Replacing Sony CMT-M333NT Bookshelf Unit?

[fade2black101]

Hi guys,

Glad to see people are still using MiniDiscs

I have been looking into the possibility of replacing my CMT-M333NT unit. http://www.minidisc.org/part_Sony_CMT-M333NT+M373NT.html

I've had it from when I was a kid and use it every day, but the MiniDisc part has been largely unused the past few years until the past couple months where I have had a MiniDisc revival and it has been used a lot! The MD recording function does work fine but I am worried about how long this will last in general, since the unit is already almost 10 years old and they appear to be incredibly rare to find nowadays.

I have been thinking about replacing my system with a higher quality one but I'm fairly clueless about Hi-Fi systems. One feature I absolutely love is the CD to MD synchro recording where it copies everything from the CD (including the CD-Text) onto the MD. I'm willing to buy a separate CD deck and a separate MD deck (replaceable so less worried about it breaking) but I'm not sure which ones I'll need to be able to do these synchro recordings? I'm assuming connecting a Denon CD player to a Sony MiniDisc player won't be possible to do these Synchro recording with the CD-Text?

Also, my CMT-M333NT unit has a strange speaker connector which makes changing the speakers rather confusing so I have just stuck with the original ones. Similarly, it has no optical out connection so I can record via a portable MiniDisc player (a cheap second hand 510, to save wear and tear on the MD deck). Whenever I try recording via my PC & optical out onto my portable MD, the track marks are a right mess and it's just too much effort.

These are a couple of the reasons why I'd like the option of getting a new system, but I'm just super-confused about what to get.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

[philippeb]

I would suggest the Sony MXD-D3 CD/MD deck.

[fade2black101]

Cheers for the suggestion.

It doesn't have optical out though, and I'd like the option of being able to record via MD players too, so I can save wear and tear on the MD Deck. Very much interested in the MXD-D400 model but these seem extremely rare nowadays.

However, I did manage to pick up a Sony HCD-SD1 unit off an ebay auction yesterday (including the speakers) for just £11 + £6 postage! Seems to have optical out and also have connections for an MD Deck too. I'm hoping the sound quality is decent but it seems like a fairly good model and worth that low price.

[sfbp]

If you're going to go the combo deck route, the MXD-D40 offers "from-PC" control (still no radio) whereas the D3 does not. The MXD-D400 offers Type-S audio and optical out. You can add optical out to the D40 (and probably the D3) but it's a small electronics project for you.

I would look for a CMT-PX3 (otherwise known as DHC-MD595) since this replaces all the functions of your existing unit. It's slightly earlier, but I have one and it's very nice. It does permit control from PC, via USB, though you need something called a PCLK-MN10, which is kind of hard to find. It's just possible that someone here may be able to help you find that if it's important.

One thing I don't understand in your post - there IS an optical connection for recording by the unit you already have. As long as it is serviceable, I wouldn't think the others are actually an improvement. The cassette deck is only so-so but the rest is very nice.

If you're worried about the deck, buy a unit which has the right MD component, and swap them when you eventually need to. The drives in these bookshelf units are generally very solidly built, however. One of the forum members here actively repairs these things and lives in the UK.

Finally the other thing which may appeal to you is the MDS-PC3. Very versatile little beast.

[fade2black101]

If you're going to go the combo deck route, the MXD-D40 offers "from-PC" control (still no radio) whereas the D3 does not. The MXD-D400 offers Type-S audio and optical out. You can add optical out to the D40 (and probably the D3) but it's a small electronics project for you.

I would look for a CMT-PX3 (otherwise known as DHC-MD595) since this replaces all the functions of your existing unit. It's slightly earlier, but I have one and it's very nice. It does permit control from PC, via USB, though you need something called a PCLK-MN10, which is kind of hard to find. It's just possible that someone here may be able to help you find that if it's important.

One thing I don't understand in your post - there IS an optical connection for recording by the unit you already have. As long as it is serviceable, I wouldn't think the others are actually an improvement. The cassette deck is only so-so but the rest is very nice.

If you're worried about the deck, buy a unit which has the right MD component, and swap them when you eventually need to. The drives in these bookshelf units are generally very solidly built, however. One of the forum members here actively repairs these things and lives in the UK.

Finally the other thing which may appeal to you is the MDS-PC3. Very versatile little beast.

Thank you for the very informative post.

I suppose the unit I have works fine at the mo, but I am doing sooo much recording on it at the moment and worried I'll wear it out. It only has an optical in connection so I can't record from it onto a portable MD player unfortunately. I will be able to achieve this with that cheap deck I bought on ebay though.. Hopefully the sound quality via the optical out connection sounds as good as my current system. I plan to use my couple of MZ-N910s as my main units, which a MZ-G755 as my radio and podcast one, and a cheap MZ-N510 as the one I plan to record a lot from and not care if it gets scratched up or worn.

The forum member who repairs things is Jim right? I've had a couple things repaired from him recently and he offers an excellent service. Unfortunately though whenever I have asked him about whether he can offer repairs for my CMT-M333NT I have not gotten a reply.

[sfbp]

...so I can't record from it onto a portable MD player unfortunately. I will be able to achieve this with that cheap deck I bought on ebay though.. Hopefully the sound quality via the optical out connection sounds as good as my current system.

This sounds dangerously like a problem of your own invention. I agree that optical connections between components are better. But there's nothing to indicate that the sound INSIDE the CMT-M333NT is using an optical connection at all (this may get corrected later when someone looks at the schematic). In fact, the standalone decks (including the D3 which Philippe mentioned) have excellent electronics to clean up the input from all sources (yes, analogue too!), so effectively all you are gaining is to move the A->D to the HCD-SD1, if it actually does that. Most of the Sony gear I have seen doesn't do that - Sony only allow you to record in optical when the source is optical (and non-SCMS protected). However it's possible that the unit you got was a design oversight on their part. If you notice in the manual, they assume you will hook up the MD deck with a set of four (2 in 2 out) RCA jacks on the back of your existing unit.

One of the things about the MDS-PC3 is that it can act as an optical relay WITH GAIN. Something to think about. Mind you, you can do the same with the MDS-JE640 (though it's a lot bulkier).

I plan to use my couple of MZ-N910s as my main units, which a MZ-G755 as my radio and podcast one, and a cheap MZ-N510 as the one I plan to record a lot from and not care if it gets scratched up or worn.

I presume you mean "to" not "from" in this last sentence. I think for the reasons stated above you are better off with a full sized deck - but if the SD1 in fact does convert everything and send it out the optical port, you are certainly in luck.

Cheers

Stephen

[fade2black101]

This sounds dangerously like a problem of your own invention. I agree that optical connections between components are better. But there's nothing to indicate that the sound INSIDE the CMT-M333NT is using an optical connection at all (this may get corrected later when someone looks at the schematic). In fact, the standalone decks (including the D3 which Philippe mentioned) have excellent electronics to clean up the input from all sources (yes, analogue too!), so effectively all you are gaining is to move the A->D to the HCD-SD1, if it actually does that. Most of the Sony gear I have seen doesn't do that - Sony only allow you to record in optical when the source is optical (and non-SCMS protected). However it's possible that the unit you got was a design oversight on their part. If you notice in the manual, they assume you will hook up the MD deck with a set of four (2 in 2 out) RCA jacks on the back of your existing unit.

One of the things about the MDS-PC3 is that it can act as an optical relay WITH GAIN. Something to think about. Mind you, you can do the same with the MDS-JE640 (though it's a lot bulkier).

I presume you mean "to" not "from" in this last sentence. I think for the reasons stated above you are better off with a full sized deck - but if the SD1 in fact does convert everything and send it out the optical port, you are certainly in luck.

Cheers

Stephen

Ouch, that is worrying if the M333NT doesn't use optical for internal recording. I always just assumed it did Does that mean all my recording are not in the highest possible quality?

Will be extremely disappointing if the SD1 doesn't allow optical recording. My CDs will be CD/Rs burned with flacs, so there shouldn't be any sort of protection on them. Isn't it ridiculous if you can't record via optical unless you do it from a PC? (which ends up converting the signal anyway)

*EDIT*

After reading page 14 of the manual, it seems to suggest that it performs a digital recording from the cd player.

[sfbp]

After reading page 14 of the manual, it seems to suggest that it performs a digital recording from the cd player.

Looking at the schematic, I cannot see a digital path from the CD to the MD. That doesn't mean there isn't one, just that I am not looking right. Looks like everything gets converted to Analog through the D->A converter IC 701.

Edit: looks like that chip does pass digital signals through it. Sorry.

[fade2black101]

Looking at the schematic, I cannot see a digital path from the CD to the MD. That doesn't mean there isn't one, just that I am not looking right. Looks like everything gets converted to Analog through the D->A converter IC 701.

Edit: looks like that chip does pass digital signals through it. Sorry.

Well you know more about this than me. It does seem to say in the manual though that it performs a digital recording. Also, it transfers cd text for the track titles too when doing a synchro recording, which I believe is a feature of a digital recording.

[sfbp]

CD Text is a very strange animal. Indeed in some early versions of their hardware, you needed a special cable just for the text. Then again, what one machine reads as CD Text will not be understood by others. Yet again, some manufacturers tried to prevent CD Text from being copied. This was circumvented by some tricks in operation that people here figured out. My point being: yes it's digital information but how it arrives is very ad hoc and no relation to the digitalness or otherwise of the signal.

Bluecrab can probably confirm this - when one of the combo decks drops into Analog copy mode because of SCMS, the CD Text still arrives at the MD.

[fade2black101]

CD Text is a very strange animal. Indeed in some early versions of their hardware, you needed a special cable just for the text. Then again, what one machine reads as CD Text will not be understood by others. Yet again, some manufacturers tried to prevent CD Text from being copied. This was circumvented by some tricks in operation that people here figured out. My point being: yes it's digital information but how it arrives is very ad hoc and no relation to the digitalness or otherwise of the signal.

Bluecrab can probably confirm this - when one of the combo decks drops into Analog copy mode because of SCMS, the CD Text still arrives at the MD.

Ah I see.. Well I hope the manual is accurate and it is indeed digital.

This MiniDisc business is quite complicated isn't it

[Jimma]

I had always felt sure that bookshelf systems did copies digitally from cd to MiniDisc, especially as the cd text was carried over and the track markings were 100% accurate. That is until sfbp sowed a seed of doubt in my head with this thread so I decided to test it out in the best way I could think of.

I made a copy of a cd using my CHC-CL5MD bookshelf system. I then hooked up my trusty old MDS-JE510 deck to an MZ-R700 portable optically and tried to duplicate the copy of the cd onto another md. I think this was the first occasion I can recall where I was pleased to be greeted by the message "NO COPY".

From this I can fairly safely say that this bookshelf unit copies cds digitally to md as an analogue recording would not be protected by scms and should have happily transferred onto a second MiniDisc.

I would think it's likely that most all in one systems would produce the same results.