Nikjdog's Full Review: Sony Walkman MZ-R500 PC Personal MiniDisc Player
Well it’s quickly approaching that time of year again and the dilemma of what to purchase for those difficult people is upon us. And trust me, my daughter is on that list! Knowing that she loves her music, I decided to purchase a mini disk Walkman for her. After quite a bit of research I settled on the Sony MZ-R500PC.
This unit allows you to download your music files in any Internet format. In the MDLP mode you can record up to 320 minutes in addition to having an astonishing 48 hours of playback with one AA Battery. The unit features the digitalMega Bass™ sound system and as a result produces a rich deep base sound. The patented Skip-Free G Protection™ feature ensures playing performance with its 10 times faster advanced shock recovery as compared to typical conventional systems. My daughter loves to jog while listening to music and with this feature the unit will not skip while she is in her jogging mood. The multiple playback modes include normal, repeat and shuffle. This feature lets you play the mini disk from start to end (Normal Mode), can have one or several tracks repeated (Repeat Mode) or random order (Shuffle Mode).
One feature on the Sony MZ-R500PC that I thought was quite handy was the visible symbol showing me how much battery life actually remained. I find it quite annoying when without any warning my battery powered equipment will just die. And of course when this happens there is never a spare battery to be found! This feature helps me to prepare for the inevitable. Another very handy feature also allows me to see the amount of playback and recording time is left on the mini disc.
The Sony MZ-R500PC is capable of recording all Internet audio formats including WAV, MP3, WAV and AAC. Additionally, the Jukebox player application allows me to record music from sources such as Real Audio Player and Music Match in addition many others. The Digital Recording Level Control is very useful. It allows you to maintain a consistent level of recording no matter what the source is.
The unit comes with Sony’s MDR-026 Stereo Headphones. As with all mini disk walkmans, headphones are included. However, the headphones with this unit are the “over the head” type, a minor inconvenience. Also included as well is a PC Link (USB cable, PCLink Converter, and a mini stereo cable). The unit weighs only 4 ounces without the battery and measures 3 3/8” x 1 1/8” x3”. An optional AC adapter and a car battery cord should be considered when purchasing this unit.
One major drawback to the Sony MZ-R500PC is that the unit does not have a microphone input or remote jack.
Some of the specifications are:
Format Digital Audio MiniDisc System
Sampling Frequency 44.1kHz
Sampling Rate Converter From Optical-In: 32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz
Data Compression Method (Coding) ATRAC/ATRAC3 (Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding)
Frequency Response 20 -20,000Hz ±3dB
Wow & Flutter Immeasurable
Inputs DC in 3V (EIAJ Standard) Optical Line-In: stereo mini jack
Outputs Headphones Stereo mini
Power Requirements "AA" Alkaline Battery x 1 (optional)
DCC-E230 Car Battery Cord (optional)
AC-E30HG AC Adaptor (optional)
Battery Life (approx.)With "AA" alkaline battery x 1:
Standard mode: Record : 7.5 hrs, Playback 36 hrs
LP2 mode: Record: 10 hrs, Playback 42 hrs
LP4 mode: Record: 13.5 hrs, Playback 48 hrs
Color Blue
The system requirements for the Sony MZ-R500PC PCLink are Microsoft Windows 98, 2000, ME or XP, a Jukebox Player application and an available USB Port. The unit is also compatible with Macintosh 9.04 with Apple Audio Extension 1.05.
Portable mini-disc player with recording capability Digital gain control ensures quality recording Automatic Volume Limiter System for even, consisten...More at Amazon Marketplace
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