Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony MZ-S1 S2 Sports Net MD MiniDisc Player

After three minidisc units, two of which have been handheld portable devices, this one still gets a full five stars. My previous portable MD was a Sharp model from about 5 years ago. I never had a single problem with that one, and my favorable experience has continued with this Sony model. Really, this Sony MD player/recorder delivers everything I had been looking for in this type of product with the VERY appealing added benefit of being designed for rough use. In shopping for my second MD player, one of my biggest criteria was product endurance and rigidity (I was looking for something to accompany me on my long distance runs). I've been a very satisfied owner of this Sony model for about 7 months so far, and it has scored perfectly in the toughness department in addition to all other aspects. The MZ-S1 excels for several reasons:

-Battery life is incredible.
-Design and ease of use, especially during long runs, is perfectly suited for the right hand (lefthanded people might find this an awkward fit at first).
-The bass is surprisingly full, without compromising much of the treble. The sound in general is great, even with the factory headphones that come with the player.
-The editing and recording options, particularly the computer downloading feature, are more than adequate for my uses. I was able to download several minidisc's worth of music from my computer without much effort.
-The wrist strap and contours of the MZ-S1 keep its presence in the back of my mind when I'm working out.
-The placement of the controls (i.e. the joystick) is ideal for physical activities such as running.
-The finish of the product's housing is very durable and obviously designed to outlast the technology.
-And lastly, while this shouldn't determine whether or not you buy this product, it is an attractive design, specifically the pearlescent, reflective coating.

If I had to be really picky and choose one thing to complain about, it would be the fact that the player can't readily be worn on the waist (such as with a belt clip). However, after the first couple uses, I've decided I'd rather hold it in my hand anyway. Overall, I've given this player a fair set of tests and trials and I can't find anything wrong with it. In fact, I was so happy with the Sony S2 line of sports-oriented audio products that I've since bought the S2 CD player and S2 Radio Headphones. Both of those products have been equally good to me.

In regards to the other reviews telling of horror stories and technical problems, I can't really speak to those issues, except to say that with any electronic product these days, there will be some degree of risk involved. Nothing's a sure bet (as I've learned too many times the hard way). All you can do is treat the device well, and hope it treats you well in return. As for this one, I bought it off the shelf of my local electronics superstore and it's delivered on every promise the package made. I hope this helps you make an informed decision.

:P I read the reviews for this MiniDisc player and "millions" of others and I decided to go with this one because a fellow runner had recommended it. I bought it and I was sort of disappointed because it was so huge. I must've gleaned over the Editorial Review because it said the player was, "a larger, chunkier, and heavier MD player than most, because it's a rugged sports model." ACK!
As a runner, a "larger, chunkier, and heavier" model wasn't what I wanted! If I wanted a big huge thing I would keep using my iPod. haha So yeah, I think the reviewer who wrote it was good for running was a guy. . .it's a little (ok, a lot) heavy for me to carry on a run. =T The software isn't too much to complain about, but just the size was staggering. Oh, and the little joystick on top was hard to use for me. To change tracks you have to push it forward and to stop it you have to push down. I had to restart it several times to change tracks because I kept pressing DOWN on it making the player stop. It was pretty irritating/annoying. Anyways, if you're looking for a sporty looking heavy MiniDisc player, this is the thing for you! :) I wish I could keep it, but at 149 or 159 (I forget) it's not worth it for me. :P

This is my second Mini-Disc player. The first was by JVC and came with part of a rack system. The one by JVC lasted for 9 months until it took one too many falls.

My thoughts on this player, the Sony MZ-S1 Sport Net MD

The Good:

Does not skip. I have run, hiked and worked out on machine assisted equipment while using it. When running I have to hold it in my hand. When hiking or working out with machine equipment I hang it around my neck. I added a lanyard to the small, but very strong, strap that came with the player and this works very well. The player uses a single AA battery. I use the player constantly when I travel, 6-7 days a month and one battery normally last for my whole travel time when I play it for 4-5 hours a day while traveling. I have never used more than two batteries in one month. Very durable for being dropped 7 times.

The Not So Good: A little heavy for being water proof. I have not tested the water proofing claim yet. Sony makes a non-water proof model that does the same things but is $60-$80 dollars cheaper and weighs half a much.

The Bad: Head phones that came with them were not good. Used my old Sony head phones that goes behind the neck and clip on the ears. The software that comes with the player not very user friendly but gets the job done. Do not expect to just plug the player into your computers USB port and download music. You must load the software first. Windows XP will recognize the player as an external hard drive but will not transfer anything to it. It took me 30 minutes of reading and configuring to get my music to start transferring. It took about 30 minutes more to transfer and record an entire Mini-Disc worth of music in LDP mode (5 hours). The software first converts the MP3/WAV files then transfers them to the player. My computer is a HP Pentium 4, 2.53 GHZ, 512MB Ram, Windows XP Home Edition.

If I had to make the purchase again I would get the non-water proof model. Does the same thing, cost $60-$80 dollars less and weighs half as much.

I hope this review helps someone with a future purchas. This was my first long review.

I purchased the MZ-S1 to provide music while I jogged outdoors and to listen to on long plane rides. I found it perfect for my outdoor needs as it is rugged, easily hand held and NEVER SKIPS! The joystick is a very well thought-out addition that allows you to adjust volume and skip tracks with a flick of the thumb.

While a belt clip may have been a nice addition, I think the unit is too heavy to be clipped to running shorts and the hand strap is a reasonable compromise.

Other reviewers have complained about the Sony software. However, I found that if all you want to do is record from a CD to Mini Disc it is very simple, fast and similar to EASY CD creator. I have not tried recording off the internet or with MP3's yet.

Overall, a quality unit that perfectly meets the needs for which I purchased it.

I got this minidisc player after searching forever through MP3 players and CD players. I spent forever deciding what to get, and I ended up getting a minidisc player, which I had never heard of up until that point (I live in the US where they aren't as popular). I must say, this thing is REALLY COOL!! It's really versatile. The format is ver advanced. Some of the features of the player and minidisc format include:
--minidisc re-records up to 1,000,000 times and holds about 50 songs or 2-3 CD's.
--you can easily edit the disk at any time and delete or move tracks around, right from the player!
--Record from a line in or other 1/8" out source
--G-protection gives basically perfect skip protection
--Water resistant, EXTREMELY durable, sporty looking (although a bit bigger than I'd like it to be).
--Comes with a bunch of stuff, including an AC adapter, a USB device connector cable, a minidisc (with a heavy duty case) and some other stuff.
I'd take this over any solid-state based MP3 player, and even some MP3 jukeboxes. It obviously beats the heck out of CD players.

The software is a bit buggy and doesn't work right unless you install it correctly, so make sure you know what you're doing.

Other than the software, this thing is amazing! Make sure you look at this format before CD or MP3 players.