MD vs. CD. Review on Sony MZ-R900

This is one of my first portable MD Players, and I have no question in my mind that it is the best of them so far. My only question is, is it worth it yet to spend that much money on a MD player when you could get much better quality for a lot cheaper in a portable CD player?

First let me discuss why I think this is the best portable MD player out there.

<b>Looks</b>

No question about it, if you like high-tech looking products, this is the one to go for. It seems Sony put everything into making the 900 the best looking MD player on the market. As opposed to the 90 which had a few more buttons and a ridged front, the 900 is sleek and shiny. It comes in four colors. The blue, silver, and red ones are all part of the metal, but the white on is painted on top. I got the silver one because I think it looks sleeker.

<b>MDLP </b>

This is the first Sony unit to feature <b>M</b>ini <b>D</b>isc <b>L</b>ong <b>P</b>lay. The only other MD player with this capability is the Sharp MT-77. The MDLP capability allows you to record up to 320 minutes on a 74 minute disc! This sound great right? Well like most things, it comes with a price. Sound quality. In order for you to be able to record so much more information, it needs to be compressed. The more you compress it, the worse the sound gets. The nice thing about this feature is, you don’t have to use it. If you are worried about sound quality, you can record on normal and get 80 minutes of music. If you want the most music on one disc, record on LP4 mode for 320 minutes. And for a compromise, you can record on LP2 mode for 160 minutes. I would recommend this mode, because it allows you to record as much music on a disc as you will probably need, and the sound doesn’t suffer nearly as much as on the LP4 mode. I don’t think the loss of sound on the LP2 mode will bother most consumers, so this is the one to go with. Of course, for special occasions, the other modes are very convenient. One other thing to take into account with this feature, is that anything you record on any MDLP player, can only be played on MDLP players.

<b>Battery Life </b>

The battery life varies depending on which mode you are playing in. Here is my experience:

During Recording

Battery Stereo LP2 LP4

Rechargeable 8 10.5 13

Alkaline 7 10 14

Both 19 26 30

During Playback

Battery Stereo LP2 LP4

Rechargeable 21 23 26

Alkaline 30 35 38

Both 53 60 66

<b>Skip Protection </b>

One of the reasons why I prefer portable CD players to portable MD players, is that the new Sony CD players have the G-protection, and the MD players don’t have it yet. My experience with these two different skip protectors, is that the only difference is when you are running. I have found that the only kind of skip protection that works for running or jogging, is Sony’s G-protection. The 40-second ones (or 60, or 80 for that matter) tend to skip after subjecting them to the constant jolting that occurs during running and lasts for a lot longer than the 40 seconds the players guard against. Of course for most people this won’t make a difference, so go ahead and buy this player if you don’t plan to run with it.

The skip-protection with this player, depending on the mode you are playing in. Stereo mode is 40 sec., LP2 is 80 sec., and LP4 is 160 sec..

<b>Price </b>

$350 dollars is outrageous for a portable audio player. Of course you can get portable MD players for a lot cheaper, but you lose a lot of quality. Even though this is the best portable MD player out there, it still isn’t worth the price.

<b>MD vs. CD </b>

The biggest reason I still prefer portable CD payers to Portable MD players, is the price. Even the best MD player still doesn’t meet the standards of the best CD player, and you can get the CD player for $200 cheaper. My favorite portable CD player is of course the Sony D-EJ915, which you can find on-line for less than $150. Even if you think the MD players are a lot smaller and more convenient, think again. The D-EJ915 is the size of a CD, which may be wider than a MD player, but it is a lot thinner. Another annoying thing about MD players is having to record everything you listen to. There is no other option. With CD players, you can listen to albums, or record your own. The G-protection in the new Sony CD players, is by far superior to the ancient version of skip protection in most MD players. Also, the MD players battery life is like something out of the stone age compared to the 80 hours of the best CD player. Of course it’s up to you to make up your mind by reading the facts, but if you want my opinion, go for the <b>Sony D-EJ915 CD player</b> if you don’t want to empty your wallet on a portable audio player.

Good Luck