Customer Reviews

Sony MZR70 Minidisc Recorder

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been putting off buying a portable listening device since my last '90 Aiwa tape player. But after seeing the Minidisc in action - it's a definite buy and constant use gem.

First, do the math if you're seriously comparing MP3 format vs. Minidisc. A single MD at 74min costs 2 dollars at most - Read/write capabilities, move tracks, edit, `tMark'=index songs, etc. You don't need a computer either - use your existing AV setup to record - while having the option to use PC, DVD, etc.

Sound quality? Can you say OPTICAL input. You cannot get any better sound resolution than this; any decent DVD player has an optical out; decent CD players too. RCA IN is a plus (not included) and the PC IN option is mediocre - it is convenient with all the CD-R/PC/MP3 formatted music. It's got a two-stage added-bass feature that works quite well. The standard headphones are excellent - an updated version with position detents for fixed fit. The remote fob device is essential for total playback+record control once your MDplayer is tucked away in the pocket. (look for the RM-MZR55 remote with backlighting if you want to upgrade)

The unit has never skipped even with major motion, jostling, or shock. I haven't done a drop-test, but I'll skip it for now. The biggest drawback is the lack of a custom case/holster for the unit; it does come with a bag, but it isn't adequate for protection or carrying with any confidence. Plus, the lack of backlighting on the main unit is a bummer.

It comes with it's own AA ni-cad battery and charger, and runs for a prolonged period of time ~ 6 hours playback, 1.5-2x as long on a regular AA. The half-sized ice cream sandwich form kicks the CD portable players to the curb. It isn't as ubiquitous as some MP3 players - but why would you want to drop several dimes on something invisible. Personally, the anodized blue colored one has more impact than the silver, but the form and interface overall is a delight. The battery bulge just slightly cants the display up, the button separation and placement works great for easy access. I find excuses to block the world out and listen to high-fidelity music on the go.

This mini-disc player has to be one of the best on the market today. (if not the best)It is easy to use, small in size, and much more practical than a CD burner (it's like a portable burner/player)

Positives:

#GREAT sound quality (like CD)

#easy to set up, only takes about 5 minutes

#it makes recording simple, without the need of a HUGE system attached to your home stereo

#PC USB connected

#software is already on your Windows computer

#looks cool, and is very light and rugged

#regular AA battery last 17 hours!

Negatives (there aren't very many)

#long recording time (but it goes by faster than you'd expect)

#Inserting title takes a few seconds

# included rechargeable battery last only 6 hours

Overall I give it a 5 because it was well worth the money and is better than a CD burner, MP3 player, and definitly better than a tape player!

This is an excelent little machine. I bought mine from a friend... with 20 disks, and it's worth every penny. This little rig is small, light weight, and has excelent sound and battery life.
To start, it's small. It's about the size of the palm of your hand, with a bump on the back where the batery goes. it fits in ANY pocket, unlike most CD players. it weighs very little, so it doesnt bother you by pulling on your cloths like some CD players.
The sound is great. The only problem is that it has a low record volume, and gets fuzzy when you turn it up too much. If you have the mega bass on while you recond on high, it gets fuzzy also. At low and medium volumes though, it's got crystal clear sound (that also depends on your headphones, and what kind of music... rock is less fuzzy than Rap) I like my music LOUD. I ride a bus one way to or from school, and that gets awfull loud. I have several "buss disks" that are recorded on high volumes, and they work fine when you are being bombarded by background noise, but are a little fuzzy when you run it through a car kit or stereo. This machine has over all good sound though, and with a little fine tuning of bass and volume you get great sound.
Battery life... what can i say, it lasts. Even on regular duracells, i can get almost a whole school week on and off, and the provided rechargable battery last even longer.
Besides the sound glitches here and there, it also makes some noise. When skipping tracks, rewinding a few seconds etc. it has to think for a couple of seconds. It's not a major problem, but it is somewhat slow here and there. It will skip too. If it is riding in your pocket where it can bounce, it'll skip. Not as much as a 40 sec asp cd player though. it'll freeze for a second, then you will stop, wondering what went wrong, then it goes again. not a mojor problem, but if you jog or run, i suggest you upgrade to an MD with the same G-protection of a CD player.

For the money... it's a great buy for people who want small portable music, that can come from anywhere, (even MD to MD.)Hope this helped

I know the item is currently out of stock, but this little machine works up to its name. The outer shell of my player/recorder is blue like the MZR90 model. I do all my recordings in half the time I'd do them with an audio cassette recorder. There's no comparison in quality and efficiency with the latter equipment.

Best features are: 1) Is very compact, it fits in my shirt pocket 2) The remote comes in handy when my coat is closed 3) It fits in a standard discman accessory case with discman 4) Included phones are enriched with amazing bass boost sound 5) The best of all is for skipping a track takes about 3 to 4 seconds. This feature is convenient for me when I only want to hear certain songs. 6) The shock absorbtion is great. Never to worry about a song skipping again. 7) The adaptor comes in handy for recording while saving on batteries 8) With accessories, you can record from phono, CD, cassette, and from your VCR hookup on the stereo. With all that, you can't go wrong. SONY has lived up to its name in quality.

My MZR70 works like a charm. I won't upgrade yet, as this machine meets my expectations. I quickly bonded with such a quality item. For someone looking for a unit with the equivalent in volume to a Discman, the Minidisc has a softer sound. You can't obtain with this unit the same volume strength as the Discman, but for the amount you can get, you have the most out of the 1.2 volt battery provided with it. If the volume is up to about 85%, it's enough for me. I say this because some songs are recorded louder than others. The battery life is normally ( 7 to 8 hrs. ).

In my accessory kit, included with the player was among others, a rechargeable Ni-Cad battery ( NC-WMAA DC 1.2V 700mAh ) that lasts the said amount. SONY does offer a DRY battery, not available here in Montreal. IF SOMEONE CAN LET ME KNOW WHERE I CAN GET ONE??? at mailto:woof1@sympatico.ca .

As soon as this item is available, get it!

Did my review help you?

I have a very large collection of mp3's (about 2000) and i was looking for a way to listen too them when I'm not infront of my computer. I first saw the minidisc players a year or two ago, I thought that they would be awesome. After looking at several I finally decided to buy this one. At first it was awesome. I love the freedom you have when recording minidiscs. You can name tracks and rearrange them too. I then came to realize that it wasn't accually that good.

First, it is really annoying recording the minidiscs. You can record from a cd player that has optical output very easily, but if you try to record mp3's from the computer, you have to put in track marks and basically watch it record the whole cd.

Another thing that is very annoying is that the accual minidiscs are not very portable. they are pretty thick and there is no good way to store them. I have about 50 minidiscs and when I go on a long trip, I want to take them all. No one has really made a good storage unit either, the bigest one i saw was a binder that held 24. When i go on a trip i normally end up just throwing them all into a backpack or something like that.

On the plus side, the unit works flawlessly and does what it says it is supposed to do. I would advise you to think carefully about what you want in a portable music player before you buy it. If you just go to work and would only take two or three minidiscs with you each day, this thing would be great. but if your like me, and go on long trips where you just have to have all you music i would recomend Nomad Jukebox or a MP3-CD player.

There's been a dispute among which is the better, a minidisc player, or an mp3 player. Well if your one of those people, let me clear it up for you. First of all, mindisc prices are falling like crazy and minidisc recorders are as hard as hell to understand unless you have technical know how (i wouldnt buy one for my mom, even if she liked music). First of all, the one i got was for a real deal because it was one of the many returned md player/recorders (try looking for them, especially after christams). I have an mp3 player, and it has served me well for the 2 years ive used it, but it only records 8 songs at a time, which was extrememly annoying. So i decided that it was time to move on to minidisc players and i bought this one. There is a real difference. First of all, there are those new mds that say they'll record from your computer, well they will, but if your a sound buff like me, you will seriously hate the sound quality. But being a sound buff, i bought a Fujitsu notebook with an optical out port made specifically for md recorders and HOLY COW was the sound quality awesome. Line in isnt all that good, but recording digitally is freaking amazing. Also, it does take awhile to record a cd in contrast to Mp3 players which only take a few seconds to download a song to, but you can only download a few songs. If your looking for portability and quantity (you have a lot of music) go with the minidisc. But if your an active person who wants something good to listen to at the gym, go get yourself an mp3 player; they're much more quiet,(the md player is LOUD when recording and changing tracks, it also feels delicate cause it vibrates in your hand). Theyre faster to set up and download songs to, and the sound quality is almost always amazing. So unless you have an optical port on your pc or cdplayer, go for an mp3 player. Even if you dont understand how to use your computer, it doesnt get any easier with an md player.

I'm surprised that mini disc hasn't caught on. It's small, you can record MP3s (the reason I wanted this in the first place), and it's easily concealable. The only problem I have is that recording takes forever, it's second-for-second (meaning that the time it takes to record is the amount of time the song lasts), and pre-recorded mini discs are hard to come by. Not even Amazon sells them. Other than that, it's a great player. I don't have this particular model, but mine's very similar. I like the fact that you can assign names to each song. Another big, big plus is the cost of the discs: $2 a piece. It doesn't skip and you can record and re-record several times over. I could go on and on about how great mini discs are...

I was looking for a minidisc player/recorder which was small, good, and inexpensive. After a lot of looking and no finding I finally found this. The Sony MZR70 Minidisc Recorder is everything I was looking for and more. It is the cheapest you will find that can record as well as play. It also includes a PC link which most others do not. If your looking for a good inexpensive MD player this is the one.

I've had this model for a little over a year, and here are my thoughts:

There is simply no other way to carry music around. I am a college student, and I wanted to listen to my blossoming MP3 collection. However, at the time, MP3 players could only hold something like 4 songs, and if you went on a trip, there was no way to put in new songs! I ended up recording a majority of my music onto minidisk and took it with me to summer camp (I was a counselor) and I was able to listen to the majority of my MP3 collection without a hitch. In fact, I was even able to make recordings of some rare bootlegs of a buddy of mine, and I have the disk to this day. Minidisks don't scratch, and they have the versatility of tapes with a much improved sound quality. An audiophile friend of mine says that minidisk's sample at at a lower rate than CD's, (theoretically producing inferior sound) but I couldn't tell the difference. Minidisks themselves round about 2 dollars/disk. The big advantage over CD's is the portability. The MZR70 is smaller than my wallet! Furthermore, the battery life is incredibly high, and the fact that they give you a rechargable battery helps this immensely. The version of this model i purchased did not have the USB interface, but I plugged in male/male stereo cord (a cord with headphone plugs on both ends) into my computer and I had no problems. To record I used winamp with the "Pause between songs" plugin to space the tracks out correctly. (The MD tries to space tracks out automatically based on dead air)

So why didn't I give the item 5 stars?
After a little over a year of admittedly heavy use, my MZR70 no longer records. Instead, it simply creates errors on the minidisks. Even editing existing tracks causes this problem. For a couple hundred bucks, I want to be able to use this thing for a couple of years. Unfortunately this is not the case. I currently have an older (supposedly more durable model) being shipped to me.
In summary, the minidisc format is fantastic. There is currently no better way to take your music with you. However, if you think that the MZR70 is for you, be sure to get some protection for it, and perhaps consider getting an extended warrenty.

This is perfect for people who cant seem to figure out a cd burner, or who are just still stuck in the past with tapes. Its easiest when you just link the mini disc player to the head phone jack and play the music and flick the record switch on the mini disc player. although some might think that the fact that it records in real time is a draw back, i think it just adds to the simplisity of it. its a great buy not only because its simple, but if you're a computer person it can be linked with ease to the computer and you can rip all your favorite mp3's onto a couple mini discs. and for the people out there who think that they'll just stick with their cd players, it might intrest you to know that most cd's you buy are only about half filled, you can pretty much fit two cd's on one 80 minute mini disc, its a great ease and conveiance.