Hi-MD vs MP3 players

[Sony_Fan]

I was thinking of buying a Hi-MD player/recorder from Sony but wanted to know how it compares to the MP3 players out there in terms of sound quality. If I recorded music on both units at 256kbps, which would sound better: the Hi-MD or MP3 player? Thanks.

[bland10000]

It will depend upon the listener. If you ask this question at a minidisc forum, you will receive the answer that md sounds better. If you ask this at a forum for the mp3 player you are looking at, you will receive the answer that the mp3 player sounds better.

Will you be doing any recording? This is the benefit of minidisc. You can plug into a stereo, a tv, or use a mic to make a quality live recording.

Edited November 7, 2005 by bland10000

[Sparky191]

Depends on

the MP3 player,

the earphones,

the quality of the source material,

If you want to read more about SQ I suggest you read the portable forums over on Head-Fi http://www.head-fi.org/

Edited November 7, 2005 by Sparky191

[ynos]

SQ go for MD! at 256 kbps some good ears can tell the difference.

BTW do you own a HDD mp3 player?

[bobt]

As has been said sound is subjective, but remember mp3 is not a fidelity medium, if you push the bit rates high enough it may "sound" good, thewn you may as well record the cd.

From my experi3nce of the NH1 and 707, as well as a few ipods ans archos, Sony "sounds the better of them all, but the others fool you with a bit more volume.

At the end of it all let your ears be your guide, if possible get some recordings you are familiar with, and transfer to a few units. Use the same head/earphones on each unit, and try to keep the volume the same,

Have fun,

Bob

[RobA]

Heck I think 48kbps sounds fantastic, go for hi-md!

[Sparky191]

I was thinking of buying a Hi-MD player/recorder from Sony but wanted to know how it compares to the MP3 players out there in terms of sound quality. If I recorded music on both units at 256kbps, which would sound better: the Hi-MD or MP3 player? Thanks.

How about you compare a Sony MP3 player vs a HiMD. Really there should be little difference.

[AMPlitude]

Heck I think 48kbps sounds fantastic, go for hi-md!

again, nobody's ears are quite the same or as discerning as others. to me, 64kbps is good enough

[veezhun]

i am getting really tired of these HI md vs ipod, Hi mD vs mp3 players, hi md vs bye md etc etc etc...

Playback only: Buy Flash/HDD

Recording: Buy Hi MD

cheers

ps. i want to start a new thread called Hi MD vs Saddam

[ingoo]

i am getting really tired of these HI md vs ipod, Hi mD vs mp3 players, hi md vs bye md etc etc etc...

Playback only: Buy Flash/HDD

Recording: Buy Hi MD

cheers

ps. i want to start a new thread called Hi MD vs Saddam

So why do you post in these threads then? Just to tell us you don´t like these threads?

And what other advantages except capacity do you think do the Flash/HDD players have over Hi-MD? So if someone doesn´t feel, he has to carry his whole music collection around with him all the time and doesn´t care about being "limited" to 300MB or 1 GB, I think Hi-MD can be a real alternative!

[Sparky191]

I think the argument that you're not limited because you can add disks is bogus. You are limited because no one wants to carry 2 never mind 20 disks around with them.

Equally storing your music on one disk (like a HD) is easier than storing it across multiple disks. Otherwise you'd use MD disks instead of HiMD disks and that just doesn't make sense. The only people who want one disk = one album are technophobes and people with legacy MD gear. (SP car and HiFi decks).

Its noticeable that a lot of MD/HiMD users also use a MP3 player aswell. Myself included.

[Qwakrz]

I will add another slant...

You can count the number of MP3 players that actually record on one hand, you can count the number of affordable MP3 players that record on 2 fingers and the number that actually record in studio quality on one finger.

MD does all this on 99% of the recordable units.

Hi-MD does everything that I want it to do, it has long battery life that is also swapable on the move (single AA cell), its almost blast proof, and has such a good dynamic and quality output that I can listen to it on the move or plug it into a high end Hi-Fi and it still sounds good. Its small, compact and limitless in the storage space by swapping disc.

Personally MP3 can only ever get to half the quality that MD can, MP3 @ 320K is about the same as Atrac3 @ 132 personally, MD still has Hi-SP and PCM to go further up in quality.

As was stated above, I have an Archos AV700 for playing MP4 video and MP3 audio but whenever I go out I always grab my MD as if I drop the Archos I know the HDD will be toast (its just my luck). I have dropped MD's more times than I care to remember without any problems.

[MDGB2]

Mp3 is a garbage micky-mouse format!

Rasp.

Missed out on a JE780 deck on e-bay yesterday, went for £55. Bugger!

[Syrius]

I think the argument that you're not limited because you can add disks is bogus. You are limited because no one wants to carry 2 never mind 20 disks around with them.

Equally storing your music on one disk (like a HD) is easier than storing it across multiple disks. Otherwise you'd use MD disks instead of HiMD disks and that just doesn't make sense.

Again... HDD Failure=lose your tunes. And with all the DRM crap going on, you might be royally SOL. Unless you have to re-rip and transfer. (Ok. I-Tunes doesn't have checkout). Read block failure= Just slap MD into another unit and you're good to go.

And I rather carry my usual five differently colored MD's every day, than having to look where the %$#@! are my tunes hidden inside of a player.

The only people who want one disk = one album are technophobes and people with legacy MD gear. (SP car and HiFi decks).

Its noticeable that a lot of MD/HiMD users also use a MP3 player aswell. Myself included.

My father used to call that being organized.

Blasphemy.

Edited November 8, 2005 by Syrius

[Sparky191]

The original post asked specifically about SQ. Not recording. I'm not going to take seriously a comment that 320kps MP3 is the same as LP2. Thats just inane. As is claiming 48kbps sounds fantastic. Only if your used to mono over LW maybe.

HD fail. MD fail. You have a backup. Its easier to backup a HD than 200 MDs. If you don't have a backup policy, well thats smart isn't it. Personally in over 10yrs of working in IT my experience is HD failures are very rare. Losing SonicStage libraries is more comment. What is a bigger problem is user error and you need to recover deleted data. Losing recording from transfers and user error is also an issue for MD. If you're thinking having more media rather than less is more convient, why not use MD singles instead of albums. You're trying to convince me the world is flat. Look at Television, TIVO, TV-HD recorders. You telling me having a load of VHS tapes is being better organised. Pull the other one, its got (xmas) bells on it. I don't like iTunes or an iPod, though I do use a iPod Shuffle. If you are trying to tell me they are hard to use, then I can't agree. The UI and controls of MD's, the units themselves and SS have always been convoluted to use.

Well I welcome some lively debate on the benefits of MD/HiMD you won't persuade me that MD is without considerable flaws. The usual concensus around here is buy a MD/HiMD if you also want a recorder and a player, but buy a Mp3 player if you only want a player. I'd say that appropriate for the majority of people. Not all granted. Which is why we're here and not on the iPod Lounge. Some of us have both HiMD and MP3 players. SQ is only an issue on some MP3 players and only if you don't use the right encodings. Even a iPod which has poor SQ through the hearphone, is regarded as fantastic through a line out and lossless or high bitrate ACC. Most audiophiles would also use a portable Amp. Personally I reckon the iPod Shuffle, and Zen Micro are as great sounding as my MD and HiMD units. The Shuffle is subjectively marginaly better. Even using 352 and PCM. Maybe you'd notice the difference with better earphones than I use. Senns Mx500's and Pana HJE50's.

Edited November 8, 2005 by Sparky191

[MDGB2]

HD fail. MD fail. You have a backup. Its easier to backup a HD than 200 MDs.

You'd have to be pretty damned unlucky for 200 MDs to fail on you at once!

A hard-drive on the other hand....

[chriswyatt]

My friend dropped his HD player and has had to send it back, it crashed and there was no way he could remove the battery without voiding the warranty. On the other hand, I've dropped my MD recorder a couple of times and it still works fine. On my NH700 I get quite a good battery life on just one rechargeable AA. If you're not bothered about taking all your music with you everywhere you go, then a MD Recorder might be a good choice.

HD players are more desirable for most people, I bought my MD recorder because I'd always wanted one for many years and when Hi-MD came out I couldn't resist. A couple of my friends have MD players so it's quite useful for swapping music about. A friend lent me one of his mixes on MD once.

Edited November 8, 2005 by chriswyatt

[e1ghtyf1ve]

Sparky191, HD are not archive or backup media by any stretch of the imagination. Properly stored tape and optical media are used for backups by organizations that care about their data. Old tech, but tried and true. More modern MO media such as Hi-MD, though relatively slow, are even more durable, long term storage solutions. The trouble is finding drives to read them 50 years down the road, but that is true with any current format.

Back to the topic, I've noticed better sound quality coming out of Hi-MD machines than any "mp3 player" but that is just my opinion.

Cheers

[ingoo]

I think the argument that you're not limited because you can add disks is bogus. You are limited because no one wants to carry 2 never mind 20 disks around with them.

That wasn´t my argument! Actually I intended to say that you are in advantage with a HD player, because you have lot´s more music in less space.

For music listening only (not recording), I think it just depends on if you like those little durable discs more than just a "virtual" music file. And the longer you use them, the more they even get a history. I still have my first ever recorded MD for example, which I remember very well, recorded with my very first MD recorder. Still plays perfect of course

But indeed the first post was only asking about Sound Quality and the difference between a Sony Hi-MD player and all other MP3 Players. So if you think comparing ALL MP3 Players to a Sony Hi-MD player might be impossible, then just post your individual opinion or experience, but don´t expect that to be accepted as a common law by others.

[Sparky191]

You'd have to be pretty damned unlucky for 200 MDs to fail on you at once!

A hard-drive on the other hand....

Actually its very easy. You can have a fire in your house or someone could rob your MD's. A friend of mine lost about about 300 CD's and about 400 cassettes in a single break in. A collection he had built through school and college, and travelling as a student.

I know another person, who when moving apartment left all their CD's (in one of those 200 CD wallets) on the bus!!!.

Sparky191, HD are not archive or backup media by any stretch of the imagination. Properly stored tape and optical media are used for backups by organizations that care about their data. Old tech, but tried and true. More modern MO media such as Hi-MD, though relatively slow, are even more durable, long term storage solutions. The trouble is finding drives to read them 50 years down the road, but that is true with any current format.

You should tell that to all those people using disk arrays, RAID, and the hundreds of thousands of HD based backup systems out there. However to argue that MD are more reliable storage, in the scenerio of SonicStage, and storing you music and recordings. But have no easy way to backup them up. Well that doesn't make sense to me. You hope that MD don't fail, but the truth is most people don't have their a backup of their MDs. Yet are critically of HDD players which are easily backed up.

The essential point a HDD player is by default backed up, as it has been filled from another source, a HD by default. So the music is stored in two places. So even if you drive over your HDD player. . You could argue that the same is true for MD + SonicStage. Of course everyone has their original CD's. However that doesn't help you rebuild your library, and if you lots of recordings like me, theres simply no CD's, other than those I've made myself.

But MD users over the world know that a SS library is fragile thing. Personally I don't have the time to keep rebuilding it. Currently I have about 80GBs in my digital music library, most of that is recordings. I choose to back that up. Only takes about 10mins for an incremental backup to a couple of external drives. If I used HiMD at 1.1 it would take weeks.

SQ is subjective. MD is good, which I why I've used it for years. Most people here rave about SP. But most people have been listening to SP (292kps). We now have PCM and 352kps. However Lossless, Flac, and high bitrates have been available for quite a while on a few MP3 players. Yes many would claim that SP and even HiLP or LP2 is better, than these MP3 players. I'm sure they believe it...

[ingoo]

Actually its very easy. You can have a fire in your house or someone could rob your MD's. A friend of mine lost about about 300 CD's and about 400 cassettes in a single break in. A collection he had built through school and college, and travelling as a student.

Well your computer or your HD can of course be robbed in the same way, so there´s no advantage here. I think a computer would even be much more attractive to the robber. When he´d see the MDs he ´d have no clue what they´re good for and leave them where they are!

Same thing with MD portables! Nobody wants to rob a MD-Player, all they want is iPods.

Leaving the whole backup thing aside, MDs are simply more durable because of their construction compared to CDs or HDs. Of course you can always put a MD in your toaster, flush them down the toilet etc. but we are talking about normal usage.

I know another person, who when moving apartment left all their CD's (in one of those 200 CD wallets) on the bus!!!.

Now that hurts

[atrain]

put 'em away & play nice.

Edited November 9, 2005 by atrain