Does anyone dabble in MiniDisc?
- Thread starter coonmanx
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I have two very nice Sony offerings. Don't plan on selling, but don't use all that often. I do enjoy recording NPR's "Performance Today" and the show about Pipe Organs on Sundays with it.
What a fabulous, forgotten format.
What a fabulous, forgotten format.
i have 4 sony decks and 5 car minidisc decks and about 80 discs i use them often they are great in the car.
I can carry a lot of music with me and i don't have the cds cases sliding all over the care seat
as for audio artifacts i have never heard them,listen to the music and just enjoy the media.
I can carry a lot of music with me and i don't have the cds cases sliding all over the care seat
as for audio artifacts i have never heard them,listen to the music and just enjoy the media.
WaynerN
Addicted Member
I have a Sony deck and 2 Walkman players. When played thru my AVA DAC, the results are pretty outstanding. Of course the minidisc has the same recording time as a CD-R, the nice thing is that you can delete individual songs and even shuffle their position around (play order). I have been recording some vinyl with happy results.
Perhaps a better format then cassette.
Perhaps a better format then cassette.
I would like to think I have a somewhat discerning ear, and the sound I hear is anything but compressed or "bad".
In fact, my JA20ES is superb, and I use the internal DAC with an old Denon cdp by putting the toslink into the MD and then hitting "Pause" and record, then pumping the signal through the chain. Sounds extraordinary.
I missed the first go around, but I made up for it the past few years. I have several each of component recorders and a semi wide collection of portables, including 2 working MZ-1s, the very first Minidisc recorder.
I think the sound quality is fine. No less listenable than any other format including cd, especially if you use the Hi MD format.
I think the sound quality is fine. No less listenable than any other format including cd, especially if you use the Hi MD format.
Thanks for the video.
Bone Yard
Super Member
We talk about the MiniDisc a lot over on Stereo2go.com The format should have taken over the world but it never lived up to expectations. They even "relaunched" it in 86 but it stll didn't get a foot-hold. In my little part of the world it was way too expensive, players were several hundred dollars and blank discs were 3-5x more than cassettes, usually as much as a pre-recorded CD.
The other problem, very similar to stereo microcassette, is that you also had to get a home component deck and car stereo to have the full ecosystem so just jumping in, recording your albums and playing them on the go, was close to a thousand bucks. With all of it's faults, as with most modern vintage audio it's getting really collectable. They loved the format in Japan and they cranked out a million different little players, some extremely nice, some very basic. Prerecorded discs go for silly money now.
I've got several players and component decks, one is a TOTL Denon used at radio stations, I guess they loved the format for commercials and talk radio? Mine even had a talk radio program on it and some other goodies, unfortunately I only got one disc with it.
MiniDisc also had other applications, it's basically an extension of the floppy disc, they had a data drive set up for computers and also for portable video/cameras.
The other problem, very similar to stereo microcassette, is that you also had to get a home component deck and car stereo to have the full ecosystem so just jumping in, recording your albums and playing them on the go, was close to a thousand bucks. With all of it's faults, as with most modern vintage audio it's getting really collectable. They loved the format in Japan and they cranked out a million different little players, some extremely nice, some very basic. Prerecorded discs go for silly money now.
I've got several players and component decks, one is a TOTL Denon used at radio stations, I guess they loved the format for commercials and talk radio? Mine even had a talk radio program on it and some other goodies, unfortunately I only got one disc with it.
MiniDisc also had other applications, it's basically an extension of the floppy disc, they had a data drive set up for computers and also for portable video/cameras.
Do you mean in '96?
Like I said, I missed the format the first time around (the 90s were not a music oriented decade for me), and I probably wouldn't have bought into it based solely on the price (but I did spend big bucks on a Sony portable CD player for use in my car). It's probably better I discovered it late.
I do remember buying a nice Sony portable at an estate sale years ago with all the accessories on the cheap, but sold it before I realized what I had. I more than made up for that a few years later.
I do remember buying a nice Sony portable at an estate sale years ago with all the accessories on the cheap, but sold it before I realized what I had. I more than made up for that a few years later.
I've owned several portable units and several home/pro decks since the late 1990s. I haven't had my main DENON pro deck setup in more than five years. In more recent times I've invested more money and effort into my home media server with ripped FLAC files.
I've been known to take my portable SONY Minidisc unit with me on vacation - running the audio out into the 1/8" jack of my rental car radio. The sound quality is plenty good for me for casual listening. Yet the last time I did this was probably 7 to 8 years ago.
I've been known to take my portable SONY Minidisc unit with me on vacation - running the audio out into the 1/8" jack of my rental car radio. The sound quality is plenty good for me for casual listening. Yet the last time I did this was probably 7 to 8 years ago.
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Falstaff
Super Member
I have a portable player that works great. It amazes me that its one AA battery can last up to 3 weeks with even regular use. I also have a Sony component deck. I only have 3 commercial discs. Surprised at how much the commercial discs go for these days. I also have a box of about 100 blanks here somewhere.
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