A Neat player/recorder
Written: Nov 01 '02
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Pros: Small size, MDLP4, nice graphics, large LCD display, long playtime.
Cons: buttons on the remote are oddly placed.
The Bottom Line: It's a great player for the money. The unit itself is awsome, but the remote could use some work. Overall I like it.
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| darien28's Full Review: Sharp MD-MT877 Personal MiniDisc Player |
I got mine straight from Japan a few months before the US release. The US version is EXACTLY the same as the japanese version except that the US version does not have the ability to enter japanese text, and the voltage adapter is made for US 120 voltage.
Ok, now onto the main review...
OVERVIEW:
The unit is nice and small. The magnesium casing gave it a solid yet light feel, and the finish is great. I really like the large LCD display. The LCD on the unit is not backlit which I would've liked, but does have a large 2 line dot matrix display along with plenty to symbols above the text display to show the current status and options of the current playback/rec session.
DOCKING STATION:
The unit comes with a nice docking station that has a flip out panel for holding the remots, and a prop that allows it to stand up. The docking station has 2 "modes" that are switched by a 2 position manual switch on the side. This switches between charge mode and playback mode, which locks it into the charger. I don't know why they did this though. The panel to clip the remote onto is a nice touch, but the remote's wires usually get in the way and the remote usually slides off the "holder" relatively easily since it's plastic on plastic. The charger/stand looks nice though, but as with most MD players, you must remove the external batterypack if u wish to use the stand =)
OPERATION:
Using the unit was relatively easy. However, the buttons on the main unit are a bit small, so people with large fingers may find it a bit hard to use. The circular looking "main button" button is used for FF, RW, Vol , Vol -, and the other buttons below it are 2-way "bars" that have Stop, Play/Pause, display, enter, edit, bass. The 2 small circular buttons above the large main button is record and mode. The unit opens on it's side like a clamshell, and the disc easily pops out and inserts with ease. the eject button is a good sized sliding button with raised bumps allowing easy grip.
REMOTE:
The remote on this unit is the only real weak point. There are the play/stop/FF/RW buttons put in the same fasion as the unit buttons, but they're 4 separate buttons on the remote. Then there are 3 buttons alond the top edge, and 2 buttons on the lower edge directly opposite of the top edge buttons. The top 3 are Display,Play Mode, Sound(bass). The bottom are Vol and Vol-.
The main problem with this design is that you'd have to grip both sides to push a button, and I usually end up pressing 2 buttons, Display and Vol at the same time, or worse, Vol - and Playmode... resulting in going from repeat to single track repeat accidentally. The remote's LCD is backlit in a indiglow fasion and lights up in a nice blue hue. The remote's LCD automatically turns off after a few seconds, and there's no way to make it always on. Sometimes I just like it always on especially if I have it plugged into the docking station.
The unit comes with a pair of earbuds which have a short cord. I guess they assumed you'll have the remote clipped near your face or kept in your shirt pocket. The earbud cord dangles at about where my sternum is. The unit comes with a translucent smoked external battery pack which houses 1 AA battery, and screws into the unit like the Sony units. It alsom comes with a wrist-strap that attaches to a solid metal ring on the unit itself. which is a nice touch.
Playback is great, and after the buffer fills, it's hard to cause the unit to skip unless you're running with it. However, when I run, I just make sure I'm smoother with my running motions so I don't constantly shock the unit. I wouldn't use it for any outdoor/track running/jogging, but it works well on the elliptical walking/jogging machines at the gym due to the lack of a hard shock.
CONCLUSION:
The unit is nicely built and functions greatly. The sound quality is great, and the recording pickup is good. However, the unit could benifit from using the newer 2-line, 2-color remote present on the Newer Sharp MD players. That remote IS COMPATABLE, but good luck finding it sold separately.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 240
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Epinions.com ID:
darien28
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Reviews written: 5
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