A £10 Minidisc player.
A quick little video with a very small budget.
I’ve started work this week on a potentially time consuming video. So to give myself a bit of extra time to spend on that one - here’s something far simpler and cheaper.
When I saw a MiniDisc player on a Japanese auction for under £10 - I just couldn’t resist buying it. I had to find out whether in 2020 you can get a working player for the price of a coffee and a slice of cake in Starbucks.
Comments (64)
I wonder if any of them will be the model used by the kid in the Bomfunk MC's Freestyler video in which he's able to use the inline remote to pause and unpause people and trains in the Helsinki metro system? :)
YES PLEASE on an unwrapping video! Or, dare I say it, a livestream?
interesting to see at the end, it turned out you bought a whole bunch of minidisc players in the same consignment.. So... are you considering selling working one's on at some point? if so please contact me, as I've been looking for a decent mini disc player for ages at a reasonable price and not wanting to deal with the hassle of looking for good deals, auctions or someone on ebay hoping to make a ridiculous profit, my self. If so contact me through patreon. As always, thanks for reading this comment🙃👍🏻
Thanks for the battery recommendation, I bought 2 no name green things and they're absolute trash, the original Sony batteries I got with my players actually last longer... but that's still not more than an hour or so. Just ordered 2 of the Vapex ones.
I hope they work out. There are a lot of dodgy batteries around.
I'd happily sit and watch you sort through that stack of MD machines. We could hold a sweepstake on the percentage that work vs those that don't!
Hey Mat, I'm wondering if you know of the most beautiful minidisc portable player and/or recorder? The MZ-RH1 is a bit too busy for me. Something with sharp angles and solid metal. Like a DD Quartz.
Yes you definitely don't want an RH1 - the batteries for them are unobtainable and the OLED displays have faded. I've got a different model on it's way that might be up your street - however they seem to be fragile as all the ones I see for sale are broken - and this one is 'untested' (broken) too. In the next Patreon update I'll be able to talk about it.
I was aware of Minidisc but it never really caught on over here in the states. It was your videos that got me interested in the format. I now have a MDS-JE330 deck, a MZ-NE410 walkman and I just picked up an MZ-E40 player. I love the format; it is perfect for the retro future synthwave and vaporwave music I've been enjoying lately. I spent a little too much on Minidisc Day ;-) I have recorded to the MDS-JE330 from an Onkyo CD Deck and that was easy. I also was able to get SonicStage working on Windows 7 on a VirtualBox VM on my Mac and I even got it working on a Windows 10 machine using the 64-bit driver that is out there. Getting the driver installed was tricky as Windows 10 did not like the unverified driver. But I recently discovered this web-based NetMD utility https://stefano.brilli.me/webminidisc/ (more info here: https://github.com/cybercase/webminidisc). I finally tried it today and it worked flawlessly in Chrome on my Mac!
I'll have a go with that when I get the chance. It's probably getting on for 15 years since I attached a NETMD recorder to a computer.
Can never get enough Minidisc (or cassette) Mat! Would love to see a video on the MZ-R55T you mentioned in another video.
I do plan to feature it at some point - at the moment it’s locked away in my locker, so out of reach.
Thanks! Yes I have found it to be quite a hassle to find a good microphone for voice over... And your voice over sounds very nice, the most mics I tried gave me an 2D vibe. My iPhone sounded even better at times. I think I’m gonna try the yeti too. Good night and stay safe!
Hi techmoan, Great video! hope to see a buyers guide happening for the mini disc players :)... a question? what microphone do you use for voice over?
For the moment I’ve settled on a Blue Mic Yeti. After blowing around £1000 on more expensive options the relatively cheap Yeti sounds better than anything I could put together myself.
Mat, I hate unboxing videos. But I'd very much like to see you reveal your haul of MiniDisc players, and see if you got treasures or trash.
I don’t watch unboxings either - so I’m not sure how to frame this one.
Your ears do not deceive you. I did some ABX testing on myself and it turned out I could hear a difference too. Not much of a difference (statistically) but it was there. I made a couple of LP2 discs anyway and it was odd to see 140 mins of music listed on the MD display. I will probably stick with SP and use S/PDIF to transfer my high bitrate, digital only tracks to MD. The lost art of creating mix tapes lives on...LOL.
Can't wait to see what other MD goodness you hiding in those bags Mat. You can find instructions out on the Internet about how to install the necessary NetMD drivers in Windows 10 so you can connect a NetMD player and use Sony SonicStage. I recently picked up a Sony NE410 to play around with NetMD since I had never had messed with the technology before. SonicStage is not as bad as I remember people making it out to be back in the day. Given its age there are some limitations depending on what you want to do. For me, I found SonicStage deos not support FLAC files, does not recognize IDv3 tags embedded in iTunes AAC files, etc. The biggest technical limitation though, is that SonicStage "appears" to let you transfer files as SP (292 kbps ATRAC) but that's not really the case. The software first converts the music to LP2 (132 kbps) and the recorder re-encodes the track as SP. The result is a loss of quality because the source is first converted to 132 kbps and then re-encoded at a higher 292 kbps. Anyway - I digress. Thanks for giving us some MD content and I am looking forward to seeing what else is in those bags!
That explains why I thought LP2 sounded much the same as SP on my NET MD Walkman. I’m enjoying the non-pc MD life at the moment. It’s like Amish MD - well not really, but with a 4x copy of a CD to a MD with the titles as well - it’s great to keep the computer out of the loop. I just need to rearrange my HiFi to make things more permanent.
Dear Mr Techmoan. I blame you for my MiniDisc addiction. You are solely responsible for all the financial expenses involved with such an addiction. I would like to take a moment to say....Thank you!! I currently own two MD decks, a MDS-JE520 and a JE480. Two portables, a MZ-N707 and a N420D. Completely pointless in this day and age but I enjoy them. Always a conversation starter when you pull out a MD player and discs on an airplane (and saves my smartphone battery). Looking forward to the MD lot video(s).
The longer I live - the more I’m appreciating total pointlessness. I can spend a lot of time doing nothing - and enjoying it.
Love the video and look forward to what could be a MiniDisc Bonanza unboxing!
My MZ-R900 was one of my favourite pieces of tech and audio equipment ever, I absolutely loved it, and was a total MD devotee. I think I used the optical in to record to it from my CD player? I definitely remember Sony’s ATRAC software for windows being one of the worst pieces of software I had ever used. Recording from CD avoided all that guff though if I recall correctly. MiniDisc played a vital role in bridging between CD and MP3 for me, it was only around 2008 or so that MP3 players became viable. I remember a friend buying a RIO 500 MP3 player with a whopping 64MB memory about the same time as my MiniDisc player; how I used to mock it! I think he paid about £300 for it too!
I miss having a MD player...at some point I should get one again. If only because I still have a load of MDs.
That sounds like a good enough reason to me.
Can I be the irritating one that mentions that the tenner in the thumbnail is no longer legal tender? Just preventing dozens of comments when the thing actually goes live. Think of it as a public service. 😀
That was one of the reasons I used it - there are all those rules about reproducing money that I didn’t want to get involved in, the second reason was that there were no £10 notes in the house - just £20s so that’s really a scan of a novelty serviette I found in a drawer.
Loved it, Mat! I'm not into MiniDisc, but I like the love you show for the product, and how you reasoning about it. Hard to find on YouTube nowadays...
BTW You can use 18650 battery charger to charge a gumstick battery as well.
Are you 100% sure on this - if so I’ll put it in the video description (for no-one to read). I’m just a bit concerned about the voltage differences between the 1.2v Gumstick and the 3.8v 18650.
Yes yes yes to an unwrapping video. You clearly hit it right on with that one that you picked up. I'm very curious to see if there are any other treasures in there.
I have a feeling we’re gonna see a buyers guide for mini disc players like the one with walkmans in the future. Great video mat!
I bought one of the first Sony minidisc decks when they came out, thinking someone had finally figured out a good replacement for people who like to make their own mixtapes. Of course I never got the use out of it I thought I would, and everyone who had any minidisc equipment gave me theirs when they stopped using it. I even have a car changer somewhere. I still like the format.
Great video, Mat. {Wondering why you bid on so many minidisc players :-) I:m sure there's a video in them though.
It just seems like the end of an era when Japanese second-hand stores are clearing out inventory. In a few years I’d no doubt be kicking myself for not buying them when I had the chance. As it is, I don’t really need them and neither does anyone else - but like you say...it’ll make a video.
I had the MZ-E50 back in the late 90s when I was living in Japan. It was super impressive at the time. As much as I love music steaming, I do miss those days. It seemed like there was always something new and interesting coming out in the Japanese electronics stores
i have recently been coming up with reasons not to get a in-home MD player, I had one years ago. Then I found my MDs in the loft, with my portable (a sony netmd505 i think) and it's a pain to hook up to the hifi. Then out comes another MD video. I blame you for me being skint Mat lol
No one really needs a MiniDisc player now...so I bought forty-odd.
That minidisk tease at the end... I can't wait for the Massive Unboxing: MD Edition
Do you ever watch the dankpods channel on youtube. Its a positively mad Aussie who rebuilds class ipods and its mostly him repolishing plastic cases and for some reason its immensely watchable.
No never heard of that one.
Another great video Mat. I’m glad I saved my sisters MZ-N707in blue with all the original accessories from the dustbin when she moved to America. I was only 7 at the time, and I had no idea what it was! It was only when I watched your older minidisc video years later, I realised what it was and started using it! Would love to see the rest of the MD players/recorders in the bulk lot!
You’ll get to see them - I’m just trying to figure out the structure of the video. It’s a bit tricky. ‘Here’s a player, and here’s another one, and here’s one more and so on. I’m not too sure how to break it up into something more entertaining. I haven’t looked in the parcels yet.
Hmm... charming old bloke wants to tell me how neat MiniDisc is... this seems familiar somehow... 😁😉
Might as well lean in to it.
Great video. My friend is a singer and was using minidiscs backing tracks upto about a year ago. I got some bargains in my time but £10 minidisc wow
I agree with Mark Hesse. "This video makes me want a minidisc player now. " I love gadgets and especially physical media. I just might have to get an R model and some blank disks.
Splendid! I think that’s pretty good value, even if you have to get hold of the battery, charger etc. Btw, I must tell you, Mat, that thanks to you, I was able to repair my 40 year old cine projector. I fished it out of the loft and of course the rubber drive belt had gone the way of all rubber drive belts, but having seen you deal with so many over the years, I knew to order a replacement off eBay and how to degunk the drive wheels. Works perfectly now, so thank you! Did I see you use Brasso on a perspex turntable cover in an earlier video? Did it work? Have a good weekend, if indeed you are able to differentiate it from the rest of the week.....
I’ve yet to try it on a Perspex cover. I used it on a cassette player digital display window in an old video. Glad you got your projector working - congrats.
I remember thinking MD was so cool in high school then a year later, it was already dated. The translucent coloured discs were great.
Mat, if your pack'o'many minidisc players doesn't include a Sharp 702 and you want one for your collection, you know my email address. I also have original albums from Des'ree, Bangles and Oasis.
That’s a very kind offer but I think I’ve probably got more than enough now. If they work I may start handing them out like business cards.
Please stop making me want an MD player Mat - and I definitely don't want to see all those new ones you've won ;-). You must have had a lucky day.
This video makes me want a minidisc player now. Not gonna do it, but I find them really cool. Also love how you brought back some of your "Greatest Hits" with this video, i.e. showing the players you've demonstrated in previous videos, combining that with the Japanese auction theme and making something new and interesting.
Yes there’s a fair bit of recycling here.
A whole bundle of mini-disc hardware, hmm. A case of ISO (Austrlaian for 'isolation') madness? ;) Maybe your grief, but our relief. Well, done, Mat.
Another great MiniDisc video! can't wait to see whats in your new collection!
I wonder why Sony don't make a limited number of new players for the community who still uses MD. Only one model, just the player, no Hi-MD, with a single AA battery slot instead of gumstick. By the way I'm interested too which of the players from the bundle will work, and what features them have. I love these minidisc videos.
Sometimes I think about all the tech I used own that has gone missing or was thrown out through the years, and I wish I still had it. Then I realise that I always owned low end stuff, so probably could replace it all for less than the cost of bus fare I am saving by working from home at the moment.
This highlights to me the importance of hanging onto those odds-and-ends. You never know when you'll find a $10 mini-disc player online and want to get it running again!
I look forward to seeing what you find in those bundles of players. Any chance of selling them? Once again, another great video
I wanted to ask the same, I had bought 2 MZ-N710 recorders already, only one cane with a AA battery cradle, and none of them working with a gumstick battery, so I'm interested in buying a player from a reliable person. :)
This made me want to dust off my old JVC MD player.