New here, but not to Minidisc.

[SileEeles]

So I'm not new to Minidisc (as the title says). It is a format I've been familiar with since ... 2003? 2004? I was at secondary (high) school at the time I had my first player.

It was a Sharp MD MT80, although for some strange reason, I could have sworn the screen and buttons were the opposite way around. Funny how memory works.

Back then it was recording music from a CD player track by track, which often helped kill boredom, but its not something I would have the patients for nowadays. Which is why, in my search to get back into the format, I aquired a NetMD device from eBay. It cost £30 and came with a charger, some discs, the software cd and all the cables. It is a Sony MZ-N510, which is fairly common I think, but its a damn good player/recorder.

I had trouble initially with aquiring SonicStage 4.3 but I found it, and I also had to get 64bit drivers too.

I am also going to get hold of a Minidisc seperate/deck/thing from a friend whose dad has two of them, a Sony MDS-JE440. It's going to cost me £10 (as opposed to £50 which is what he would ask elsewhere) as I'm a family friend, which is an awesome score. Looking forward to that. It was very important that the player I was looking for supports MDLP since I do my discs in LP2 mode. Many people on eBay do not state this and a lot of the photos I was looking at also don't reveal much. And are also considerably more expensive.

For portability and being out and about, I find that LP2 is fine, and from what I've played through my Hi-Fi, it also sounds perfectly fine. I can average about 3 albums per disc. Whether it will sound the same or not through the MDS I will have to wait and see, but I can't imagine there will be much of a difference.

I'm not entirely sure why I went back to Minidiscs ... I just remembered them one day and started missing them. Been using them ever since. I've also been looking at various discs with different designs but they often cost a bit more than my budget for such items would allow. I have bought some extra discs though, some rather nice Sony Premium discs that are gold coloured.

I will likely keep this post up to date with my progress regarding the MDS-JE440 and whatever else comes to mind.

Thanks for reading!

[Azureal]

Nice SileEeles, welcome.

[freddyjollo]

well SileEeles its worth subscribing to your local freecycle group -maybe pick up some minidisc stuff for free. I did to day get 15 minidisc for free.

http://www.freecycle.org/

[SileEeles]

well SileEeles its worth subscribing to your local freecycle group -maybe pick up some minidisc stuff for free. I did to day get 15 minidisc for free.

http://www.freecycle.org/

I already have Not much tends to come up in my area however, but I keep my eyes open. Thanks!

[Arr-Nine-Hundred]

So I'm not new to Minidisc (as the title says). It is a format I've been familiar with since ... 2003? 2004? I was at secondary (high) school at the time I had my first player.

It was a Sharp MD MT80, although for some strange reason, I could have sworn the screen and buttons were the opposite way around. Funny how memory works.

Back then it was recording music from a CD player track by track, which often helped kill boredom, but its not something I would have the patients for nowadays. Which is why, in my search to get back into the format, I aquired a NetMD device from eBay. It cost £30 and came with a charger, some discs, the software cd and all the cables. It is a Sony MZ-N510, which is fairly common I think, but its a damn good player/recorder.

I had trouble initially with aquiring SonicStage 4.3 but I found it, and I also had to get 64bit drivers too.

I am also going to get hold of a Minidisc seperate/deck/thing from a friend whose dad has two of them, a Sony MDS-JE440. It's going to cost me £10 (as opposed to £50 which is what he would ask elsewhere) as I'm a family friend, which is an awesome score. Looking forward to that. It was very important that the player I was looking for supports MDLP since I do my discs in LP2 mode. Many people on eBay do not state this and a lot of the photos I was looking at also don't reveal much. And are also considerably more expensive.

For portability and being out and about, I find that LP2 is fine, and from what I've played through my Hi-Fi, it also sounds perfectly fine. I can average about 3 albums per disc. Whether it will sound the same or not through the MDS I will have to wait and see, but I can't imagine there will be much of a difference.

I'm not entirely sure why I went back to Minidiscs ... I just remembered them one day and started missing them. Been using them ever since. I've also been looking at various discs with different designs but they often cost a bit more than my budget for such items would allow. I have bought some extra discs though, some rather nice Sony Premium discs that are gold coloured.

I will likely keep this post up to date with my progress regarding the MDS-JE440 and whatever else comes to mind.

Thanks for reading!

Welcome SileEeles,

I always try out MiniDisc about once a year but go back to my mp3 player because one thing or another frustrates me. This year I stuck with it because I found a practical mp3 recording solution (see "minidisc recording station thread). But I also went back because I missed creating compendiums. There is just something nice and neat and simple about chucking in a new disc to change the playlist. Not that I'm a luddite and I feel the need to say that I'm way above average with digital technology being a professional software developer/sysadmin. Yet most people would expect me to own an iPod and have my library in iTunes or something.

Like you, I burn most of my stuff with LP2 since I mainly record from hi-bitrate mp3 but I reserve SP for CD stuff and a few select favourites.

Good deal on the deck, let us know how you get on.

[SileEeles]

Welcome SileEeles,

I always try out MiniDisc about once a year but go back to my mp3 player because one thing or another frustrates me. This year I stuck with it because I found a practical mp3 recording solution (see "minidisc recording station thread). But I also went back because I missed creating compendiums. There is just something nice and neat and simple about chucking in a new disc to change the playlist. Not that I'm a luddite and I feel the need to say that I'm way above average with digital technology being a professional software developer/sysadmin. Yet most people would expect me to own an iPod and have my library in iTunes or something.

Like you, I burn most of my stuff with LP2 since I mainly record from hi-bitrate mp3 but I reserve SP for CD stuff and a few select favourites.

Good deal on the deck, let us know how you get on.

I can understand why you go back to mp3 players. For convenience reasons and also less to carry when I'm out and about I will at some point go back to my phone.

I'm not a fan of Androids stock media player but I use PowerAmp which is just awesome.

I think the main reason I got into MiniDiscs again was because I missed having that physical media. I mean I have CD's boxed up for one reason or another (mostly that they are all on the computer) but I just find that I'm a notourious track skipper on the computer. I don't think I've fully listened to an album for ages, and since I've had my portable player hooked up I've been through quite a lot, and I love it. The reason I am getting the MiniDisc deck is to further enforce that on myself. Put a disc in, let it play.

I also love, as you said, creating compendiums. I love gathering my favorite tracks and then copying them over so I can hear the tracks I want to in the order I want to etc.

[freddyjollo]

well I wonder how many original hd ipods are still working that started the rot. For me minidisc is about the right size of entertainment that I need to take around with me. Mine uses AA batteries so I dont have to worry about lithium battery ageing. Also gives me about 12 hrs from a full charge. On another matter do u remember the days when makers tried to get to 100 hrs from one charge? Any one here tell us what the latest and greatest can get to?

[SileEeles]

well I wonder how many original hd ipods are still working that started the rot. For me minidisc is about the right size of entertainment that I need to take around with me. Mine uses AA batteries so I dont have to worry about lithium battery ageing. Also gives me about 12 hrs from a full charge. On another matter do u remember the days when makers tried to get to 100 hrs from one charge? Any one here tell us what the latest and greatest can get to?

My phone is apparently rated to do "430h" of standby time.

It can barely manage 24hrs, no phone can these days, so whats all that about? Why still rating it so high?

I'm not familiar with iPods and Apple crap in general, but as far as everything else I've ever had, the thing that actually lasts the longest is my Wii Remote hahaha. I had batteries in that for a month before I had to change them, and that was with solid use.

Another funny one happens to be the place where I live, they use electronic locks that are battery powered. They were changed recently after nine years. NINE years. Just regular AAA alkaline batteries.

[Arr-Nine-Hundred]

My phone is apparently rated to do "430h" of standby time.

It can barely manage 24hrs, no phone can these days, so whats all that about? Why still rating it so high?

I'm not familiar with iPods and Apple crap in general, but as far as everything else I've ever had, the thing that actually lasts the longest is my Wii Remote hahaha. I had batteries in that for a month before I had to change them, and that was with solid use.

Another funny one happens to be the place where I live, they use electronic locks that are battery powered. They were changed recently after nine years. NINE years. Just regular AAA alkaline batteries.

For marketing maybe? I have started carry two phones - one a old style "candybar" phone for business and my usual HTC Desire HD. The candybar phone last about 1 week or a full charge (admittedly not many calls and texts) but I have to charge my Desire HD everyday and suffers the old glitch now and then. Granted, the candybar phone cannot show Google Maps or let me browse Reddit but I know which one I'd choose if I had to have a robust communications device.

One other thing I like about MiniDisc is that I'm now immune from everyone trying to tempt me with the latest greatest device. I have something that works and I can put my blinkers on for everything else. I think mp3 players are so cheap these days that they have to keep adding new gimmicks every year to keep sales steady.

[SileEeles]

For marketing maybe? I have started carry two phones - one a old style "candybar" phone for business and my usual HTC Desire HD. The candybar phone last about 1 week or a full charge (admittedly not many calls and texts) but I have to charge my Desire HD everyday and suffers the old glitch now and then. Granted, the candybar phone cannot show Google Maps or let me browse Reddit but I know which one I'd choose if I had to have a robust communications device.

One other thing I like about MiniDisc is that I'm now immune from everyone trying to tempt me with the latest greatest device. I have something that works and I can put my blinkers on for everything else. I think mp3 players are so cheap these days that they have to keep adding new gimmicks every year to keep sales steady.

Oh man the Desire HD. I had that thing for years and I loved it, possibly one of the best phones I've ever had.

I'm using a Galaxt S3 Mini at the moment which seems to do ok, bar needing a daily charge. I still have my Sony Ericson T610 candy bar phone from years ago, still works perfectly, and stays charged for days too.

[SileEeles]

So I got the MiniDisc deck, been playing with it all evening. As previously mentioned, it is a MDS-JE440.

You can look at a video I made

There was initially a problem with the device, in that the power connection was what can only be descriped as the same connector that a rechargable shaver has in the bathroom, looks like this:

I can only assume that there was a UK plug fitted to it and that it was removed at some point, and since I don't have the adapter (one of these things) I just desoldered that wire from the unit and soldered in a regular cable and plug socked, which work perfectly.

The device is fantastic, I have only had a few hours with it since getting home, but I am looking forward to doing more with it, reserving my portable MZ-N510 for recording discs (NetMD) and when I go out. I tested all my discs breifly and they all work perfectly. I also tested the recording of it briefly which again, was perfect.

Overall, for a tenner, not a bad deal at all.

[sfbp]

Yeah, add in optical out (easy) and you've got yourself effectively a 640.

[SileEeles]

Yeah, add in optical out (easy) and you've got yourself effectively a 640.

I've never used Optical connections between devices. I used to have a stereo that used optical out from the CD player to the Amp but thats about it.

[sfbp]

Optical's big advantage is that hum loops are gone forever. There are theoretical advantages too, keeping the sound digital, but the lack of electrical connection between devices is a big one for me.

[SileEeles]

Optical's big advantage is that hum loops are gone forever. There are theoretical advantages too, keeping the sound digital, but the lack of electrical connection between devices is a big one for me.

I will perhaps look into it at some point then. I know my computer has an optical out, and both my portable one and the deck have optical ins.

[SileEeles]

This is what I seem to have acquired within the last couple weeks of being back into Minidiscs haha. And I still have more discs in the post. Also possibly looking at getting a blue Sony MZ-N710. I have no idea why.

[MDietrich]

I think the main reason I got into MiniDiscs again was because I missed having that physical media. I mean I have CD's boxed up for one reason or another (mostly that they are all on the computer) but I just find that I'm a notourious track skipper on the computer. I don't think I've fully listened to an album for ages, and since I've had my portable player hooked up I've been through quite a lot, and I love it. The reason I am getting the MiniDisc deck is to further enforce that on myself. Put a disc in, let it play.

I think that´s it in a nutshell (not nutcase!!). Couldn´t have put it better myself... it´s strange: after years of handling 'virtual' media (-> files on the PC) I enjoy it tremendously to handle physical media again, touching, changing, using it. I mean I still use CDs but once they are on the PC they sit on the shelf doing nothing. Using physical media like MD (which forces you to deal with media & the music) creates a connection to music I didn´t know I was missing until I started to use MD again.

[KJ_Palmer]

I think that´s it in a nutcase...

Shouldn't that be 'nutshell'? Then again maybe you're right - we MD fans are nutters!

[MDietrich]

Shouldn't that be 'nutshell'? Then again maybe you're right - we MD fans are nutters!

Gosh, you´re right! Typical: non-native speakers trying to talk English...

Thanks!

[SileEeles]

I think that´s it in a nutshell (not nutcase!!). Couldn´t have put it better myself... it´s strange: after years of handling 'virtual' media (-> files on the PC) I enjoy it tremendously to handle physical media again, touching, changing, using it. I mean I still use CDs but once they are on the PC they sit on the shelf doing nothing. Using physical media like MD (which forces you to deal with media & the music) creates a connection to music I didn´t know I was missing until I started to use MD again.

Couldn't have put it better yourself, but I think you did

That's exactly it.

I'm currently in the process of trying to get more discs, but sealed discs, especially with the storage case (that let you fit up to 10 discs) can be quite pricey on eBay. And used discs, or large collections of used discs, can cost even more. There are sellers selling one disc at a time, sometimes two, which seems somewhat pointless to me, maybe they are easier to sell that way, and I have certainly bough some since they are cheap enough. But of course there are sellers trying to get £10 and up because a disc seems rare. Whilst I know there are many designs, and some are hard to come by, it seems a tad naughty to be charging that much for just ONE disc.

[MDietrich]

I'm currently in the process of trying to get more discs, but sealed discs, especially with the storage case (that let you fit up to 10 discs) can be quite pricey on eBay. And used discs, or large collections of used discs, can cost even more. There are sellers selling one disc at a time, sometimes two, which seems somewhat pointless to me, maybe they are easier to sell that way, and I have certainly bough some since they are cheap enough. But of course there are sellers trying to get £10 and up because a disc seems rare. Whilst I know there are many designs, and some are hard to come by, it seems a tad naughty to be charging that much for just ONE disc.

Yeah, it´s difficult to find sealed discs. I also don´t like to buy used discs; nobody knows how people treated them. Furthermore, some of my MD recorders react finnicky to certain discs (mostly Maxell) so I need to get brandnew ones to avoid possible problems. Do you prefer certain MDs? Because the last MD Sony released in Europe is quite good, reliable and can be found easily for cheap money. I also find the last Colour MDs TDK produced to be very good. One of the best MDs would be the TDK MD-RXG of course... and it´s not even rare. I´d avoid the ES-MDs from Sony (the white ones) as they change the sound too much (they indeed do, still don´t know why). Even worse: people usually drive up the price needlessly, just because they think that this particular might be superior to others. I´ve also seen high prices (around eight euros) for a singular disc, even for discs which aren´t rare. Some people are really greedy...

[SileEeles]

Yeah, it´s difficult to find sealed discs. I also don´t like to buy used discs; nobody knows how people treated them. Furthermore, some of my MD recorders react finnicky to certain discs (mostly Maxell) so I need to get brandnew ones to avoid possible problems. Do you prefer certain MDs? Because the last MD Sony released in Europe is quite good, reliable and can be found easily for cheap money. I also find the last Colour MDs TDK produced to be very good. One of the best MDs would be the TDK MD-RXG of course... and it´s not even rare. I´d avoid the ES-MDs from Sony (the white ones) as they change the sound too much (they indeed do, still don´t know why). Even worse: people usually drive up the price needlessly, just because they think that this particular might be superior to others. I´ve also seen high prices (around eight euros) for a singular disc, even for discs which aren´t rare. Some people are really greedy...

I've seen a couple of people post about issues with Maxell discs, its strange. I have yet to see a problem with them, indeed some of the last discs I bought were sealed Maxell 74 minute colour ones. Beyond that, the rest are Sony discs. I did see someone selling a Sony ES on eBay but for price reasons I said to myself "f*** that!" I did not know that they altered the sound too, so I will try to avoid them.

I have come across some MD-RXG discs and I love the design of it too, so I may consider getting some. At this point any sealed disc is fine by me but I have bought some previously just because they look pretty good. Are the last discs Sony released the Neige ones? I've been tempted to get some of them. They are clear plastic discs if I'm not mistaken and they are cheap, they only problem for me is delivery time, they are all from Japan. I also remember TDK colour discs from way back, but I've yet to see any so far that aren't used, which is a shame.

[MDietrich]

I've seen a couple of people post about issues with Maxell discs, its strange. I have yet to see a problem with them, indeed some of the last discs I bought were sealed Maxell 74 minute colour ones. Beyond that, the rest are Sony discs. I did see someone selling a Sony ES on eBay but for price reasons I said to myself "f*** that!" I did not know that they altered the sound too, so I will try to avoid them.

I have come across some MD-RXG discs and I love the design of it too, so I may consider getting some. At this point any sealed disc is fine by me but I have bought some previously just because they look pretty good. Are the last discs Sony released the Neige ones? I've been tempted to get some of them. They are clear plastic discs if I'm not mistaken and they are cheap, they only problem for me is delivery time, they are all from Japan. I also remember TDK colour discs from way back, but I've yet to see any so far that aren't used, which is a shame.

The Sony ES disc isn´t bad, don´t get me wrong... but some discs do indeed change the sound signature and I still don´t have any idea why. I´ve tried to measure it but I was unsuccessful in determining either an effect or a reason. The ES disc darkens the sound slightly which seems baffling to me when I consider that the disc itself is the same one that´s used for the Premium/Neige/Colour line. The only actual difference is the case.

The last MDs from Sony released here in Germany were these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/MDW80PR-Minidisc-Minute-blank-MDW-80PR/dp/B00CW9CL0Y/ref=sr_1_34?s=electronics-accessories&ie=UTF8&qid=1373817182&sr=1-34&keywords=minidisc

When freed from their shrinkwrap they look like this: https://picasaweb.google.com/minidisc.channel/SonyEurope#5299813430823497570

I don´t know if they were released in the UK too... but I guess that they were. As for the Neige discs: I have ten of them and like them a lot. They look nice, feel a bit flimsy and work without flaw. BTW, you can buy them at amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-Neige-minute-blank-minidisc/dp/B0007MAJBQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics-accessories&ie=UTF8&qid=1373817583&sr=1-1&keywords=minidisc

The last TDK colour MDs look like this: https://picasaweb.google.com/minidisc.channel/TdkEurope#5469046355255824034

[SileEeles]

The Sony ES disc isn´t bad, don´t get me wrong... but some discs do indeed change the sound signature and I still don´t have any idea why. I´ve tried to measure it but I was unsuccessful in determining either an effect or a reason. The ES disc darkens the sound slightly which seems baffling to me when I consider that the disc itself is the same one that´s used for the Premium/Neige/Colour line. The only actual difference is the case.

The last MDs from Sony released here in Germany were these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/MDW80PR-Minidisc-Minute-blank-MDW-80PR/dp/B00CW9CL0Y/ref=sr_1_34?s=electronics-accessories&ie=UTF8&qid=1373817182&sr=1-34&keywords=minidisc

When freed from their shrinkwrap they look like this: https://picasaweb.google.com/minidisc.channel/SonyEurope#5299813430823497570

I don´t know if they were released in the UK too... but I guess that they were. As for the Neige discs: I have ten of them and like them a lot. They look nice, feel a bit flimsy and work without flaw. BTW, you can buy them at amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-Neige-minute-blank-minidisc/dp/B0007MAJBQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics-accessories&ie=UTF8&qid=1373817583&sr=1-1&keywords=minidisc

The last TDK colour MDs look like this: https://picasaweb.google.com/minidisc.channel/TdkEurope#5469046355255824034

That is a crazy price for a 5 pack. Wow.

These are two of the Sony Premium Gold discs that I have (I have four total):

http://24.media.tumblr.com/83efb1d1ec166a16769dc4310d55e4c5/tumblr_mp9gpl8EBD1qfil6po1_500.jpg

As well two of the Sony Colour discs:

http://24.media.tumblr.com/826f6ba4cfb3c07dfbcfbb0270bc144f/tumblr_mp24s0JEnE1qfil6po1_500.jpg

I have some Maxell XL-II 74 discs and the as well as a few Maxell Colour discs and this was the last thing I bought:

Maxell 5 Sealed Discs with storage box

Which I am currently using to house my discs like this:

http://25.media.tumblr.com/df47f3a5abb1b58cb8dc397ab9c93c0b/tumblr_mpy09vVzsf1qfil6po1_500.jpg

Which actually works really well. It involved some modification and super-glue (obviously whilst the discs weren't in there) but I am already going to buy another since the seller has more. As far as my favorites go ... Hmmm ... The premium Golds I have just look awesome. I also love disc colours like Orange and Red. As far as brands go, at this point I'm not tooooo fussed, since I'm just happy to be getting discs.

[MDietrich]

Which actually works really well. It involved some modification and super-glue (obviously whilst the discs weren't in there) but I am already going to buy another since the seller has more. As far as my favorites go ... Hmmm ... The premium Golds I have just look awesome. I also love disc colours like Orange and Red. As far as brands go, at this point I'm not tooooo fussed, since I'm just happy to be getting discs.

If you like your Premium Golds stay with them, they are good. No-nonsense discs working perfectly... the same for the Colour MDs. I have... don´t know, 'bout 20-30 and they all work without flaw.

For storing I use something from Ikea

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/30219361/

You can´t see the discs of course but they fit perfectly and they don´t collect dust.

[Azureal]

It does seem like the price of new blanks has gone through the roof in the past 18 months. I have been buying them up for about four years and my last big purchase was from a retailer in the UK who ships to the US. I have bought around a hundred of the TDK color disks from them, I really love the cool colors and designs on those TDKs. I also found a retailer here in the states who had a bunch of the Premium Sony Gold 80 minute five packs for a relatively fair price.

I am embarrassed to admit how many new blanks I have stashed away, all varieties, nothing rare or terribly unique, just plenty of media to record on. I hope I have recorders and players that last as long as my supply of blanks. One of these days I plan to get them all out and take some pictures of my stash.

I have a few five packs of the ES Sony 80 minute disks, they are well built but in my opinion do not sound any different than any other disk, I suspect my 49 year old ears can't detect some sonic nuances as they perhaps once could ...

[SileEeles]

It does seem like the price of new blanks has gone through the roof in the past 18 months. I have been buying them up for about four years and my last big purchase was from a retailer in the UK who ships to the US. I have bought around a hundred of the TDK color disks from them, I really love the cool colors and designs on those TDKs. I also found a retailer here in the states who had a bunch of the Premium Sony Gold 80 minute five packs for a relatively fair price.

I am embarrassed to admit how many new blanks I have stashed away, all varieties, nothing rare or terribly unique, just plenty of media to record on. I hope I have recorders and players that last as long as my supply of blanks. One of these days I plan to get them all out and take some pictures of my stash.

I have a few five packs of the ES Sony 80 minute disks, they are well built but in my opinion do not sound any different than any other disk, I suspect my 49 year old ears can't detect some sonic nuances as they perhaps once could ...

I also tend not to pick up on the difference in something like a songs bit-rate unless its stupidly low (64kbps mp3 for example) but there are lower bit-rates that actually don't sound too bad. 96kbps sounds fairly OK to me, but it isn't quite as clear as 192-320kbps, which I have trouble distinguishing between. They just sound the same to me, and in the sake of saving hard drive space, 192 works fine for me. Although not quite as necessary now, since I'm not limited by hard drive space like I was back then, in which case its just a habit that I've retained.

I wish I had readily available blanks!

As it stands my next spend on discs will be at least be £12 for another 5 sealed maxell colours with storage box. I am also 99% likely to get a Sony MZ-N710 which comes with another 5 discs (although I don't know whether these will be used or not), thus pushing £50 on the minidisc spend haha

[Arr-Nine-Hundred]

I've seen a couple of people post about issues with Maxell discs, its strange. I have yet to see a problem with them, indeed some of the last discs I bought were sealed Maxell 74 minute colour ones. Beyond that, the rest are Sony discs. I did see someone selling a Sony ES on eBay but for price reasons I said to myself "f*** that!" I did not know that they altered the sound too, so I will try to avoid them.

I have come across some MD-RXG discs and I love the design of it too, so I may consider getting some. At this point any sealed disc is fine by me but I have bought some previously just because they look pretty good. Are the last discs Sony released the Neige ones? I've been tempted to get some of them. They are clear plastic discs if I'm not mistaken and they are cheap, they only problem for me is delivery time, they are all from Japan. I also remember TDK colour discs from way back, but I've yet to see any so far that aren't used, which is a shame.

I have something against Maxell too - I am not sure why but I think it was a bad experience with Maxell VHS tapes back in the day. From that day on Maxell were forever tainted!

In my last "used MD haul" there was a HUGE bunch of discs from different brands. Of course, I sorted these and put Sony, TDK, Sharp in one pile and Maxell and the other weird little brands in another pile (when I say "pile" I mean "shoebox to go into attic corner never to be seen again"). Then I noticed that the Sharp discs casing were almost identical to some of the Maxell ones. I think Maxell just bought out Sharps disc duplication factory or something so I am probably refusing to use perfectly good Sharp discs.

TDK MD-RXG look very bad-ass. Neige are nice, I have them but are a little boring. If you want some nice designs then check out the "Bit Club" range. These sometimes go on eBay for sensible prices for a 10 disc block.

[SileEeles]

I have something against Maxell too - I am not sure why but I think it was a bad experience with Maxell VHS tapes back in the day. From that day on Maxell were forever tainted!

In my last "used MD haul" there was a HUGE bunch of discs from different brands. Of course, I sorted these and put Sony, TDK, Sharp in one pile and Maxell and the other weird little brands in another pile (when I say "pile" I mean "shoebox to go into attic corner never to be seen again"). Then I noticed that the Sharp discs casing were almost identical to some of the Maxell ones. I think Maxell just bought out Sharps disc duplication factory or something so I am probably refusing to use perfectly good Sharp discs.

TDK MD-RXG look very bad-ass. Neige are nice, I have them but are a little boring. If you want some nice designs then check out the "Bit Club" range. These sometimes go on eBay for sensible prices for a 10 disc block.

Yeah, I watched a YouTube video of this guy .. I forget what his name was, but he was showing his MD collection, and there were some Bit Club discs in there, so its probably something I should look up.

The MD-RXG also appeared in the first Matrix film if I'm not mistaken?

[Another MD fanatic]

After reading through this thread I guess I've been pretty lucky. Most of the players I've bought over the last year and a bit have come with a number of discs, and there's been quite a few new sealed ones. Nothing rare but I've now got just over 50 new discs, Sony, TDK, Maxell & JVC in a mix of 74 & 80 mins.

Also I've used Maxell discs off and on for at least 10 years and can't say I've ever had any bother with them. Only time I've had a problem with new discs was with some 74 min TDK's. Every disc from the pack eventually showed a crack in the case on the left hand side just above the centre. I can only assume it was a duff batch.

Steve

[MDietrich]

The MD-RXG also appeared in the first Matrix film if I'm not mistaken?

Exactly. From what I remember Neo only uses TDK MDs

[SileEeles]

Well I bough the MZ-N710. Its been dispatched along with some more Maxell colour discs with storage box and I also bought 3x60 minute and 2x74 minute Sony discs for £4.99 on eBay, I haven't thus far seen 60 minute discs anywhere, so though I would grab some. So thats a new portable minidisc player/recorder and 15 new discs

[SileEeles]

Well, the N710 got here today and WOW. Such an awesome looking thing. One of the things that bugs me about the N510 is the battery compartment being raised out from the body so this is very nice, especially with its stand.

It came with some 80 minute gold premiums and one red one was already in the player without a case for it, which bugs me, it likely won't get used for much, if only a disc I take out and about.

It also came with the in-line remote as well as the stand and SonicStage CD, but no charger (which is fine, I have one already) and no USB cable (which I also have multiples of since its a common cable).

Also pictured are the 60 minute discs I grabbed from eBay.

So yeah, £40 well spent I think.

[Jimma]

I would love to know where all the Sony 60 minute blanks are coming from as I'm sure none have been manufactured for many years. I recently purchased three boxes of five for £6 from someone on ebay who had accidentally bought them for their camcorder instead of mini DVDs.

There seem to be sellers on ebay with large stocks of these blanks.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sony-Premium-MD60-blank-minidisc-5-disc-pack-/221173021022?pt=UK_CE_Portable_Audio_Portable_CD_Players_ET&hash=item337ef0795e

There are also various other websites with stock starting at 89p per disc, which is not bad.

http://www.totalblankmedia.com/minidisc-c-24_52.html

http://www.tapecity.co.uk/acatalog/MiniDiscs.html

Where have these discs been hiding for the last decade or so?

[SileEeles]

No, I didn't think they were being made either. Just assumed the person I bought them from had them lying around for ages.

I bookmarked the eBay seller you linked above anyway.

As far as other stuff goes, I did some tinkering with the stand that came with my MZ-710 and Decided to do something "light" related to it after noticing the case was translucent-ish.

I found one of my colour changing LED's from ages ago that I de-soldered from something else and used it here:

It does some rather cool stuff, besides changing colour. When the device is connected to the stand, the bulb will dim for a second and then brighten up again. And then during the recording process the light will constantly go dim and then bright and then dim again.

There is one thing that I don't like though, and its the fact that it will charge every time you place it on the stand again, regardless of whether its been charged already. I don't know what this does to the battery but I can't imagine it's good. I don't know if the player even registers how charged the battery is or if it just charges for a certain amount of time. Certainly the N510 doesn't even know if you're using a rechargeable battery or not, it will just charge whatever is in there.

[Jimma]

Surely the N510 won't fit on the charging stand for the N710 so you shouldn't be able to charge a non-rechargeable battery by accident on the stand, although you may be able to do so using the N510's charger as I know you can with the MZ-R700 but you do have to physically push the charge (stop) button so it won't start charging automatically. The N710 should know how charged up the battery is so it shouldn't give it a full charge every time and obviously only works on rechargeable gumstick batteries alleviating any risk of falsely charging a disposable battery.

My MZ-NH1 charges the charges the battery each time it is placed on it's stand but stops charging very quickly if the battery is full and this certainly doesn't seem to do any damage to the battery. I would imagine the N710 will behave in a similar manner.

[SileEeles]

Surely the N510 won't fit on the charging stand for the N710 so you shouldn't be able to charge a non-rechargeable battery by accident on the stand, although you may be able to do so using the N510's charger as I know you can with the MZ-R700. The N710 should know how charged up the battery is so it shouldn't give it a full charge every time and obviously only works on rechargeable gumstick batteries alleviating any risk of falsely charging a disposable battery.

My MZ-NH1 charges the charges the battery each time it is placed on it's stand but stops charging very quickly if the battery is full and this certainly doesn't seem to do any damage to the battery. I would imagine the N710 will behave in a similar manner.

Yeah I mean just the charger with the N510. Obviously you have to trigger the charging process by pressing the stop button but one too many presses by accident without noticing and you could have a problem on your hands maybe, if you have an alkaline battery in there and were using the charger to record.

Otherwise, the N710 seems to go on for a good while each time before it stops, even after a full charge, and I have two gumstick batteries. One of them is brand new, so I can't imagine they are discharging that quickly. Just worries me a little, although I'm probably being a bit paranoid ha.

[Jimma]

I wouldn't worry about it too much if I were you:)

I hadn't actually noticed that the charging stand was translucent. I have a lovely N710 that I bought for £1, looks brand new, is boxed and with all the accessories from a car boot sale but sadly struggles to play for some reason. I'm planning on getting it fixed soon.

The LED you added looks good:)

[SileEeles]

I wouldn't worry about it too much if I were you:)

I hadn't actually noticed that the charging stand was translucent. I have a lovely N710 that I bought for £1, looks brand new, is boxed and with all the accessories from a car boot sale but sadly struggles to play for some reason. I'm planning on getting it fixed soon.

The LED you added looks good:)

Thanks, and yeah, probably nothing ha

I didn't think the stand was translucent either, I was holing it up and noticed the PCB inside and then held it up to the window, at which point my brain went "hmmmm"

The LED is a tad on the bright side, I can't imagine that is down to the voltage; those things will take 9v and be the same although will probably burn out quicker. I think they are rated for 5v, since they came from a device that runs on 5v, but they are on 3v straight from the charger points on the PCB. So I'm currently trying to think of ways to make it dimmer.

Otherwise, I'm very very pleased with the N710. It looks awesome and so far it sounds awesome. I'd love to use the in-line remote with it, but with my headphones the cables will just be all long and not really practical. I've had the same pair forever, Sennheiser CX 200 Street II, they have awesome bass regardless of what you plug them into really, easily the best headphones I've had, and I will just get the same pair when these finally die. Even washed them by accident at one point and I swear they sounded better hahahaha.

[Arr-Nine-Hundred]

Well, the N710 got here today and WOW. Such an awesome looking thing. One of the things that bugs me about the N510 is the battery compartment being raised out from the body so this is very nice, especially with its stand.

It came with some 80 minute gold premiums and one red one was already in the player without a case for it, which bugs me, it likely won't get used for much, if only a disc I take out and about.

It also came with the in-line remote as well as the stand and SonicStage CD, but no charger (which is fine, I have one already) and no USB cable (which I also have multiples of since its a common cable).

Also pictured are the 60 minute discs I grabbed from eBay.

So yeah, £40 well spent I think.

Very nice indeed! Yeah they are pretty damn good units - I have one right in front of me, exact same colour. Love the chunky retro LCD put at that slightly daring diagonal. If not using a backlit remote, I find them more readable than the 3-line LCDs of the MZ-N910 etc. You also get Type-S which makes LP2 playback that bit more crisper.

If I can be picky: I really wish they had made the underside aluminium like the front. Also there is no "AUDIO > LINE OUT" option in the OS. Both these are on the R900 which will remain my favourite - only it is missing Type-S.

Can't have everything :-)