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| Product: MD-MT821 MiniDisc Player/Recorder |
Company: Sharp Electronics |
| Web: www.sharpelectronics.com |
Phone: 800-237-4277 |
| Platform: Your head |
SRP: ???
Street Price: US$319 |
Cred Rating: | Special Award: Object Value |
Just over a year ago, Gareth wrote a review of the Sharp MD-702 MiniDisc recorder and said that he would consider the next generation if the price dropped a hundred bucks. Well, I have seen the next generation -- and the generation after that -- and the price has dropped a hundred bucks. Is it worth it now? You betcha.
The MT-821 uses a slightly different design than the MD-702, and its replacement, the MD-722. Where both of those had a front-loading mechanism that closely resembled a floppy-disk drive, the MT-821 uses a clamshell design that reduces the bulk of the unit. The MT-821 is much smaller than the previous models, and lighter too. The official figures say that it's 3.2" x 0.8" x 3.1, and weighs 6.2oz with the rechargeable battery. To the average user (me) that means that it's about the size of three stacked MiniDiscs -- it fits easily in a pants pocket with barely a bulge. Putting it in your pocket is what you'll have to do since the designers still have not included a belt clip.
The features on the MT-821 are not much different than its predecessors; it comes with full recording and editing features, album and song titling, random and loop play, a full-featured (almost too full-featured) remote that plugs into the earphones. It has a standard cable for linking it to your CD player or your computer's sound card to record MP3 files (you spent how much on your Rio?). The MT-821 records music in stereo, but can be set to record in mono for voice recording. The rechargeable battery lasts over 10 hours, and a few more with the included alkaline add-on. I haven't tried all the available MD recorders out there, but the MT-821 is comparable in size, features and price with the latest from Sony, and better than recent ones from Aiwa and Kenwood. It comes in cooler colors too: silver, blue or black.
The one feature that I've been most impressed with is the editing. I have never been a mixed-tape-makin' kind of guy, but the MT-821 is so easy to use that I instantly became Mix-Master B. I found myself pulling out CDs I never listen to just to record those one or two songs that I do actually like and throwing them all on the same disc. It is a simple process to record a few songs on a disc, move them around in whatever order you want, erase individual songs, or even duplicate songs on the same disc (though I haven't figured out why anyone would want to do that). This feature is perfect for making mixed-discs for jogging, skating, roller-blading or skydiving if that's your thing. Another feature that makes the MT-821 perfect for these activities is the 40 second skip-protection. I have never had it skip -- not ever. Of course, I haven't been skydiving with it either.
Now the big question: what about sound quality? Since the MiniDisc was introduced, people have been complaining about sound quality. The compression has changed for the MD over the years, but music is still compressed. I have never listened to a first-generation MD player, but for myself (and perhaps by doing this I'm declaring myself a audio neophyte), with the latest models, I can hear no difference between MD and CD. None. I've tried to hear a difference by comparing the two side-by-side...to no effect. I may be the first person
on the planet to say that there's no discernable difference between CDs and MDs. Stone me if you must, it's just the way I feel.
The Sharp MT-821 is currently semi-officially released in the US.
Unfortunately for the average Joe, it's not being promoted and is not available in retail stores that I have seen. My guess is that this is because they have too many of the 702/722 models around. But the MT-821 is available through online retailers like MiniDisco.com, MiniDiscNow.com, and PlanetMinidisc.com as a US release with all the right power adapters and English-language manuals. The MiniDisc is getting huge in Asia and catching on in Europe, and prices are dropping on both the player/recorders and the discs themselves. Discs are as low as US$2.30 apiece on the Web, though some retailers in New York seem to think they can still get $5 for each one. Discs have also improved in the past year and are now available in 80 minute format. The Sharp MD-702 that Gareth reviewed last year is now about $150, and the MD-722 is $295.
Compare the MT-821 to the latest MP3 players on the market. The RaveMP costs $300 for the basic unit, which can hold 60 minutes of music. Extra storage is available at about $3 per minute. You need a computer to download the songs. The MT-821 costs a little more than $300, and holds 74 minutes of music per disc. Extra discs can be purchased at a cost of about $.03 per minute. You can still download music from the Net if you want, but you don't have to. Sure, you can get an older Rio for $100, but it'll still cost you an arm and a leg to get more than 30 minutes of good-quality music on it. Maybe you don't
have the same hipster-geek cred with the MT-821, but it has better sound, more
versatility, and ultimately, a better price.
Sure, I have a few complaints: I don't like all the energy it takes to title every album or song, the remote is a bit clunky, it still comes with cheap earphones, and working with the tiny controls to make a mixed-disc can be a be a bit of a nuisance. If I had a wish list I would throw in a radio tuner (ideally on the remote), maybe some MP3 compatibility and an infrared port for downloads and song titling via Palm or PC. But those are pretty fancy wishes, and while they'd be nice, I'm quite happy with the Sharp as it is.
- Nate Heasley [7/12/99]
[Editor's Note: Nate Heasley is the winner of our DIY Review contest. He posted this review on Shop Talk. We liked it so much, we paid him fifty damn dollars and gave him a Kensington WebRacer. So, now you know that it pays to play on Street Tech!]
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