I bought this model new, from a local audio shop. It worked perfectly out of the box. My main use for it was as a mastering deck for projects I mixed down from the TASCAM DA-88 I had in my studio. I still have all the discs from those recording sessions. I have since transcribed them to an SSR machine. It may be a museum piece, but still. Audio history.

I have found that repeat recordings deteriorate noticeably. Probably a logarithm issue.

This is Sony's first MD home recorder, purchased one of the first to hit the market. Since then I have purchased another Sony MD to dub and mix with. I keep seeing that the new Sony MD's have eject problems, mine included (MDS-J510). It comes on by itself when it decides to!! It can't compare to the three year old 501! I have yet to see a used one for sale at any of the on-line auctions, it is an excellent MD recorder and I have not had a problem w/it since day one. If you can find a used one out there grab it! as the newer ones can not come close to the quality, or three times the weight of the MD-501, it built like a brick you know what!!