Sony MZ-N505S Net MD Walkman Player/Recorder (Silver)
By: Sony Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 110
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 On: 2007-12-24
The Sony MZ-N505, when it first came out, was like a miracle gadget. After years of allotting the minidisc storage capacity to a maximum of 74 or 80 minutes per disc, Sony invented the LP2 and LP4 recording modes which allowed at least three hours and five hours, respectively. A great product this truly is, and it almost surprised me that there was not the marketing breakthrough that would vanquish companies who were pushing the non-minidisc MP3 players.
I thought and still think that the competitors products were inferior; however, the latter group had a dual advantage: where Sony was limited to the seemingly obsolete ATRAC/SonicStage software, their gadgets could download and burn CDs using Windows Media Player, Real Player, Napster and the like. This lone fact is what I think discouraged MD sales. Sony apparently has given up on this great invention, which I think is a shame.
Since the Sony MZ-505, there has been the HI-MD format, which allows a greater recording storage capacity than LP2 or LP4. Also, this particular line allows PCM quality recording but at a lower storage capacity. Still, the MZ-505 is a great item with its prior NET-MD capabilities. With the minidisc-compatible technology that has been created since 2002, when I purchased this item, there is so much that you can still do!
There are companies such as Xitel and M-Audio that have come out with driver updates and products that have made this particular product compatible with Windows XP and Windows Vista so that you can access major nonsubscription MP3 and WAV file downloadable sources.
So for those who have thought of discarding their MD players and discs, I say dont!
 On: 2007-10-05
If you can stream it, you can record it. Anything that has a headphones output can be recorded into the MD. Im talking about real time recording. Yes the Mp3 player can download music files more quickly but you can not record in real time with the Mp3 players. For example, I like to record internet radio stations. Also I have an internet music player service for $10 a month that allows me to listen to a HUGE selection of music all day long but I can not transfer any song to an Mp3 player with out actually buying the track for $1. Well as I said above... if you can stream it you can record it to MD... you know what Im sayin? Also the long play of the MD allows about 150 minutes per MD. I use this rate for everything. Most of the internet DJ mixes (shows) I like are 2 hours long so it works well for me. Also I have about a dozed MDs that I keep in circulation, because they are re-recordable. Ive erased and recorded on each disk god knows how many times. I own the Sony Recording MD Walkman MZ-R700... I bought it 6 years ago and it still plays/records... however its on its last leg... that is the reason Im browsing through the Amazon store looking to buy a new one. Also a single AA battery will play for what Im guessing to be about 40 hours, however a fresh AA will only record for about 1-2 hours (so keep the AC adapter handy for recording. Also there are 2 inputs for recording. One is the MIC in (yes you can also record live music or your professors lecture using a microphone) however i notice that input tends to introduce static and white noise. this can be a probem if you are hoping the MD player will automaticall create a new track number when it picks up a second or two of silence. the second input is optical. The MD player comes with a converter so you can convert the USB output to an Optical signal that records clean. One draw back to that Ive noticed (and you computer folks out ther can solve this problem) that when you use the USB output the sound from the headphones output on your computer turns off. You can only monitor (listen) to what you are recording via the headphones output on the MD player... this sucks if you are trying to queue up songs in a mix or recording only segments of a radio program or a comedy show or something.
On: 2006-05-13
Ive been using MDs for almost 8 years now, and I can honestly say that, though they might not be for everyone, theyre still better then either CDs or cassettes, portability-wise.
The biggest deterrent to these is that people read reviews of consumers who didnt know what they were getting into and completely slammed the product. THIS IS NOT AN MP3 PLAYER. It cant do all the things that MP3 players can do. You register it on one computer and all the files you download from that computer, you can upload them back on that SAME computer. You cant download from one computer, then upload onto another computer, or from cd to computer, or voice to computer, or MD to computer. But of course with the cheap MP3 players available, you cant really do some of that either.
Standard MDs hold from 74 to 500 minutes of music, depending on the compression format. That means that every disc is almost equivalent to one 512MB capacity MP3 player. The new Hi-MDs can take a standard disc and put up to 13.5 hours of music, or 810 minutes, equivalent to 800MB (at CD quality compression). But on the new Hi-MD discs, you can put up to 45 hours of music, or 2700 minutes, equivalent to a small iPod nano. Again, just remember that if you constantly move from one computer to the next, it might not be the wisest choice, although for laptop users, MDs might be a good choice for the price conscious.
You might think Im a spokesperson for Sony or any other MD company (JVC, Aiwa, and others have made in the past; Sharp, and Panasonic still make), but Im just someone whos been with them since the beginning, and am stil a fan of. As far as Im concerned, Id rather have a Hi-MD then an iPod, they come cheaper too. As for this particular model, the MZ-N505, mine is a few years old, dont know how old exactly, and it still plays fine, although it doesnt record anymore.
MDs are still very popular in Japan where they have completely replaced the cassette. In some new cars in america, you can still get a cassette deck, not in Japan. MD players there cost between [...] al the way to [...] for the Hi-MDs. They may never have caught on here, but they compete with the iPod over there, so they cant be all that bad.
On: 2006-05-12
Ive been using MDs for almost 8 years now, and I can honestly say that, though they might not be for everyone, theyre still better then either CDs or cassettes, portability-wise.
The biggest deterrent to these is that people read reviews of consumers who didnt know what they were getting into and completely slammed the product. THIS IS NOT AN MP3 PLAYER. It cant do all the things that MP3 players can do. You register it on one computer and all the files you download from that computer, you can upload them back on that SAME computer. You cant download from one computer, then upload onto another computer, or from cd to computer, or voice to computer, or MD to computer. But of course with the cheap MP3 players available, you cant really do some of that either.
Standard MDs hold from 74 to 500 minutes of music, depending on the compression format. That means that every disc is almost equivalent to one 512MB capacity MP3 player. The new Hi-MDs can take a standard disc and put up to 13.5 hours of music, or 810 minutes, equivalent to 800MB (at CD quality compression). But on the new Hi-MD discs, you can put up to 45 hours of music, or 2700 minutes, equivalent to a small iPod nano. Again, just remember that if you constantly move from one computer to the next, it might not be the wisest choice, although for laptop users, MDs might be a good choice for the price conscious.
You might think Im a spokesperson for Sony or any other MD company (JVC, Aiwa, and others have made in the past; Sharp, and Panasonic still make), but Im just someone whos been with them since the beginning, and am stil a fan of. As far as Im concerned, Id rather have a Hi-MD then an iPod, they come cheaper too. As for this particular model, the MZ-N505, mine is a few years old, dont know how old exactly, and it still plays fine, although it doesnt record anymore.
MDs are still very popular in Japan where they have completely replaced the cassette. In some new cars in america, you can still get a cassette deck, not in Japan. MD players there cost between [...] al the way to [...] for the Hi-MDs. They may never have caught on here, but they compete with the iPod over there, so they cant be all that bad.
On: 2006-04-19
The greatest player I have ever purchased. I own two models. The MZ-n505 & the MZ-nf610 (type s) The MZ-n505 I use at work while I am on the job. I have had it for 2 years and it is still going. I have dropped it and god knows what else. I love having the option to put all of my music on a mini disk. Unlike the mp3 players where you have a limit or have to pay a fortune to expand it. And not counting these Ipods that are so small and delicate. The other model (MZ-nf610) that I have I use at home and comes with the fm tuner, I dont use it. I am not a big fan of FM radio anyways. Both models are great players. Also the option of having one rechargable double AA battery is the best. You can recharge the double AA while it is still in the player! I can listen to my NetMd 8hrs without having to recharge. Another way to save you money. Now on the sound quality if your record your music on the standard option it will sound great, but if you try to save space on downgrade your quality you can fit about 60 or more songs (give or take) on one mini disk. Overall this is my favorite portable audio player, and would buy from Sony again and definately a NetMD player!
On: 2006-04-18
The greatest player I have ever purchased. I own two models. The MZ-n505 & the MZ-nf610 (type s) The MZ-n505 I use at work while I am on the job. I have had it for 2 years and it is still going. I have dropped it and god knows what else. I love having the option to put all of my music on a mini disk. Unlike the mp3 players where you have a limit or have to pay a fortune to expand it. And not counting these Ipods that are so small and delicate. The other model (MZ-nf610) that I have I use at home and comes with the fm tuner, I dont use it. I am not a big fan of FM radio anyways. Both models are great players. Also the option of having one rechargable double AA battery is the best. You can recharge the double AA while it is still in the player! I can listen to my NetMd 8hrs without having to recharge. Another way to save you money. Now on the sound quality if your record your music on the standard option it will sound great, but if you try to save space on downgrade your quality you can fit about 60 or more songs (give or take) on one mini disk. Overall this is my favorite portable audio player, and would buy from Sony again and definately a NetMD player!
On: 2005-12-10
I have had this MD player for about 3 years now, and love it. At first, I thought it wouldnt be as good as an MP3 player but how wrong I was. I purchased an MP player for my 13 year old a year ago and it died in less than a year. First the casing wore out and evenutally the player was unusable. Meanwhile, this MD player kept on going. Both of my kids have used it and I have dropped it at least 50 times, usually it just keeps playing. I have had no issues with it. And, I havent experienced the battery issues or software issues that people complain of. But I like to mix my MDs and then rarely change the music on each one, so theres not a lot of uploading once I get it onto my mini discs, its basically there for good.
On: 2005-12-09
I have had this MD player for about 3 years now, and love it. At first, I thought it wouldnt be as good as an MP3 player but how wrong I was. I purchased an MP player for my 13 year old a year ago and it died in less than a year. First the casing wore out and evenutally the player was unusable. Meanwhile, this MD player kept on going. Both of my kids have used it and I have dropped it at least 50 times, usually it just keeps playing. I have had no issues with it. And, I havent experienced the battery issues or software issues that people complain of. But I like to mix my MDs and then rarely change the music on each one, so theres not a lot of uploading once I get it onto my mini discs, its basically there for good.
On: 2005-11-25
excellent sound quality using the highest record speed. using LP2 record, i was able to fit 45 songs to one MiniDisc. VERY long battery life. Ive had my player since December 2002 & never had any problems. Software for file tansfer is horribly slow. Overall, this is a nice little MiniDisc player & i plan to buy another one when this one dies.
 On: 2005-07-26
A major shortcoming of this offering is that you cannot convert your existing MDs into mp3 files. I wrongly assumed that since you could place MP3s onto MDs that you could perform the reverse operation, BUT you cannot.
Therefore, my existing MDs cannot be converted to mp3s, which is exceedingly frustrating.
If anyone knows of an offering where this is possible, would you post it here??
On: 2005-04-04
In a world now flooded and governed by Apple I Pods and Dell DJs this little player could not last very long in a battle it was destined to loose. Almost three years ago I bought a Sony NET MD Walkman, and even then, if I remember correctly, it was already loosing ground to MP3, flash and hard-disk, based players. Nonetheless, to me, this device was all that I needed.
Some of the features that impressed me the most were the very compact and good looking design. Also, the interface was extremely easy to learn and use. Initially, I was not very pleased with the software it included because it was confusing, not to mention it created copies of the songs in the format that could be used by the player, but it stored them deep in Windows where you could not find them. As time went on I became irritated on why my computer free space kept decreasing even when I didnt install any new programs.
Transferring songs to the player became a lot easier once Real included a plug-in for this device on their media player. After that I absolutely started loving this walkman. Yeah, you could not have all your songs in one MD disk, but that was a minor fault. The quality of the sound depended on the quality of your original files; for example the higher the "bit" rate on you MP3s or WAVs the higher the quality on you MD. One time I was able to fit well over 50 songs on one MD, and used to carry about five MDs; therefore, that was all that I needed.
As I mentioned before I have had this walkman for about three years now, and every button works - the silver paint is starting to come off. However, as long as it works there is no reason for me to get anything else. Overall, the Sony NET MD Walkman is an excellent product.
 On: 2005-03-27
heres the quick and dirty on the sony net md walkman line... they work great and play great and the mini-discs are cool BUT their software absolutely sucks. you CANNOT just transfer mp3 files, you have to convert EVERYTHING to the sony proprietary format first and then transfer the files, and you have to do this all with the sony sonicstage software which is a major pain to use. on top of that the transfer rates are WAAAY slow. stay away unless you really love sony for some reason. had I known that you have to convert everything to ATRAC3 before it would transfer the files I would have never bought this thing.
On: 2005-01-05
There are a lot of great reviews of this product, so Ill keep this one short:
Pros:
- Excellent, Super, Outstanding battery life.
- Tiny profile and footprint.
- Software is easy to use.
- CDs compressed with Sonys native encoder sound fantastic.
- 2 years old and still running.
Cons:
- Can only compress music 2:1 before sound quality degrades noticeably.
- MP3s and WMAs converted to the Sony format sound awful.
- Player menu is a little confusing.
- Player will randomly skip in the middle of a track, even if no bumping of the player has occurred in over 10 minutes.
Basically, I bought this a couple years ago because I thought it was an economical way to port around a music library. iPods were more expensive at the time, but I think if Id figured out how many minidiscs Id have to buy to fit onto one of the iPods of the day, I probably would have gone with the more expensive iPod. I ended up buying an iPod anyway, because I got sick of lugging around a stack of minidiscs. However, if youre sold on the minidisc format, it works really well, and is a steal at the price.
On: 2005-01-05
The Type-R upgrade to ATRAC3 adds better sound and LP modes along with compatibility with your older minidiscs. Power management is better than anything else out there: the minidisc only spins when data is read from it, so most of the time the device is idle while playing music. This achieves enormous battery life of over 50 hours per single AA battery. Thats right, a single AA battery powers this unit for over 50 hours. I dont even have portable radios that can last as long.
The sound is pleasant with the in-ear headphones that Sony makes, but not the throw-aways that come with this product. There are two "mega-bass" levels which make up for ambient noises in an office or subway train. Artifacts from the ATRAC3 recording are not as noticeable as they are with MP3, but are more noticeable than Apple iPods AAC. Even the older ATRAC minidiscs from my older minidisc player sound better on this machine. Im not sure how Sony managed to do that.
One of my two chief complaints with all the Sony minidiscs is the rather lousy software used to transfer CD, MP3, WAV, and WMA music to the unit, but luckily you can use RealPlayer from www.real.com to record minidiscs.
The second complaint is the use of "folders". In order to listen to your minidisc all the way through, which is how I think most people listen to music, you need to record your songs at the root level. If they are in folders the device requires you to "navigate" out of the sub-folders using, of all things, the "Group/Cancel" button on the front bezel. There is no way to remove the group feature if its recorded already without re-recording your disc. Again, luckily, the RealPlayer can avoid this silliness.
Transferring songs via USB takes about 5 minutes for an entire 5-hour minidisc. As for the copy-protected rules that control copying data to and from a minidisc, I will leave that to other reviewers; a similar scheme is in place for Sony Magicgate and other Sony portables and I wont discuss it here. See www.minidisc.org for more information on how Sony tries to protect copyrights.
If you want to record 5 hours of music per two-dollar disc, then this product is the right one. Per hour, that cost is a tiny fraction of any portable music player that uses flash memory. If youre really into music but dont enjoy wasting money on players with bad sound and horribly expensive memory storage then you must get a minidisc!
On: 2005-01-04
The Type-R upgrade to ATRAC3 adds better sound and LP modes along with compatibility with your older minidiscs. Power management is better than anything else out there: the minidisc only spins when data is read from it, so most of the time the device is idle while playing music. This achieves enormous battery life of over 50 hours per single AA battery. Thats right, a single AA battery powers this unit for over 50 hours. I dont even have portable radios that can last as long.
The sound is pleasant with the in-ear headphones that Sony makes, but not the throw-aways that come with this product. There are two "mega-bass" levels which make up for ambient noises in an office or subway train. Artifacts from the ATRAC3 recording are not as noticeable as they are with MP3, but are more noticeable than Apple iPods AAC. Even the older ATRAC minidiscs from my older minidisc player sound better on this machine. Im not sure how Sony managed to do that.
One of my two chief complaints with all the Sony minidiscs is the rather lousy software used to transfer CD, MP3, WAV, and WMA music to the unit, but luckily you can use RealPlayer from www.real.com to record minidiscs.
The second complaint is the use of "folders". In order to listen to your minidisc all the way through, which is how I think most people listen to music, you need to record your songs at the root level. If they are in folders the device requires you to "navigate" out of the sub-folders using, of all things, the "Group/Cancel" button on the front bezel. There is no way to remove the group feature if its recorded already without re-recording your disc. Again, luckily, the RealPlayer can avoid this silliness.
Transferring songs via USB takes about 5 minutes for an entire 5-hour minidisc. As for the copy-protected rules that control copying data to and from a minidisc, I will leave that to other reviewers; a similar scheme is in place for Sony Magicgate and other Sony portables and I wont discuss it here. See www.minidisc.org for more information on how Sony tries to protect copyrights.
If you want to record 5 hours of music per two-dollar disc, then this product is the right one. Per hour, that cost is a tiny fraction of any portable music player that uses flash memory. If youre really into music but dont enjoy wasting money on players with bad sound and horribly expensive memory storage then you must get a minidisc!
 On: 2004-12-07
I have had this player for a little over a year and a half and it has just stopped recording. I called Sony and they said it can be replaced for $109 (not including tax and shipping & Handling) which is clearly not worth it. I tried to search for a fix online and found that a lot of other people have the same problem with the player. Not only that but the problem occurs at around the same time, a year and a half to two years. Before the problem occured the minidisc was a great player. I would buy a five pack of minidisc and be able to record and carry 25 to 30 cds worth of material in my pocket. The player is so good that after it broke I still thought about going to get another one, but after reading the other people who have had problems with the system I think Ill be moving back to cds. It was good while it lasted.
On: 2004-11-18
Ive had this net md for a little over a year, and had had no problems what so ever with it (the software on the other hand is a whole different story, useless/buggy is an understatement). The unit had never been dropped, however on one occasion it was moved a little roughly (however not enough in my opinion to warrant its failure) and the sound produced has since been crackly and distorted, often not working at all. We invested in another player, only to have the same issue (an internal circuit board becomes easily dislodged and must be repaired with ultrafine soldering equipment). To have this happen with 2 players in one household is appauling on Sonys behalf, and I can only imagine others have suffered too.
Transfer speeds are average, usb2 stated compliance is a myth, and help from Sony is almost nonexistant.
If you are looking for portable audio, look elsewhere, as netMD simply never took off, for a very good reason. USB players with no moving parts would be the next best option unless you want to find yourself with $100 repair bills for a $150 player...
On: 2004-08-02
Ive been using Sony MiniDisc players/recorders since 1997. Its an awesome technology, so Ive never understood why it never really caught on. I bought this model a year ago and have been very happy with it. I walk a lot and carry it with me everywhere I go. Ive dropped it and jostled it many times and still it endures. In the years that Ive been using portable MD players(including this one), Ive never, ever heard a skip. One AA battery lasts a long time. Its easy to create playlists/groups, etc. and the song names scroll across the player screen for easy recognition. Ive never had any problems with the software as some reviewers mentioned. Originally I was annoyed at the fact that you could only use a song three times, but it has never been a problem for me. I record a lot of mixes and dont have more than one or two copies of each song checked out at once. I recently researched MP3 players to see if they offered any features that the MD player doesnt. I wasnt convinced to buy anything else; five hours of music is enough for me.
On: 2004-07-23
When looking into MP3 players trying to decide what to get, I came across minidisc players. There are many advantages of minidisc players over MP3. Battery life with minidiscs are amazing!! You get over 40+ hours of playing time on ONE AA battery. I think the manual says up to 53 hours. Second, it is easy and cheap to buy and load songs onto minidiscs. $2 each beats paying for CF or SD/MMC at much greater prices. You can get five CD worth of music on one minidisc. Plus there is a new technology mindisc on the horizon that holds even more! Third, they sound great and really hold up well. I have taken mine to Afghanistan, and Iraq, and have dropped it several times in the gym, and have even parachuted with it. This is a great system and I cannot recommend them highly enough. I recommend good earbuds for the system. Sony makes some good ones, Im looking into the Shure 3C model. I just bought some cheap Koss earbuds and they suck. The only drawback is the software that comes with the minidisc. I use the simple burner program mostly or Realplayer for MP3 format music I have downloaded. You wont go wrong getting one of these!
by: Anonymous On: 2004-07-18
If your trying to decide if you should get this or not. I say yes. I personally bought one of these used, one of the refurbished ones, about 2 years ago. Since then I have bought an IPod, but when I travel I still use this thing. Why is this? Because the single AA battery on this thing (Yes, its AA not AAA) will last for a very very long time. I beleive the number they say is 50 hrs and this sounds about right. A single minidisk will also hold a lot, maybe 70 to 90 songs. If you need more space you can simply buy more minidisks which are fairly cheap, and are quite durable. The device definately deserves a 5 star review, but the software that comes with it is a little weak. By comparison to most mp3 player softwares it is very bad software, and after using ITunes it certainly is a pain. You can basically do everything you want with the software, but it will take about two or three times as long as it would with ITunes for instance.
On: 2004-05-27
I bought this minidisc player about one year ago and have liked it very much. I would have rated it 5 stars until about a month ago when the head phone jack began to make a poor connection. Now it is almost impossible to get clean sound from the unit. Now it is useless. I would not give it even one star now. I checked with Sonys website and they will only replace with a refurb for $80!!! A brand new unit is only $100 and I only need the headphone jack replaced or fixed. I cant believe that Sony would include this junk into such an otherwise fine product. Im not the only person in this section that has had this problem with a Sony Minidisc player so WAKE UP SONY and offer a cheaper fix!
I mostly used the Simple Burner which worked fine for me. The Open MG software is a nightmare requiring a real computer geek to figure out. Most people consider me a computer geek but frankly, this piece of software seems to have been written by a team from Microsoft that didnt speak to each other.
On: 2004-04-16
I, like many other people who bought a Sony net minidisc, have experienced no end of problems with the awful software and the useless hardware.
When the software is actually working its difficult to use, and only allows you to make three copies of each track. Transferring music takes a long time, and its touch and go whether your music will transfer to the netMD at all due to the frequency with which the buggy Sony software crashes. Ive had to delete and reinstall the Sony software more than any other program on my computer, and have spent many hours on the telephone helpline with unhelpful Sony engineers. The final insult came afer a year of owning the minidisc player - the unit (not the software) simply refused to record new tracks, and would totally erase the minidisc you were trying to record to. Even though there are forums and even on line petitions where countless other people have complained of the same problems, Sony refuse to acknowledge that their product is shoddy - you shouldnt have this much hassle with a consumer electronic product so soon after purchase, especially a Sony product. Do yourself a favour, give this Sony dud a miss and go out and buy an iPod.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-03-05
Sonys NetMD software is not user friendly. In about a year after purchasing any Sony MD player you will be unable to record onto the minidisc. You will see a "Blank" or "Error" on the LCD. I have both the MZ-N505 and MZ-N 707 with the same problem. Buyer beware dont throw away your money on Sonys crappy product.
On: 2003-12-21
I got this MD player about 10 months ago and it is still working as great as when i first got it. Sure some of the colour is fading and their are a few scratches but that does not affect the quality and it your won fault so if you dont want scratches be carefull. Anyways, i read many reviews that pwoplw think that the Open MG software it comes with is crap. I found the perfect alternate. I use Real One player to copy congs. htis is a better less buggy program and best of all there are no copyright protection so i dont need to worry about the limitation of the sony software (nice try sony, lol). I still use the Open MG but only to make playlists never to copy songs. Anyways I never buy cds, why woudl i need to everythign is on Kazaa and morpheus, Imesh and such, i dotn care if it illegal. So i copy these songs to minidiscs. Always record in Lp4 and you fit abotu 75 songs. I filled one disc so i went out and got a pack of 2 new discs for about $6. thats $3 a dic, and these disc can be rewritable. the MD menu has everything youl need (varoius play modes, bass boost, many opyions, and a menu to alter the display). Batery is crazy it is abtou 56 hours, but thats with a brand new high quality batery liek energiser. i used to just buy cheap batteries from teh "dollar store" (4 "AA" for a dollar) and these ran for about 25 hours since they are cheap but stil out does and 128 MB Mp3 player. now i have a panasonnic rechargable in there and it runs for well around 40 hours, and the best part is that if you get rechargable you just plug the players adapter and it charges right in the player. the only thing i wish when i bough this player is that it would come wither better headphones, and a remote, and a carrying case. I found myself but a "case logic case for $15, and new good headphones for $20. anyways overall this player is best for the price. im your looking for a portable device the only reason why you would not want this is if yu want some hard drive player liek 10 gb or 20 gb, then you wont get it. but if your getting any memmory based Mp3 liek 64mb or 128 mb dont bother get an MD (better battery and cheaper discs). im even listening to it right now its crazy!!!!!!
On: 2003-12-07
I got this Minidisk player last Christmas. At first I was in love with it. It was small, new, held tons on music on one disk, and I was the only kid at school that had one...but after a few months the buttons got messed up. My forward track button didnt work so if I wanted to skip ahead two songs, I had to go back through the entire disk. After that, it decided to only read certain disks every once in a while. When my friends started to get minidisk players, they started having the same problems I had. I realize this is one of Sonys lower end models, but still...that is still very disappointing. Another thing about minidisks is the transfer times. Yes 32x is pretty fast, but if youve got a collection of 500 cds, thats gonna take a looong time to get all of them onto minidisks. If you have a huge CD collection I recomend getting an iRiver CD player. They are amazing for the relativly small $100 price tag. Im sure Sonys higher end minidisk players are more reliable, but as for this one, I definetly wouldnt get another one.
On: 2003-12-06
When my MP3/CD player fell to its death, I needed a replacement. I first purchased a RCA Lyra, but the software made my computer hang, so it was quickly returned. Then I saw this MiniDisc player, and its been a joy listening to music since then. Why they havent caught in the United States (theyre EVERYWHERE in Europe) Ill never know.PROS: *Low price compared to other models, *easy to use, *excellent sound quality in SP mode (thanks to ATRAC Type-R), *phenominal battery life, *up to 5 hours of music on an 80-minute disc (about $2), *supports MP3 and WMA, *small size, *the "coolness factor" CONS: *Software is kinda buggy, *remote and other important accessories not included, *artifacts can be heard when listening to songs in LP4 mode (ESPECIALLY when converted from anything non-ATRAC or .wav), *included headphones are unimpressive, *no MIC-in So why did I give it 5 stars if its not perfect? Despite the buggy software, its pretty easy to use. I run XP Pro, and have had no major problems, except for the occasional program crash. OpenMG has yet to cause me to reset the computer. And if you dont like any of the commercial management programs, you can find freeware or use Nero to copy songs over. As for the accessories, battery life is so good an A/C car adapter is pretty unecessary. A remote, as well as tape adapter, can be purchased for cheap if you dont mind eBay. And as for artifacts, anything recorded at 66Kbps is going to sound a little off, but it sounds much better than an MP3 recorded at a similar bitrate. If you want your songs to sound the best in LP4 mode, Ive found it works best to convert the file to be recorded back into a .wav file. There will be some loss of data when you decode the MP3, but it should hardly be noticable in anything 128Kbps or better. Youll get the best sound if you use an audio ripper to get a song from your favorite CD and then convert that .wav into ATRAC. To sum it up, I love this gadget. I have been fascinated with MiniDisc players since I saw one in a movie in the early 90s. They dont cost the $750 like they used to, thankfully. In any case, if you want a recorder/player with live recording capabilities, it might be worth your while to invest the extra money. If youre like me (meaning you dont care about live recording), then this just might be the device youre looking for. (And if nothing else, its a great tool to use to meet people. Seriously! Strangers will come up to you and ask about it, I kid you not. Its happened to me more times than I can count on two hands.)
On: 2003-11-06
This is an insanely small, easy to use device. I loved it the minute I got it! I purchased it from tc2002 (who I also recommend) through amazon. It came refurbished and in perfect condition. Some reviewrs say that the software is hard to use, but I disagree. You install the software (very quick), plug in your device via USB, and start recording. I had filled the disc an hour after I had gotten it! Song transfers may take some time, but its worth it to fit so many on 1 disc. Definitely a great medium for music playing, especially for the price you can get this device. Highly recommended!
by: Anonymous On: 2003-11-03
This is a really great player. It can hold 4-5 cds worth of music on one disc, and the discs are rewritable hundreds of times. The discs are really cheap, and you can take as many as you want on a trip. The software is not very good though, you can only burn the songs a few times onto he mds, and it can take a really long time. Overall, this is a good player that is worth the money.
On: 2003-10-21
Someone (and I believe it to be Sony Music) really crippled this little guy. NetMD could have been real cool, but its nothing but a hassle. Its no wonder MD didnt catch on, even with the introduction of NetMD. First, OpenMG is simply horrible. You have to Check Out the music files that you copy to it, and you only get 3 check outs. To delete a file off the MD, you have to Check In the track. You cant just drag & drop MP3 files individually either, you have to set up a whole "playlist". Not to mention, OpenMG is buggy and crashes 9% through the transfer. I downloaded SonicStage 1.5 (OpenMGs replacement) and its still as crippled and bloated with the same check in/check out rules and stupid playlists. I dont know why I cant just drag & drop MP3s to the MD. If the terrible software werent bad enough, all MP3s, WAVs, etc. are converted to LP2 ATRAC3 files, so your hard drive space gets wasted. That also means if you copy MP3s to the MD in SP mode, what youre getting is just LP2 converted to PCM, then the N505 itself reconverts the PCM to ATRAC. NetMD is hardly worthwhile compared to realtime recording via SPDIF. About the only thing NetMD is good for is editing track titles from the PC.
On: 2003-10-20
Someone (and I believe it to be Sony Music) really crippled this little guy. NetMD could have been real cool, but its nothing but a hassle. Its no wonder MD didnt catch on, even with the introduction of NetMD. First, OpenMG is simply horrible. You have to Check Out the music files that you copy to it, and you only get 3 check outs. To delete a file off the MD, you have to Check In the track. You cant just drag & drop MP3 files individually either, you have to set up a whole "playlist". Not to mention, OpenMG is buggy and crashes 9% through the transfer. I downloaded SonicStage 1.5 (OpenMGs replacement) and its still as crippled and bloated with the same check in/check out rules and stupid playlists. I dont know why I cant just drag & drop MP3s to the MD. If the terrible software werent bad enough, all MP3s, WAVs, etc. are converted to LP2 ATRAC3 files, so your hard drive space gets wasted. That also means if you copy MP3s to the MD in SP mode, what youre getting is just LP2 converted to PCM, then the N505 itself reconverts the PCM to ATRAC. NetMD is hardly worthwhile compared to realtime recording via SPDIF. About the only thing NetMD is good for is editing track titles from the PC.
On: 2003-09-25
well for the pros- it doesnt skip EVER, the minidiscs are extreemy cheap for what and how much they hold, it is small, light, and tough(dropped it many times and ran it into a wall) the sound is pretty good, can barely tell that it is less than cd quality. convienient, it transfers songs very quickly and if the recording fails (rarely) you can still have the previous songs on it. Cons- no light on the lcd, sometimes the open md jukebox gets corrupt, with it had an aluminum casing just incase it does get smashed somehow. wrapparound headphones, more volume, and the paint eventually comes off of the corners. otherwise its an awesome music player thing. i bought a mp3 player and it doesnt even comeclose to matching my minidisc player, it also sometimes cuts a song in half but to fix it just make it so u cant record back over it.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-08-27
I bought this pathitic box for quite some money, only to find out within hours that the software took about 30 min. to install on a Pentium 4 with 4 gigs of ram. Not only did the software installation go badly, the actual transfer of songs was long and unreliable. It takes about half an hour to transfter to cd JUST ONTO THE HARD DRIVE. You must transer it using the software due to it uses some weird formatte. Then burning the songs took another ten minutes. When you did get them on, youll find that after an hour, the song data gets mixed with each other, and the tracks start 10 seconds into the previous song. Out of all the music devices ive used, this is by far the worst one ever. I do not reconment buying this excuse.
On: 2003-08-16
Let me start off by saying that this in general is a very good minidisc player. With that aside i would like to say that everything else is far from being simple to use. When you get ready to use this product youll notice that you will need to use their software in order to transfer the MP3s to your MD player.it begins. . . The installation of OpenMG is one of the longest i have every seen. Took me at least 4-6 mins to get it fully installed. Now There are two separate programs, OpenMG and Simple Burner.
OpenMG is the program that is used to transfer the MP3s over to the MD player. Simple Burner mearly rips and transfers the newly made MP3s to you MD player. Sounds good right? . . .Wrong OpenMG leaves traces of the song on your HD, so basically its filling your HD up with duplicates of your song but in their format (ATRAC). Then they put a restriction on it which only allows 3 transfers of one song (called checking out) and after that you will have to delete the song by using this software (called checking in) in order to be allowed more transfers. Simple Burner only allows you to rip the songs to LP2 or LP4 (basically compresses it to fit more songs) but there is no option to rip it in STEREO (i need this in order for it to work on my old MD player which does not support LP. There are ways around it though, you can download REALONE PLAYER GOLD and then add a device section to download a patch for NET MD SUPPORT. It then becomes basically OpenMG but without leaving any copies in ya HD. It is easy to manage songs on your Minidisc as well. With that being said, Yes this player is the best for its price, but be ready to be disappointed by its software that is used to transfer your songs.
On: 2003-08-04
This is a great product, i can store my music on the mds so i can take the mp3s off my pc, which is awesome. I can fit 3-5 Lps on a single disc at 132 KBS, awesome. I can transfer an entire cd in less than 5 minutes, awesome...
PROBLEM- transferring an entire disc worth of MP3s takes 40 minutes unless the files are already in ATRAC3 with USB 1.0. That really [bad], but its worth it, becaus eoppin in a new disc is so much better than rewriting a memory card. One thing that is really great about the minidisc, its aweosme for running and jogging, not as small as an mp3 player, but still great. Wish it was backlit though.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-08-01
I love the MD player just wish that Music jukebox supported it as well as the sonic stage. I think the controls on the sonic stage program are hard to understand. and some of my MP3 files are not compatable with the atrc3 system.
On: 2003-07-23
I own a MZ-N505 that was given to me as a gift less than a year ago. This product does not currently put out any sound through the headphones. When I contacted Sony I was told that it was past the 90 day warranty period and that I would have to pay 95 dollars to have it fixed. The unit was only worth 150 dollars when it was given to me. In response to my dismay about the large repair cost, Sony responded there was nothing they could do and I should either pay to have it repaired or buy a new unit. I have bought many Sony products for myself and as gifts of the years but after this fustrating experience I will not buy another Sony product. Why should I when in less than a year it will not work and they will expect me to fork over more money to them. I recommend not purchasing this product.
On: 2003-07-22
I own a MZ-N505 that was given to me as a gift less than a year ago. This product does not currently put out any sound through the headphones. When I contacted Sony I was told that it was past the 90 day warranty period and that I would have to pay 95 dollars to have it fixed. The unit was only worth 150 dollars when it was given to me. In response to my dismay about the large repair cost, Sony responded there was nothing they could do and I should either pay to have it repaired or buy a new unit. I have bought many Sony products for myself and as gifts of the years but after this fustrating experience I will not buy another Sony product. Why should I when in less than a year it will not work and they will expect me to fork over more money to them. I recommend not purchasing this product.
On: 2003-07-03
I am not a music expert, but have a good size CD collection, plus many MP3s. MZ-N505 makes it a breeze to: build playlists, and burn MDs. The Net MD Simple Burner is REALLY easy to use. The Open MG Jukebox can sometime be clunky...Overall, there is NO comparison between MP3 players and the MZ-N505. This recorder can burn/play unlimited numbers of MP3s, and CD tracks. The software is completely intuitive. The price is great also!
On: 2003-06-27
This Minidisk Player is by far the best option when it comes to portable music. It has a very cool design, also it is cheap and of great value considering other options availble today. You can record about 40 songs in LP2 mode and double that amount in LP4 mode in a single MD(Thats about 4-5 CDs). The software its very easy to use and it also transfers music really fast via USB. I really recommend this product, far over any mp3 player out there. The vast ammount of space availble per MD its reason enough to buy this.
On: 2003-06-20
Ive had this player/recorder for over a year now and i am completely satisfied with it. I researched models online and sony is the clear winner and has made a durable and worthy product. First of all, I owned a relatively expensive mp3 player ($270) which i used to listen to music, then i decided i wanted to upgrade so i could bring more music with me. I debated between moving up to 128mb card or getting this minidisc player. I decided on this and now dont even understand why i wasted time deciding in the first place...the answer is clear. This product is far superior to any mp3 player for many reasons:
1. While it is not as small as some mp3 players it still fits nicely in your hand and is lightweight.
2. The media is super cheap...$10 for 5 minidiscs, and if you record at LP2 (mid quality which is perfect for headphones even car adapter) you can get close to 150 mins, i have 4 entire cds plus extra songs on 1 disc. This is a lot less expensive for much more space.
3. Battery life...they aint kiddin, it took forever for my battery to run out, im talking constant 4-5 hour play each day for a week or so. Even better...just get a rechargeable battery, energizer will do and put it in, plug into the wall, itll charge itself. I havent replaced the battery in there for as long as i can remember (at least 9 months).
4. The software isnt even that hard to figure out and the 3 limit check out is not a problem at all. OpenMG while it does have its flaws such as occassionaly freezing up, is pretty self explanatory, just import music from your computer (find whatever folder its in) then put them into playlist or however you wish to organize and when your ready check them out onto the minidisc and itll convert the file to atrac for you and put it on, then you can organize, label, etc as you want. the 3 limit checkout isnt a problem, you can get credits when you check them back in and why would you need more than 4 copies of the same song out at the same time? well if you find some reason just reimport the file from your music folder and youll have new checkouts.
Well thats my 2 cents. Please if your debating between mp3 players or minidiscs make the smart choice...less money, more space, still small/lightweight, you can drop it and itll still work and wont skip, volume has perfect range...and everything else that makes them awesome. sony is a good brand, trust it...
On: 2003-05-16
I think this minidisc player is great. The only problem is its anti-copy/piratery/whatever security systems.For example, you cant copy songs to your computer if the songs arent already in your computer.
The worst problem is the "atrac format". And this is bad because when you want to copy a song to a MD, first the "OpenMG Jukebox" software has to convert the mp3/wma/etc. files to atrac format, and this can take long, very long (depending in your computer). Anyway, sonys MD players are in my opinion the best portable music players you can find. MDs are re-writable, and with LP2/LP4 option, you can put 300 minutes of music on each MD. And if you dont have a computer (well, if youre here is that you have one, but...) it includes an optical cable to copy the CDs to MDs with a DVD player, for example. If being portable isnt important for you, maybe you should get a mp3 player instead. But if you like moving constantly while listening to music, like me, you need one of this. Ps: oh, and dont choose the "gold" colour, its horrible.
On: 2003-05-01
I bought this as a Christmas present for myself. I needed something small & light to take to the gym with me. Its PERFECT.
It holds lots of music and doesnt weigh me down.
The software that it comes with is too confusing to use; very frustrating.
I use REALPLAYER ONE, to download and transfer clips onto the device. It is so unbelievably easy its almost a crime.
I have to admit I was apprehensive at first being that I had little or no knowledge of Mini-disks and how they operate but I did my research and its the best $ I ever spent.
I love the vibrant gold color, its sturdy too (dropped it several times by mistake, of course), the only drawback I can say is that it should have some kind of carrying case or something built into the back to secure it to the clothes you wear. Other than that I LOVE IT!
On: 2003-04-28
1) it is propriety, only sony mini disks work in it, no generic available.2) Will only copy back to the original computer from which the mp3 files were copped from. 3) It worked as expected under Win98 SE with RealOne player. I up graded to XP and I havent got it to work since. I have gone to sony website and down loaded every program and driver. None of them would install under XP. Microsoft has no drivers for it. That means everything I moved to mini disks before the XP upgrade cant be copied to a computer.
On: 2003-04-10
I would recommend this to anyone. Easy to operate and download. It just takes time downloading. I do not use the earphone as provided with the product. I use sports walkman earphones. The upside is that it holds about five hours on one little disk. One battery last forever. Such a small product which makes it convenient to use while working out at the gym. This product is Well worth the money.
On: 2003-03-11
I found this player affordable, which produces good, rich sound and was pretty amazed what this small thing can do. For sure Sony makes great electronics, but probably not software. Those who are going to use it as mp3, wav, wma player, dont buy on this. This is total Lie, because youll never be able to upload these files to this player. These formats are supported by software only, which converts files to its own stupid format called atrac, which is not used anywhere else and only then uploads to netmd. It wouldnt be so bad if THAT atrac format could support more that 132kbps bitrate. Thats the highest bitrate you can use, no difference if youre copying from cd or higher bitrate mp3. And trust me, this player produces sound good enough for ear to distinguish lack of quality reduced by the compression. LP4/LP2 modes are just out of discussion. Not even Simple Stereo sounds good, because of stupid software, which encodes everything you feed to it to 132kbps at highest.
OpenMG software supplied on cd together with the player is just a mockery with its copyright protection and the way this application built. It gives a feeling of a very slow, unreliable software.
I gave 4 stars for this product only because of its software.
For whose who prefer quality to capacity the only way to get sound close to cds is to use the optical or analog inputs within the player. It doesnt make recordings fast, only 1x, but after all you have a music pleasant to your ear. Also you should get some better headphones...
To sum up, just consider what are your requirements. If dont care about the 132kbps quality, then buy it, if you do, think once more. Though I reccomend to you to listen to player before buying. You can judge by yourself then :)
by: Anonymous On: 2003-02-16
In their eternal effort, it seems, to control customers, Sony has created the Net MD MA-N505. Looks cool, but if you want to take notes, record live music or interviews, FORGET IT. It will record LINE IN, but not MIC IN. And you cant tell from the packaging. Luckily, the store will take it back. Tomorrow. First thing. You betcha!
by: Anonymous On: 2003-02-14
This product is not an MP3 player, nor is it a portable CD player. It is something infinitely better and more sublime. Sony made a botch of OpenMG and it was irresponsible of them to bill the NetMD units as being MP3 players, but the N505 is still a great machine, for the same reasons that Minidisc in general is a great and unique format. Read on to find out why.Minidisc players surpass portable CD and MP3 players in several aspects: It records! This MD unit and most others are capable of recording. You cant do that with a portable CD player or most portable MP3 players. You can record live or dub other sources, anytime, anywhere, with pristine quality, different sources on one MD if you want to. You can edit the sequence and content of what you record right on the MD recorder. You can record up to 5 hours of lecture or whatever on one disc. You can record, re-record, append to, resequence, or erase minidisc media up to a MILLION times, right on the MD unit. You do not first have to encode your music with a computer. You do not even need to have a computer to enjoy MD. Sound quality. Minidisc players have better digital-to-analog conversion and better headphone outputs than ANY portable CD player or MP3 player, bar none. Using ATRAC Type-R, you get dynamic range and frequency response at least as good as that of CD audio, but with the warm, smooth, humanistic qualities of good vinyl. Its actually a GOOD thing that MD transcodes other digital formats to ATRAC. ATRAC sounds better than MP3, unless you use LP4, the super-long-play ATRAC codec. ATRAC is better than MP3 at the same bitrate because it is more mature and was designed from the start to store high quality audio, not to be a low-bitrate Internet download format, for which MP3 is optimized. It is true that MP3 at 256 Kbps, at least using the LAME encoder, is generally regarded as indistinguishable from CD audio quality. ATRAC Type-R uses a higher average bit rate than that - 292 Kbps! It is, in a word, overkill. You cannot get better sound quality in a portable device. Just remember to throw away the included headphones and get some that sound decent. The included ones are junk, as one might expect from the headphones that come with a $140 MD recorder. If it came with better ones, theyd have to charge more. The N505 has the same DAC and same headphone output as the top-of-the-line model, the N1, so get some good headphones and you wont have a complaint about the sound. Stability. While solid-state players dont, even the best CD players can skip. Minidisc was designed from the ground up not to skip. Youd destroy the MD unit before you could get it to skip. Its that good. The current line of Sony MD players all have the same anti-skip protection, including the N505. It works amazingly well. Durability. MD players are smaller, lighter, and more durable than CD players. MD blanks are smaller, lighter, and more durable than CD blanks. They store just as much music as an MD, twice as much in LP2 mode, four times as much in LP4 mode (though I dont recommend LP4 for critical listening). Even though its at the bottom of the line, the N505 feels solid. Bottom line: if you can hardly bear to leave your computer because you love your MP3 collection, fine, buy an iPod and carry your collection around with you. But if you love MUSIC and own some CDs or some vinyl, or youd like to be able to record on the go, dont hesitate to get an MD player. The MZ-N505 is a great unit to get started with Minidisc. If you need a microphone input, get the N707 or the N1 instead. I am thrilled with my N505 and do not regret choosing it or the MD format in the least.
On: 2003-02-14
in the review submitted, "Its not really a digital music player, August 11, 2002" by reviewer: neweetc from Irvine, CA USA, some key features of this compact portable "digital" music player are omitted. specifically, the versatility of this medium allows mini-discs to be re-recorded over a million times without any degredation in quality of playback. so you dont accumulate cd-rs that have over stayed their welcome. just tranfer your customizable playlist. transfer time from a pc is instantaneous. mic-recording capabilty. additionally, the sound quality is awesome - the audio format for mini-disc, atrac, blows away mp3 & wma formats there is a learning curve if you dont have prior experience in recording mini-discs either from a pc or audio component. overcome the trial-and-error period and youll realize what a great value this little machine is :)
On: 2003-02-09
This is pretty cool ! With Mini discs (they are really mini) costing $... each, this beats any Mp3 player on cost. Its size beats any MP3 CD player. Sound is excellent, DOES NOT skip, and it pretty sturdy.Dont have to use OpenMG and get messed up in their copyright protection stuff...I use RealOne and its straight forward... Only downside is the time required for ATRAC conversion. It requires some patience. A winner from Sony. Worth every $.
On: 2003-02-08
when i first ordered this MD player, i thought the audio quality would be bad because of all the negative comments i have heard about LP4. However, when i recorded all my music (128kbit) they all sounded perfect. This device is the best thing that has come up to me since i got my new computer. 320 minutes of music on 1 minidisc is an excellent deal. each minidisc is about 2 dollars. I would recommend this MD player to anyone
by: Anonymous On: 2003-02-01
I got the MZ-N505 about a week ago and I love it! The sound quality is on the same level as a CD player and without the size. And aside from what everyone says, the OpenMg Jukebox software is very easy and understandable. The ONE problem is the stupid NET MD SIMPLE BURNER software which is completly useless because you can do the same stuff with the Open MG. The battery life is amazing, my battery is at full life after a week of frequent use. The headphones that are included arent that good, so I went along and bought the Sony MDRED228LP in-ear headphones. For $20 dollars, they are insane sounding with the MZ-N505!!! Bass that you can feel thru your entire body! No joke. So in conclusion, I recomend this setup to anyone who wants a small portable MD player with great sound that wont empty your savings account.
On: 2003-01-19
I recently purchased this Sony Met MD walkman and was thrilled when I read that you can fit up to 5 hours of music on one MiniDisc. But unless youre familiar with what LP2 and LP4 mean, you should know that the only way you can fit 5 hours of music on one CD is if you record it in 66kbps, which is pretty bad quality. I dont record in that mode because its hard to enjoy the music when the quality is so bad. If you want your music to sound fairly good, youll only get about 2 hours and 40 minutes on one minidisc, which is still good, but definitely not as great as 5 hours.
One feature that I love about this product is that you can erase songs off a minidisc after theyre recorded, unlike your standard CD-R used to burn regular CDs. The minidiscs are cheap too, I got a 5 pack for about 7 or 8 bucks.
As for the software, its fairly easy to use if you read the instructions. I have a feeling that the people who have reviewed that the software is confusing probably didnt read the stuff about it in the manual first. Overall, this is a great product, and as long as youre fine with around 2 and a half hours per minidisc, Id definitely reccomend it.
On: 2003-01-15
I spend an average of 3 hours commuting daily. I was looking for something small that allowed me to listen to music for a long time, with no skips and good quality. First I looked into MP3 solid state players, but I didnt like the limited memory. Then I looked into CD players with MP3 playback capability, but I didnt like to spend time ripping songs out of CDs and then burning them. Im not into downloading MP3s, all I wanted was a better way to carry along my CDs. I came accross the Sony MiniDisc recorder/player and it was just what I needed:- Great capacity. With the maximum compression (LP4) a single MiniDisc holds 5 CDs. You dont need to carry CDs with you nor bother looking for them and the sound is still CD-quality.
- Great battery life. A single AA lasts for 56 hours.
- Skip protection. It hasnt skipped once.
- Simple to use. The bundled software, Simple Burner, allows you to copy CDs to the MiniDisc via the USB port. You can select the songs you want and group the CDs by album in the MiniDisc so you can jump easily to whatever you want to listen to. It uses temporal files in your hard disk that eventually get erased so it doesnt clutter it.
- Reusability. A MiniDisc can be rewritten over a million times. You can delete or rearrange contents any way you want.
- Price. A MiniDisc costs [relatively little]. The Simple Burner application runs fine in the background, meanwhile Im doing something else. If youre connected to the Internet you can get the album information (artist and tracks names) for free and it gets written in the MiniDisc itself. Itll display it as is playing it. Whatever the source is, all sound is recorded into the MiniDisc with Sonys propietary format, ATRAC3. The actual transfer to the MiniDisc is real fast, but first the music has to be converted to ATRAC3 and that takes time. For some reason, when a song has been converted beyond 50% the second half goes much faster than the first. When its done converting the song, it transfers it to the MiniDisc in a matter of seconds. Theres another application bundled to organize and copy MP3s into the MiniDisc, OpenMG Jukebox. I didnt try it yet as Im not into it, but itll allow you to make up to three copies of the same song. A protection system to avoid piracy. You can also download the free RealOne player and a plug-in to copy music to the MiniDisc directly from it. Didnt try it either. I put it in my pants left pocket, run the headphones wire inside my jacket so it doesnt tangle and enjoy the music as I commute. Some controls have marks on them so you can locate them with your fingers and every time you use them you hear a beep through the headphones. Many times I adjust the volume or select the song without even looking at it. Bottomline, the perfect solution for a commuter. Is also great to work around the house or to exercise. Thanks,
Juan Carlos P.S. I tried recording in a MiniDisc from a cassette player. I had two CDs recorded in a MiniDisc from a 80s Scottish group, "Deacon Blue". I finally found a cassette I had of them with another album. I connected the MiniDisc recorder to a cassette player and recorded the whole thing. The manual says the recorder will add automatically a track mark whenever it finds silence during two seconds at least. In this case the songs were too close for that to work, so I had to add them manually later on, a very easy task which didnt take too long. The recording has to be made at 1x speed, though, as with any external source. Then, with SimpleBurner I named the album and the songs and placed the album in the correct chronological order. I like to see how a bands sound evolves through the years. Rearranging groups is as easy as dragging them up or down as theyre displayed in the SimpleBurner window. Is a really fast process, I think they just change the order in which theyre played rather than physically moving them around the disk. So another great feature to add: the ability of recording from different sources in a single disk and sort the groups any way one wants.
On: 2003-01-12
Although the software occassional locks up on mp3 playback, I am otherwise blown away by the ease & convenience of this gizmo. The alternative, a flash card-based device, is just too darned expensive when you strive for comparable storage capacity.Sounds good, runs good, easy to carry, reasonably affordable, more convenient than CDR. No, I dont work for Sony. Added benefit? The technology is still rare enough that you dont have to worry about people asking you to borrow (ruin) CDs. I havent tried the highest compression yet, but the LP2 mode is quite good.
On: 2003-01-12
I saw this MD player with a rebate I couldnt refuse so I bought it. The last player I owned was a Rio PMP300 which only held 32 MB of mp3s. However, It was much easier to use. The software the Minidisc comes with [is not good]. It converts every file that you put on the minidisc into atrac3 format which eats up valuable hard drive space. This really made me mad.
Now that I let out some steam , I can get on to the good points. Very compact, small, and stylish player. The Sony design team again comes through. It holds 320! minutes of music on only 1 minidisc .... This is the cheapest media you will find for any player seeing as how DVDRs are still very expensive. Player will display the name of the song and its information right on the LCD Display. The LCD Display is kind of dissapointing however. It gives off a bad glare but its tolerable considering what I paid. It is not backlit which would have been very nice. Thats all I have for now. Im still in the process of trying to decide wether or not to return this product.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-01-04
I had absolutely NO problem downloading mp3 and cds. Software is easy to use and this MD walkman is very easy to carry around. I dont understand how some people thought Jukebox software is bad or the recorder is not recognized by the computer, but I suggest them reading the instruction manuals first and see how easy it is to use.... Those people complaining about this product probably dont appreciate anything, and they themselves are the source of their own problems and complains.
On: 2003-01-03
I had the unit installed and 5 CDs recorded to it in less than 2 hours. I spent more time reading the material than required as the software is very intuitive. I have a large playlist of favorites that are going to end up on MD so that I can play them in the car. I plan to use this little guy for travel and when riding the mower in the summer. Great price and great value.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-01-02
This is the most you can ask for in terms compactability, quality of sound, ease of use for the price. I dont know why nearly every reviewer out there seems to have problems with the software. In 1 day i had recorded 10 minidiscs at ease. My only problem came with using the players function as a recorder through an optical cable. It wouldnt record at all and i was using the same cable sony said to use. Its not that big of a problem you just have to record to the computer and than to the minidisc.Other than that the player is great if your not trying to record directly from a source other than a computer
On: 2003-01-01
Ive had a Compaq MP3 player for over a year, and needed more memory, as my wife and I use it at the gym, and get tired of the same songs, and having to constantly re-download new ones. But when pricing more memory, I found this one. Cant beat this...the Sony can hold 4 times as much music than my 64mb player, and the best part is I can easily change mindiscs for even more variety. Each one holds about 80 songs in lp4, with the quality just as good as my mp3 player. Ive had for 3 weeks, and everything is great--downloading, play, and sound--and I still havent changed the one AA battery!
On: 2002-12-30
Back in the day when Minidiscs first hit store shelves, I didnt pay much attention to them, and dismissed them. But today with the prospect of fitting 5 hours of music on one 80 minute disc, I reconsidered. I asked for the MZ-N505 for Christmas, and I recieved, and I am VERY impressed. Ive bought 3 five packs of Sony colored Minidiscs, and so far, Ive fit about 18 full albums on 7 discs. I love the fact that Ill be able to compress my collection of 250+ CDs on to about as half as many MDs.The method in which you rip CDs on to MD is Sonys Simple Burner program. Its quick, and simple. Plug your MD Player into a open USB port on your PC, plug the AC adapter in (highly reccomended: saves batteries), and youre ready to go. Put a CD in your CD-ROM drive, and the program uses the CDDB to look up the disc and track names, then hit transfer, and youre ready to go. The drawback to the program is that you cant record in SP mode, only LP2 and LP4. Ive recorded all my MDs in LP2, and contrary to what all the audiophiles have been saying, it sounds really good. The average music listener will NOT be able to tell a difference between CD quality and LP2. Ive even had my MD player hooked up to my 500 watt stereo reciever with Bose 301 speakers though a Mini Stereo Y cable, and I must say it sounds quite awesome (althouh the bass boost on the player is overkill). And to the people complaining about OpenMG: just dont use it. Ive burned at least 30 MP3s to my discs without using OpenMG. You can make a CD image of your MP3s with Aheads Nero Burning Rom program, then mount the CD image to your hard drive with Neros ImageDrive, then burn the image with Simple Burner. Its quite simple, and if anyone wants more detailed instructions, e-mail me. Overall, I reccomend highly reccomend this player. Its the best christmas present ever...for a music fan like me. For those who like to listen to their music anywhere, anytime, its ideal. I take the player to work in my pocket, and listen on break. And the battery life is awesome: the package says 56 hours on on the box, and that is not a lie. Ive been listening to the player non stop since December 25th, and the battery indicator on the player has not budged from full power. Go buy this player now. As in right now.
On: 2002-12-29
I got the Sony MiniDisc Recorder as a Christmas gift. It is so much more than your average MP3 player! The sound quality is flawless and the software that it requires is very easy to use. It also helps that everything goes on a MiniDisc instead of the memory...meaning you can download more music that you can with a normal MP3 player. People asked me why I didnt just use my CD burner...first off, who wants to spend hours converting and burning CDs when you can just download and transfer them onto a MiniDisc in seconds!? Secondly...the MiniDisc holds more songs than a CD-R. You can make folders on them so you can have more than one album on the same disc. The player is small and light. It can fit right in your back pocket. I definatly recommend this instead of a regular MP3 player. It is worth the extra money!
by: Anonymous On: 2002-12-28
Believe all the reviews regarding bad software. I didnt and am now returning as the software crashes continually and renders the hardware useless (Windows XP Home, 512MB Ram). If you like to monkey around with software workarounds and waste a lot of time then the Sony NetMD format is probably OK. But I am going to buy a flash memory MP3 player.
On: 2002-12-28
My wife bought me a Sony MZ-R500 MD recorder (non-NetMD) as a present just before the NetMD features came out. I liked it so much, I purchased a MZ-N505 as well. My greatest consternation has been why this format has not gained more traction with American buyers. Its form factor is nearly as small as flash memory MP3 players, it records from ANYTHING that makes sound, its extensive editing features are terrific and unique to the MD format, and the removable discs are inexpensive, re-recordable and nearly indestructible! The MDLP feature on newer MD units expands the recording capacity of an 80-minute disc by a factor of 2 (LP2 = 160 minutes) or 4 (LP4 = 320). And the current crop of minidisc recorders can play for up to 50 hours (or longer, depending on model) on one AA battery! NOTHING else on the market today can match it for reliability, low cost of operation and versatility. The only drawback? To make use of the PC feature called NetMD, you MUST install Sonys proprietary software (OpenMG Jukebox). This is why I rated the MZ-N505 as a 4 instead of a 5. If you want to put MP3s or WMA files or your CDs on minidisc, they MUST be converted to Sonys proprietary CODEC called ATRAC. Lets just say that Rube Goldbergs inventions were models of efficiency compared to this software. But I do like and highly recommend the MZ-N505 minidisc recorder for excellent quality sound on the go!!
On: 2002-12-26
The MS-N505 is known to not be recognized by many computers. There is no FAQ or support given to overcome this problem.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-12-26
Well, i got this, it worked wonderfully for a few months..Come a few months later, the screen no longer functioned(its blank). Sony wont do anything about it, so, im stuck with this waste of money.
On: 2002-12-26
Lets start with the physical attributes... this machine is tiny
and light! It does not suffer sound quality problems as a result, however. The headphones are decidedly better than the normal portable headphones, but still not great. Additionally, the headphones are a bit uncomfortable. Of course, you can always upgrade the headphones.The 80 minute discs appear to hold 80 minutes at the intermediate compression level, a level that I found comparable to MP3 at 128kbps (although I converted from this format, so the native quality could be better still). A single AA battery provides impressive performance. Both the documentation and software were a bit convoluted, but OK with persistence. I guess it should be no surprise that their web site was also difficult to navigate while looking for software updates (continual Javascript errors and a propensity to route you to the purchases page). Part of the excessively tedious software appears to be Sonys attempt to implement a security scheme intended to prevent wide-scale copying. Additionally, there are warnings that the software can not be reinstalled if anything goes wrong... Im sure this is part of the same problem. Theres a stern warning about not installing the software on more than one machine (like any copyright abuser is going to care). You should not worry too much about this, though, as it is trivial to bypass this feature by copying the input files (MP3, WAV, etc.) outside of the OpenMG software. One last annoyance... they recommend only alkaline batteries. I havent yet tried it with NiMH batteries so I dont know if this causes any problems. Bottom line - killer hardware, very good sound, annoying supporting tools.
On: 2002-12-25
The MS-N505 is known to not be recognized by many computers. There is no FAQ or support given to overcome this problem.
On: 2002-12-21
This minidisc player is absolutely awesome. LP4 recording lets you record 4 times as much music as you normally could. On an 80 min MD, thats 320 minutes! Recording in LP4 mode reduces sound quality compared to normal recording, but the difference in negligable. With this recorder and a computer, recording is done at 32X speed, using one of two provided programs, OpenMG Jukebox, and Net MD Simple Burner. Some other reviewers have complained about the difficulty of the programs, but I have had very little problems at all. The Simple Burner is just as it sounds, simple recording(off of a CD). With an internet connection, it will download all the track names and all you have to do is press record, and let it go. Open MG is a bit more complex, and is used to record off computer music formats (mp3s, wmas, etc) Ive had a little bit of trouble, but just that a LITTLE. The only problem Ive had with Open MG is that it doesnt seem to support VBR(Variable Bit Rate) MP3s. Other than that, its great. This MD player also has a group function which lets you organize the music in groups, so you can put albums into groups, and scroll through the MD by album, rather than having to skip past each song. The unit is compact, light, and runs for a very long time on a single AA battery. Great, GREAT product. I highly endorse it.
On: 2002-12-11
If you are planning to use this unit with a computer as I did, you will regret. I bought this unit in June 2002. Since then the software give me endless trouble. Dont get me wrong, I have no problem with other softwares at all. Actually I have been playing with linux for 8 years.The software is called OpenMG Jukebox. To install it you need to install the whole CD, which takes FOREVER to install it. And dont do anything while it installs, otherwise you have to start over again. After the installation, you will find OpenMG jukebox and Simple Burner. The former is for converting other music format (mp3, wma etc) to SONYs music format (ATRAC3), and the latter is for recording the CD to the MD player using the USB cable. Easy of USE:
To use OpenMG is frustrating, its too slow to start up and even slower to response to my inputs. Sometimes it cant even start. Then when you want to put your MP3 to the player, it will convert it first, and store the converted file on the harddisk, which occupied a lot of space. And if you want the highest quality (the SP mode, since all my MP3 are highest 320Kbps), it takes forever to transfer it to the unit. (SP mode = 292kbps bitrate, LP2=132kbps) Actually at SP mode, it record at 1x speed, which means the time to record it is the same as to listen it up. I tried to use LP4 mode, but the quality is unbearable. After that, I turn to the Simple Burner, which is said much more robust than the OpenMG Jukebox. I create a virtual audio cd using Neros imagedrive. And then use that to burn the "audio cd" to the MD player. The problem with that is you cant get highest quality (SP mode), all you can get is only LP2 and LP4. Software Quality:
The OpenMG Jukeboxs quality is among the worst application software. It crashed my desktop 2-3 times in 2 months. The USB driver also crashed my machine 2 times. Sometimes I cant even start the Jukebox, then I have to re-install the software and do all the conversion again. SONY seems doesnt care about the software at all, since the updates on its website openmg never get updated, which is always the version 2.2. No Patch, No Updates, Buggy Software. Im really tired of this. If you plan to use it with a computer, dont expect too much.
On: 2002-12-10
The pros definitely out weighs the cons for mz-n505 MD player. Pros: small, light, dont skip, good storage on 80Min MDs, cheap media $1.5-$2/MD, good sound quality, relatively fast transfer from pc-player. Cons: copy right limitation can get annoying, no night vision ldc display, only display song name at beginning of track, no carrying case or belt clip. As for the software, some people think its too complicated, i think its not that bad. you just have to play around with it. i didnt have any trouble with it yet. OpenMG is the software u need to transfer mp3 to player, and u can edit ur track names and orders with it too, which is much easier than doing it by hand on the player. Simple cd burner software is good for burning cds without copying it on ur computer and then having to converting them to mp3s first then burning them. u cannot erase mp3 tracks on ur player, but u can delete the cd ones u burned in there. no player is 100% perfect, but i think this MD player has much more good qualities than bad ones and most can live with it happily. There are more reviews in the Mz-N505 gold section if you want to read more. Anyways, i enjoy it very much, no regret for not getting a mp3 player instead.
On: 2002-12-10
Have owned a Sony MZR900 minidisc player for almost 18 months now. And I just love my player. A minidisc player eats competition like an mp3 player or a discman, etc. for breakfast. Nothing compares to this compact wonder. A few weeks ago, my dogs happen to come by my player and the rest is history. My older player lacked features like USB connection to the computer and high-speed transfer. This is when I came across this new budget model. Though it doesnt ship with a docking cradle and the remote, I vouch value for money when it comes to this product. A must buy for any music buff who is on the move with a lot of music and likes to share the same with his friends (minidisc players are very popular within my friend circle these days).
On: 2002-12-08
I enjoy it so much, its easy to use, never skips, great sound.
I recomend it with no doubt.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-12-05
so the box says that you can record from a cd player or a home stereo system. i spent 45 minutes with some [person] over in technical assistance trying to figure out how to record from a sony cd player to this sony md and you know what the [man] said, he said that i had to consult the maker of the device i was trying to record from (sony). so i told it was a sony mp3/cd, then the [man] told me i had go to radio shack or something of the sort. the box does says that you can use it for non pc recording straight out of the box. YOU CAN NOT RECORD FROM ANYTHING OTHER PC WITHOUT ADDITIONAL AND OFTEN EXPENSIVE WIREING.OK now for the pros and cons of the product. PROS:
1 - Realtime recording! from the look of it newer models do not offer real time recording, which is a shame, its fun to record tv, video game audio, and pretty much anything with head phone jack. 2- the MiniDisc itself is very strudy and hip looking. 3- There is a remote jack. you can call the evil people at sony and get a remote that meets your needs. 4- (kind of) the simple burner software is ok, you can make mixes of the cds you own faster then real time... but it still takes about 10-20 to download on to a your MD about 60 minutes worth of music. so its not that fast. 5- the quality of real-time recorded music is AMAZING. it sounds just like the original even in LP4 mode. CONS:
1- as i said ealier the costumer serivice is the WORST of any company i know. 2- The OpenMG software is HORRIBLE. its like the software was built to crash you computer. because that is all it does. 3-Becuase the OpenMG software is SO BAD the only way to get MP3s into the minidisk it to burn the onto CDs and then the CD to Minidisk which meadless to say takes away quality. 4- minidisc can be hard to find and not as affordable as blank cd. 5-No included remote or realtime recording wires (FOR THE RECORD THE JAPANESE VERSION (which is EXACTLY the same product as this expect that the manuals are in japanese), THE JAPANESE VERSION INCLUDES BOTH FOR A LITTLE LESS THE PRICE IN AMERICA THAT DOESNT INCLUDE EITHER. finally, in this case the bad out ways the good NO REMOTE, NO CUSTOMER SERICIVE, NO GOOD SOFTWARE, and an over priced under-featured product. cause this model to get just one star.
On: 2002-12-05
Just got my MD player today, and I started playing with it by recording Cds in it. Its small enough, smaller than your hand, and very light. So in those aspect beats the heavy Ipod for sure. The bottons are a little hard to use, but manageable. I installed the softwares, bothe the Cd-burning and the Open MG. People kept saying the Open MG is so bad, i used it, its not great, but its not so bad that it crashes my computer or anything. The SImple burner is very easy to use. Didnt have to read any instructions at all to start using it. Transfer rate for 1 album is about 5 min. so very fast just with USB 1.1. The quality burning with LP4 is bearable, I didnt try to burn it with LP2 yet, but I can live with LP4 since it gives u more space on the MD. Overall, its a cool player. Compare to the same prive range mp3 players that has 128 MB and might be smaller than this one big maybe couple mm or something, its definitely better. You get more storage in 1 MD than what the 128MB gives u, almost twice the amount. And ofcourse you can buy more MDs for cheap, much cheaper than memory. Buy it if you are deciding between mp3 player, its much better and practical.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-12-04
I was skeptical about the MDR/P for MP3 player even before I read many discouraging comments on slow conversion (music file to ATRAC)/transfer and a faulty program of NetMD units including this one. However I wanted to give it a try and bought it. I was amazed. It is much better than I thought. Anyhow, in this encouraging review, I like to describe Pros and Cons which may be very similar to other peoples reviews. Pros:
1) Looks good, small and light compared to CD/MP3 player.
2) No skip even with hard shaking
3) Long, long, and long battery life
4) Fast and simple to transfer (if you have nero writer and image driver also with simple burner. e.g. making image file for 15 songs took me less than 3 min., transfer 15 songs using simple burner in LP2 mode took ~8 min, which is the same to burn a music CD with my x24 CDR). I think the speed would be very comparable with MEMORY MP3 players.
5) Long hours of music with LP4 (sound quality of LP4 mode is not that bad at all) 6) Louder sound than I expected (I read some complains about not enough output).
7) again, SMALL and LIGHT as well as NOT EXPENSIVE..
8) CHEAP MEDIA compared to MEMORY cards
9) straightforward operation (virtually no unnescessary operating options.. but I dont know whether this is PRO or CON for many people) CONS
1) relatively low quality headphone.
2) No mic input and you cannot upload any file to PC (but I dont think this would bother many music listeners) In summary I definitely give 5 stars for this and strongly recommend if you are planning to buy any portable MP3/MUSIC player soon. Just for your info.: Standard mode 80 min (but you have to record in real time), LP2 mode 160 min and LP4 mode 320 min for a disc. but LP4 recording is the fastest.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-12-03
Sony minidisc is a great product. I had it up and running in less than 10 minutes. Im not sure what the problems are about that Ive read some other people having with the OpenMG Jukebox software that is used to organize your playlists and write to the minidisc. I had no problem using the OpenMG software. My system had no problem connecting thru the USB port. Some people have written that you might as well just buy a cd-writer and rip .wav files to it or .mp3 files if your portable cd player can read .mp3 files. There are 2 big advantages that the minidisc player has over this method. First, the minidisc is much smaller than a normal cd player. It can fit easily in your pocket. Its smaller than a wallet. Second, the minidisc can hold a lot more music than a regular cd-r. I copied 2 cds (21 songs) to my first minidisc and have not even filled up half of the minidisc. I highly recommend this product. Each minidisc is only about ($). I got 5 for free with a coupon when I bought the minidisc player so I may never have to buy any more minidiscs. One of my friends has a minidisc player and he recommended it to me. Im very glad that I took his advice.
On: 2002-12-03
the minidisc player does have excellent quality...even though you have to wade through the software in order to convert your files to their proprietary format. one gripe i have (and i havent seen it mentioned in other reviews...maybe its just me?) is that cds ripped using winamp, musicmatch, etc. instead of openmg do not display their id3 tags after being transferred to the player. yes, i made sure they have the tags...yes, its only with redbook audio turned mp3 by software other than openmg...its too bad it only supports antiquated usb 1.1, but if you can tolerate waiting for the jukebox to convert your files, it will have already taught you enough patience to put up with a crawling transfer rate. the software is pretty processor intensive- for some reason, it finds it necessary to refresh your playlist and the contents of every song on the player already at the start of, during, and at the end of the transfer process. heres my advice- make your playlist, connect the player, drag all the songs over at once, minimize the software, count backwards from ten, and order a pizza. it may be done by the time your doorbell rings.
On: 2002-11-28
The reveiws written by computer inepts that are critical of the software (OpenMG Jukebox) are simply wrong. I read the documentation and installed and used my new N505 without a single hitch. It proves once again that stupid people really have no idea that they, themselves, are the source of their own problems.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-11-18
I had been researching MP3 players for about a year now and finally decided to go with this. This is absolutely the most versitile MP3 player there is! Forget about adding memory to those other guys, just buy a 5 pack of MDs and you are on your way to hours of enjoyment! I have listened to a lot of the memory stick style players and the quality of this one is much better. Plus it has automatic bass boost and with the right kind of headphones (the ones included are decent) you cant go wrong!
by: Anonymous On: 2002-11-16
When I first got this I kept wondering weather it would be better then an MP3 player. IT IS. The battery life on it is amasing you can easily get 48 hours of play time with one AA battery. I have a sony vaio computer so the transfer software is easy to use. The sound is great, I use LP2 mode in which i cant tell the diffrence. Plus it gets me 160 minuits of record time. The only problem with it is is the headphones,which are usualy crummy if you use the ones they give you. It is still small as a mp3 player and it rarely ever skips. So if you ever thought of getting an mp3 player, PLEASE reconsider and make the smart mans choice of buying a minidisk player.
On: 2002-11-15
.... I havent had any problems with the software at all. I think it is very easy to use and my computer hasnt locked up once. The interface on the player is also simple. I have the rm-mc11el remote and a CaseLogic arm-band carrying case so I can work out with it. The disks are cheap and they hold a lot of music, at least compared to flash memory players. The time it takes to transfer a song from the computer to the player is minimal, about 30 seconds or so. I can transfer a whole cd in less than 5 minutes in the LP4 format. This player would be even better is it had a belt clip or a custom carrying case. I can do without the belt clip because it would probably bounce off my waistline while I jog. The CaseLogic case works, but I would rather have one that fit this player exactly.
On: 2002-11-12
I had wanted to buy an MD for so long but there are some who have discouraged me from buying since its not that popular especially in the Philippines where Im at. Not a lot of people are familiar with it so they frown upon the idea of getting one. Im very happy to have gotten one and its cheaper to get it in the US compared to here. I am very impressed with recording capacity of this sweet little thing. The bass is superb especially on level 2 of the MegaBass setting. Quality of recorded sound doesnt suffer on LP4 mode. It all depends on the source and the recording level which you set during recording sessions. And the software that goes with it is very easy to use, unlike the previous reviews I have come across. There are some nuances which Im glad I have figured out. Currently I am using the software to transfer songs from CD, MP3s to my MD with ease, and speed. The quality is the same as the source and its fantastic. My friends here are amazed with the quality of the sound and bass that this little thing pumps out. For its size, its great. Of course if you want really deafening loud you need a bigger setup for that, but thats a different story. This product is a good buy especially when you dont have time to hook the MD to a CD component and record stuff. Its easier to hook it to the computer and burn away. This thing is just fantastic, and I recommend that those who want it should go and grab one ASAP.
On: 2002-11-08
As a CD consolidator, the MZ-N505 is superb. CDs are copied quickly, even in LP2 mode, and the quality in that mode is fantastic. Treble is not as crisp in LP4, and LP4 lacks the "kick" of LP2. I can live with 3 cds on a minidisc instead of 5. The cd copying software is a breeze. No troubles there.Lets talk about OpenMG. The other reviews say that it is buggy. I wish I knew. I am a fairly computer-saavy guy with a top-notch, loaded Dell running Windows ME. OpenMG simply will not work. That is, I cannot even run the program after uninstalling and reinstalling 30 times, deleting programs that may "interfere" with it, etc. I spent over two hours on the phone with Sony. The tech guy had to transfer me to the "specialist," who is now consulting an "engineer." What a waste of time. I suppose OpenMG isnt necessary if you are willing to take the extra step of burning your mp3s onto cd, then using the simple burner software instead. Again, what a waste of time (and $ for the blank cds). Minus the cd consolidation capability, I have purchased a very expensive paperweight. Companies like SONY should not release products until they are perfect. I always felt that Sony produced only top-quality products, but my respect for that company has now devolved to the level of my respect for Microsoft. Listen to peoples complaints. They are valid. You are not immune. Shame on you, Sony.
On: 2002-10-31
well, i could say i like to exercise alot, i go to the gym 3 times a week, and i like to go jogging almost everyday, so i like to exercise while listening to my music i though of the other choises i had, in one corner we had the tradicional, tried and tested, reliable portable cd player, well i have lots of cds, but you know what the main problem with these is that they are big and bulky, and dificult to fit on a pocket, skip while jogging, so they turned out unaceptable, then we had the mp3 player, this offer the size needed to work out and carry comfortably, but the problem with these is that they only hold a determined amount of music (around 2 hours) and if you want to listen to more you have to purchase expensive flash media cards, or go to your pc and change the music (this can get very annoyng) so that is the main problem with these tipes of players, the other posible opcion apart from the minidisc is the harddrive mp3 players, while some may argue that these are better they are very expensive and are way out of my buget and in my opinion out of alot of other listeners, so i thought minidisc especially this sony mz 505 offers everything i need, its small as a mp3 player, i can record music from various sources including my pc, and cd player, cassette deck etc. i can fit 5 hours of music (using minidisc long play and recording in lp4 mode) in a 2$ minidisc, so i can carry alot of music in very little space and for a very low price. The problem with the last generation of minidisc players was that the transfer between the pc and the md was in real time meaning if you wanted to record a song you had to wait the time the song took to play for it to be recorded, now with the sony net md sistem you can download from your computer via usb cable and burn cds to mds at up to 32x speed, besides it has a great battery life i found i can use up to around 48 hours on my AA rechargable battery, so this has all you need ive had a great experience with it and hope if you decide to buy it you also have a great time!!!
On: 2002-10-11
Man, I just bought this thing today, and let me tell you I am floored by it! Its so small, so light, and sounds awesome! The software, no matter what anyone else says is easy to use as anything, it takes no time to learn, the simple burner is great, pop in a cd, it gets the song names for you, then sends it straight to the MD, you do nothing but watch! I put 3 cds on 1 MINIDISC in LP2 mode, AND IT STILL SOUNDS BETTER THAN CD QUALITY! and with the OPEN MG jukebox, I can put my downloaded mp3s right onto the MD, and is it fast, its waaaay freakin fast! BUY IT NOW, consider no more... YOU NEED THIS, YOU WANT THIS, BUY THIS NOW!
On: 2002-10-04
I got this minidisc player last week and love it. The software it came with is limited but besides that it is great. I am new to minidisc and found it really easy to use. I put 6 cds on to the minidisc it came with the first day. It is very small which makes it great. You can put on all your track names and stuff right from the player. I would recomend this to anyone who is look for an alternative to cd/mp3. If you want a player to record live concerts this one isnt for you. 5/5!!!!!
by: Anonymous On: 2002-09-28
This device works great. It is very portable. I use it everyday on my commute to work. It fits in the front pants pocket like a wallet. It never skips, as I also use it on my runs. I have a running vest with a side pocket and it fits right in so my hands are free. Its also pretty easy to use once you get the hang of it. Its true you have to convert your MP3s to Atrac but thats easy once you know how. Finding out how to convert it easily was a little headache, i admit, but ever since this player is #1. The way i do it is convert the MP3s to wav files with a free mp3 to wave converter and from wave i then convert to atrac and from there onto my player. Once the files are converted its pretty easy to make different mixes and so forth. In addition, converting from cds to atrac is just as easy as ripping to Mp3.
I usually use the LP4 mode and this is similar in quality to 128kbs MP3 which is pretty good as I have 5 hours of music on each disc which is about 80 songs. The discs are also pretty inexpensive.. So far I have 5 discs packed with different types of music and usually carry along 2-3 discs with me( the discs are pretty small and durable). For example I have one disc full of reggae/dancehall/ soca music, another with the best of 2 pac/biggie smalls/pink floyd, and another 2 discs with my favorite new 160 songs that I mix around. I like to listen to music a lot and this player has really been a find. My musics never stale(as the discs can store about 80 songs), it is extremely portable( both the player and the discs), and only ONE AA lasts a week or 2. Other players I would have to change batteries every day or so. This is a device I use everyday on my commute on the subway and on my runs(hey you can do a whole marathon listening to one disc of music) and although the software needs getting used to and can cause jams once in a while, I recommend this player highly to anyone who likes music, and wants music on the go or when exercising. The price is also not bad. Maybe the iPod is a better device but its out of my price range for a portable device to toss around daily.
On: 2002-09-19
At first, when I saw minidisc I dismissed it as just a passing technology. Then, here recently, I saw them for sale at [local store]. Started to look at it more seriously and decided to try it out. Its amazing that you can actually record 5 hours of music on one of these tiny disks, not to mention they wont get scratched, or dont skip. I suggest looking into this if youre into portable music players.
On: 2002-08-28
Pros:
1) Amazing battery life
2) Great sound in SP, LP2 modes
3) Good sound (and 5h20m recording) in LP4 mode
4) Will not skip.
5) For fast CD to MD ripping via USB, Simple Burner software is quick and easy.
6) Flexible editing features (change track order, erase tracks, rename, combine, and delete tracks.)
7) very small and lightweight
8) Inexpensive, re-recordable mediaCons:
1) OpenMG software is restrictive (check-in, check-out) and slow. It has to convert all file types (wma, mp3, etc.) to ATRAC, and leaves copies of these converted files on your computer.
2) No upload capability. A bummer for live music and field recordings in particular.
3) No true SP support (Simple Burner has no SP or SP-mono option at all, and OpenMG software converts all files to LP first, so you dont get true SP quality.) The only way you can record in true SP is real-time.
4) No microphone input and no remote for the headphones. No big deal -- if you need these features, buy the MZ-N707. You can also upgrade to remote headphones at www.minidisco.com. Overall, I really like this player. Im thrilled with the fact that I was able to fit the entire 4-CD studio recordings of The Police on one minidisc. Its flexible, easy to use and sounds great. If you are heavy into mp3s downloaded files, this may not be the most flexible solution, but it works. If youre like me and you just want a portable means of carrying music from your CD collection around, Net MD is perfect. Sony could make this into a home run by
a) giving full SP and SP-mono support to Simple Burner and OpenMG
b) allowing for uploading (at the very least, for non-copyrighted material).
c) speeding up OpenMG file conversion.
On: 2002-08-23
Sony has knocked it out of the park with this one! The truth is, Ive never been much of a fan of Sony products...this one, on the other hand, has convinced me otherwise.The software ran like a champ on my (antiquated) laptop. No problems whatsoever. I used some 74-minute MDs I had laying around and easily recorded 3 hours or more on each. The playback quality in LP4 mode is so close to cd-quality as to be identical. Folks, I have never felt so strongly about any product as to write a review...this little jewel, though, is my new favorite toy.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-08-17
The sound from the nicely sized, small unit was great but the OpenMg software would not work for me on a Pentium 4 with XP Home. Spent over an hour on the phone with Sony tech support and still not fixed. Gave up on it and returned the unit.
On: 2002-08-13
I love the size, battery life and long play formats. However, the packaging is somewhat deceptive. Of course, the device does not play mp3s - instead, one must go through the time consuming process of converting them to the Sony format. A few minor gripes, since the strengths of the device have been covered by others, no protective case or remote is provided, the display is tiny and the headphones stink. Otherwise, a great product at a superb price.
On: 2002-08-12
I was happy to take it last Tuesday, but Im just going to return it on Monday, no more than a week for me to find out its really inconvenience and, not even really a digital music player.It has a sticker on it(damn sticker, it makes the player looks silly) saying it can play mp3,wma,wav whatever... However, you have to use the software to CONVERT them into ATARC or ATARC3 in order to enjoy them! Man, so with a Nero software and a CD burner, my 3 years old Discman can play all this format, too. And it cost me only 50 bucks, with CDRs cheap as free! I have to complain the sound quality as well. As many ones said the MD can compare with CD, dont forget that you must use the optical line out and amplifier and speakers to access that. And, as even the sp mode will have a compress rate as just 256kbps, dont expect it will sound too much better than a 256kbps well made mp3, and exactly, it cant compare with a 320kbps or VBR -0 mp3.(If you are using lame, you know what Im saying) Well, it really looks cool, and the battery lifes amazing. But so what, it doesnt sound as good as a discman, it cant really support mp3,wma,wav (if it can, we should be able to copy them DIRECTLY into it and play whatever file with just upgrading the software INSIDE the machine). And, coming to the worst part, all the technologies for MD are belong to Sony only... youve already seen how OpenMG bothers, so can you trust Sony more? Can you believe it will upgrade it as often as possible? For me, MD players are just becoming another lovely alien pets as Mac machines. Well, lovely, but not for people who would rather keep their feet on earth.
by: amitab51 On: 2002-07-28
1. It is cuttinge edge: the one drawback to MD players - the fact that recording was at real-time speed and not accelerated - has been wiped away by netMD technology, allowing up to 32x speed recording and a drag-and-drop interface with your home computer.
2. It is inexpensive: It is the lowest-price netMD player out there, lower in price than other non-netMD players!
3. Verdict: This MD player offers the most bang for the buck - it would be foolish to buy any non-netMD capable player with the n505 around.
The only reason I do not give this player a five-star rating is because it does not come with a remote - it CAN indeed use a remote, its just that one isnt sold with it. However, See if you can pick up a remote from an old r30 or r50 MD player - they both work flawlessly with this model. It also does not have a microphone input - I really wish it did, but you may not need it.
Oh, and disregard the whining of the previous poster who said this player was "ruined" by the difficulty of the software - while the software is not as user-friendly as could be, if she has THAT much trouble from the software, I question how "computer literate" she really is.
On: 2002-07-25
At first glance, this seems like a perfect portable music player. Much greater storage capacity than a MP3 player, and smaller than a CD player. The storage media (MiniDisc) is inexpensive. The product specs promise fast transfer speeds.However, you are forced to use Sonys propietary file compression system (ATRAC), and Sonys software. The software is designed NOT for ease of use, but to protect the music publishers copyright. I dont mind that, I really just want a convenient way to listen to my CDs and music files. The software you must use to transfer music to the disc player is so hard to use, and so goofy, that I have pretty much given up on the player. Transfer speed? It takes about 15 minutes to transfer a CD to the Minidisc, because the files must first be converted to ATRAC format. If you have MP3s on your computer, they have to be converted as well. You might want to convert the CD to ATRAC first, then transfer it. Then you are confronted by one of the protection schemes. You can only transfer the file three times. (Even if it is your OWN CD, being transfered to your OWN player!) After that, you have to re-convert the file. Why three times? Why even limit transfers if you only need to re-convert the file to get three more transfers? Who knows? I am constantly finding more limitations to the software. Re-install your operating system, and the Sony software has to re-configure your music files. You cant re-install the Sony software unless you have an open internet connection. You cant even delete the files on the player unless it is connected to your PC. How could it infringe on publishing rights to delete a file from your player? It is just too frustrating for me. I am fairly "computer-literate", but this is just too time consuming and complicated. What I really think is crazy is that Sony has ruined this player by forcing you to use their software, all to protect music copyrights. However, you can buy a Sony MP3/CD player that will be MUCH easier to use, and play all the music you want with no copyright protection!
by: Anonymous On: 2002-07-18
The unit actually does run 50 or 60 hours on a measly AA battery. Using a NIMH battery, it runs longer. Taking the battery out of the unit makes the unit feel almost weightless. Unit is smaller than a standard mans wallet. Place it into a ziplock bag for protection. Software has complicated interface but it is not insurmountable; there is a learning curve; it could have been optimized better for friendliness. Biggest problem is when file transfer lock ups occur due to incompatible bandwidths of source media, but such error may not be immediately recognized because the software does not throw an error message. MP3 conversion is not difficult. CD conversion is not difficult but eats up disc space on host computer; solve this by finding "storage" files and deleting them. Using a third party music conversion program may be useful to generate lots and lots of WAVs repetitively if that is what you want to do. Sound is excellent in full stereo recording mode; it is acceptable in LP4 compression mode; compatible with MP3. Holds about 1.5 CDs per minidisc at full stereo mode, and about 5 to 6 CDs at LP4 mode. Unit does not skip with lots of jostling around. Cant figure out how to record in the usual mann |
