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well when i got the product here. when i went to purchase this product it said that it "was like new". so with the seller saying that on the page makes on believe that the only things that could be wrong with it is a mark in tha paint or screen, stuff like that. i can't hear sound out of the left side unless i use a rubberband to press the plug towards the backside of the device just to maybe hear full sound if i don't move once i get it to work. so needless to say i'm a bit unhappy with what was told to me and what i recieved.
The Sony MZ-N505, when it first came out, was like a miracle gadget. 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. 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.
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. Still, the MZ-505 is a great item with its prior NET-MD capabilities. 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.
Also, this particular line allows PCM quality recording but at a lower storage capacity. 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.
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. So for those who have thought of discarding their MD players and discs, I say don't.
you know what I'm sayin. I'm talking about real time recording. if you can stream it you can record it to MD. The MD player comes with a converter so you can convert the USB output to an Optical signal that records clean.
Also a single AA battery will play for what I'm 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. 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. 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. For example, I like to record internet radio stations. Anything that has a headphones output can be recorded into the MD.
I own the Sony Recording MD Walkman MZ-R700. I bought it 6 years ago and it still plays/records. I've erased and recorded on each disk god knows how many times. Well as I said above. Also the long play of the MD allows about 150 minutes per MD.
Most of the internet DJ mixes (shows) I like are 2 hours long so it works well for me. If you can stream it, you can record it. however its on its last leg. that is the reason I'm browsing through the Amazon store looking to buy a new one.
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. One draw back to that I've 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.
Yes the Mp3 player can download music files more quickly but you can not record in real time with the Mp3 players. You can only monitor (listen) to what you are recording via the headphones output on the MD player. I use this rate for everything.
Also I have about a dozed MD's that I keep in circulation, because they are re-recordable. the second input is optical. 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.
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. You can't download from one computer, then upload onto another computer, or from cd to computer, or voice to computer, or MD to computer. THIS IS NOT AN MP3 PLAYER. As for this particular model, the MZ-N505, mine is a few years old, don't know how old exactly, and it still plays fine, although it doesn't record anymore.MDs are still very popular in Japan where they have completely replaced the cassette.
You register it on one computer and all the files you download from that computer, you can upload them back on that SAME computer. I've been using MDs for almost 8 years now, and I can honestly say that, though they might not be for everyone, they're still better then either CDs or cassettes, portability-wise.The biggest deterrent to these is that people read reviews of consumers who didn't know what they were getting into and completely slammed the product. 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 I'm a spokesperson for Sony or any other MD company (JVC, Aiwa, and others have made in the past; Sharp, and Panasonic still make), but I'm just someone who's been with them since the beginning, and am stil a fan of. al the way to [.]. But of course with the cheap MP3 players available, you can't really do some of that either.Standard MDs hold from 74 to 500 minutes of music, depending on the compression format.
As far as I'm concerned, I'd rather have a Hi-MD then an iPod, they come cheaper too. for the Hi-MDs. It can't do all the things that MP3 players can do. In some new cars in america, you can still get a cassette deck, not in Japan. 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). MD players there cost between [.]. They may never have caught on here, but they compete with the iPod over there, so they can't be all that bad.
The other model (MZ-nf610) that I have I use at home and comes with the fm tuner, I don't use it. I have dropped it and god knows what else. I own two models. Also the option of having one rechargable double AA battery is the best.
I have had it for 2 years and it is still going. The greatest player I have ever purchased. I am not a big fan of FM radio anyways. Another way to save you money. I love having the option to put all of my music on a mini disk.
Both models are great players. 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. The MZ-n505 & the MZ-nf610 (type s) The MZ-n505 I use at work while I am on the job. You can recharge the double AA while it is still in the player. 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. I can listen to my NetMd 8hrs without having to recharge. Overall this is my favorite portable audio player, and would buy from Sony again and definately a NetMD player.
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