Sony MZ-N707 Net MD Walkman Player/Recorder (Blue)
By: Sony Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 50
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 On: 2005-11-18
quite honestly i can see what all the fuss is about!
sure there are some cd where the software has some trouble but you can just rip them with windows media then import them.
apart from that minor fault its a very nice player/recorder
well worth buying.
 On: 2005-05-16
I have happily used my MZ-n707 for several years now, either recording my voice lessons/DMA recitals/other performances, or various live performances. I have gotten around the copy protection prohibiting uploading recordings to my computer (and to CD) by recording them into Cakewalk (or some other audio editing program), then converting the files to .wav format.
Sony has recently changed its policy, however, with its new models (I just bought a MZ-RH10). If the recordings are made on HD disks--this model is capable of both regular and HD disks-- live recordings can be transferred ONCE and converted immediately to .wav format (or other formats, I believe). If cost is an issue though (this one set me back 250 bones), then stick with the n707!
On: 2004-10-06
I have owned this model for 2 years.
I have mostly used it for self recording voice lessons, practice and also recording a live ensemble through a mixer. The sound quality is excellent both ways and there is good sound separation with a bi directional mike.
The only major problem was the digital rights management which meant I could not transfer self recorded material to my computer using their software, which is a crock.
My solution was to use line in and bypass the software and record direct to the computer in real time. I used creative recorder supplied with my Dell. I only used the Sony software supplied to delete unless unnecessary tracks prior to recording.
The files are huge so it is necessary to convert to a usable format. For this, I use Cool Edit 2000 available at www.syntrillium.com.
This is a top notch audio editing software, which can amplify, reduce, adjust and remove or reduce any glitches, dead time etc., and separate your large audio file into single tracks, which may be saved as mp3 files to burn to cd. You can then delete the original audio file to save space.
I have also used the player to listen to mp3s on long trips, and it is perfectly fine, although I would never buy it just for that reason. You can check mp3s in and out of your computer. It is easy.
For a microphone, I do recommend the Sony ECM-DS70P stereo microphone. With its longer cord you should not pick up the initial whirr of the machine which starts about 5 secs after you start recording and lasts for 2 seconds. This an excellent microphone, with good bidirectional separation and gives genuine stereo separation even though L and R Mic are close together.
I did recently lose my recorder so now I am thinking of replacing or upgrading to the Sony MZ-NHF 700 or 800, or the MZ-NH1.
I hope you find this review helpful, and if you do please click yes.
On: 2004-10-05
I have owned this model for 2 years.
I have mostly used it for self recording voice lessons, practice and also recording a live ensemble through a mixer. The sound quality is excellent both ways and there is good sound separation with a bi directional mike.
The only major problem was the digital rights management which meant I could not transfer self recorded material to my computer using their software, which is a crock.
My solution was to use line in and bypass the software and record direct to the computer in real time. I used creative recorder supplied with my Dell. I only used the Sony software supplied to delete unless unnecessary tracks prior to recording.
The files are huge so it is necessary to convert to a usable format. For this, I use Cool Edit 2000 available at www.syntrillium.com.
This is a top notch audio editing software, which can amplify, reduce, adjust and remove or reduce any glitches, dead time etc., and separate your large audio file into single tracks, which may be saved as mp3 files to burn to cd. You can then delete the original audio file to save space.
I have also used the player to listen to mp3s on long trips, and it is perfectly fine, although I would never buy it just for that reason. You can check mp3s in and out of your computer. It is easy.
For a microphone, I do recommend the Sony ECM-DS70P stereo microphone. With its longer cord you should not pick up the initial whirr of the machine which starts about 5 secs after you start recording and lasts for 2 seconds. This an excellent microphone, with good bidirectional separation and gives genuine stereo separation even though L and R Mic are close together.
I did recently lose my recorder so now I am thinking of replacing or upgrading to the Sony MZ-NHF 700 or 800, or the MZ-NH1.
I hope you find this review helpful, and if you do please click yes.
 On: 2004-07-09
The Net MD is a really great for listening to music once you get it onto the player. The problem is Sony decided to make getting songs really difficult with their software OpenMG. The program is barely functional on my brand new pc. To make thigs even worse the program has anti-piracy parts in it. Who actually buys a MD player to transfer songs they bought? Anyways if you have any problems with the software dont depend on any support since OpenMG website is closed. OpenMG is the only software you can use to transfer songs. I think you can use realplayer to transfer the songs now too but you can only put mp3s on it. Because of Sony guarding its ATRAC technology so closely they have taken away their users rights to pick which program they would like to use. Unless you want to spend an hour changing the songs I suggest you dont but this product.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-05-11
I bought this product (Walkman net md mz-n707 type R) in a shop in Mexico City and it has never worked. At the beginning of every disk the sound is distorted and horrible. After approximately three minutes it sounds O.K.
I have tried to find a place to have the walkman fixed but I have not been successful. Could you help me, please?
On: 2004-02-13
I bought my MZ-N707 for one purpose: to record live music. My friend is in a band and he wanted me to record his gigs, so I looked into ways to record live music. What I found was that if you dont have thousands of dollars, endless hours of time, and a fully-equipped sound studio, youre hosed. So I called my local GuitarCenter store and was told the Sony MZ-N707 was just the thing I needed. It just so happened they had a bundled package there that included the works: microphone, car adapter kit, rechargable batteries, etc. And the price was right: about $350. So I bought it, took it to my friends show, recorded the show with no problems, listened to the show on the way home (FABULOUS, CD-QUALITY SOUND!), and then, when I got home, tried to load the tracks onto my computer in order to burn them onto CDs. NOT!!! After literally weeks of trying different things, re-reading the manual, reading the dozens of web forums that are devoted solely to this subject, and, finally, emailing Sony, I found out that YOU CANNOT TRANSFER ANYTHING FROM THE MINIDISC TO YOUR COMPUTER that you didnt take off of your computer. I dont know what rocket scientist thought of packaging the minidisc recorder with a microphone if you cant use anything you record with that microphone, but I hope that person is one of the millions of Americans on the unemployment line right now (God Bless the rest of you!). Sony said it was because they were concerned about copyright infringement, but what if you, like, OWN THE COPYRIGHT? Sorry, no provisions are made for such a common occurrence. Ultimately, I found a couple ways of transferring the music recorded onto the minidisc to your computer, but unless you have a separate digital CD burner, as far as I know, youre limited to creating analog files. The easiest way (I think) is through RealPlayers "record from outside line" option. If you use this option, be sure to create separate tracks on the minidisc recording first; if you dont, youll be stuck recording the entire disc onto your CD, and if the session is too long, it wont record at all (I can attest to how frustrating this is -- the last time I recorded my friends gig, I downloaded it and then gave him the minidisc so he could use his studio equipment to download it digitally. Unfortunately, the session I downloaded is about 2 minutes longer than what will fit on a CD, so I cant transfer any of it until he gives me back my minidisc!). I want to be clear that the QUALITY of the minidiscs recording is phenomenal--10 stars--but that the products potential is severely hampered by the lawyers at Sony. However, there really isnt anything else on the market for recording live music that is as inexpensive, portable (the minidisc is tiny), and reliable as the MZ-N707. For anyone who is as inexperienced at recording live music as I am, I highly recommend this device. I promise you two things: (1) you will get CD-quality sound recordings, and (2) if I can figure out how to get the music onto my computer and then onto a CD, you can! Also, as another reviewer mentioned, the battery life is unbelievable. It uses two AA batteries (dont bother with the rechargable ones), and they probably last for at least 320 minutes of recording time, plus the related download time. Ive run out of batteries a few times while recording, though (my own fault), so dont believe the little meter in the window--just replace them every time you need to record and youll be set until the next gig.
On: 2003-12-27
I bought one mzn707 and used it successfully for about 3 months. Then I had to return it because the spring that closes the door to the media window broke! Thats right, broke. I was able to get a new one, free of charge, but now the unit does not register with the software. It will not read the disks either. I removed the software and reinstalled, but still it wont read. I have wasted some much time and have been so frustrated with this piece of junk. Never again will I buy a Sony. They constantly put out inferior hardware and buggy software. Dont buy this thing...get one with a hard drive and that has been favorably reviewed.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-04-25
Minidisc players thus far are not for audiphiles. Using Real 1 player to transfer to your MD player is the best and most stable option because the supplied software is absolute garbage even when it does work properly. It removes all tags from from your songs to "prevent piracy" but really just, as early mentioned, makes the software totally useless.Quality, the player records in 3 modes. Stereo(70 min) which is basically near cd quality, Lp2(160 min) "normal" sounding music. It sounds fine but not quite as good as a 192 mp3, Lp4(320 min) sounds fine for normal music listeners but not for some(me). The music is slighly slurred together more, but still fine. "Normal" music and hard rock sound fine. My plight is that not only am I an audiophile but I listen to very, very extreme music: Death and black metal. Often the wild guitards and crushing drum battery acquire static that wasnt on the original recording. Dimmu Borgir, especially PEM (for you fans) sounds like garbage even in LP2 which drove me insane when I found this out. Even the lighter Cradle of Filth picks up static when put into lp4. Most pop rock and especially 80s rock sounds fine due to its not-so-extreme tones. However, count on buying better headphones because the bass of the supplied earbuds is junk and the over the head ones arent fun to wear. Youll have to spend about 30$ on new headphones to get a frequency range thatll make all the sounds LP4 creates ( I found that not so great or average headphones cause more static on their own in LP4). I recommend sonys for this. Portable audio isnt advanced enough yet for one such as myself but for normal listeners the MD Player is Definitely better than an MP3 player. Not only due to the simplicity of use but the battery life, Way over 18 hours, I cant remember exactly, depending on the power requirements of your phones.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-04-19
Minidiscs are not very popular outside of Japan however, they are much more versatile than CDs or MP3s. The N707 is a prime example.It has the ability to record from various sources. Most notably the internet. I specifically bought this model because Im still in college and I use the Microphone recording feature for note taking, as well as "freestyling" with my friends. I also love to make my own mixtapes of my favorite artists or songs all on one disc. I wont bother with the product specs but in short its a great product worth the money and effort to find one on the market. The only drawback is trying to set-up your computer to use the MD for recording from your PC. PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY!!
by: Anonymous On: 2003-04-03
I originally was just looking around for a small, compact MP3 player to take with me on the road. After looking at several different models I was discouraged by the price of blank media(anywhere from $30-$100 for a 128MB stick of memory) and the high price of these proprietary playback devices.Remembering a friend who had an MD a year back, I looked at a few minidisc players. What impressed me immediately was the low cost of blank media(two dollars per minidisc). I didnt want to have to constantly download different music to an MP3 player. With the MD player I have transferred my entire CD collection to just a few dozen minidiscs, most written in LP4 mode. I havent found any serious sound quality degradation in LP4 mode, especially with background noise of the city and traffic. And the 5 1/2 hours of recording time per disc beats a thirty dollar memory stick any day. I also enjoy the recording capabilities of the MD player. Not only can I record lectures and conferences, but I am also an aspiring musician. For rehersals and small gigs where loads of microphones and recording equipment are impractical, the recording quality of such a small minidisc player are fantastic. Its small. You can carry it in your front jeans pocket and not notice it. It never skips. I recharge the battery normally every 3 weeks. These 3 weeks see usually 20-25 hours playback time and 5-8 hours recording time. No complaints with the Open MG software. It has certain restrictions on the number of times you can record a track on to the MD, but unless youre running a music distribution company that shouldnt be a problem. Seems like a fast computer is advantageous, Ive got a 2.5 GHZ under the hood with 1024 MB ram. Record speeds are quick. A CD can typically be ripped onto MD in 4-5 minutes. If youre looking for a portable, well made, versatile digital recording/playback device, this is it. Dont waste your money on a bulky CD/MP3 player.
On: 2003-03-03
This little machine is WONDERFUL. I have used it DAILY since I got it a month ago. It is so practical and functional. It is so much MORE then just a CD or MP3 Player. I am so GLAD I decided to purchase it.The sound quality is EXCELLENT at SP and LP2 (up to 160 minutes on one $2 Mini Disc). As Good (or BETTER):) then the original CD. The sound quality at LP4 (up to 5 hours and 20 minutes on ONE $2 Mini Disc) isnt the greatest (its similar to MP3 at that setting) but this high compression is great for taping long broadcasts (like football/basketball/baseball from the radio). I use it with a microphone (youll have to purchase this separately) to record classes/meetings and LIVE Music/Singing. The sound quality is UNBELIEVABLE, almost like youre there! MiniDiscs allow you to put track marks while youre recording so you can easily find your place later. You can even LABEL these tracks are youre recording to make it even easier to find your spot. The USB transfer from Computer to Mini Disc is fast and flawless using Sonys Simple Burn Software. (Be sure to download the latest "patch upgrade" to the software from Sonys website). I can usually transfer an entire CD at LP2 compression in under 5 minutes. To transfer MP3 and other types of files on your computer to this unit, I dont recommend using the OpenMG that Sony provides because of the limitations it imposes (checking out limits). Use Nero ImageDrive (from Nero Burning ROM 5.5) or some other application that can "burn" an Audio CD image to your hard drive or make an AUDIO CD from these files and then transfer using the Simple Burn Application. If you dont want any compression for your recordings (Sonys Simple Burner transfers at LP2 or LP4 only) and want an extremely high quality transfer, you can use the included optical cable to connect from the optical out of your CD player to this mini disc unit and record in real time. Note that Sonys Playstation 2 has an optical out and will play DVDs and CDs as well as Playstaion games. To transfer from MiniDisc to Computer youll need to connect a stereo mini jack (on both ends) patch cable from the headphone out of the mini disc to the "line in" of your computer and record the sound in "real time" using a sound program (usually bundled with your CD burning software). This method is a little tedious, but it works fine. For more tips/hints see www.minidisc.org they have a wealth of information on mini discs. This package is worth the extra money over the MZ-N505 because it includes the following (not included with the 505 model):
Microphone Input (to record)
Remote control (connected to heaphone jack)
Car Kit (Includes Cassette Adapter/9V battery adapter)
Little Leather Pouch
Standard AA sized Rechargable Battery (Though its a Nickel Cadium! Dont know why Sony didnt provide a NiMH Rechargable.. but you can alway purchase one on your own)
TOS Link Optical Cable
Larger LCD Display (to see more of everything) Its a GREAT Package and a GREAT Electronic Device. MUCH Better then Sliced Bread! :)
by: Anonymous On: 2003-03-02
I purchased this cool MD Recorder about a month and a half ago, and it served my inital purpose of making recordings of my own voice outstandingly (I just had to buy a STEREO microphone and then attach it to the recorders MIC jack). But then I decided to try and use it for a more difficult purpose: to download songs from my computer onto it. This was kind of frustrating because I think it only works with Open MG Jukebox. So what I had to do was Import songs from my LimeWire playlist onto a playlist for MG Jukebox. But this didnt go over to well... 99% of the time, MG would not accept the files I was trying to transfer. I deduced that it does not accept MP3 files, but Im not sure if thats completely true. The odd time, it did work, but then the computer kept saying it could not detect my external device. I gave up with that; I think Ill just use a regular CD burner to burn songs.
But for anyone who is good at working around that kind of thing, or has a different main purpose like I do, this recorders GREAT! It is so compact and durable, the disks are really neat, and the sound quality far, far surpasses any cassette recorder! So thats why I gave this machine 4/5.
On: 2003-02-04
I bought this item 2 days ago and I am now enjoying great music. Software is fine and didnt gave any problem with Windows 2000 Pro and Windows XP Pro. You just dont have to rely on OpenMG, you can use Realone Player(Free), with NetMD driver to record music on the disc. Before buying this product, I was looking for portable MP3 players (discman). But after reading lots of reviews in amazon.com, I decided to go for this one. Only downside of Net MD is that you cant record or download anything to PC using USB cable.
On: 2002-12-28
After reading everything I could find on MP3 players and Minidisc units, I decided that minidisc held far too many advantages to not get one, and the Sony MZ-N707 was the one for me (mostly for cost issues). I am extrememly happy with my decision. Yes, the OpenMG software is buggy. But it does work. After installing it, I had it search my hard drive and import all of my MP3s which were ripped at 100% VBR (variable bit rate). I then created a 5+ hour playlist and asked it to transfer it to the included blank minidisc. Half an hour later, I came back to the computer to find that it was hung trying to convert the first song in the list! Next, I tried SimpleBurner to rip a CD directly to Minidisc. Worked flawlessly. Transferred about 4-5 CDs onto the single MD in lp4 mode (sounds good enough for me).
Had an idea and went back to OpenMG. Had it optimize the original playlist (create ATRAC files from the MP3 files) without sending to directly to the MD. Worked great! Fairly quick (about 20 minutes to convert 5+ hours of music), and was then able to download the songs to the MD. Next on the list to try was recording some of my spoken audio tapes. Was disappointed that syncro-recording does not work with analog recording, but that was easy enough to work with. Found out that after the end of the tape, the MD still records the silence in 2-3 second tracks. I had about 60 tracks to erase, one at a time! I would have loved to have the option to erase everything from here to the end. The only options are to 1)erase this track, or 2)erase the whole disc. All in all, an excellent piece of equipment. Software may be a little buggy, but it does work and Im sure it will be improved over time. The sound quality is excellent, the disc never skips, the unit is solid and light, and the media is [inexpensive]! Its the best of tape and CD all rolled together!
On: 2002-12-28
The MZ-N707 is my favorite travel accessory. Its so small you can comfortably tuck it into an inner jacket pocket and listen to whatever you like as you ride the metro or take a walk. It never skips, even when dropped, and the small remote is convenient - it lets you skip tracks or raise the volume without getting sweat on the player at the gym. Other useful accessories which are included are the AC adapter and rechargable battery (recording really can drain batteries), car kit with tape adapter and cigarette-lighter power supply, and a padded case. The "simple burner" works great, allowing you to copy a cd in minutes via your computers USB port. Handily, you can download the track names with CDDB, and make any changes you like simply by typing them on your computers keyboard. Unfortunately, the more sophisticated OpenMG Jukebox program, which promises to let you put MP3s onto Minidisc, is loaded with copyright controls and absurd restrictions that are designed to hinder music piracy, but instead make the program useless. So in conclusion, this is a great player, but only for making your own MDs from CDs. For MP3s which you have not made yourself, its nearly useless.
On: 2002-12-22
I have had absolutely no problems with this NetMD. The player itself is great, i love the remote, and the carrying case is also useful. The added car kit is extremely useful, and the group mode option is great for putting cds onto MD. As for complaints about the ease of use of the software, I have had no problems whatsoever, i found it easy and intuitive to learn and use. It has never crashed, never messed up mid-transfer, and has worked extremely well and quickly. The added cradle for recharging is great, and it was good that a minidisc actually came with the package. Overall, this was one of the better purchases i have made in a very long time. I highly reccomend this to anybody who wants portable music.Ok, im now editing my review after having had the player for a month. My respect for this great product has not dimished, and in fact, i have discovered several other great features. There is a sound level editor, so that if you like to listen to music with lots of bass, you can change the bass and treble levels. I really like this a lot, because i mostly use this for music which sounds great with maximum bass. another great thing about this is that the battery life is really long. with one rechargeable battery, supplied with the unit, i have recently flown to AUSTRALIA and back without recharging. even though i didnt listen to it the whole time, thats like 20 hours of play time, and the battery was still like 3/4 full. as for the open mg software, i still have no complaints with the way it runs on windows, but i wish there was some way to run the program on mac. a few of my friends also have minidisc players, and we cant get mp3s from the ones that have macs. thats probably my only complaint, so if you have windows, get this product, its great
On: 2002-12-08
Ive had my eye on this particular product for over a year, and I finally got it. Glad to say, it hasnt been disappointing, considering all of the other new mp3 players coming out now. Okay, so the headphones are very very short (try wearing them and put the md player in your pocket - it wont reach!), but the sound is still great. In the given mini disk, I was able to put in about 40 files. The package comes with pretty much everything, and more. The software isnt horrible, you just have to read the short manual to get the hang of it. And 32x isnt true, but its MUCH faster than waiting for my slow 4x burner to finish. Using MD is better than buying those big CD-Rs because you can delete, move, add, and rename tracks over and over. All in all, get this product if you want efficient quality, storage, and maitenence.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-12-01
This is simply the best product out there for the money, i ended up buying mine on sale at tweeters for 30 bucks less. It is amazing people say the software is complicated i thought it was very user friendly. I brought sony street syle head phones, great sound, and the carying case that it comes with is pointless. If u record in L2 the sound quality is amaing and u can fit a little over 2 hours, if u dont notice a difference in quality why playing in L4 form then record in that u will be able to fit much more on. Some people dont notice a difference between L2 and L4 i did a little but L4 is still amazing sound for this little player.BUy it
by: Anonymous On: 2002-11-09
I had other mp3 players(riovolts) but the sound quality of this is incomparable even to my new Philips CD System(300$).
I havent had any compalints with Open MG Software, it only crashed 1-5% of times(on 2GHz ,256MB RAM machine) everything will go fine after restarting the software.
Sound quality is really really great with the provided headphones. You would really enjoy crisp bass and treble on the same headphones. Its even great on the DJ closed ear headphones.
Its small size amazes me everyday.
Dont even dare to think of some other MP3 players(maybe except Ipod).
by: Anonymous On: 2002-11-02
This is definately the best thing ever invented!!!the software is not at all hard to use it is actually really easy. i have had it for only a day and i know how to do everything. the only thing that isnt kewl is that it doesnt come with the cable that you need to hook the MD Player up to a CD Player. So this is your best choice n just get the cable if u r gonna need it
On: 2002-10-21
Net MG Jukebox 2.2 is so buggy as to make one wonders how Sony dares to bundle it with such a nice MD player, and expect customers to swallow it. It effectively renders the MD player useless if you want to transfer MP3 files from a PC to Minidisc. As that was main main interest, Im thinking in returning it.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-10-04
So Ive read all the reviews, all had excellent points made. Everyone can agree that nothing is without its own flaws. Horror stories aside, to this day, I have yet to use Open MG (I dont do MP3). Simple Burner in LP2 mode has been quick and painless for me, thanks. In harsh contrast to my touchy CD burner, I do not have any "coaster" MDs on my coffee table placed near my ever-growing stack of "error" CD-Rs (that took twice as long to burn, I might add). I heavily used ONE AA dry cell battery with the 707 on my recent 2 1/2 week trip thru Europe while everyone elses MP3 and CD players were going silent every other DAY. I have a library of vinyl and mixtapes that Ive happily archived to MD with the 707 and couldnt be more thrilled with the results. The car kit and complimentary blank 80min. MD are Godsends as well. Also no drama with the supplied headphones and remote. All in all, Id buy another one!
by: Anonymous On: 2002-09-10
I like my Sony MZ-N707 and have always been very pleased with Sony products. I purchased my player a month ago and have enjoyed using it...that is, except for the OpenMG jukebox software. The software is complicated, crashes frequently, and really limits what you can burn. Two hundred and thirty dollars is a lot to pay for a player with beta version software. The player after all is only as good as the software it comes with. I am also dissapointed because Sony hasnt developed any upgrades for the software nor posted any truly helpful information on their website. I have contacted Sony about other jukebox compatibility (such as Musicmatch) and am waiting for a reply...well see. To sum my complaint up, if you want a good player then youve found one in the MZ-707 but be prepared for the headache of the OpenMG jukebox.
On: 2002-08-30
I had been looking into buying a new mini disc player for a few months. My last one had broken due to amny drops on my part and I find my mile and a hlaf walk home from school rather unbearable when their is not music encompassing me. After reading many revies and comparing the features... the N707 was the obvious choise. I didnt really need anything all too fancy... just something that was small, lightweight, had a mic-in and supported fast speed ording via the USb port. The unit is very small.. just barely wider than a disc about and fits nicely into my pocket. I had done recording on all four modes and quite personally they are sound prety good. LP4 mode does sound a bit tinny.. but to have about 5 hours woth of music... I think that is a small sacrafice. I think that LP2 msot is the best choice over all. The sound is still superb and you are given about 2 and a half hours worth os music. My only small complaint is the software.... I have foun that the best way to get around the copyright protection is to use nero to mount a virtual Cd-drive and then use simple burner and record from the mounted image. You can tehn use OpenMG jukebox and edit the files in any manner you see fitting. In the end I speak very highly of this product and recommend it to anyone who desires a small portable music player which is relatively to expan and delivers topnotch digital sound.
On: 2002-08-26
I bought the NetMD (MZ-N707) as a replacement for my portable CD player (that gave up on me after 7 good years of service). I have an extensive collection of CDs and I was going to start burning track selections with my PCs CD writer to listen on my portable. I would have to carry the bulky CDs and player around (AGAIN!) and they could only hold up to 72 minutes of music.
The greatest feature of the MD for me is the software that comes with it. Both allow you to select tracks, download its names and write straight to the MD.
I am very happy to carry such a small and light device, totally skip free, with 5-6 songs selections from 6-7 different CDs, in my commute back and forth from the office. My MDs have about ~35 songs each.
Battery never runs out as I let it to charge everyday overnight.
The software is very intuitive and has never given me any problems.
I have a Pentium II-400MHz/256MB/Windows 2000, quite old box, and it works properly. Each minute of music translates into 15 seconds of recording, what I dont find it bad at all. Just like when burning CDs, you cant do anything else while burning an MD. It is fair to say that each MD holds, on average, up to 2.5 CDs; and they are tiny!
I am not giving 5 stars because the price of the device is a bit too high. Although MDs are not (a lot) at all, and for now they are cheaper than blank CD-Rs. Even when you buy the recorded ones, that most of the time come with EXTRA tracks not available on the CDs.
The only portable players that can match or even be considered a better buy are the hard disk based players. But they are (a lot) and dont have half of the audio features, i.e., fiber link, microphone attachment etc.
I think Sony came a long way and now the MD is ready to "cross the chasm" and reach the general public and stop being perceived as an enthusiasts toy. It is definitely mature and very competitive.
My last piece of advice: If you are considering a memory based player, dont pull the trigger until you evaluate the MD. In my opinion, memory based players will perish soon and just the MD and the hard drive (5GB+) based will stay.
I am very passionate about the NetMD, but I did compare apples to apples before buying it. Great CD player replacement, beats any memory based device.
Dont listen to the mambo-jambo about proprietary ATRAC3 or whatever. The end result is what really matters.
On: 2002-07-23
I never thought that I could become good friends with a piece of electronic equipment, but it has now happened. This little minidisc player is great and definitely worth the price. Even though the software was a little annoying at first, it ended up being really great. The minidiscs dont ever skip, and the sound quality is amazing! Ive heard parts of songs that I never could before, even on a really good CD player. I recommend this product to anyone in the market. Plus, its super cute! The only bad thing I will say is that it doesnt come with a clip, so you cant clip it to a belt or pocket. Oh well!
by: Anonymous On: 2002-07-18
The n707 is awesome. Ive had it for a couple weeks now and I love it. I used to have an ancient sharp 702. the mdlp and the computer connectability is great. The software is great and easy to use. My minidisc player/recorder has replaced my discman. the recording is easy, less of a problem if a disc is lost or damaged, which has yet to happen, and i havent been able to make it skip on my bike, in the car, on rollerblades, or running. shop around for the best price and get one. it comes with everything you need except the cable with two stereo minijacks on it. The only complaint i have for it is my sharps inline remote was backlit and this one isnt.
On: 2002-07-10
I had recieved one of these as a fathers day gift and I was VERY excited about using it. I had done some research on it before I broke the seal and I was quite enthused about making my own minidiscs full of Mp3s. I was quite wrong. First It doesnt record MP3 tracks to the minidisc, it converts it to the ATRAC format (so you can just forget about using the MP3PRO format). The documentation that came with it said that each minidisc is able to be re-recorded over at least 1million times before the quality starts to degrade, but my minidisc actually quit recording tracks in the middle of a song transfer after about 3 re-recordings. I was just put off by my experiences with the player, and if you plan on using the enclosed Sony Software package be well prepared to read "Engrish". You would think that a company as big as Sony would at least localize the software for release in North America, but maybe I had an early build. I really LOVED the size of the player and the ease of it to fit into my shirt pocket. The remote could have been a lot better also, Ive noticed that on some of Sonys other minidisc remotes it has an LCD display. Maybe im asking for too much but it wouldve been nice to have that.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-07-08
I THINK this new gadget is GREAT! It really works try it OUT ITS GREAT
by: Anonymous On: 2002-06-12
I just bought this product, and Im very pleased with it. Unlike a Mp3 player, it lets you store a lot of songs, and its better than a Cd-Mp3 player also. Its compact, but not the most compact (see Crutchfield.com for more), but its has a good price to quality ratio. Overall, I am pleased with the sound, the options, and the recording capability, but the included program is a downfall. I did read the reviews before I bought this product and expected them to be true, but I didnt think my computer would be the same. My computer is a Windows XP Pro with a 60 GB hard drive with a Pentium III 1Ghz. Good enough, although its a year old. I installed the included program which promises transfers of 32x, (it does say up to) but the best I get is about 3 or 4 x. Im not kidding. Im tranferring songs as Im typing now, and its taking about a minute or two per song for an mp3 file. So speed isnt a good part, but this player is great. And for those who are new in MiniDiscs, its a good product. Its in between a floppy and a cd, so you can think of it as a rewritable cd with recording capabilities. My main purpose was to record myself play an instrument and it serves my purpose well. It has great sound quality...
On: 2002-06-11
Unbelievable skip protection on the Net MD. On technical mountain bike trails cd players are out...completely (they are in a state of perpetual skip and you almost never hear even a note). I have been stuck with my old tape walkman for years as a result...until now. The Net MD never skips even on a rocky trail with 3 foot dropoffs...I even wrecked and it didnt skip! Despite some of the other reviews here, I have no complaints about the software, it works great. The storage capacity on the mini discs at 5 hours (in lp4) seals the deal. The sound quality is great on lp4. Now that I have the MD, I question why I ever even considered an mp3 player.
On: 2002-06-05
Well I think that this system is actually quite good. With its 56 hours of battery life, and great Features inc. WMA,MP3,ARTRAC 3, WAV. These functions all means that this is compatable with mp3 but you just save it in your Blank Mini Disc. Although the slight downfall of this is quite small, is that the LCD remote control has no backlight, and should be the matching colour with the device its self. But that,I think is what makes the minidisc player last longer because the backlight takes up 15% of the energy. So i still think that This minidisc player is really good and sounds better than anything on earth.So this is my personal rating
DEREK ******************************************************
On: 2002-06-05
I got the MZ-N707 about a month ago, and I love it.
Id considered getting an Mp3 player but [price] for 128MB is simply too expensive.
Here I can burn numerous disks with hours of music and get new disks for as low as [price] each. Thats great!
Theres no skipping like in Portable CD players. Ive done recordings on SP and LP2 and they are great.
Also dubbed all my old cassette tapes onto MD using the Line In.
Its great to be able to consolidate everything onto this minidisc player with great battery life. Now concerning the software... I dont find it that bad, normally I dont make more than 1 or 2 recordings of my files so its no big deal. OpenMG does crash every so often but not any more than my old win 95 machine used to crash. Plus all i have to do is restart OpenMG and it continues on from the point where it crashed. No big deal. Overall highly recommend it as a MP3 player and personal recorder as well.
On: 2002-06-04
I chose this model after seeing it at sonystyle.com and it delivers everything it promised. Instaling OpenMG jukebox(the software you need to tranfer the songs), took 10-15 min.(pentium III at 850Mhz,Win XP)without any problems. Its easy and intuitive to use, and any one that uses Winamp or any other mp3 player, should have no problems getting around. Just import tracks to the jukebox and transfer to MD. You can create playlist and sort tracks by various factors(style,album,artist,etc). A 5:21 track at 256kbps takes about 30 secs to tranfer, and a full MD at LP2 mode(about 3 hours of music)less than 10 min.Only problem is my winamp playlists are not recognized. The player itself is small, light and looks great in metalic blue and never skips. Some of the functions are a bit tricky to use, but after a week Ive got no problems. Sound quality even in LP2 mode is as good as an 256kbps mp3. The remote, altough not very cool looking and without lcd, has all the basic functions you need and is easy to use. The headphones supplied are not very good and look out-of-date. Biggest problems, and only reasons why I dont give it 5 stars, are the fact that you cant record something with the player and transfer it to your pc, and the very poor manual and online help, in case you need them. Overall a very good player, excelent for those who have loads of mp3 on their pc.
On: 2002-05-25
Ill start with the good points:
1. Lightweight and totally portable
2. I personally think the LP4 mode sounds fine. I constantly use it while on the subway going places. 5 hours per disc kicks any portable mp3 player in the pants.
3. Battery life is great! Even the rechargable is impressive.
4. BEST PART. I use the mic in with the sony MS-907 microphone and the results are superb. I have simple recordings of myself playing guitar and the recordings sound like I am in the room. I havent tried dumping any recordings back onto the computer yet, but supposedly I have to do that through the analog jack. Bad points
1. The headphones that come with it [are bad], but this is no news to anyone.
2. The remote takes some getting used to and it could be a little better designed.
3. 32X is a crock. Id say realistically I transfer tunes about 10x speed and I have a 800mh PIII. Still not bad. You can go from there.
4. The Software. Let me repeat. The software is hands down the worst part of this package. As you have probably read, tracks must be checked in or out using the Open MG Jukebox software. You can only check out 3 at a time. Honestly, this is NO BIG DEAL because you can always re-import the file to the playlist and you get 3 fresh credits. So dont let that bother you. I do have errors frequently not letting me check in a file that I checked out. I just delete it off the player and re-import the file if I need more credits. Thats the way around Sonys attempt to police what I do with MY music. The problem for me is that when you import a file the ID2 & ID3 tags must be in place. It doesnt just list each mp3 as whatever it is named. Let me explain. Open any song on your Winamp. Right click on the song and check out File Info. If these arent filled in (which most of the time they arent) then the artist is recognized as UNKNOWN on the MD Jukebox. I have about 5,000 mp3s on my computer, so I literally spent hours upon hours editing these tags JUST so I could find mp3s in the Jukebox that I was looking for. Once I did that, everything was smooth and was alphabetical. If you only have a couple of hundreds mp3s, then it probably wont bother you until you have thousands. All in all, the player is excellent quality, so far. Recording with a mic is most impressive and I look forward to using it at my gigs, rehearsals, etc. The only hinderance is the software, but there are ways around some of the rules.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-05-22
I use the MZ N707 on the job, recording meetings, speeches, etc. This is a great tool, vastly superior to any tape recorder. The sound quality, using Sony mic ms907, is just amazing. Its relatively easy to quickly move through a recording for key points and to transcribe notes. The only real con, and its a minor one, are the control buttons. They arent as responsive as I would like. The remote is cheap, and somewhat disappointing considering the quality of the product, but functional. If I could upgrade the remote, I would. One change Sony could make: please include the means to attach a carrying strap to unit.
On: 2002-05-21
THE GOOD here, and there is good, is a well made bit of hardware with excellent sound, long battery life, compact size, etc. I didnt even mind Sonys digital rights management, designed to ensure you dont go into production of MD discs full of other peoples music.THE BAD is that, while the device is fairly well optimized for ripping CDs, and at that, the DRM isnt a hinderance to anyone making copies for all their friend (as opposed to all of the East Coast). But its huge hinderance for field recording, a perfectly legal pursuit. I can download YOUR music from CD at up to 32x over USB, or via optical TOSlink in realtime, but I cant upload MY recording digitally to a PC. Period. Only output is analog. THE UGLY is that you are intentionally deceived. None of the MD players support anything but ATRAC or ATRAC3 on-disc. The DRM software has to convert MP3 or WMA files to ATRAC/ATRAC3 for download, dropping in quality vs. pure MP3. The current version of their DRM doesnt support VBR MP3s, period, and seems to choke on most ID tags. So even in transcoding, its not MP3 compliant (VBR is a requirement of the MP3 spec, and supported on virtually any player youll find). Your 5-hour playing time is only by way of LP4, which is 66Kb/s ATRAC3. Maybe not as cheesy and full of artifacts as WMA, but questionable for music.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-05-17
I really dont see the big deal with with the limit to "check out" a particular track from your computer 3 times maximum. OK, so,... I can have one particular "burn" of a song come off my computer onto minidisc three times,. why would I want anymore than 3?
This recorder/player is awesome!,. The transfer of computer to minidisc could not be much easier. Very impressive battery life.
The most important and impressive feature of this unit is the G shock protection. I RUN with it,. and I mean run,. not light jogging. I use a small waistpack with the player inside,. strapped realtively tight around my waist so it wont bounce. I have been on the local trails,. up and down hills,. which can be jolting (downhill),. I have run pickup sprints,.. NOT ONE SKIP,.. NOT ONCE!! I was so happy with this, I got one for my wife.
I dont see how someone could give this unit a bad rating,. it does everything it says.
On: 2002-05-15
Basically, I think the MD format is terrific! The sound quality of the ATRAC3 is excellent!However, the main gripe I have seems to be the same as everyone elses. The copy protection scheme is annoying. I do a lot of "original" recording via the analog input on my sports model. It would be nice if I could copy that to my hard disk ( any OS, since I use several, mostly NOT Windows ) and be able to make my edits and also to back up my audio on cheap data CDs for archival purposes. This seems possible, the software just doesnt allow it. Also, I run MacOSX 10.1.4 and BeOS 5.03 ( I know, a dead OS, but it works! ) Still, a good product. However, if it were more flexible, it would be a "perfect" product. Also, if it had a "data" mode as well, it would be super!!!!!
On: 2002-05-02
I hate being told what I can and cant do with products I buy. If I want to buy expensive electronics for use as a doorstop, then thats my choice. But Sony, in their zeal to be all things to no people, has created this travesty of a product. Despite what the package lingo says, you CANNOT play MP3 or WAV files. They get converted to Sonys proprietary (and much clunkier) format. Furthermore, the OpenMG software provided by Sony for this purpuse [STINKS]. It is the ONLY piece of software that has EVERY caused a blue screen of death on my Windows XP laptop and its a VAIO! If Sony cant get their software to play nice on their own products, how do you expect it to work with anything else? The interface is clunky to say the least, the conversion is slow, the instructions pitiful, and the feedback from both the unit and the software is so awful that you have to wonder if a first grade student who spoke no English wrote the interface. Its almost impossible for me to say anything positive about this product because it was so bad. It took me over an hour to install the software and another 2 hours removing it and cleaning up after it. It leaves stuff littered all over your hard drive. Not to mention that now that Ive uninstalled it, my Quicktime wont work anymore. DONT BUY ANY SONY PORTABLE PRODUCTS unless its a tape player or a CD player and Ill bet you that with their CD players theyre going to start putting in stuff to protect their precious record catalog. Imagine not being able to play CD-Rs. Impossible you say? Just watch. Ill bet you its coming, and Ill bet you Sony starts it.
On: 2002-05-02
I recently purchased the Sony MZ-N707. I must admit I was a little worried with the way the software was going to hold up. I had read many complaints about the Open MG.
To my surprize, the software works great. The second I got it, I transferred all my mp3s directly onto it through LP2 and then I ripped my entire CD collection through the NetMD Simple Burner. I used the LP4 so to provide with about 5 hours worth of music. I am into mostly hip hop and a little punk and I could not tell the difference between LP2, LP4 compared to a CD.
I love my new unit. It has many awesome features and a cool little remote. The headphones [stink], but you can always go purchase others. I would say the only two disadvantages I ran into while playing with my unit would be 1. Converting the mp3s to ATRAC3 (which can take a little while) and 2. Some songs which you already have downloaded are copyrighted against importing to Open MG. I have not ran into many songs which have been blocked.
All in all, I would highly recomend this unit to all who enjoy countless hours on extremely [inexpensive] discs. Plus the ... thing just looks ...cool. ...
by: Anonymous On: 2002-05-01
This is great, the only problem is music downloading... This is the best MD!
On: 2002-04-19
But one wonders if Sony is even on the right track in trying to remain relevant in the mp3-centric digital music world.I think something like NetMD would have been utterly fantastic three years ago, when USB-enabled computers were starting to gain mainstream adoption, and before hard disk and cd-r burner prices hadnt dropped low enough for more people to rip and burn their music collection. Then, I think, the ability to transfer up to five hours of music onto a single, (relatively) inexpensive minidisc would have held greater appeal. Regardless of timing, the NetMD technology is still pretty neat. You are able to transfer digital content, either imported mp3/wma or audio CDs, directly to minidisc using one of three compression settings. SP, the full-bore setting, allows up to 80 minutes on one disc, and is the best sounding of the three. It is "lossy" compression, like mp3, but to my damaged ears, they sound at least as good as CDs. LP2 doubles the storage time, but the increased compression makes the resulting recordings sound like... well, ALMOST as good as a 160kbps cbr mp3. Almost. LP4 quadruples storage time, but as you might guess, the sound quality is pretty dodgy, comparable to a poorly ripped 128kbps (or lower) cbr mp3. LP4 is pretty much a lost cause as far as most rock goes, but it is surprisingly passable for hip-hop and spoken word (and probably for most electronica, but I have yet to test this). As far as transferring existing mp3/wma content goes, I wouldnt recommend it (I know, it pretty much nulls the hype of NetMD, doesnt it?). Ive tried converting a batch of 160kbps cbr mp3s to SP and LP2, using the included OpenMG Jukebox (or as some folks call it, the OMFG Jokebox). At SP, the sound quality is comparable to the original, but the transfer to MD takes almost as long as the length of the content. Transfer in LP2 is faster, if you disregard the processor-hog conversion to ATRAC LP2 mode, but the sound quality takes a nosedive. From what Ive read, OMFG Jokebox is notoriously unstable. Or so Ive read. Ive been able to successfully install it on two separate Windows 2000 Pro machines, and Im feeling so lucky, Im going to buy a lottery ticket once Im done with this review. In the meanwhile, Ive been using the Net MD Simple Burner program to transfer audio CD content directly to MD (mostly in LP2 mode, with some LP4, but for some weird reason, SP is NOT available as a transfer mode with Simple Burner!). I have started amassing a usable variety of discs packed with songs for the gym or for walks in the park, and from there on, its straightforward MD goodness. Compact form factor, high skip resistance, durable media, high battery life. Basically all the things that most CD-R/W mp3 players (especially the 3" units) arent. Im inclined to agree that Sony munged the Minidisc yet again, this time with questionable software, but the good news is that I am still able to make use of NetMD. Drop me a line if you have any questions or war stories to share.
On: 2002-04-12
In a bit of a hurry, I purchased one of these primarily to record digital audio on location using the mic input. The package states support for .wav, and so I expected to be able to copy to my PC and export to .wav or something usable elsewhere. I learned the hard way that it cant be done, or at least they work hard to prevent it. The software locks you into their proprietary anti-copy world, which may be fine if youre a mainstream user (though I really think its gotta be confusing at first for most). For me its death and now Ive gotta return this gorgeous piece of hardware :(
On: 2002-04-11
In a nutshell, Sony has muddied the incredible promise of their MD players with a copy protection scheme that further proves the music industry is run by money-grubbing ogres. Unless Sony separates their music hardware business from their music software business, the latter is going to destroy the former. Despite the impression given by the Sony web site, you cannot transfer MP3 files directly to your player. Instead, you must use the proprietary OpenMG Jukebox software to import your MP3 files and convert them to a new format -- ATRAC3. The OpenMG program uses an annoying check-in/check-out system to transfer the ATRAC3 files to the players MD. You check-out a song when you transfer it to the MD, but youre limited to only 3 transfers. If you check the song back in, which removes it from the MD, you get credit for another transfer. If you use up all of your transfers, you have to re-import (and convert to ATRAC3) the original MP3 file into OpenMG. The 32X transfer speed hyped for the new NetMD players is only for files which use the lowest quality ATRAC3 bit rate (66 kbps) and the time to convert your MP3 files to the ATRAC3 format is not included. If you use the higher quality bit rates (105 kbps and 132 kbps are your only other choices), the transfer time (and conversion from MP3) is slower. You can always rip your CDs directly to OpenMG in ATRAC3, but you wont be able to export them to the standard MP3 format. I bought my MD player so I could listen to my CD collection while working out or lounging by the pool. In anticipation of receiving it, Ive been busy ripping my CDs to my home computer. I dont want to deal with converting them to another format (why should I?) and I dont want to be bothered with checking files in/out and I dont want to be forced to use OpenMG to manage my music collection. You may be wondering if the check-in/check-out system is actually annoying in practice or if it just sounds like it would be. You also may be wondering how the various ATRAC3 bit rates sound. Unfortunately, I cant help you because Im returning my player to Circuit City without having experienced a single note of music. The copy protection hurdles are more than I want to jump. Im not a criminal and my music player shouldnt be my adversary. Fortunately, there are plenty of good MP3 players from other manufacturers, though I will miss the low media cost that MD promised (heavy sigh). May Sony NetMD R.I.P.
On: 2002-04-04
I just got it last weekend. After using it for several days, I can say it is really a great MD. Although its a little pricey, it is worth every penny you spend.
1. Its sound quality is really good(Im using LP2 mode), better than mp3.
2. It can download the mp3 from you PC also its fast.
3. Using LP2 mode can hold double songs(about 33) than the normal CD. The sound quality is the same with the CDs. (for me, I couldnt tell the difference between them)
4. The shap is really cool, espacially the blue one.But theres still have some disadvantages about it:
1.the remote is not the LCD type, as a result its somewhat hard to control.
2.The carry case is easy to drop from your belt(coz I often carry the Laptop, the first day I was using it, it drop twice.) After all, its a great MD recorder.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-04-04
The Sony 707 is a good unit...if you have a superfast computer! They should put a warning on the box..do not buy unless you have a Pentium 4 running at 2 G ! Anything slower than Pentium 2, 400 MHz WILL STALL. It seems frustrating at times that you need to have a 1500 dollar computer to run the 230 dollar unit! Also in the overzealous attempt to protect copyright the software takes you on a wild ride, you need to check out songs and check them back in, a sort of tag system. Then there is the deal with COPYGUARD! If you ahve mp3s burned on a CD and then decide to transfer them to MD, you are out of luck. The software needs to be modified and more user friendly..if a computer enginner like me has issues with this software I suppose only geeks will love the trails this software takes you through.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-03-30
The MZ-N707 is one of the best mini disc players of all of the types that are out now. It is only rivaled by the MZ-N1 which is also made by Sony, but which I feel, is over priced. On the other hand the MZ-N707 is the perfect size and weight, and works perfectly. It destroys its competition with the new Net MD Mini Disk burning speed of 32X. This product rivals or beats any other music, CD or mp3 player in the world, including Apples new product, the Ipod. This is the best product that you can get for a decent price. Keep putting out the good products Sony!!!
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