Mega Performance - Mini Price!
Written: Jul 05 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Incredible sound - Incredible price!
Cons: No playback programming feature - Can't record or play MP3 files directly
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| Planecrazy's Full Review: Sharp MD-MS722 Personal MiniDisc Player |
It's rare to find products these days that deliver on their marketing promises. The Sharp MD-MS722 delivers a whole lot more! If you've avoided minidisc technology because you heard that sound quality was compromised in order to compress more sound on a smaller disc, it's time to re-evaluate that decision.
I'm an audiophile - I love gadgets that provide high quality playback and recording capability. I'm also a musician, and I used to be in radio as a deejay and commercial production director. Having said that, let me tell you that you give up almost nothing when recording or playing back using the MD-MS722. It's almost indistinguishable from regular CD's!!
So what's so great about this little Sharp?
First, the design features a front-loading mechanism, so that you simply slide the minidisc into the unit and go... no doors to open (or break), no risk of exposing the laser and other sensitive parts to the elements. In short, it's simply the best way to protect and strengthen this type of portable device.
Second, the wired remote not only allows you to control the unit without having to take it out of your pocket/backpack/purse/etc., but also allows you to plug your headphones into the remote rather than string an additional cable into the unit (I suspect most portable MD's use this strategy - it makes sense). The "Indiglo" style backlight is VERY bright and easy to see, and turns off after several seconds to extend battery life each time you use the remote.
Third, the metal housing adds strength and durability to an already solid design - this portable feels like it will last a long time under heavy use and abuse. When was the last time you purchased a modern electronic marvel that wasn't surrounded in cheap plastic? Good thinking Sharp!
Fourth, although I've read elsewhere that the controls on the MD-MS722 are cryptic, I found them extremely easy to master, especially the jog-dial, which lets you quickly and easily "scroll" through a variety of available menu options, as well as quickly input character information for each disc and track you record.
Fifth, sound quality is fantastic, and Sharp provides three levels of bass boost for a rich full sound experience! There are also several different playback modes available, such as "random" track selection and several "repeat" modes. 40 seconds of anti-skip memory ensure that you won't be hearing any skipping from your discs. The only playback feature I missed was the ability to program one or more selections to play in the order I chose. For example, I would have liked to have been able to program one song to repeat over and over while I listened to it and learned to play it on my guitar. Instead, I have to keep manually backing up as the next track starts to play. A minor inconvenience...
One other complaint about all of the current minidisc recorders is that they don't allow for MP3 files to be encoded to disc. If this were possible, you could conceivably record close to ten hours or more of near CD quality audio on a little minidisc! It can't be THAT hard to include the circuitry neccesary to do this... how about being first Sharp?? After all, "From Sharp minds come Sharp products"!
In closing, let me simply say that my motivation for purchasing this product was to replace a Sony Walkman Professional (cassette recorder) which I used to record live band performances. I hesitated initially because I was worried that the minidisc compression would take away from the sound quality. I have since learned that the best recording I ever made with the Walkman Professional (which I think is a fantastic recorder) can't begin to compare with the clean "hiss-less" recordings made on the MD-MS722. This little minidisc recorder/player is truly an amazing piece of technology! It's not the smallest, and probably isn't the best portable mini available, but with a street price under $200 it simply can't be beat!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Planecrazy
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Location: Illinois
Reviews written: 10
Trusted by: 6 members
About Me:
I'm a working stay-at-home dad! I'm into cars, planes, music, and gadgets!
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