Minidisc Players Reviews

MiniDisc players have been eclipsed by portable MP3 players. MP3 players like the iPod have several advantages. Because they integrate closely with the music collection on your computer, it's easy to reload and refresh an MP3 player's music collection. You can drag and drop files, which record quickly onto the player. See our separate report on MP3 players for more details.

Sony is the only company still making MiniDisc players and recorders for the U.S. market, though they remain popular in Europe and Asia. Even though MP3 players have taken over, MiniDisc player/recorders still make sense for certain situations, and if you're the sort who likes to buck a trend, they are a less expensive way to manage a large music collection. The most compelling advantage of portable MiniDisc recorders, however, is their ability to make high-quality live recordings of music, interviews and lectures. With the best MiniDisc player/recorders, you can then upload those recordings to a PC.

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There is just one current portable MiniDisc model and one home MiniDisc deck sold in the U.S., although there is broader availability elsewhere in the world. Because of that, no professional reviewers are covering the MiniDisc market. We did find a detailed review of the Sony MZ-RH1 at a MiniDisc enthusiast site based in the Netherlands, and good user comments on that model and the MDS-JE480, which is a home MiniDisc deck, at user forums and user review sites. Several discontinued MiniDisc players and recorders also have received some positive user feedback. If you are interested in discontinued MiniDisc models, the best place to look would be eBay. A few -- mostly players with no live recording capability -- are also still available from some retailers.