MD Deck to Please the Enthusiast or MD Newbie
Written: Nov 07 '01
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Pros: Direct digital CD to MD dubbing at 1x and 4x speeds, MD long play modes.
Cons: No digital output.
The Bottom Line: The best deck for CD to MD recording, has all the newest MD features. Most importantly, it sounds great and is easy to use.
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| mediageek's Full Review: Sony MXD-D5C 5-Disc CD Changer |
I've been an minidisc user for several years, and now own a small variety of portable recorders, players and a deck. I use MD both for practical applications like radio journalism and other sound recording, and for leisure -- a portable MD is my primary walkman. Although I was interested in checking out the new MDLP long-play modes, I wasn't in the market for another MD deck. That was until I happened upon a link for the Advantage Superstore selling Sony's top-of-the line CD-changer/MD recorder deck for $199. Realizing that this was a deal to good to pass up I whipped out my credit card and ordered it up.
I am not disappointed.
My previous setup included a Harmon Kardon 5-disc CD changer that sounds very nice and musical, but is mechanically off--in fact it's never been quite right. My MD deck is a Teac MD-5, which is really a home version of their pro model, and so is very sturdy and has both digital inputs and outputs. I was mostly happy with this setup except for the CD players hiccups and the fact that I can't connect the two components digitally (the CD has a coaxial out, but the MD only has optical in).
Being able to replace both units in my system for just $199 is great, and the unit performs very well. The first thing I checked out on the deck was the CD side, to see how well it sounds. It sounds different than the HK, but not worse. It's a little more bright, maybe even a little more airy, whereas the HK tends to sound smoother. All listening is done through a mid-fi Pioneer receiver, NHT Superzero speakers and a Paradigm 10" 80 watt subwoofer.
The CDs load via a thin tray. Each of the 5 CDs has two buttons: one to select it for playing, another to open the tray to place or remove the CD. Operation of the CD player is simple and intuitive-- I didn't have to open the manual.
My next test was to dub a few songs from CD to MD. This can be done with one button push (Syncro Record), or manually in the old "tape deck style" (press play on the CD and press record on the MD). A feature that I really like is a button called "Rec IT." If you're listening to a CD and hear a song you'd like to dub onto MD, just push that button and the deck will automatically restart the track and dub it MD. It's a great way to make mixes, especially if you're using CDs you haven't listened to in a while.
The MD dubs sounded flawless--although small, it does make a difference to record to MD digitally rather than through the analog inputs as I had to do in my previous setup. Even with very critical listening I am hard pressed to tell an MD copy from a CD original. Only with very well recorded solo piano pieces or other complex acoustic instruments do I hear a difference, mostly in a reduced sense of air and space. But since I mostly listen to electric and amplified music (rock, jazz, electronic), it's not an issue.
I then tried out the 4x dubbing function, which, as you would expect, makes an MD copy of a CD in 1/4 the usual time. What's great about this deck is that you can make a mix MD comprised of different tracks from the 5 CDs in the changer in 4x speed, too. So you're not limited to just dubbing a whole CD. In short, this feature works as advertised. I couldn't hear a difference between a 4x dubbed MD and one dubbed at normal speed. And, in principle, there should be no difference, since you're only moving data.
The convenience of being able to quickly record tracks from 5 different CDs onto a MD is what really makes this deck worthwhile. Anyone who's made a mix CD-R knows that copying each track from each source CD to the harddrive and then recording them to the CD-R can be a laborious process, not too unlike the process of making a mix tape. The MXD-D5C turns this into a automated, almost error free process that can even be done at high-speed (although I prefer to do it at normal speed so I can hear the songs--the deck mutes at 4x speed so that you don't drive your cats and dogs crazy with singing chipmunks).
To check out the recording from analog sources I dubbed some tracks off a few LPs to MD. I used my Gemini XL-500 II direct-drive DJ turntable (kind of a Technics 1200 knock-off, but not nearly as sturdy) for the playback. The resulting MD sounded as good as the vinyl -- nothing was lost to me. (Now, if I had used a high-end audiophile turntable and pre-amp, maybe my results would be different. But then, if I'd blown $1500+ on a turntable, why would I bother dubbing my precious LPs to MD?) To summarize -- recording from analog is as good as from digital, especially if you're using a truly analog source, such as LPs, tapes or radio.
Anyone who has used minidiscs for a while knows that the great thing about them is that, unlike CD-Rs, once you record a disc you aren't stuck with it. You can edit the disc -- change track order, delete tracks, add new tracks -- or you can erase the whole disc and start over.
The MXD-D5C also offers a few new editing features, including the ability to change the signal level (volume) of tracks after you record them, or to even add fade ins and fade outs after recording. Combine this with the ability to trim down tracks -- say, if you hit the pause button too late and accidentally record extra stuff you didn't want -- and you have the ability to easily make your MD perfect even if you weren't completely on top of things while recording.
The last feature I surveyed was the new MDLP mode, which allows you to cram either 2x or 4x the amount of music onto an MD--letting a 74 minute MD hold either 148 or 296 minutes of stereo sound. Because MD uses a lossy compression algorithm (ATRAC) similiar to, but better than mp3, the MDLP mode works similarly to increasing the compression by lowering the bitrate of an mp3. The normal MD compression is highly developed, and, to me, sounds better than even high bit-rate mp3s -- only 256 or 320 kbps mp3s come close to mp3.
When I recorded a few tracks of rock music and acoustic vocal jazz in LP2 mode I could immediately hear the difference. The high end especially sounded grainier and less well defined, and the entire soundfield was more compressed and flatter. It definitely reminded me of a 128 kbps mp3 file. It's listenable, especially as background music, but not high fidelity.
I then tried the LP4 mode. I had already heard horror stories about LP4, which basically said that it was unusable or useful only for recording AM talk radio, where fidelity is already compromised. After being primed to hear something awful, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, I could hear sonic degradation even compared to LP2, but it was not unlistenable. Just as LP2 sounds like a 128 kbps mp3, LP4 sounds like a 64 kbps mp3. The highs are still grainier yet, there is loss in the low end, but the soundfield sounds only marginally more compressed and narrow than the LP2 mode.
The sound of LP4 really reminded me of listening to Internet radio stations. So, it's not great sound, but it's not excrutiating to listen to. For background music, talk radio, or sound for non-critical listening, I can see the utility of LP4. Though I must note that over headphone I cannot stand to listen to anything less than a 128 kbps mp3, and so I don't think I could tolerate listening to LP4 recordings of anything except voice over headphones, either. I also have to note that you must have a newer MDLP capable portable if you want to listen to LP mode MDs made on this deck.
One final and nice little feature is that there is a light that goes on when you have selected MDLP mode for recording. That way you are less likely to accidentally record in LP mode -- a nice, thoughtful touch.
I can't really comment on durability since I've had it less than a week. But the unit is very hefty and well constructed. It weighs about 13 pounds, which is monstrous compared to a lot of the CD players you can buy for $199, which you can toss around with one hand and seem like they're mostly air inside.
In summary, I am extremely happy with the MXD-D5C and wholeheartedly recommend it. The retail list price is $480 and I would be hard pressed to pay that. But for $199 it's a steal, and worth paying at least $100 more.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 199
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Epinions.com ID:
mediageek
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Member: Paul Riismandel
Location: Chicago, IL
Reviews written: 25
Trusted by: 4 members
About Me:
I'm a true mediageek--into all sorts of electronics and gadgets for making media.
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