This portable MiniDisc recorder grabs music digitally from your PC's USB port and uses the MDLP mode to quadruple recording time. It costs a bit more than other MD recorders, but the extras make it worth it the price.

A tiny powerhouse
You won't find many MD recorders smaller than the MZR900, although it has many features that the others lack. One such perk is the MDLP mode, which doubles or quadruples a MiniDisc unit's recording time. It manages to do this by slowing down the speed at which the MiniDisc spins (and thus its bit rate) but causes little sonic degradation, aside from a slight softening of high frequencies. And the device's batteries last long enough to make MDLP worthwhile: 66 hours of slow-speed playback with the addition of a single AA alkaline in the supplied clip-on extra-battery case and 8 hours of recording at normal speed with the nickel-metal-hydride rechargeable battery. When recording, the device can find the end of the recorded audio, or you can set it to start automatically in the next available blank space every time. The 40-second antiskip memory is supposed to react quicker than prior models, but we couldn't bounce it around fast enough to tell (in other words, it wouldn't skip).

Bass boost is quite common on portable devices, but the MZR900 lets you boost or cut both bass and treble in playback, and you can store two such EQ settings for later use. You can also adjust playback speed (pitch) from 80 percent to 110 percent of normal. We also like the way that the MZR900 can remember volume and other settings for individual MiniDiscs. A novel control setup utilising push-and-flip levers makes the device easy to control despite its small size. As with many other MD recorders, song titling is somewhat awkward, and the display and buttons can be hard to make out. But the headphone cord remote control is easier to use than those on other Sony MD recorders. This remote has a strong backlit display that works great in dim light, and its button location and sleek tubular design make a lot of sense. The headphones sound great (except for low bass frequencies) but are not terribly comfortable on the ear. However, you can plug replacement headphones into the remote, so this is not a big deal.

You get what you pay for
With a retail price of AU$799, the MZR900 costs a bit more than most MD recorders. But the tiny size, the MDLP mode, the nice remote control, and other top-notch features make it worth every penny.

The good: Small size; digital recording via USB; MDLP feature quadruples recording time; pitch control; many other extras.
The bad: Hard-to-read display and buttons.
The bottom line: You pay a bit more, but you get a lot more.

Sony MZR900 MD Walkman
Company: Sony Australia
Ph: 1300 13 7669
Price: AU$799
ZDNet Rating: 9 out of 10

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