Sony MZ-N1 Net MD Walkman Player/Recorder with USB
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Sony MZ-N1 Net MD Walkman Player/Recorder with USB Overview
Sony's minidisc format became a portable digital music standard before the age of MP3s. Sadly, though, minidisc lost its favor as MP3 players became ubiquitous. Sony aims to flare back up with their NetMD line, minidisc players that can also connect to your PC for transferring downloaded music.
As we ran the NetMD MZ-N1 through its paces, we were often pleasantly surprised, and sometimes downright annoyed, but mostly impressed with this pricey but versatile digital music player.
First off, you can use the optical connection cable to transfer songs directly from your stereo (CD player, DVD player, Xbox, etc.) to the NetMD. Like traditional minidiscs, the transfer takes place in real time, so a three-minute song takes three minutes to move.
With Sony's OpenMG software you can also move songs from your PC to the NetMD. But your music files must be converted to the OpenMG standard before being moved over, which slows down the transfer rate. We were able to move music at the rate of about one minute per three-minute song (although songs transferred more quickly on subsequent transfers since the conversion process had already been completed).
Ironically, Sony's NetMD Simple Burner, which allows you to transfer songs directly from your PC's CD-ROM drive to the NetMD, proved more efficient. It took us only 10 minutes to move an entire 45-minute album to the NetMD.
Unfortunately, you can officially only move tracks from minidisc to the PC that made the reverse trip: you can't load up the NetMD with songs from a CD in your stereo and then transfer them to your PC. We say "officially" because there's a workaround: connect the NetMD's headphone output to your sound card's input and then catch the music with a software mixer. Users with an advanced audio setup such as Creative Labs' Extigy can easily handle the process.
Transfer caveats aside, the NetMD is a well-designed digital music player with excellent sound output. Its mid-cord remote control, complete with backlight LCD display, clips onto your shirt and puts tools for manipulating the sound menus close at hand. And the inexpensive minidisc format means that you can load up lots of your favorite albums (at the highest compression level of LP4, a minidisc can hold almost 300 minutes of music). In addition to the rechargeable battery, you can connect a single AA battery to the NetMD to increase your play time to up to 110 hours.
It's not an inexpensive player, but its increased versatility, expansive removable media, and long battery life make it worth the extra dough. --J. Curtis
Pros:
- Compact and versatile
- Long life when combining batteries
- Excellent sound
- Slow transfer speeds
- Some transfers are one-way
Sony MZ-N1 Net MD Walkman Player/Recorder with USB Feature
- Record MP3s or CDs at up to 32x speed on affordable MD media for over 5 hours of music per standard 80-minute disc
- Up to 110 hours of playback using the supplied rechargeable battery and 1 AA battery (not included)
- Plays ATRAC3 and ATRAC files; converts audio from MP3, WMA, and WAV files
- Includes USB docking and recharging cradle
- Music-management software ensures seamless file transfers to and from your hard drive; multi-speed transfers via USB port
Sony MZ-N1 Net MD Walkman Player/Recorder with USB Specifications
Sony's original top-of-the-line Net MD Walkman, the MZ-N1, lets you record MP3s or audio CDs directly to minidisc at up to 32x speed using a USB connection so you can transfer 80 minutes of music from PC to MD in less than three minutes. An included USB docking cradle simplifies uploads and battery charges. Now, affordable MD media can store more than five hours of music per standard 80-minute minidisc. Using the included rechargeable battery and one "AA" type battery, the player achieves up to 110 hours (more than four straight days) of continuous playback.
The MZ-N1's compact magnesium body weighs just over three ounces. Creating custom music mixes is easy with the help of the player/recorder's backlit LCD, editing remote, and three-line dot matrix display (which shows nine characters per line). And, using the convenient Jog Dial navigator, you can scroll through a disc's contents to find desired songs and groups. Just rotate the dial with one finger and push it when you're ready to make a selection.
The included software supports multiple Internet audio formats (including MP3 and WMA), which it converts to ATRAC3 format for storage on minidisc. ATRAC (Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding) is the data-compression scheme developed for minidisc, and ATRAC3--the format used by Sony's Memory Stick--offers even greater compression while maintaining near-CD quality.
The Simple Burner QuickRip CD-dubbing application facilitates fast transfer of CDs to MD--without the need to store files on a hard drive as an interim step. Simply launch the application and select the tracks you want to transfer to the player. (The actual transfer speed depends on your PC.)
You can record in standard mode for the richest sound quality or two different long-play modes for the most effective use of space. The bundled OpenMG Jukebox management software supports secure music downloads (including tracks from pressplay.com), titles tracks, and organizes playlists. As with all MD products, the MZ-N1 can record from various sources (there's a microphone input as well as a .125-inch input for either digital- or analog-audio connection) and offers flexible audio editing tools. Minidisc media is affordable, durable, and re-recordable up to a million times without degradation. Sony's ultra skip-free G-Protection technology reduces or eliminates skipping.
The player's automatic volume limiter system (AVLS) maintains an even volume level, guarding against unintended level increases and evening the output of musical passages that vary widely in level.
What's in the Box
MZ-N1, matching USB cradle, inline remote control, CD-ROM (with OpenMG Jukebox software, QuickRip CD dubbing application), one blank 80-minute minidisc, one NiMH rechargeable battery (with case), folding stereo headphones, one USB connecting cable (1.1, 2.0), AC adapter, user's manual, warranty information.
