Customer Reviews

Sony Portable Mini-Disc Player/Recorder (MZ-R500PCNAVY)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This little MD player is one of the greatest audio investments I've ever made. I can't figure out why folks are buying MP3 players. These MD recorders, especially the MZ-R500, seem to be the best kept secret in the world of mobile personal audio.

One complaint however... I don't like the fact that the recorder always defaults to "automatic" recording volume level. You will quickly find out that the auto volume feature doesn't let enough sound in. It also makes "mush" out of live albums as it compensates too much for the crashing percussion instruments. I found this out when I recorded the live version of Orange Blossom Special by Johnny Cash. I thought something was wrong with the MD recorder. When I set the recording volume manually, the mush went away.

It must be set to manual each time you record, from song to song or album to album. Any time you start recording, in other words. All other settings the user makes stays put, just this ONE feature resets to auto. Quite frustrating.

Once these small issues are figured out, this is a fantastic little gadget. Certainly meant for folks on the go. Simply start it playing and slide the "hold" feature in place. All the buttons are now disabled and can't be hit accidentally. Drop it in your shirt pocket and go! This thing does NOT skip either!

Cheers.

The Sony MZR500 is an amazing MD player, with functions to please almost anyone. I'll outline some of the pros and cons of this model:

PROS:
- text capability
- MDLP (which allows for up to 5 hours of music onto one MiniDisc)
- FULLY Mac compatible (with iTunes, anyway)
- excellent sound quality
- repeat function
- unbeatable price
- PCLink included
- small size allows for maximum portability
- excellent battery-life
- easy recording

CONS:
- records in real-time
- comes with cheap, flimsy earbuds
- no remote-control
- small buttons may provide some problems for big-handed people
- small display

This model is a perfect choice for a first-time user, or even an electronics savvy audiophile.

I bought an MZ-R500 a couple of years ago solely to record live music. What a surprise that this model doesn't have a mic input jack! It only has a line input, and I was unable to record anything live. (Later I learned that I'd either need an accessory battery box or an upgrade to record with a microphone). I quickly upgraded to an MZ-R700 which has the neccessary mic input jack and have been more or less happy. Also lacking with this model is the inability to start recording from anything other that AUTO volume level. To change levels out of AUTO, you always have to start recording, press pause, and then go into the menu to manually adjust the volume. Quite a pain when you want to record live stuff on the fly. OH well. . .

Sony introduced the MiniDisc format to the U.S. in 1992 - it was not a big success, even though Minidisc was highly successful in Asia and, to a lesser extent, in Europe. Since then, Sony has had several major advertising campaigns to promote the format. I've always been intrigued by it's exceptionally small form factor, and it's re-recordable disc format. Improvements to the compression encoding known as ATRAC have made the minidisc a more than capable replacement for the cassette tape, with faster and easier access to song selections, editing capabilities that are computer like, and quality sound (particularly when recorded using the optical input). And yet - America (and I) were not convinced enough to take the plunge. The early units were expensive, and the blank media costs were way too high ($10-15 or more). But recently, Sony introduced a series of new Minidisc player/recorders in the U.S., of which the RZ-500PC is the least expensive, that can be attached via USB port to your computer to copy compressed music files. And, to make the format even more enticing, they engineered the unit to be able to record up to 320 minutes of stereo sound on a single 80 minute disc. And the disc prices were lowered to the range of a quality cassette (about $2). These changes are what finally convinced me to try the format. I gave my wife a suggestion to buy the MZR500PC for me as a Christmas present. Fortunately, she followed my suggestion. I haven't had this much fun with a new "toy" since I got my first stereo. The recording and editing functions are astounding. For example, because of the scattered bit type recording process that it uses, you can record a series of songs, then remove one, replace it with another, and not effect any of the other recordings. You can change the song sequence, or, if you just want to re-record the whole disc, it can be erased completely in only seconds! It has a feature, active only when recording optically, called "Sync-Record" that puts the unit into pause when the record and play buttons are simultaneously activated, and as soon as it senses sound, it starts recording! When the sound stops, so does the recorder. Great stuff! It's only drawback when compared to MP3 players or MP3/CD players is that it records in real time (an hour's worth of music takes an hour to record, whether its compressed music files from your computer, CDs recorded from your stereo, or cassettes recorded from a player). The MZR500PC is a great way to enjoy truly light, portable, quality music. Get it, use it, and I'm sure you'll get to like it as much as I do. Take the plunge!!

I purchased a Sony MZ-R500 about 3 weeks ago, and I could not be happier. MD's do not seem to be the most popular format but, if you are looking for an alternative to an mp3 player, you cant go wrong with MD. The recording modes available are regualar, LP2, LP4. In regular you have 74 minutes or 80 minutes depending on which MD's you buy. LP2 allows for 148 minutes of recording, and LP4 allows for 296 minutes of recording. I have been able to record 5 cd's on one disc in LP4 mode. Some people say the sound quality in LP4 is fair, but i dont notice any degradation. I also use my MD to record my jam sessions. It allows me to get my songs down quickly, and hear them right away. You will not be dissappointed with an MD.

I recently received Sony's MZR500 MiniDisc Recorder as a gift and have been amazed with its capabilities. Like other portable digital recorders this little machine accepts downloads from the Internet (haven't tried Audible.com yet, though), plus it records in digital and analog modes from just about any source, from Tape Recorders to CD players. I've been able to save some old, beloved tapes and to intermingle tracks from tapes and CDs to create my own mixes. And the sound is excellent. A great bridge between old and new. The MiniDisc does use small CDs, which means you'll have to carry a few around for long trips from home. But they are small and can, using different recording modes, store up five hours of audio. Plus they don't skip! I dropped mine while recording, but couldn't find where in the track it occurred. Bravo! One warning: Recordings taken in digital mode can only be recorded from in analog. Still, it comes out great.

I bought the R500 today not knowing exactly what to expect. I had heard nothing but good about it, but the choice was mine to make.

... a previous customer had bought my MD recorder, but then returned it for one reason or another, anyway ... :)

I immediately bought the R500 and a 5-pack of MDs, (which I now know will last me forEVER) went home and without a 10 minute delay, started recording my own songs! It was the easiest thing to figure out, and the cables came with it! Now, an hour later, I have figured out most of the functions (with the help of the instructions manual) and I am using my MD player like a veteran.

If you are looking for ease-of-use, good price, and overall great deal, look no further than the MZ-R500. Though the previous owner put a couple scratches on it, they make the recorder look rugged. :)

Again, don't look any further if you're looking for ease-of-use, good price, and an overall great deal. Buy some new headphones though.

...

I recently bought this MD recorder for my dad. It is excellent, and some of it's features include CD text, digital recording and MDLP recording, where you can get 4 CDs WORTH OF MUSIC ON 1 TINY LITTLE MD!!! I frequently use Audiogalaxy to get some of my favourite beats on MD. Using my knowledge of the quality of Sony products, I then decided to buy a Sony MD player (model MZE300) which you Americans can't get!
The player included a pair of high quality fonotopia earphones with a gold-plated plug, which I recall getting a pair from Tandy for $40 Australian! The instruction booklet is very easy to follow, just as long as you read the English one, not the Korean one!
The only thing I hate about the player is the small buttons, where the >>/ button was pressed when I intended to press the [Enter] button, but I only use it for recording, as I use my player for playing them (the MZE300 has big, easy to press buttons).
Unfortunately the Australian model MZR500 doesn't have the online music download feature, but MP3s and WMAs can be recorded by using a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable.
Battery life is commendable, with up to 22 hours recording time or 40 hours playing time using 1 Dick Smith NiCad rechargeable AA battery.
If the MZR500 included compatibility with a remote control, the deal would be unbeatable. The only other problem with the recorder is the 6 character text display which is used to display the track number and track name, along with the menu functions, and can become very awkward and a pain to use.
All in all, an unbeatable MiniDisc recorder. When Sony iron out the few problems discussed here, no other MiniDisc player manufacturer will be able to sell anything.

I recently purchased this Mini Disc player around Christmas, I'd heard lots of good things about the portability and recording ease of one, and felt it would make a worthy investment. Just a word of warning before I begin reviewing the features, this can be a bit complicated to work, I had to seek some advice from friends and from Sony's customer service, before I started really being able to record.

First of all, is the sound quality good? Depending on what you use to record, and how you're recording it, the sound quality can either be poor, to average, to excellent. The trick is to record at full blast, both on the mini-disc player and on the stereo/computer. Then, you can adjust the volume on the player to whatever feels comfortable to your ears. The bass works very well, and doesn't seem to drain as much battery power as the feature seems to do on most portable CD players.

How easy is it to record? This depends. I, wasn't really able to pick up with ease how to record, but once you figure it out, it's very easy. The only problem I have with this medium, is that to record a 40 minute CD to Mini Disc, it will take you the entire 40 minutes of the CD, but, with a CD Burner, this time is usually cut in half, so depending on how fast you need to record things, the Mini Disc might not be as great. However, thanks to the LP2 and LP4 recording modes on the Mini Disc player, you can record double, and quadruple the amount of minutes listed on the Mini Disc, so that is a plus, but once again, if you plan on recording 2 and a half hours of music, you're going to have to let it sit for 2 and a half hours. Also, the computer cannot be touched once recording begins, less the sound becomes distorted (the mini-disc records on the same principle as a cassette)

What about the portability? This is where the MD shines. A CD player might be able to fit into a deep pocket, but it's going to be very noticeable, plus there's the chance you might hit a button, causing the music to mess up, or remove the headphone plug. Sure, you have the same chance of doing that with an MD player, but the size of this little thing makes it much easier to carry, to hide, etc. I've found it well worth the time of recording to MD, just for the portability of it.

Is it worth buying? As of now, once I got pass some of the problems recording, I've found my MD to be a very helpful item, well worth the expense. For someone who owns a CD burner, and doesn't really listen to music on the go, this would probably be a costly novelty item. Try out a friends, or ask people at a store what they think, I'm sure that will help you decide whether to get one of these or not.

Finally, some advice for those having problems with their MD Player. The booklet (from what I remember) does not say that you can record directly from a CD player, just with the equipment that comes with the player, but, this is wrong. To record from a CD player, hook the cord (the one that has two headphone plugs on either end of it) into the line in slot on the MD, and the other into the CD player. Press and hold play and record on the MD, and start the CD. Sit back, and let it record. For best results in the level of volume, you should turn the CD player up to maximum. Remember, unless you're recording a burnt CD with the 2 second space between tracks, you're going to have to go back and manually record the tracks, if you need to. The best way to do this is to load up the CD into Winamp, move the MD near the end of the track, and if you hear silence, press the Track Mark button.

Also, the best way to record Mp3's onto your MD player, is not through the PC link. Even with the volume level turned all the way up, I barely was able to hear the music. Hook the cord into the speaker slot, and then into the MD. Make sure that whatever you're recording from is turned all the way up, and the computer's speaker function is turned all the way up as well. Record as usual.

I hope my review/advice has been of some help for you.

this MD is the best thing i ever bought!! it is so much better then a mp3! you get 5 hoursd on one disc and you can get a disc (which is rewritable) for about one dollar. it doesn't skip at all it is great for running skateing or anything else. If your thinking about getting one of these, do it because the are awesome!!