Optical Output for Portable MD Players?

[Ovate]

Hi there, could anyone give me a list of portable MD players that have optical OUTPUT as well as input.

Want to be able to link the optical output to my sound card on my computer. I have heard this is possible, but cant seem to find a model new or old that can do this.

I'm sure there must be one out there somewhere.

Thanks

Colin

[mrsoul]

No such thing. The only MD units with optical output are the MD Decks.

Good luck with your search for a MD unit. Start your search here:

Equipment Browser

Check ebay for a used deck and go from there...

[Roamer]

Actually, the very first MD had a optical out (check MZ-1). But it support only the first type of Atrac, and you will be lucky to find one in good working condition.

[KrazyIvan]

Actually, the very first MD had a optical out (check MZ-1). But it support only the first type of Atrac, and you will be lucky to find one in good working condition.

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Yep, the MZ-1 had optical out. I had one and seriously regret selling it.

[MZ-1]

The MZ-1 is incredibly bulky by today's standards but it has:

1. The mentioned optical output

2. Mechanical switch for mic AGC on/off

3. Mechanical adjustment for manual mic gain

4. *Strong* headphone output

5. Backlit display

Working rechargeable batteries are near impossible to find now. The titiling functions are a bit primitive and limted as well.

If stealthiness is not needed (and batteries are working) it would still be decent recorder, in my view, to take to clubs as it is very easy to use.

Paul

[mrsoul]

Mea culpa. I guess I was referring to everything but the MZ-1 Sounds like an incredible MD that Sony should go back to if they want to push Hi-MD into the semi-professional arena. But then again, optical output would be unlikely, given the USB upload and the ability to DRM the upload.

[KrazyIvan]

It is bulky. I would consider it a desktop deck.

[Sparky191]

Try the user thatgift4u on the forums. He has some ads on the classified section. I think he might have one. The reason Sony stopped putting it on their was for DRM issues I assume.

[KJ_Palmer]

Also, the first player only MD unit, the Sony MZ-2P had optical out. I just picked one up fairly recently and very cheaply on ebay in perfect unused condition...

Ditto the remarks about bulkiness, but it's really reminiscent of a fat, black NH900. Also it really is like a small deck - with a slot loading mechansim to boot. It sounds absolutely fantastic through the optical out and line out, btw..

[Christopher]

I think that optical output is a thing of the past and will be continiously phased out as the years progress. USB and other enhanced data connections allow much greater flexibility in many differing aspects, such as high speed transfer, information retention (DRM, titling, etc), and so forth.

[Embio]

quick thought - could you take one from an ATRAC CD player and DIY it into an MP player? Perhaps filling up the battery bay and using external battery packs? If you had an electronics degree it wouldnt be impossible I dont think.

[Andicillo]

Onkyo Hi-Md Decks have Optical Input-Output and they are old-Md Standard. If you want to upload Digital Recordings use Marc's HiMdRenderer program availabe in the download section of this forum. It's excellent and tracks recorded using Optical Line in CAN be uploaded.

[Ovate]

Am certainly going to check out the MZ-1 and MZ-2P. Thanks. Really need to start copying recordings through the optical out to my PC hard drive. Got to get a nice new USB audio interface with optical input too to make it all work though. Pity it has to be so complicated still.

I had heard that there were non-sony models out there that had optical output too though. No one would know if this is in fact true at all, would they?

Thanks

Colin

[MDX-400]

Am certainly going to check out the MZ-1 and MZ-2P. Thanks.    Really need to start copying recordings through the optical out to my PC hard drive. Got to get a nice new USB audio interface with optical input too to make it all work though. Pity it has to be so complicated still.

I had heard that there were non-sony models out there that had optical output too though. No one would know if this is in fact true at all, would they?  

Thanks

Colin

There were a couple other portables (non-Sony) that did have optical output but these were pretty obscure models--not easy to find.

As for trying to check out an MZ-1 or an MZ-2P, if you're looking for these, primarily to make recordings from MDs to anything via the optical out--I would advise against doing this. These units are more collectors item's than anything at this point. (A New-Old-Stock, In-Box MZ-1 finished at $300 US just yesterday on eBay--given it was a NOS unit and you can get them *much* cheaper used.)

The 1 and the 2P used the very first ATRAC chipset. ATRAC[1] 1.0. It is horrible. At that point a lot of audio reviewers were still considering cassettes encoded/decoded with Dolby S NR on a good, well calibrated, tape deck, as better sounding. It is true that sound quality is more dependent on what ATRAC revision it was encoded/recorded in but decoding even ATRAC Type-R recordings with an ATRAC 1.0 player certainly isn't going to help you out. Using the 1 or 2P for the primary purpose of using their optical output to record to other devices is not really a good idea as you will be impeding the sound quality, not helping it.

Furthermore neither the 1 or the 2P were very "portable" compared to any MD units of today. Also keep in mind that these units *do not* support ATRAC3 (MDLP). This point is obvious to most people but there are people that didn't use MD before MDLP and therefore are surprised to know that there are units that do not support MDLP modes (particularly pre-98 models since the R900 was the first MDLP unit).

You are *much* better off buying an MD deck that has optical output (or even buying a low cost JE470/JE480 deck and modding it for optical output) than trying to use a 1 or a 2P, for what you want to do.

[optimistic-pessimist]

Onkyo Hi-Md Decks have Optical Input-Output and they are old-Md Standard. If you want to upload Digital Recordings use Marc's HiMdRenderer program availabe in the download section of this forum. It's excellent and tracks recorded using Optical Line in CAN be uploaded.

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Hmm... according to audiocubes.com... those Onkyo decks only have an analog out.

http://www.audiocubes.com/index.php?cPath=...3a&filter_id=42

[MDX-400]

Hmm... according to audiocubes.com... those Onkyo decks only have an analog out.

Yep that information is correct. Someone else already provided pictures showing the backs of those units. Looks like they have 2 optical digital inputs but no digital output.

Can probably be modded for optical out somehow but you'd need the service manual. I'm sure it is hard enough to get one of these things right now, nevermind an instruction manual in english and really nevermind a service manual in english!