupt your listening pleasure when recharging your battery. The NH-14WM is available on the internet and lasts maybe twice as long. Also, the 10-second shock memory will not satisfy those who use MD for moving activities (treadmills, workouts...). I would opt for a unit with 40 seconds of memory. But since I use this unit for my morning commutes on the train, 10 seconds is fine with me. Be aware that this unit was made in 1998- MD has advanced since then by leaps and bounds.
The overall package included the MZ-E44 unit itself, the remote, folding headphones, the rechargeable battery, its battery charger, a drycase for AA battery attachment to the unit, and a felt bag (Sony MD staple); as well as manuals and stuff. For the price I made, and for the features, this unit is exceptional- I highly recommend this portable MD player.
For all those new to MD- I do not recommend this unit YET as you should have a recording unit in order to transfer songs from CDs and so forth to Minidiscs. However, the MZ-E44 would be a perfect complement to a home MD deck (linked to record from a CD player or other source) or to an MD shelf system.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
dominickalcid
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Member: Dominick Alcid
Location: DC Metro - USA
Reviews written: 17
Trusted by: 2 members
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