Price Paid:  $300.00 from eBay

Summary:
I'm a journalist who produces radio documentaries, and I've used various MD models for years. (I liked the MZ-R50 so much that I bought my own.)

I have transferred music from my computer to MD, but I use it primarily for recording interviews.

I bought some Sony studio monitor headphones and a professional ENG microphone. I've now got a professional kit that fits into a small bag that I can take everywhere.

Strengths:
-Less troublesome than DATs and old-fashioned SONY TCM-5000 recorders for broadcast quality interviews.
-Absolutely no maintenance required, unlike expensive DATs which require servicing from time to time. Blank MDs are also easier to buy when you're on the road.
-Batteries last and last and last--which is really important in the field when you're trying to bag an important interview.
-I bought this baby for all the input/output jacks, which many of the current models lack.
-I also liked the larger size of this unit, which gives it some heft during media scrums. The larger buttons make it easier to FF and RWND when I have to edit.
-The casing is sturdier than the latest consumer models.

Weaknesses:
-A display backlight might be handy, to make sure it's recording when you're in dark rooms. But this is a minor quibble.
-Earbud headphones get really annoying after 20 minutes. They always fall out, and I often misplace them. But they're easily replaced.
-Getting harder to find these days. But still a bargain for journalists who need a dependable tool that an cope with extreme recording conditions.

Similar Products Used:
-Various SONY DATs and cassette recorders.

Price Paid:  $180.00 from Best Buy

Summary:
It's a great little thing, I use it around school and it cathces looks (wooohooo!!) The sound is awesome, but the auto record volume limiter sucks. Overall, it is very good for the money.

Strengths:
Compact, great sound, style, Sony

Weaknesses:
no remote, analog link sucks

Similar Products Used:
none really, it's my first MD player

Price Paid:  $150.00

Summary:
I have used the sony recorder/player for a couple of weeks and find it phenonimally fantastic. it is pretty as a goat and the one battery system is real handy.
top marks to sony for making a recorder available at this price.

Strengths:
excellent looks, durablity and build quality,

Weaknesses:
slighty wide, no remote control

Summary:
Once I began using the MZ-R50, cassette tapes and CD's see very little usage. Sony quality is almost pure, depending on the quality you are recording from, whether it is vinyl, CD or cassette. Using this minidisc recorder has changed to preserve my vinyl, CD's and cassette's by transfer over to minidisc. Much of my recordings are hard to come by and are out of print.

Overall, I have nothing bad to say about this unit or the other minidisc components that I currently own

Strengths:
Battery Life, excellent. Very durable and usage is very simple

Weaknesses:
Cost in replacement parts from Sony USA, damaged the remote control stick. Luckily I was stationed in Japan. It only costed 45.00 compared to USA cost of 85.00

Similar Products Used:
Sony Discman, alson have Sony MZ-E33, MZ-E40 and Home unit MDS-JE320. Also have Onkyo Home Unit MD-185X

Summary:
I can only say a few things about this product. I purchased it through MiniDisco in September 1998. Being a bud-earphone listener I was quite happy with the supplied earphones. THe remote rocked, the sound rocked and heck recording MP3s through my monster of a Packard Bell with a Sound Blaster Pro sure made some good noise out of our speakers upstairs. Even with the analogue recording (I haven't got any with digital outputs) the quality and sheer clarity are amazing. Also I have beaten this thing to death. It has been dropped in water, received quite a static shock, been dropped numerous times (hence the dints in the casing) and I have ruined the earphones and pulled the cord out of the remote jack. But she still goes on strong. The battery lasts forever. I only use the auxilary battery on the plane trip to Australia (>14hrs!). I have been incredibly happy with this product and for its features, ease of use, durability and everything else about it I can't complain. However in the last month or two for some reason the recording head has given out. Really sucks. No other problems apart from that except the very sudden decrease in price as soon as I bought the thing. One heck of a portable.

Strengths:
Ease of use, incredible clarity, battery-life, durable.

Weaknesses:
Not much.

Similar Products Used:
I guess a CD player or two and the MDS-222 would count.