Sony MZ-NF520D Net MD Walkman (White) Review

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(More customer reviews)When the mini-disc format (MD) was invented in 1995, it was viewed as the unwanted stepchild of the CD.However with the explosion of the MP3 digital format in recent years, the MD has now found a permanent niche in portable electronics.

Thanks to the iPod, MP3 players have dominated the industry, but I still had to make an informed decision before dropping the coin for a next-generation portable player.I spent about a month doing research on what worked best for my needs.My girlfriend bought a 20GB iPod a few months ago and I loved it after trying it out.However, I was not comfortable spending $300-400 on one myself, especially after finding out some of the iPod's dark secrets:1) The internal battery only lasts 10-18 months and is NON-REPLACABLE /NON-SERVICEABLE.2) You have to send the unit back to Apple to replace the battery, which cost $100 plus shipping.3) If don't have an iBook or an Apple computer at home, don't bother buying an iPod...Windows and iPods are not very fond of each other, try one on your PC and you may get tempted to put the sledge hammer to it. 4) If you drop an iPod on a hard surface, you just burned a few hundred dollars on the spot.Once dropped, it never works quite the same again.The iPod's sleek but delicate chassis and non-shock absorbent HD casing are a recipe for disaster. 5) The iPod has become a yuppie status symbol in San Francisco, so by principle alone, I will not buy one.

Since buying an iPod was no longer an option, I looked high and low for an alternative.I wanted three features above all else: affordable price point, compact size, and satisfactory music capacity. I discovered that all the 20-40GB iPod clones (iRiver, Lyra, Nomad, etc.) are too expensive and too much of a liability if damaged.In addition, I only wanted a device for working out or when I am using public transit for work.20-40GB will fit my entire music library but I will never need to use all of that capacity all the time-so I went to the other end of the rainbow: smaller flash-memory players

I loved the portability of flash media players but the capacity is the direct opposite of the giga-players.Smaller players usually hold 128 or 256MB of memory (a couple of newer models are in the 0.5-1GB range).This is not enough memory to hold enough music without worrying about when to switch flash cards.Also, flash memory is very pricey, so what you save on the player, you will spend on the memory.You're better off spending the money on a high-capacity unit.

I finally looked into Sony's MD player line as aalternative to HD-based players and am very pleased with the information that I found, so I bought the MZNF520D at a local shop.It was a great decision.I have summarized the pros and cons below:

PROS:

1. MD optical media is cheaper compared to USB flash media.Even though one MD only holds about 160MB of data, you can still fit about 3 hours of music of converted ATRAC3 music on one disc at standard LB2 speed (CD quality).If you compress the data to LB4 speed, you can cram more than double that capacity with some loss of quality (tracks sound like a low-spectrum FM station). Even on LB2 mode, there is plenty of music to keep me busy during my workouts and commute.
2. The player has G-Protection shock absorption, so there are no skips and the player does not fall apart if dropped.I shook the player "like a salt shaka" and not one skip!
3. It has a remote, unlike most other MD models (not even the new Hi-MD MZNH600 has a remote). The remote is a bit clumsy for larger hands but I'd rather have a remote instead of digging around my pockets to change tracks.
4. Sleek styling like all things Sony.
5. Light and portable, comparable to a deck of cards.
6. Cost, cost, cost!!You can get the player, a USB cable, headphones plus an 8-pack of blank discs for under $200.
7. Ease of use: PC based software is relatively easy to use.Converting MP3 to ATRAC3 is a snap.I didn't even bother to read the manual, but then again, I am a bit of a tech-geek.Novice users may want to read the manual first before transferring files.
8. MD media is rewriteable (up to a million+ times according to Sony) with virtually no loss in quality.

CONS:

1. No USB 2.0 support, so files take a bit longer to load onto the MD.A 6 minute song takes about 45-60 seconds to transfer at LB2 speed.
2. No belt clip (something I sorely miss).
3. Volume and bass management are a bit on the tinny side.I did solve the problem by using my pro DJ headphones. Using good ear buds will suffice during workouts.
4. Speaking of headphones, the player includes those cheap, stock, foam-ear headphones.The good news that a good pair of Sony ear buds cost about $10.
5. You may want to spend an extra $50 or so and get the new Hi-MD units, like the aforementioned MZNF unit.Hi-MD players have the new 1GB capacity discs.I may want to upgrade to a Hi-MD unit later on but I am not an early adopter.Top-of-the-line Hi-MD players cost over $400.I'll wait a couple of years when prices go down.
6. No microphone, which means no live recording capabilities, a feature only found in older generation high-end MD players. Not a big deal.
7. No AM radio.Again, no big deal.

I am very pleased with this unit and highly recommend it for anyone who does not want to be an iPod clone and want a reliable, easy-to-use, ready-to-go player for working out or relaxing.5 stars, baby!

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Product Description:
This stylish player lets you store up to five hours of digital music and bring it with you on a single, skip-free MiniDisc for about the price of a large coffee. The Net MD is compatible with the MP3, WMA, WAV, and ATRAC3 audio formats, and even comes with a MiniDisc so you can start recording right away. Its USB connection delivers burn rates at up to 32x for your MP3s and CDs. A handy Jog Dial provides easy navigation, and the SonicStage and MD Simple Burner applications let you group your tunes and customize your playing environment.
Using MD Simple Burner

MD Simple Burner allows you to record music from an audio CD in your computer to the Net MD, without first ripping the tracks to your computer.
Using SonicStage

SonicStage allows you to import audio to your computer from CDs and the Internet and then transfer the data to an MD.
The player's three-line LCD display provides album, artist, and song title information on a clean, single screen. There's an AM/FM/TV/weather radio built into its remote, as well as a headphone jack and headphones, but the single AA battery, which you'll need if you want to use the device away from your computer, is not included. Battery life is estimated at a maximum of 48 hours.
Note: The Net MD's recording features and bundled software are not compatible with Macs.
What's in the Box:
The Sony MZNF520D Net MD Walkman, a digital-tuning remote control, headphones, a SonicStage software CD-ROM with MD Simple Burner, and a USB cable

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