bluecrab

Oh yeah! You can share iTunes libraries among networked computers and then go optical digital out, using an MD deck as a DAC, to get outstanding sound. WIsh I'd thought of this sooner. (You don't really have to share the iTunes lib, it's just that I do not have a computer near my MD deck...enter laptop!) The MDS-JA333ES DAC handles the iTunes output quite well. Wonderful invention, MD is. It really deserved a better fate.

It may be old, but the CDP XA30ES would be my choice from those three. If I could find one, I'd get a CDP-XA55ES. From what I have heard of Sony CDPs of that general vintage, don't expect anything too "laid back" - they are often said to have a very "forward" sound. This is definitely true of my Sony CDP-CA70ES changer and was also true of the CDP-CA7ES I had. If those prices are USD and the units are in excellent condition, I think they are reasonable (I don't know about the CEC, but it seems to be pretty well-regarded). As to why I'd still get a high-end CDP - I have many CDs, for one thing, and also I think a good CDP might have a slight audio edge on even a good MD deck. Besides, I like the artwork and "look and feel" of CDs. Bonne chance avec ceci, Philippe! Bruce

To me, the S1 sounds pretty much identical to others of its kind - that is, Type R Sony portables (I don't think it's Type S) - but I don't like the feel of it. It's just too big and that "one-thumb" joystick you use to get it to Play and so forth doesn't do it at all for me. Maybe I have too many thumbs!

I definitely used to get mixed results between my Pioneer MJ-D508 MD deck and Sony decks. Pioneer did have their own version of ATRAC, IIRC.

Somehow I missed it, but now it's found and I have responded.

After seeing quite a few threads here and there about using an MD deck as a standalone DAC, I decided to try it myself, especially when my JA333ES deck began emitting a loud, click-like sound upon turn-on and disc-read attempt. That can't be good. I had the JA333ES pretty much set up to accept optical in, as it is connected to a digital switch, itself connected to an SCMS stripper. I set the JA333ES to receive optical out from an MXD-D400 CD/MD deck. As is known from experience and from discussion here, the 'D400 is great for copying from CD to MD, but falls somewhat short in the DAC department. The output from the 'D400 sounds noticeably better when run through the JA333ES's DAC. The sound is louder, fuller, and there is more low-end. It was easy for me to switch between the 'D400 straight-up and the 'D400 played through the JA333ES's DAC - just a button-push on my amp. That was how I tested, using various CDs and MDs run through both DACs. It's simple to do this. You just connect the digital source to the target MD Deck, press record on it, and start playing the source. No need to insert an MD. The display shows "-DA", indicating that the unit's DAC is in use, I would think. The DAC in the JA333ES is much better than the one in the 'D400 and the resulting SQ is likewise better. I would expect that the JA20ES and the JB940 also have DACs superior to that of the MXD-D400. What it all means is that I will be able to actually play CDs and MDs on the MXD-D400 and get good SQ out of it. I wish I had thought to try this months, if not years ago. Anyone else hijacking a good MD deck's DAC?

I think most Sony MD deck remotes will work to some extent on most Sony decks. As I noted earlier, an older remote worked fine with the JB940. Last night, a remote (from either the MXD-D40 or MXD-D400) worked very well with a JA20ES, including changing the play mode. However, not all functions on all remotes work on all decks. Don't mean to sound like a Venn Diagram, but there you have it ;-)

I have an RM-D27M with those functions, and they appear to work on my JB940. PM me when you get a chance.

I may have a couple of them, but I'm at work now and won't know until much later tonight. If no one else volunteers before then, I will check and get back to you. I see that they are somewhat pricy. IIRC, the r-d49m is the larger-style remote? Are you in the US?

The Service Manual is here: http://minidisc.org/part_Manuals.html Just scroll down to the Service Manual section and you'll see it for download.

The differences between MDs are in the build quality. They all sound the same.

This reply is also a test, as lately any replies I try to post just don't appear. I long ago gave up trying to determine that one bit rate or codec sounded better than another based on tech specs. I have the perfect decoder for all sound output - my ears. Last night, I was listening to a Joni Mitchell comp I made I-don't-even-know how long ago. "Now that," I thought, "is a nice sounding CD," as Joni swung into Free Man In Paris. Thing is, much to my astonishment, I'd forgotten that I'd slipped that old MD comp into my MDS-JA333ES and it was not a CD at all. If you must know, yeah, it was SP - but I have had similar events with LP2. There. I said it. Anyone want to argue with my ears? (They cannot speak for themselves, though.) I hope this gets posted and this typing has not been a waste of time.

If the source recording is in mono, it only makes sense to record that way. I do this a lot for audiobooks (rather than LP2/4), because the Clarion MD head unit in my wife's car has no LP mode (mine does, though). Another interesting mono recording, if you like the music, is the Phil Spector Back To Mono 4-CD box. IIRC, someone else here first mentioned that set. And of course all that Beatles stuff. I am Ancient enough that my first experience with hi-fi was mono-only. My grandfather had a large speaker - as in one - an amp, a tuner, and of course a turntable. He liked jazz, Dylan, Gilbert and Sullivan, and much else besides, and I got to hear them all - in mono, of course. I will never forget my ol' grampa putting early Dylan on the turntable and explaining to me what made the guy special!

First I am going to say something about MD, because this is after all an MD space and not a general audio one. So. No matter what speaker/amp combo I use or have used, both the MDS-JB940 and MDS-JA20ES sound very good. Might even possibly give a slight advantage to the 940 - not sure yet. I think that no matter what we're running MD through it is marvel of audio engineering, especially when you consider that really, MD was supposed to take the place of analog cassette, not CD. IMO, MD far exceeds cassette. Your KEF's seem to be a highly regarded vintage speaker. With your Onkyo, I would expect them to have plenty of "presence." Are you using a sub with them? I would also expect that the Onkyo would be a good match for MD. Mine would even toggle between "MD" and "TAPE" in its display - the Cambridge doesn't toggle, but it does display "TAPE/MD." No surprise, really, as Cambridge is UK-based and I am pretty sure MD was much better received there than in the US. Couple of years ago, I was visiting a friend in Devon, who had a nice kit put together, and when I mentioned MD to him, he was well aware of what I was talking about. Not so much that response in the US :-( That's the MD part of my reply. Stop here, all ye who don't want to read about non-MD issues (albeit related). I did have an entry-level Onkyo receiver, TX-SR302. I bought it as a refurb direct from Onkyo and it never gave me a moment's trouble, nor did it have a problem with my own inefficient speakers, Pioneer S-DF3-K. I had been curious, though, about the Cambridge for some time and when I got a decent deal on one, I bit. I also considered a higher-level Onkyo such as you have, but was just too intrigued by the CA. Soon after the CA's arrival, I went from an Infinity Alpha center to a BIC FH6-LCR. The BIC is more efficient (and louder) than the Infinity and it just buries the Pioneers. So I have ordered a couple of BIC FH-65B's for mains. They too should be efficient and loud and a better match for the BIC center. I expect them to arrive this week. Bruce

Don't know about you, Jim, but if I never see another C13 TOC Error message, I'd be just as happy. Thanks for including the "listening to now" part - I had never heard of Marina and the Diamonds, but now have checked out some sound clips and sounds good that way. We'll see if she/they hold up under further scrutiny. Bruce

Not the message you want to see. That's what I was getting on my JE480 and before that, JE510 - and, I am sorry to say, on a flaky JB940. I got the 480 and 940 working by taking the cover off the units, going into service mode, and kind of playing around with the mechanism that moves the head. I do not exactly recall if I physically touched the mechanism or if I was just pressing buttons and such - most likely the latter. The 480 eventually died anyway, the 940 when last checked was operable (it is boxed and not currently in use), while the 510 - that machine was just plain ornery and evil. Long since dead and gone, although there was a fairly well-known, but tricky, fix for it. Although I don't want to out-and-out recommend doing what I did with the service mode, at this point you may want to get creative and at least take off the cover and watch what happens when the read failure occurs. I ought to mention that my 940 would occasionally come back to life, apparently spontaneously, if I unplugged it and left it that way for quite some time - weeks or months, usually. Then it would work for a while, until it didn't. Wish I could be more helpful. If you DO go into service mode, be careful.

I can verify that the MXD-D400's optical out includes the MD side of things, albeit with the usual SCMS restrictions. Maybe the Sony/Onkyo units referred to are bookshelf ones? There aren't many CD>MD decks to begin with, and fewer still with opt-out. Azureal is on the right track here - the MXD-D400 does appear more often on Ebay than it once did, and usually at a reasonable price. If money is no object, you can get the MXD-D400 brand-new from Japan - at least last time I looked they were still available - but forget about the "reasonable price" part in that case. I spotted a 'D400 on the local Craigslist a while back and went to check it out. The price was right - in the mid-200s USD if I recall - but the unit was not pretty and it obviously had been subjected to large quantities of cigarette smoke. I believe that to be detrimental to the machine. Two "smoky" decks I got gave me problems. Now I try to remember to ask about that. I wonder if the "tar" from the cigs gets in there in mucks things up a bit.

Yeah, the JA20ES has the little tray for the MD, always fun. Stick a little turret on that deck and some treads and you've got a nice mini-tank ;-) The JA20ES is listed over in the Equipment Browser at 16.5 lbs, while the JA333ES makes even that look light, at ~23 lbs. The 940 is almost light enough to balance on one finger, but one has to admit, it's a great deck and likely one of the best MD deck values ever offered. (I see it is actually listed as 11.7 pounds, but that seems like twice what it weighs.) I think maybe the heavyweight champ of MD decks is the JA555ES, at 33.7 lbs. Unit was discontinued because too many people strained their backs taking it out of the box ;-)

Here is where I first saw mention of the S-TACT: http://www.thevintageknob.org/sony-CDP-XA55ES.html It's referred to in the MD Equipment Browser, as well. The JA333ES has this, possibly one of the reasons it is such a good MD player. If you are knowledgeable about this technology, please feel free to expound, either here or via PM. Bruce

I would gladly get a couple of 110->220 transformers for those decks Philippe pointed out, even though as a by-default Mac guy, the NetMD part wouldn't do me much good. However, the 980 and the 333 have the desirable S-TACT. I am not sure if the JB940 has that - it should, in a just world - so probably the 980 would be a step up. And certainly I could live with another 333! I use a 100>110 transformer for my Japanese MXD-D400 with no apparent ill effects. The thing that struck me about the 780 was that according to its specs, it's a lesser piece of gear than the 980, yet still sold for a big premium. I think you are right that the NetMD had a lot to do with that, also its champagne color, and also that it was described as in really excellent condition. I wonder who buys something like this. If it were someone on this board, they'd probably let us know!

Beautiful decks, both of them. A champagne MDS-JE780 just sold for USD 410 on Ebay, almost as much as I paid (combined) for my JA333ES and JA20ES. It took 31 bids to get to that price.

The NAD stays where it is. Its sole function - and what it really was built to do - is to take a 2-channel analog input signal and make it sound good. This it does quite well enough for me. However, there are sources connected to it that I don't use for playback because they just don't cut it as well as other sources: MDS-JA333ES vs. MXD-D400, for example. My thinking was that an X-DAC would enable the 'D400 to be more suitable for playback. Instead of the X-DAC, though, I bought an MDS-JA20ES off Ebay. I thought the JA20ES would make a nice backup should another deck fail, but instead I wound up making it part of another system, which leads us to: Downstairs in my basement. There I -do- have an A/V receiver, a Cambridge Audio 540V R3. And it is there that I require > 2-channel sound, although that applies only to audio...I rarely use the Video features of the CA receiver. That's where the JA20ES lives, along with an MDS-JB940, a Marantz single-CD player (5003 or something like that), and a Sony CDP-CA70ES changer. Now, the Cambridge Audio is a fine specimen of an A/V receiver, and not one excessively overburdened with features I never will use. What it seems to like to do best is to take analog input from the devices I just mentioned, run that input through its own DSP, and spit out a pretty-good-sounding result over 5 channels (5.1, really). I did try the CA's own digital input on an older Onkyo CD changer, and that made a difference. However, IMO the same cannot be said when the better MD/CD units get their internal DACs bypassed and are plugged in to the CA's opt. in. In short, I am happy the way things are. I may yet get an outboard DAC for the NAD-based system. I'm kind of entranced by a NOS DAC that's around, but in any case the JA20ES and a new center channel speaker for the basement system used up the DAC funds, so it'd have to wait, anyway. The Cambridge Audio 540V R3, like SFBP's Onkyo, is a nice piece of work. I can't speak for the Onkyo, but the NAD, despite its lack of digital input, picks up the CA, puts it in its pocket, and walks away with it, if I may indulge in a small amount of hyperbole. All in all, I have finally reached a place where my current setups don't leave me wishing for more (except I would like bigger speakers in the "Upstairs" [NAD] system. Nowhere to fit them, though. Now if I could just find a near-mint CDP-XA55ES... Happy listening to everyone!

I am assuming that you know that the Type S applies to LP playback only and has no effect on SP playback or on any kind of recording. Someone correct me if I'm wrong about that. I formerly owned a JE480. The Type S was OK, but IMO the 480 still didn't do as well (certainly no better than) as the Type-R-only JB940 with LP2. My comparison is based on the two decks being part of the same larger system - I replaced the 480 with the 940 - so it's pretty much apples-to-apples. This is not to say the JE480 didn't sound good - because it did. It's just not as good as some of my other decks. I found that the JE480 wasn't as easy to use, too, because you need to do a lot with AMS knob to do things for which on better units there are easier methods, involving fewer menus, button-pushes, and so forth. This is a matter of convenience, but to me it was important. After a while, the JE480 failed with the dreaded TOC Error. I fooled around in Service Mode a bit and got it to work, then it would fail again, I would reset it, it would work for a while and then fail, and so on. Finally I just gave away the unit to my brother, who experienced the same problems. It's only fair to note that said brother has another JE480 that works just fine, although he considers the JE480 suitable only for casual, not serious listening to music, in any mode. Would I buy another JE480? The short answer is Probably Not, unless I found myself in a situation where I needed an inexpensive MD deck in a hurry. My current in-use decks are: MDS-JA333ES, MDS-JB940, MXD-D400, and MXD-D40. I would say, in an offhand way, that the JE480 has about the same SQ as the MXD-D400 - acceptable, but I have better options available.

First, I want to thank those who responded. The problems I reported on the JA333ES and JA20ES are for now, not reproducible. This doesn't mean they id not re-occur and are gone and banished forever - although one can hope - but for now.... First, the JA20ES: I started with a new, unused disc. This MD had never even been in another machine, a condition not true for previous disc or discs I tried (not proof of cause-and-effect, though). I did the usual things: record, erase, eject, etc. and without incident. No "looping" this time of the "TOC Writing" message. Even when I inserted an LP-recorded MD in this non-LP unit, it did not complain and erased and ejected the disc properly and again, with no looping message. The JA333ES was a different story. Again, I began with a new, unused MD, but the deck would not recognize any Digital In (opt and coax) sources and would not stop flashing "DIN Unlock." Finally I had to unplug it. After that, it still would not recognize any digital sources, but now I could stop "DIN Unlock" just by pressing the front panel's Stop button. At one point the unit acted like it was recording - the time display decremented - but it wasn't actually recording. I checked my digital switcher (a sensitive unit for a passive device) and SCMS stripper. All looked well. Then just like that, the deck was able to record. I ran it through a series of tests, pretty much like what I did with the JA20ES, but more times. No problems. Let it sit for while, tried again. Still good. I feel like all I can do now is wait and see if things go awry the next time, whenever the next time may be. Let's face it, no one who knows them will ever accuse MD units of not being flaky! ;-) Thanks again for your interest and thanks very much to sfbp for the detailed information he sent me offline. I hope this report hasn't cause anyone to fall asleep. ;-)

No meter. I will leave both decks as they are. I wonder if the same process (replaced the head but not updated the IOP) would have happened to both the JA20ES and JA333ES. Of course, you never know, it could be that way - then again, it could have something to do with the way an MXD-D400 creates a TOC . [shrug]. Whatever, both these guys sound great. Maybe I will try recording onto an unused MD with the JA20ES and see what happens then.