Wundoo

I assume Sony will keep the ATRAC compression format? In spite of the daft bar stewards ditching MD I will probably buy some other Sony unit that recognises ATRAC as long as the compression algorithm continues to be supported. I don't want to have to re-rip all my CDs and to be honest I prefer ATRAC to MP3 or WMA.

The following is an extract from the Sony site. The NW-HD5 is quite simply one of the smallest 20GB HDD players around. With its incredibly light aluminium body and tiny credit-card-size dimensions, this ultra-compact model gives new meaning to the word ‘portable’. Don’t let its diminutive dimensions fool you: this sleek little player is capable of storing up to 900 CDs worth of music. That’s a staggering 13,000 of your favourite tracks on tap wherever and whenever you want them. You’ll always be able to find the right tune for the right moment. It goes on and on and on 40 hours of battery life With so many tracks at your disposal, you’ll need a really powerful battery to be able to listen to them all. Luckily Sony has thought of that: the NW-HD5 offers 40 hours of battery life. It leaves the competition standing and you listening to your favourite tunes as long as you want. What’s more, the battery is removable meaning you can carry a spare or pick up a new one while you’re out. Easy to use, easy to love A superior user experience The NW-HD5 is extremely user-friendly. Sporting an exceptionally large and easy-to-navigate 7-line LED screen, the attention to detail in the design of the player is obvious. From its bright backlight display through to its elegant front and its adjustable screen colour, the NW-HD5 provides a superior user experience. What’s more, its technologically-advanced ‘follow turn’ feature means the display is synchronised to your hand movements, flipping from horizontal to vertical depending on your every move. Now there’s no such thing as the wrong way up. Just in case of accidents, this player carries extra insurance in the form of a sophisticated G-sensor. The NW-HD5’s specially designed sensor kicks in when dropped, providing immediate and effective shock protection. The NW-HD5 comes supplied with SonicStage3.1 software, making all your downloads and track transfers simple. Available in a choice of three stylish colours: black, silver, or red. I was going to get Hi-MD player but am starting to get persuaded of the merits of HD players. This one looks brilliant particularly the size of it and the long lasting replacable battery.

Amazon UK are selling the MZ-N520 really cheap just now. Looks like a great deal to me. I am still using NetMD and have not migrated to HiMD. Even if I was looking for a portable music player today I would seriously consider this above MP3 players at twice the price.

Latest rumours doing the rounds in Japan are 1. An MD camera will be released this year. 2. An MD unit that takes two discs will also be released. 3. Totally new software will be available to replace SonicStage. 4. A new super HiMD (non backward compatible) of 5Gb capacity. As I said these are just rumours and probably unreliable. My main point is - Are we going to be disappointed when we finally get the details? In some ways I wish I was told nothing until the new units became available.

A while ago I upgraded SonicStage from 1.5 to 2.1. Now I have noticed that the quality of LP4 recordings seems much better. There are almost no clicks and the 's' sound in vocals sounds cleaner and less fuzzy. Does anyone know whether or not Sony change the encoding algorithms between versions of their software? I find the high compression rates very acceptable for casual listening while walking around. It sounds better than FM radio. Half decent earphones make a huge difference though.

I know what you mean. I keep holding off upgrading my Net MD in the hope of a HiMD that has: 56 hour battery life (or thereabouts) for LP playback Ability to play different compression formats Readily available 1Gb blank discs Better software to produce playlists and easier navigation. That said I am pretty happy to stick with Atrac as I rate it better than other formats and the copyright protection has not bugged me so far. So I'd probably settle for more readily available discs and a better battery life. To be honest, the main reason I want MP3 support for Minidisc is so that more people buy into it ensuring the survival of the format.

With regard to these tests the results of which are shown in the graph - does anyone know how they compare the sound files? Do they play all the different formats on the same computer, amplifier and speakers? What I have started to think is that Atrac files sound good when played on a machine designed to play them i.e. a minidisc player. I think I forgot that with minidisc I was buying the whole package and that the players themselves were excellent. I am also wary of so called objective tests such as the one above. I think enjoyment of music is to a large degree subjective. I am interested in these tests but just not sure what to make of them, especially as they seem to come to different conclusions. Also you have to read the small print. If I remember correctly, some of the tests I have seen compare different formats at different bit rates e.g. 64kbps Atrac vs 128kbps AAC. I am not against iPod but something about their extreme popularity, the way they look and sound and the battery life puts me off. Maybe I am just a self deceiving Juan Kerr and misguided snob - who knows?

I got frustrated some months ago with Sony and decided to succumb to the seduction of MP3. I bought an MP3 player and put my Net MD away. Some weeks later I am selling my MP3 player and returning to minidisc. Why? MP3 and WMA are not as good as ATRAC3 at high compression rates. Having more songs on a player rather than carrying around a few discs made eff all difference to my life. At the end of the day you pay for quality and much as they annoy me, Sony have been able to provide decent audio quality, great reliability and phenomenal battery life at a decent price. I hope the MD format is here for years to come. I am now thinking about buying a HiMD player. I will use it for higher bitrate recordings and also for mic recordings. Has anyone else been through the same process as me and concluded that Minidisc can't really be beaten despite all the hype to the contrary?