| Product: |
Sony MD Walkman MZ-R900 |
| Date: |
08/01/04 (1371 review reads) |
| Rating: |
 |
Advantages: Sound Quality, Durable
Disadvantages: Recording, Poor Headphones
Two years ago my dad went to Japan on business and knowing that electronics there are so much cheaper I asked him to buy me a minidisc player. In the weeks before he went I was searching the Internet for information about minidiscs, trying to decide which one I should get. The site I found most helpful on my search was minidisc.org From that site I decided on the Sony MZ R900 or the Sharp MD MT77. They both were rival products, with the sharp coming with a charging stand but the Sony unit with a longer battery life and supposedly better sound quality. My dad went to Japan and bought me the Sony MZ R900. He bought it instead of the Sharp MT77 because it was on sale! £150 plus tax brought it up to about £180 (Once converted back to British currency) This was an excellent buy I thought as it was selling in Index and Argos for about £250. A massive saving of £70.
The problem with an imported unit is that the unit has to be charged with adapters stuck onto the unit, as there are differences in the country's voltages. So I have to stick a voltage adapter and a two-pin adapter to the unit. It looks massive but you don’t really need to carry it around with you so it’s ok.
People also wonder about the instructions. Will they be in Japanese? Yes they were, but at the back was an English section. This was well written with nice diagrams to help all those who can't read and easy to understand.
If you are looking for a features list then this opinion is not for you. I recommend you go to the website I mentioned earlier and find out about its features. I am only going to comment on them and my views on them after my two years of use.
Body Work
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After two years of use the only damage I can see to the unit is around the sides where the blue paint (I don't think this will happen if you have the silver unit) and the corners where there will be a bit of rubbing. It's not to bad and you can only see i
t if you look up close. It may affect its second hand value but I doubt I would sell my minidisc, even though I just recently bought a Sony MZN1. The battery flap at the side of the unit is pretty dodgey now. Its very loose and floppy once it has been open, but once its closed it stays closed, so you don't have to worry about you battery falling out and your music stopping in the middle of the track. The remote controls volume/track changer has gotten a bit stiff. I know it could be my fault as I have dropped and stepped on my remote countless times (I got it trapped in-between the wheels of my bike once). Anyway it still works fine, its just not as 'new'
Remote
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Like I said above the remote has gotten stiff, but it still works fine. The remote is a joy to use and is one of the reasons why I chose to change from dull CD players to minidisc (I know you can get CD players with remotes now). Some people say that you need two hands to change the tracks and volume but after two years of use I have found a way of using it with just one hand. Hold it in your hand like you would if you were clicking the top of one of those push biro pen things. Then use your first finger and thumb to change the controls! You can't see the display like this but you could always flick it in your fingers to see it. I have memorised all the buttons on the remote and I can use it without looking at it, which helps loads when messing around on the streets!
Functions
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I won’t list the features of the MD as you can get this from the manufacture's website instead I will tell you about some of them. The speed control feature is the most fun, but also least used feature on the minidisc. I only ever use it for fun, or to find out what the lyrics are (slow it down and it helps) for some of my rap tunes (Twista is too fast)
The most use function is the sound pre-set functions. I set mine to full bass and medium trebl
e and one with full bass and full treble. (I like my bass). The original headphones were rubbish, I bought myself a pair of Sony ones for 7.99 I don’t know the make. What you do is you look at the back of the case and find its volume range, the higher the louder probably meaning better quality at volumes, which were high on the old headphones.
The dictionary function is useful if you are titling an album and you keep having to type in the artist name.
Battery Life
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The battery life says about 23 hours for lp2 recorded discs. I think this is about correct. I have to charge my unit every 3 days of constant use. (About a bit less than 8 hours on at school non-stop). If I remember to switch it off during lessons and use it properly then the battery lasts about a week. These figures are quoted without the extra AA battery pack which I never use. I have only used it once when I took it on holiday. I have noticed that if you use the battery pack with an empty battery (the units flat type battery is empty) then it seems to charge your internal battery. I noticed this when I left the battery pack on overnight. Well it charged mine enough for use for one day!
Charging
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The quoted charging time is three and a half-hours. To be honest I don't know if this is true or not. I usually leave my minidisc to charge overnight and pick it up in the morning. One thing about charging is that you have to press the stop button on the minidisc player before it will start charging the battery. If you forget then you will have nothing more than a blue box and an angry head in the morning. Also if the unit is on hold it will not start charging if you press stop.
Recording
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Recording is a pain up the @s$. I hate it. There is nothing good about the method. It’s recorded in real time so you have to sit there for hours on end. There is a sync record function and auto track marking, bu
t sometimes it makes two track marks instead of the one needed. Then you have to spend ages finding and deleting the empty tracks. Re-naming and titling is also a pain as the letters start back at the beginning of the alphabet for each new letter, and the jog dial isn’t really a jog dial, as in it doesn’t turn all the way around. To scroll through the letters fast you have to push it up and hold it there for a certain time. This ugly recording is why I bought my new MZN1 NET MD is the way forward, I like it so much!!! But still I am not putting down this MD because once your dics are recorded you will enjoy the music everywhere you go.
Current Prices
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I was just a bit curious and decided to find out how much my Minidisc player costs now. I went to pluggedin.co.uk and they are selling it for £210 (I bought it cheaper 2 years ago!) but it is out of stock. Tesco internet are also selling this at £210. It seems that Sony has not reduced the price of this model when releasing newer models. I think it's because it's either been discontinued or that it's such a great unit they think it's still worth the money.
This is a great unit and has lasted me two years. I am going to continue using this unit, taking it out while recording on my new NETMD! It can take quite allot of punishment and I have dropped it several times but still not much damage. The sound quality hasn't deteriorated and minidiscs are just a joy to have. Thanks SONY!!!
Adrian
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