Rating: 
Summary: Solid hardware hindered by the worst software ever
Review: I bought this unit to replace a Sharp MS-MD722 which I had loved since 2000. I prefer the user interface style of the Sharp players, but the NetMD features lured me to Sony. The little joystick control is a little strange, and it's easy to stop play when you mean to advance one track. I can't fault the sound...it seems at least as good as all my other MD equipment. The included headphones sound good and are comfortable to wear, but have about 9" too little cord. The four stars of the review are based on the hardware alone.Now for the serious rant-fest, but every word here is 100% serious. It may sound like I've slipped into hyperbole, but don't ignore this. If you are easily frustrated and/or you use an old, slow, or homebuilt computer, don't expect to use the included OpenMG software for mp3 transfer. OpenMG is easily the worst most unstable piece of software I have ever seen in public release. There are betas of other software that is more stable. Careful examination of Sony's included info about OpenMG has multiple disclaimers about no performance guarantees based on different aspects of computer setup. This is a silly way of trying to reduce the problems they feel compelled to solve with the software. Perhaps its made to run best on a Sony VAIO system. At any rate, I have come to expect multiple reboots every time I use it, even for something as simple as retitling tracks on a disc. Sony should be ashamed to pass off this software to paying customers. NetMD debuted in 2001, and the software should be more refined than this by now. I am a patient and generally computer-savvy person, and I have to say that Sony needs to start over with the code and user interface of OpenMG. OpenMG also aggressively makes itself the default player for most media types...a pain in itself even if the software were stable.
Rating: 
Summary: Works for me
Review: After doing some basic reviews of whether to get an MD system of MP3, I decided to go with the MD, and decided to get this one. I haven't gotten to all of the features yet, but just getting music on the disks was easier than I thought. I probably spend more time doing the downloads than I thought it would take, but it is worth it. I like the music manager system as well. While pretty much a novice with digital music, I got a Phillips/Nike MP3 player, and I encountered many more problems getting than I should have, and decided to ditch it. Plus, I have more options with music on this, and found a great carrier for the Sony MD player for travel...it works perfectly for me. For me, this system works perfectly, and I like the fact that I can put 5 hours worth of music on one disk, the battery life seems like it lasts forever (compared to previous systems), and I can set up the music the way that I want to.
Rating:
Summary: Decent product but will wear out...
Review: I bought the MZ-S1, S2 at the end of last year in order to enter the new digital arena for MP3, WMA, and other digital formats. My primary reason for purchasing the product was for durability and disc space. On an overall basis, the unit is ideal for a workout. The main unit itself is arranged a bit awkwardly but it's effective with one hand. The sound quality is pretty amazing and the headphones that came with the unit is not as bad as some of the other brands. In addition, with the size of MD discs nowadays, My tapes can provide at least two hours worth of music (depending on format and size)... I've used to product for about 7 months now and am actually moving on to a new digital product. One of the biggest reasons is overall durability. While the unit was ok in the beginning in terms of durability, I have been in several sessions where the unit simply "stops" and doesn't play any music. This ONLY occurs when I'm running at a faster pace but highly annoying. Most of the time the unit runs fine but for a Sony product, the stoppage in in play was incredibly disappointing... The other reason I am switching units is that the unit is far from small. Being an MD player, even at 3 pounds it's big. It's good for solid weight-workouts but for aerobics and cardio exercises, it can weigh you down quite a bit. This unit is also the type that fits on your hip, it's not an arm unit. The original awkward design was made so you can run with the unit in your hand. But honestly, not many people run with their music units in their hands. Good for overall use, but not perfect...
Rating:
Summary: Good But Sony Missed The Boat Here
Review: I'm a budget conscious consumer so I've really taken my time researching the MP3 player scene before buying something. Before reading my review see if my concerns were the same as yours. My big concerns are durability of the player and the cost of increasing music storage. If those were my only issue, not just my main ones, I could have given this 5 stars. The player is durable, additional media are about [$$$] each, and I have yet tp get this to skip and I've dropped it (accidentally) and taked it running. I do have a few issues though. First, the unit needs some sort of strap. Whether it is a hand strap or arm or whatever, it needs something other than the wimpy wrist strap that comes with it which is meant more to catch the player if you accidentally drop it rather than keeping it in place during active use. Second, The whole check in/out feature is annoying. If I used this player significantly more than I do I might wish I had purchased something different. I guess the whole idea is to help prevent the propgation of illegal music trading. Whatever your opinion on that subject I think anyone would agree that what Sony has done here isn't the answer, their implementation just frustrates those of us who have a large collection of digital music obtained legally. Besides, the process slows down the transfer of music to the player dramatically and thwarts any additional potential the player had, keeping the Sony Mini-Disc players from cometing on a level with the iPod. If the discs were treated like standard digital media and the player was recognized as a removeable disc drive by Windows think of all of the uses for the player. It could be a mini hard drive, carry standard files, speed up digital music transfer, etc. Instead it is just an "MP3 player", and even then it is not a true MP3 player, it can merely convert MP3s, WMAs, etc. into the propietary ATRAC3 format. That gets into the OpenMG jukebox program used for transferring music onto the player. It's quirky and flakes out frequently. Evidently it has gotten better from the reviews I read but it still has quite a ways to go. All in all I got the player mainly for use when I go running and it is quite good at that, I just spend longer than I want putting together my mini-disc compilations. If money is not an issue for you however or you have plenty of removeable memory I would recommend getting something a little nicer.
Rating:
Summary: Best Minidisc Player out there!
Review: I have recently got this product for my birthday. I use it everyday going and coming home from school. The sound quality is amazing on LP2, and decent on LP4. I love how the battery lasts so long.
The reason that i got the MZ-S1 and not a different minidisc player was because i was amazed that it was the only on with a backlight on it. I am taking a trip to florida, and going on a cruise in the summer, and i am driving there. I need the light to see what song im playing during the night.
The software it comes with is bad because you have to deal with checking in and checking out songs. Go with realone jukebox its alot better.
Overall this is and amazing minidisc player, and the only time i will throw it out is if/when it breaks.
Overall this is an amazing minidisc player.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent for runners
Review: The Sports NetMD from Sony is an excellent player for runners. I did a fair amount of research before buying the player, since all my previous cassette/CD players skipped after a few minutes of running, but in several runs so far, I have NOT been able to get this baby to skip even once. The good points about this player are: 1. More compact than a CD/cassette player
2. More music than either of the above
3. Skip-free performance
4. The MiniDisc is very compact - I carry one extra MD on my
runs along with the one in my player - it fits comfortably
in the key pocket of my running shorts. The drawbacks are:
1. Supplied headphones are quite bad
2. Poor software (particularly the quick transfer tool,
which resulted in a few bad transfers Overall, I am very impressed and happy with the player. I would
recommend any runner to look at this player seriously if they're
looking for a good portable audio tool.
Rating:
Summary: Good news....Bad news
Review: I'm a jogger. I purchased this MD system soley for the purpose of having a shock resistant player that could stand up to a bit of water/sweat. Since I go for hour long runs, I was intrigued by the ability to have 5 hours of tunes on one MD since I don't like to fumble with controls while jogging. After a couple weeks of use these are my observations. The good news is:
1. The LP2 and LP4 recording feature is great. I have recorded my playlists onto one MD and no more switching MD's during a run. I don't detect a difference between LP2 and LP4 quality so I'm happy to get the 5 hours of uninterrupted tunes.
2. The machine is rugged and is constructed like a tank.
3. The rubber gaskets around key points of the machine look as though they will protect it from limited amounts of moisture.
Time will tell.
The bad news is:
1. The player is heavy (compared to other MD players). The weight is significant enough that I don't like to carry it in my hand as I jog. But, if you don't carry it in your hand, you don't have access to controls, which defeats the purpose of the toggle control stick feature. There is no remote feature available.
2. Even if there were an armband available to carry the MZ-S1, it is heavy enough that I can't imagine the player staying high on your arm unless you tighten the band to where it cuts off circulation.
3. One reviewer said they couldn't get the player to skip. I must just be lucky. When I put the player in a hip pack so that the player was riding in front or back of me, the vibration overwhelmed the G-shock feature. If I put the hip pack on the side of my waist, where there is less up and down motion it doesn't skip at all. It's not a bad work-around but my arm occasionally brushes the pack as I run.
4. The headphones were never an option. They were uncomfortable and provided poor sound quality. The software.... Sorry but I haven't used it. I have been very conscientious to buy the music I listen to, but if the Sony software wants to hassle me for trying to use my legally purchased material, then why bother. I used the RealOne Jukebox and it works fine. No checkin songs in or out nonsense. Bottom line... The player is rugged and shock resistant so I can focus on my running instead of worrying about the MD player. Since I can take my favorite tunes from nearly my entire music collection with me there is no more fumbling with MD changes mid-run. So far, it is better than what I expected for the price. If it were only a little lighter it would get that 5th star.
Rating:
Summary: WOW!! REALLY COOL!!!
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent machine, outstanding price!
Review: I just purchased this little beaut and am incredibly happy with it. Despite what one reviewer had to say, it unit DOES come with a wrist strap. If you don't like the roominess of the strap, you can attach any old strap to it you want - easy. I haven't yet dropped it, but it definitely is a beefy thing, weighing a bit more than my other two units (a Japanese Sharp MD-MT770 and an ancient Aiwa F70) it's definitely a chunk of hardware. The only complaint I have is that the software end takes forever to load (900Mhz laptop). Once it's up and running everything is smooth and relatively easy to use. All equipment needed comes with the unit (much unlike my Sharp unit). All you need is a functioning USB port and CD drive on your computer and you're ready! Having your computer online is a definite plus since the software checks the CDDB online and burns the title and track names on the MD for you!! Yep, that definitely beats out my other portables as well as my JVC MX-S55 mini system. Haven't played with the no-copy CD protection with this unit...Another thing you might do is replace the head-phones. I bought a pair of Koss KSC-50 over-the-ear headphones and have to say the combo is incredible. Clear highs and robust lows (thanks to 15hz low end of the phones and a nice digital bass boost on the MD unit)...
Rating:
Summary: Sony Sport Net MD: Forget Nike & Rio Flash Players!!
Review: I have tried both generations of Nike MP3 players (Rio & Phillips), both came with hardware &/or software defects - in general, they were junk. I'm a pretty intelligent person with most hardware/software & I admit I was at my wits end with these two players - little to no tech support and the instruction are pretty much USELESS. Then, I decided to try the new red Rio Sport ... - I got it out of the package, the player itself looked ok (if you're into red) but the armband has to go...It looks bad and does not look like it will last longer than a month - I sent it packing. So, I read up on minidisc players and decided to try out Sony's new sport version of it's Net MD player line, the MZ-S1. WOW, an mp3 player that looks good, is made well and the software actually works! The only drawbacks I found are that you have to buy an aftermarket armband holder...and you can only transfer songs three times before you need to start a new playlist (not a big deal). Ok, so you have to store everything on a minidisc - who cares, the things are a helluva lot cheaper that SD or other memory sticks & they're re-recordable, so you can use the same one over & over. I have been abusing mine for two weeks (trunning, cylcling, working out)and its WONDERFUL - no skips when I'm running, easy on batteries, much better sound quality than my old Nike PSA64 and I can fit about 25-30 songs on each 80 min. minidisc (using LP2 compression, which is near-CD quality). Ok, you whine, but it lists for about $$$ new - forget about it, shop online or buy a refurbished unit at a Sony Outlet store and get it for $$$. Wy pay more for those darn sports flash players when you can get a nice, affordable unit that does not need an EE degree to figure out? Try one & see what you think....
| 
