MD vs Mp3 - Which player would you choose?

[MDmp3]

Alright, here's my problem. 'Tis the season and Best Buy is having a sale or sorts, and I've long been looking at a MiniDisc player. Then I found this basic MD player. It's not the prettiest MD unit out there, but at that price (Canadian dollars) I feel it's a bargain. Of course I could be wrong, which is why I'm posting here. Battery life sounds good (56 hours apparently, probably realistically much less). My friend has this exact unit and he loves it, although his earbuds have failed on him (one speaker will not play sound).

So anyways, everything was going all good, I had finally set my heart on the MZ-N420DL, when this 256mb Mp3 player, for a little less than the aforementioned MD player! I love the 5 EQ modes and the ID3 tag support. 256mb for $100 seems almost too good to be true.

So anyways, i'm torn between the two. Visually, the Mp3 player is nicer. I also like the 256mb thing, thats quite a bit of space. Looking at the Mp3's on my computer, a 256mb Mp3 player will be able to carry about 40-44 songs. Will the MD carry this many songs? And if it can, will sound quality be affected?

I've been told Mp3 players sound is flat. With the 5 EQ modes on the Mp3 player, I imagine this problem is overwritten.

Sound quality is very important to me, as is unit quality/durability. The Mp3 player comes with Sennheiser earbuds as opposed to the bottom-of-the-line Fontopia earbuds that come with the MD. The MD is a Sony, so I imagine it is very durable. The Mp3 player is made by Ice Audio, some loner company which appears to sell exclusively to Best Buy Canada. I wonder why it is so cheap... And does LP4 mode on a MD really sound that bad? This is the mode I plan on using if I do end up purchasing the MD unit.

Thanks for reading all that... any help or advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

[andyk]

Not even close. I had one of the first MP3 players made...The Rio 64 Meg made by Diamond (which changed their company name to RIO). I used it one time. It was on a motorcycle trip. I could only compress one album on it in order to sound good. Now, the trip lasted four hours. See where I'm going?

Now I can't stand INX (the band), because I had to listen to their album over and over, and was not able to change anything (no computer with me). I personally think all of these MP3 players that are under 20 Gig are a joke. The 256 and under are a down right RIP OFF! Mark my words, you will be listening to the same stuff over and over, because it's too much work, or you don't have access to YOUR computer with YOUR music. Now the Minidisc on the other hand...

Had I owned one on that trip...

Enough said. See my post on the Sony MZ-S1. You'd better hurry, because at that price, I bought one for everyone in my immediate family. And I bet I'm not the only one...

Andy

[campekenobi]

Go to an MP3/iPod forum, you'll be persuaded to get one of those, go to a minidisc forum, and you'll be persuaded to get one of these.

However there are several people here who honestly weigh your needs and will even steer you to an iPod sometimes, so... anyway, I digress.

I love MD. What andyk said about mp3 players under 20 gigs being a joke is absolutely true. And again, on issue of sound quality - MD rocks.

'nuff said.

[JeffS]

I agree with campeknobi, you're going to get mixed results depending on where you ask.

I've been a long time MD user and am currently on the fence between HiMD and an MP3 player. Since you're keeping budget in mind, I would highly recommend going with MD. The expandability and cost of discs, make it the most afordable way to go allowing you to scale from a little space to a lot of space. MP3 with removeable are more expensive, and so is the media.

Don't get me wrong, MP3 players have their place, and are good at what they do (depending on the player). HD units are more expensive upfront, and you've got an active hard drive in there to worry about, not cool if you're going to be very active (running, jogging, gym) while using it. Flash based players are great for active, but are more expensive for less storage, and you're at fixed amount of storage before being tied to your computer. I'll assume that too much INXS even with todays mp3 players would still be annoying :laugh: (sorry andy, couldn't resist)

Sound quality isn't an issue if you're going for a higher end unit, but this also factors in again to price. Some of the better sounding MP3 players can be pricey, while some of the budget minded ones, sound like junk. This is also a subjective issue. To further complicate things, you also need to factor in what headphones you'll be using in order to judge sound quality. A player with bad sound, but really bad headphones, you won't notice, but if you get a better set of cans, you might be disappointed in your player.

As far as sound quality, if you're going to be using stock headphones with either unit, SQ is not a major issue. Even at lp4 on MD, you probably won't be disappointed with the SQ. I used decent phones with my 510ck and recorded most stuff at lp4, and it sounded really good through my Sony EX70 (current model is the EX-71). When I upgraded to better headphones, I was no longer as happy with the sound, and started recording at lp2 on the computer, and SP via optical.

I don't know if this gives you a better direction to go in, but hopefully it will at least help in your decision. I'd recommend MD for portable player within a budget. High end HD mp3 players are great, but head over to www.headfi.org in the portable section, and you'll see some really neat stuff. Look around and you'll also see people carrying portable units with amplifiers, custom built interconnects, and portable rigs worth $1000 USD and up. Sound quality matters to these people and squeezing every drop out of your gear can get pricey.

Good luck, and let us all know

what you choose.

-Jeff

[MDmp3]

First off all, I cannot believe the quantity and quality of posts this thread has recieved in a span of only one day! To everybody who replied, I cannot thank you enough. I feel as though you genuinely care about my purchase.

@andyk - I imagine the 256MB mp3 player I linked to in my first post can carry a bit more music than your 64mb Diamond unit. I actually only plan on putting Mp3's off my computer onto the device, whether it be the mp3 player or the MD. The MZ-S1 looks like a durable unit, but unfortunately they are not sold in Canada.

@campekenobi - iPod is ridiculous, in my eyes it is trendy garbage. I understand there is a bias depending on which forum you visit. Does the sound quality of an MD really rock as much as you say it does? Even in LP4? And does an Mp3 player really sound that "flat"? The one I linked to in my first post was the "bargain basement value" brand, and I imagine it sacrifices sound quality for good looks (even though it comes with Sennheiser buds). Can you adjust bass/treble on the MD unit? Specifically the one I linked to in my first post?

@JeffS - First off, thank you so much for your informative post. It answered many of my questions. I wonder if the fact that the MD unit I plan on purchasing (link in my first post) has bad sound quality because it is a cheap unit? And surely I will inform you all of my purchase.

Once again, thanks everyone for their opinions and contributions! If you have anything else to add, please do!

[aeriyn]

iPod is ridiculous, in my eyes it is trendy garbage.

This is what everyone says...

... until they use one. :laugh:

I used to be an iPod hater myself. Now I have an iPod Mini and I love it. You'd be surprised at how many albums I can fit on a 4GB drive at 224kbps AAC compression. The sound quality is excellent but I feel that most people especially those used to Sony house sound would find the bass lacking. Ease of use is incredible. I could really go on for an hour about why I love my iPod. However I only have one bad thing to say about it: short battery life.

I think most men tend to shy away from iPods because they look girly. :laugh:

This little pod is a 30mW+30mW outputting beast. Nothing girly there. :grin:

High end HD mp3 players are great, but head over to www.headfi.org in the portable section, and you'll see some really neat stuff.

Don't go to head-fi if you value your wallet! :grin:

[andyk]

We were in Chicago today, and I saw a few people with the NOTORIOUS-BRIGHT-WHITE ear buds stuck in their ears. My personal opinion: It looks cool against the black shadowing people dancing in the commercial, but I don't care for it in person. I had 5 teens with me (3-13 yr olds and 2-16 yr olds) and we hit the Apple store on the Magnificent Mile. The IPODS were everywhere. I like the design of the Ipod, not the color. I don't like the short battery life. I don't like the high price. (Remember how much a "Sony Walkman" cassette player used to cost when they came out? The MZ-S1's I bought will get me through the next few years, until the price comes down, or something better comes along.

[aeriyn]

I don't like the high price.

Oi. Why does everyone think the iPod costs so much? It costs just as much as any other HDD digital audio player. :sleep:

iPod stock buds are horrid. Replacing them with something better is mandatory. The phones I use for my iPod are white, but only because Shure thinks that by painting their E3cs white they'll appeal to more iPod buyers. No, actually I'd prefer not hanging up a sign that screams, "LOOK AT MY WHITE EARPHONES! I HAVE A $250 MP3 PLAYER IN MY POCKET!!! ROB ME PLEASE!!!"

I think I'll paint the E3cs black.

[Fat Tires]

I think I'll paint the E3cs black.

...or just buy e3's.

[aeriyn]

...or just buy e3's.

Can't. Already own the white ones. =P

MDmp3, that model really isn't anything worth getting. If you are going to get a downloader model, it's best to get one of the Hi-MD units such as the 600D. The NetMD downloaders are limited to LP2 quality encoded by SonicStage, which basically means it sucks horribly.

If I were you and really still wanted to go the MD route, I'd look for a used R900 or R700 on eBay. I once owned an R900 and I still believe it to be the best MD recorder Sony has ever made.

[Fat Tires]

I didn't know that you've bought replacements. I read about how you lost your last pair of e3c's

[A440]

I loved my MZ-R700 too, but as a recorder.

MDmp3 wants a player to download to, so it has to be NetMD (MZ-Nxxx) or Hi-MD (MZ-NHxxx). And while you could probably find a used MZ-N707 on Ebay for about $100, I think it's worth it to get a Hi-MD, because Sony stole the Ipod's dial to scroll through what's on the disc and that's a huge improvement. There's no shuffle like on the iPod, though, and if you want to put together a custom playlist you'll have to do it on Soundtage before you leave home.

Try www.jr.com, you can get a MZ-NH600 for $160 US.

256MB is barely enough, and who knows what the sound quality is like on those little MP3 players. A 1G Hi-MD disc will hold maybe two dozen albums in Hi-LP, which is good enough for mobile use, and your basic 80-minute disc should hold 8-10 albums. Soundstage 2.3 does a fast transfer if the mp3s are already on the computer.

I don't have an iPod to compare it to for sound, but I like the sound I get, and I love the idea of removable storage and replaceable batteries.

But whatever player you get, MD or not, upgrade the headphones. I love my E3s too, in oh-so-subtle gray, but they are a splurge at $120. Sennheiser PX100 phones are $40, and MX-400 buds are only $15. There's more music in the MD than the included phones will ever reveal.

And gee, even in Canadian dollars, those prices at Best Buy.ca for blank MDs are sky-high. Order some across the border or on Ebay.