Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony MZ-N1 Blue Net MiniDisc Walkman

Okay, here is the low down. I read the good and 'bad' reviews and having bought the unit I cannot understand ANY of the criticisms. So lets go through them one by one.

1. The software sucks - ??? I simply dont get this one. Installed without a glitch and I didnt even bother to read the manual, which for me is a test of how good any product (software or hardware - if you have to read the manual its not intuitive enough)Anycase going back to the software, the user interface is easy to use and has some cracking features like the ability to Title songs, group tracks according to genre etc (the list is too long). As far as stability goes I've had no problems, crashes freezes or the like.

2. Headphones are crap - doh, whats up with people. I have got a pair of £30 headphones that I bought for another MD player and they dont sound as good as the ones that come with the player. The bass, treble and tones are all up there. Sound is crisp and clear. Nice one Sony!!

3. Slow transfer times - This is what one reviewer in particular complained about and said that Sony's claims were a con. Get real. Admittedly the transfer times quoted (you've seen them - 3 minute song in 3 seconds and the like)should state for ATRAC3 format and for this format the quoted times are true. What you do have to take into account is the conversion from say an MP3 format to an ATRAC3 format. This normally takes about 25-30% of the play time of the original track. But compared to my previous struggles of converting audio to play on MD's at this speed I feel like Michael Shumaccer giving it large.

Conclusion

Forget ANY of the -ve's about this player. It rocks BIG time. I dont know what some people expect for [the money]. For me I dont want heaven and earth, the Sony MZ-N1 will do. Nuff said.

First off, as a portable minidisc, this takes some beating. It's tiny, tons of controls available through the menus and a wicked remote stick. It basically can't be beaten.

As a netmd, I've found it simply astounding. I am not a big user of mp3s which may be why I don't have any problems. As for openmg, it looks ok, but I never use it! My music collection is mainly on cd and there is a program available for download called netmd simple burner which takes a cd and burns it straight to netmd, no check-in/out crap and you can use lp4 or lp2 and it's really quick. The great thing about lp4 that I hadn't considered is that with 5 hours available, with many artists it is possible to fit all their albums on one disc. Battery time is great. Downside is of course netmd to pc transfers. This would be ideal for making live recordings and then digitally uploading them to pc. Keep an eye on the open/nmd project as they are working on software alternatives and may come up with a way to transfer from netmd.

My advice: get one of these now, the technology is simply astounding.

To be quite frank, I was a little dubious about this little machine. Sony jumping on the MP3 bandwagon? No! Sony producing practically the best personal minidisc player I have ever used. Definitely!
Right from the moment you open the box you can feel the quality of the Magnesium casing. The buttons are solid, the layout well designed and the cradle looks fantastic on even the most cluttered desk.
The sound quality goes without saying, and the added functionality and speed provided through USB link-up and the OPEN MG software make no end of difference.
If you're after a reliable, good looking and great sounding machine go for this... Hands down, the best audio purchase I've made since I invested in a Mini disc system 5 years ago.
The price isn't too bad either, considering there are other, non NetMD machines out for a similar cost.
You wont be dissapointed. Oh no.

If you want style, comfort, ease, and a top of the line MiniDisk Player, then this one is for you! Let's take a look at the features.

It's a small and compact, hi-tech piece of magic in your pocket. The smooth finish surrounds a screen where you can name tracks and albums with no trouble, the songs can also keep information you give them in Media Player, which ROCKS. It has a long life of about 100 hours or more, which can last me at least a month. I manage to fit about 5 CDs onto one MiniDisk with the high compression, with the minimal of sound quality loss.

I bought mine from a high street store at a much higher price (no shaming the vendor). It came with the software I needed to safe track lists to send to MiniDisk, so I don't need to search for my music. It's computer support is great for recorded my MP3s and Audio tracks from my PC using the USB port.

I found the earphones couldn't handle the bass on some songs, but what do you expect when they come bundled. I kept my old pair that cost about £10, and they are fine. The best feature is you can record from almost anything with the USB cable, and the earphone socket.

I am glad I bought it, but I would have prefered the Silver finish. Every cloud has a silver lining, apart from my MiniDisk Player. Worth the money.

ROCK ON. Ian.

After getting the MZR-909 I purchased the MZ-N1 and I must say"WOW!" It's amazing. The size of it amazes me. It is smaller than the MZR-909,which is almost impossible.

The features I love about it is that it has a 3Dot Matrix screen showing all the vital information you need to see when listening or recording.

The rocker bar is very useful even though it's a bit small.

The charging cradle is fantastic. I can charge the unit via the Cradle or using the plug,and the USB connector goes on the back of the cradle,which is also useful.

The remote supplied with it is as good as it gets(back-lit,lets you move,edit tracks)but it doesn't let you record,which is annoying.

Group mode is very useful. If you use LP2orLP4 you may find you have over 30 tracks on 1 disc,but if you use Group mode everything is a lot more organized.

The batery life still amazes me. It won't last you the stated 110 hours(with the added battery pack) but 65hours will do very nicely.

Now for the software supplied. The OpenMG software is rubbish. It is hard to use and you can only delete/move songs via the software.The actual NetMD recording 16 or 32 times faster was very impresive,but the whole management of the Jukebox was terrible.

This is Sony's best recording mini-disc and is very good quality as it is made out of magnesium(which is toufgh and light).

The only reason i gave the unit 4stars and not5 was because of the software supplied,but also because the earphones included are terrible.You pay so much for this unit and they give you terrible earphones!Oh well I suppose you can fork out a bit of money for beter earphones(MDR-E888 are the top).

All in all I love this unit and if you are looking for a mini-disc unit I would advise you to get this one.