bluecrab

It turns out that the total cost is ~132 USD. which seems like more than I thought it would come out to. I have to admit I am having second thoughts. I was thinking more like 100, maybe 110 usd, based on 60 euros. I guess this was being too optimistic. Not sure yet what I'll do.

More then 10 months later, I just noticed this. I have OS X 10.5.7 running on two PPCs. One is a Mac Mini, the other an eMac. Both of them have 1 gb RAM and 1.25 GHz G4 processors. They've had Leopard on them for some time now, from maybe 10.5.3 or 4. The Mini gets heavy use as an editorial production machine (not just Word, Acrobat Professional and some other stuff running concurrently). Granted, the Mini used this way isn't the fastest computer ever, but it's tolerable and more important, everything works. I had my doubts, but figured it was worth a shot, and I've always like the idea of the PPC RISC architecture. Eventually, these machines will have to be replaced by Intel-based ones, but I am guessing that's a couple of years away. The eMac is a (more or less) turn-key backup to the Mini. I use it mostly for browsing, email, and iTunes. No problems relating to 10.5.* yet. So, I am not sure what it (they) won't do under Leopard. I switched from Tiger because it is helpful to remain as current as is practical. Last thing I need is getting a call at work from my wife, reporting that some app or other won't run b/c the OS isn't up to date.

I have exactly one pre-recorded - as you say, pre-pressed, not pirated - MD. I found it a number of years ago in a used CD store. It is Richard and Linda Thompson's "Shoot Out The Lights." I like the music on it well enough, but I have never been overly impressed with the SQ. I've played it a few times. If anyone wants, it, I'd be happy to take almost any sort of blank SP MD + case for it. It comes in its original case. I would be happy to mail it to anywhere in North America. Always nice to see something go to a good home. PM me if interested.

I have little use for this, really, but heck, another Type S portable - with speakers! - wouldn't hurt too much ;-) So I confirmed with Skogens that I am in. Nice thing is, it's small enough that I can probably get it past my wife without too many questions.

Because one of my two remaining fully functioning MZ-R500s became very ill, I recently got the Sony MZ-DN430PS portable MD. It cost 29.95 USD on Ebay, refurbed by Sony, with warranty. The unit is about the same size as the R500. This is an SP/LP unit. It's not in the Equipment Browser here, though. It has Type S, main reason I went with it, as I use LP2 for most portable listening. The SQ improvement over the R500's 4.5 or R (not sure) is not subtle. It's NetMD enabled and comes with Sonic Stage CD, no help to me at all as I use Mac OS. The DN430 is slightly more difficult to use than the R500, and it has some "misfeatures": * USB connection only, no line in/out (of course, it does have headphone out). * Cannot view total time remaining on a disc you're playing. The Type S makes the $30 a decent deal for this kind of unit. For some reason, a black one in same condition is $17 or so more. Bottom line is that it sounds just great. There are three settings called Sound (1/2/3); I think they may be more EQ-like than the R500's three bass settings. I believe the USB port is for NetMD use only, so whatever I play on the DN430 has to be recorded on some other MD unit. SOP for me, anyway, as I use one of my MD decks for recording. Also picked up an Onkyo DX-7555 CD player. The short story is that I bought a refurbed one from an online Onkyo authorized dealer. I didn't work correctly and it took me well over two months to get the whole mess straightened out, involving two Onkyo service centers, Onkyo's New Jersey headquarters, and more phone calls, emails, and legal-language letters than I should have had to employ. Eventually though, Onkyo somehow caused an A-stock unit to appear (they had said they had none) and sent it to me. I just like the way Onkyo CD players look, or I would have just sent the thing back when it malfunctioned. It really does sound nice, though.

Got back from short vacation and took your advice, sir. Ordered 20 new 80-min. Sony Premium Golds off Ebay for USD 32.95 incl. shipping. I feel.....better now! ;-)

My True Story: "Hello, my name is Bluecrab and I'm a minidisc addict." "Hello Bluecrab!" "I got my first MD unit in 1999. It was a Sony MDS JE-510. My wife said I spent more time with it than with her, and that I was more affectionate towards it. At that point, I should have realized something was wrong, but I couldn't stop. Eventually minidisc took over my life. That's why I'm here. I need help." "Thank you, Bluecrab!" ;-)

If he's not loaded now, all he'd have to do is sell all of that stuff and he would be! What does he DO with all of them???

Check out this guy's collection of MD + CS + RTR units: http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.ph...1760&page=2 (Just scroll down to gggoattt.) I thought that my having two MXD-D400s and two MXD-40s (and more, of course), made me some kind of special case. Uh uh, not so. FOUR MDS-W1s?? Here are his MDs: Sony MDS-JA333ES (several, both black and gold versions) Sony MDS-JA555ES (several, gold versions) Sony MDS-JA20ES (4 units) Sony MDS-JA22ES (gold) Sony MDS-JA30ES (gold) Sony MDS-JB930 (5 units, gold, silver, and black) Sony MDS-JB980 (silver) Sony MDS-JA3ES (black) Sony MDS-JB940 (several units, both silver and gold, one black) Sony MDS-JB920 (4 units, black) Sony MXD-D400 (2 units) Sony MXD-D3 Sony MDS-W1 direct ATRAC lossless dubbing decks (4 units, all black) Onkyo MD-133 HiMD decks (3 units, silver) Onkyo MD-2321 (4 units) Denon DMD-1000 (2 units, black) Denon DMD-M10 (gold) Denon DMD-1300 (gold) JVC XM-448 Kenwood MD-2070 (5 units, silver) Kenwood MD-1070 (black) Pioneer Elite MJ-7MD Teac MD-H300LP Teac MD-H500 Teac MD-10 Yamaha MDX-595 (2 units) Tascam MD-350 Tascam MD-CD1

Thanks for mentioning iTunes PLUS. I checked and it turned out that is what I had got in the download. So, a 256kbps bit rate is not a guarantee of good sound, apparently. Pretty stark contrast to SP's 292. I live in the Boston area and not that long ago, used CD stores were everywhere. You could - and I did - spend most of a day just going to a few of them. Now there aren't that many left. There's Ebay, of course, and Amazon, but I have also had pretty good luck using the good old public library. Ours has a decent selection, and then there are the regional library networks, the statewide catalog, and Worldcat (I have to go through the library to get CDs from Worldcat). You would think that iTunes could do better, but I guess that enough people are happy with it as it is that it doesn't have to be better.

As a sort of experiment, I downloaded a CD via iTunes, then burned it to CD. THIS is what they make you pay for? Never again. I think the encoding is 128 AAC. Not even close to LP2 Type S, IMO. I think I'll try playing it via USB to MD (deck) at SP and see if it helps or hurts. In theory, it should sound worse, but MD can be funny like that. FWIW, the downloaded CD was Crosby, Stills, & Nash Greatest Hits, from 2005. A recent comp like that should sound all right. Every time something like this happens, I like MD all the more. Funny thing is, I have put some music files into iTunes from CD using AAC and they sound OK, even when transcoded to LP2. However, I have pretty much switched to Apple Lossless, which is plainly better than AAC to me.

You had to ask ;-) I'm trying to remember and here's what I think: I had the 510's power cord plugged in to the back of whatever receiver I was using at the time. The receiver was off. Not in standby, really off. And the outlet was switched. Thus, when the receiver came on, so did the 510. And when the receiver was off, there was no way for the 510 to turn itself on. This absolutely prevented self turn-on. Nevertheless, one not-so-fine day I turned on the receiver and the 510 malfunctioned in whatever way they were reported to malfunction after the problem occurred, even though the problem never really occurred. I currently have a similar setup involving an EQ. The EQ is off until the amp is turned on. The EQ doesn't seem to mind.

The 510 was my first MD deck. I had it connected in such a way that it could not turn itself on, but it still somehow committed suicide. It also has an older version of ATRAC (3.5?) that plainly doesn't sound as good as, say Type R. Still, it was a nice-looking deck, had optical out, and I mourned its passing when it died. I still have a fair number of MDs recorded on that unit.

Don't see why the xformer wouldn't work. I use one for my Japanese MXD-D400 (100 > 110). Also, it has been reported that a few people here modded the 480 to have optical out. It can be done if you are handy enough. I agrees with Sfbp that they type S makes a noticeable differrence.

First, condolences on your JE440. Reviews and reports on that machine were usually positive. I have its descendant, the MDS-JE480, a nice enough unit, although lacking some of the features you want. I also have two MDS-JB940s. One is slightly dysfunctional and the other works 100% correctly, although they both do work. The flaky one is in a box, while the other gets frequent use. I bought both of them on Ebay. I am of the opinion, like most owners of the 940, that it is remarkable in many ways. It is full-featured, well-built, and sounds terrific. However, if you want ATRAC Types S for LP playback, be aware that the 940 has Type R. There is currently one 940 on Ebay U.S.. it is the QS model. I thought the QS was a UK model, but perhaps I am wrong. In any case, over the last 3 or 4 years, I have seen various 940s go for ~200 USD to ~350 USD, for the US model. I would say that one in very good condition would be worth over 300. You never know how it's going to go on Ebay, though. Sometimes you pay less than you would expect, and sometimes more than you'd want to. Where sfbp has mentioned the 640, I would say that would also work out for you. I wasn't aware that it was ever released in North America. In any case, I have seen more 940s for sale on Ebay than 640s, at least in the U.S. No matter which one, they are still not all that common, but both are fairly well sought-after and therefore usually command a good price, at least for one in truly good shape. Now then, the Tascam MD-350. There was a guy who used to post here a lot, a musician if I remember correctly. Haven't seen him here in a while, but he always seemed to have a good handle on things. He praised the MD-350 in no uncertain terms (I am pretty sure it was the 350, not its predecessor, but I cannot swear to that). I think the the MD-350 may have ATRAC 4.5, so you may want to look into that if it matters to you. I wish I could tell you more about the Tascam, but I have never even seen one, I am going only by what someone here said. Good luck and let us know what happens!

It's not evident to me if one can use an a/c adapter with an iPod or other DAP, or if they will run only on their batteries. I tried to ask an iPod-owning friend, but he is disabled technologically (even more than I am) and answered with somewhat of a non-sequitur. So what's the story here? Can you use these things like you can many portable MDs - with an a/c adapter?

All Sony had to do was add one sentence to the manual, stating that the disc does or does not spin during PAUSE or REC/PAUSE. As for CD section of the 40 or 400, who knows? I will continue to pause my MXD-D40 and hope for the best.

When an MD is playing and is then paused, does the disc continue to spin? Is there variation among units? If so, how to tell? I pause my MXD-D40 deck at work a lot (both the CD and MD sides), sometimes for hours, but I can't tell if anything is spinning or not.

ONE little thing? Hah, that will be the day. ;-) "This is the most clutter I have ever had to live with." - my wife.

Thanks for the responses, although it means that I will not be able to do what I hoped. At least I do have the real-time option, and may consider getting a USB to optical device for that (although the Xitel seems to work well enough that might not be really necessary). [sigh]...it is all almost enough to get me to buy a PC just for this purpose...I don't think I can justify the expense, though. But thanks anyway, and SFBP, get that SDK going! ;-)

By chance, I found that my Mac will recognize the Xitel MD-port AN1, meaning that I can record on an MXD-D40 deck from iTunes on the Mac via the Xitel, USB to analog. Track marks are preserved and the SQ seems OK. This will be a big help to me, even though it is in real time, and I wish I had though of it sooner. My goal now is to find out if existing and new music files from the Mac can be put onto a HiMD unit in standard SP or LP mode and then played back on non-HiMD gear. I am pretty sure there are Hi-MD units that let you record from a Mac, but I'm not sure how this is accomplished, exactly. I know only about Hi-MD as much as I have taken the time to read here, and Sony's documentation doesn't seem to explain quite everything. Is iTunes involved or would I have to go outside of iTunes to download to HiMD? If I am able to record from Mac to Hi-MD unit in either standard LP or SP on a non-HiMD disk (just the plain old ones I have been using for years), will the result play back on non-HiMD gear? Basically, I'm trying to involve my Mac in a workaround for non-realtime recording that will play back on standard gear. I hope I asking this in the way I mean it. TIA for any help. .

Thanks. Just one more question then...when was Type S invented? I have never been able to determine what ATRAC, exactly, is on my MZ-R500. (As an aside, the 1xAA play times noted for this unit seem a little less than I am actually getting.)

Does anyone know if the Sony MZD-N430PS portable MD recorder has Type S? It is this one: http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/model-hom...430PS&LOC=3 Sony's specs don't include this important information :-(

The wiki format itself is fine and provides a lot of accessible information very fast. However, I am somewhat wary if it would mean that the content is publicly editable. How do you suggest the content be updated and moderated? I get a real sense of community from the current format - wouldn't want to dilute that! FWIW, I maintain an internal wiki where I work. Although it is viewable company-wide, adding to or editing it is a different story. That part is regulated and requires an ID and password.