Dexter

Thanks all. I've now got a much clearer idea of the advantages and disadvantages of both types of players for my uses. I'll trundle down to my local audio store armed with this info to have a look at the different players and get some more advice on the specifics of each unit. I think gapless playback is going to be important to me so it's probably going to be a MD that I get. Thanks a lot for your time.......your advice has been very helpful. Dexter.

Hi Nismo. I've never listened to music from an MP3 player before so I don't really know how important gapless playback is to me. How noticeable is it......is it something that can ruin or make listening to certain music very annoying, or is it hardly noticeable? Thanks.

Oh, I forgot to ask again.......what about "gapless playback" on the Creative MP3 players.....do they have it or not? As I said, this would be important to me for listening to classical music, for example.

Thanks again Aeriyn. I think I'll get a Creative flash player and maybe try to get a cheap second hand MD for recordings. Or maybe I'll stretch my budget to a Microdrive, as they seem like a good idea for the extra storage possibilities.......I'd never heard the name before so I just did a quick search on the net. Here's a player that came up, by Nex, that seems a very good deal.........do you have any opinion on them? http://www.advancedmp3players.co.uk/shop/p...products_id=220 Muchos gracias.

Thanks a lot Aeriyn, that's very helpful. I can definately see the logic in me getting a flash MP3 for cycling, and that is my main priority. If I decide to get one, which I now think I probably will, is Creative the industry standard for flash players or are there equal or maybe even better makes that maybe cost a bit more? What about i-Pod or i-River.....they seem to get varying reviews, and are they compatible with all types of computer? I'm quite happy to get a creative of course....I'd just like to know all the best options. Thanks for your time.

Hi aeriyn, Nismo and Micheal Thanks very much for your time. I have to admit though that I'm probably even more confused now about what to buy. I'm surprised to have an MP3 player suggested, as I had read a few reports saying that Minidisc is far superior......and this is a mninidisc forum. I read that the sound quality on minidisc is in a completely different league to MP3, and MP3 doesn't have "gapless playback" which can be a problem for listening to albums and to long classical pieces, both of which I want to do. The storage capacity on a flash MP3 is also very limiting.......and after having a look at the link (thanks aeriyn) Creative don't seem to have a memory card facility on their flash players. Aeriyn, you used some technical language that I don't understand; That's complete gobbledeegook to me I'm afraid. Also, I'm not sure why you've suggested a hi-Md if I'm set on getting a Md........why not a Net MDLP which would give me the recording time on one disc that I'd want? And why would I want a hi-Md for live recording of myself as opposed to another type of Md with a mic socket. I've read your pages on hi-Md on this forum and read other stuff on the net and it generally seems to get slated.......Sonic Stage is very unpopular.......so is a first gen hi-Md really worth me getting at the moment? Maybe a flash MP3 would be best for my sports use, and a cheap Minidisc for my live recording. Any more advise/suggestions would be most appreciated, as I'm mucho mucho bamboozled by the conflicting opinions and the amount of choice.......my poor little brain is going to explode Dexter. P.S. Sorry about the "obnoxious" large font in my first post Nismo......my poor eye's don't take well to this forums small font.

Hello everyone, I've just discovered this excellent forum and I'd really appreciate your help. I'd like to buy a portable recordable MD for the first time but I basically know nothing about nor really understand the technical stuff, so I'm very confused about what to get. I've read some reviews but I still don't really know where to start, as there are so many conflicting opinions everywhere. So, I'll tell you what I want to use the minidisc for and maybe you could steer me in the right direction: - I'm a cyclist and want to use it whilst out training, which can be for up to five hours at a time. So not having to change discs whilst out would be good, and ideally it would be a sturdy unit (in case of a crash) that's moisture proof (sweat/heavy condensation), and anti-skip (or whatever you call it). - ideally it would also have a radio, but that's not essential (I notice that very few seem to have radios). - and of course the smaller the better. I have a hi-fi stereo unit that allows digital recordings from CD to MD using an optical cable (whatever that is), so the portable MD would have to support that. The main mode of recording I want to do is from my existing CD collection to the MD, and also from my stereo's radio to MD if possible. I would also like to be able to get some music from the internet onto the MD (the easier the better). I have a dial-up connection if that's relevant. I wouldn't mind downloading to CD first. Sound quality is of course important - and very important is being able to get a loud volume (because of outdoor/road noise on the bike). I play a musical instrument and would also like to be able to make live recordings of myself so the facility for adding equipment like a mic would be good. I wouldn't mind buying second hand so budget is maybe not relevant, so I'd appreciate a few suggestions that I should look at. But if buying new I wouldn't really want to spend more than around £100 (UK). I get the impression (maybe wrongly) that hi-MD players are not highly thought of, then there's all the Net MD stuff etc,etc. My little mind is spinning with the amount of choice and considerations. I'd really appreciate your advice, and thanks a lot in advance. Sorry if this post is a bit long. Dexter. I edited the size of the font in this post so it wouldn't be as obnoxious. - Nismo96