Home > Consumer Reviews > Sharp MD-MT15S Portable MiniDisc Player/Recorder

I bought the Sharp 15S because I wanted to be able to listen to the MP3 files I downloaded from the internet while away from my computer - mostly while running. MP3 players are just not practical when you consider that you typically only get 60 minutes of music before you have to buy extra memory at a very high price. ALl the reviews I read said the SHarps sound about the best. The SHarp 722 got very good reviews, and the 15S has about the same sampling rate as the the 722 (therefore, sound quality should be comparable). Disadvatages to the 15S:

* The 15S does not have a remote. I have never used a remote, but i don't feel like i'm missing much.

* The 15S does not have a built-in rechargable battery. Instead I use Rechargable batteries I bought from RadioShack. No big deal.

* Sharp is a bit thicker than some other players. But it still quite tiny by any standards. Not a problem to me.

* Skips - if I put the Sharp 15S in a fanny pack designed for runners, it still skips while running, even though it has a "10 second skip guard memeory" function. So I have to hold it in my hand while running, and it won't skip. If you hod this, it will virtually never skip.

* Got the dreaded UTOC error once, and it ereased a disk I just finished recording. Other than that one instance, the UTOC error never happened again,. (I have had this for 2 weeks.)

On the Pro side: sound quality is very good. Its a lot of fun. Price is much better than a lot of other models. ... Now I have a great library of downloaded music. THis thing has turned me into an avid listener of music again. Treat yourself to a real gift. I'm glad I did.

Also, look up HoustonViper's website for good info on recording MP3 files that you have dowloaded from the internet onto your minidisc player. ...

I had wanted to take advantage of MP3 files for a long time but MP3 players seemed absurd to me in that you had your one hour of music but had to keep rerecording or spend mega bucks on more memory.

Mini discs on the other hand always sounded awesome. A buck and half disc, 74 minutes, optical digital recording, a hardy and protected media (the mini disc itself), and all the editing options you could ever want.

Well now you can have your Mini Disc and your MP3 too. Sharp mini discs with software you can purchase (check with the sharp-usa website) let you record MP3 and other files onto your sharp mini disc. That is one use. I frankly havnt gotten guite the results I would like yet, doing this but it has been better then expected. But what really blows you away is converting your CD collection (and your friends!) to mini disc.

It is a breeze to learn how to record CDs and the editing options even on this no frill model are incredible. The results are wonderful. Great lush sounds from my jazz. classical and pop collections. It really is quite beyond me why mini disc hasn't taken off like gang busters but buy one of these especially if you have access to a lot of other people's cds. Believe me you will thank me a 1000 times over for this suggestion because you will soon have the music library you always dreamed of and a very compact one at that.

This machine is so good, recording songs from anything is easy. You can record from a cd or mp3's downloaded off the internet. It's really easy to divide tracks and it makes very good quality sound. The only bad thing is there is no remote but I was able to live with that. This is a quality machine and it is worth every penny and more. If you want a cheap minidisc player that is built nothing on quality, get the Sharp MD-MT15 you won't regret buying this machine.

I have had this machine for three months, and it was well worth it. I can record from CDs, tapes, MP3s, and make all sorts of mixes. Editing and labeling discs and tracks are a cinch. I can record lectures in mono, and pack in two lectures per only one minidisc. (With the mono function, I can also listen to the lecture in fast mode.) The sampling rate is among the best, especially in this price range.

There are some drawbacks that people should know. The unit is a bit thick and heavy. The headphones that come with it are not the best quality. This doesn't come with a battery pack, but I just bought a pair of rechargeable AA and a recharger and that works fine. (I tend to lose accessories a lot so if you're like me, the fact that AA can work with this is actually a blessing in disguise because battery packs are rather pricey.) It is also difficult to get a remote for the unit because this doesn't come with one. (If anyone has or knows a remote that works with this unit, let me know.)

All in all, this is not a bad machine, considering there are minidiscs players that can't record that sell for more than this one. This machine is usually the lower priced of the MD player/recorders on the market however the quality is not only very good for the price, but it is very good, period.

I don't what these other reviewers problems were this machine, but I love it. I purchased the MD-15 three months ago and have loved every minute. You can divide tracks (quite easily!) as well as combine and move tracks.

I have only used an analog connection to record, but I think that this is the way most people record on minidisc anyways. When recording in analog, you will not get the tracks to transfer to the minidisc. This is true of ALL minidisc recorders. After recording, you simply go to the end of each track, timewise, and divide. If you have a PC, you can use the windows cd player to determine the actual length of each track (a big help for many CDs which have no track times on the label).

All in all, the only problem with this unit is that it does not come with a headphone remote. A fair trade off for a great minidisc player.

The machine is a hardy unit and, if I had it to all over again, I would definately buy the Sharp MD-15S again.