Minidisc players
Discussion
Well they were very good until some git invented mp3's 
I have a Denon MD recorder (hifi seperate size). It was great for recording MDs to use in the car - I could record CDs onto MD and carry dozens of them in the centre console to play in a Sony MD tuner - but now that cars all have dedicated in-built hi-fi I'm supposed to buy an iPod, stick it into the fag lighter and have lots of wires trailing all over the place, and unplug it all when I park, and replug it all when I want to go again. Not sure where the other end goes - maybe it beams it in via an FM link or something. As you can tell I'm not an mp3 person. I like music I can see, touch, pick up and stick in a slot.
As 6x2 car units seem to be a thing of the past it really seems as though I'll have to sell both units and listen to the Home Service instead.
Soooo - is there any value in MD kit or is it just so much obsolete junk landfill?
I have a Denon MD recorder (hifi seperate size). It was great for recording MDs to use in the car - I could record CDs onto MD and carry dozens of them in the centre console to play in a Sony MD tuner - but now that cars all have dedicated in-built hi-fi I'm supposed to buy an iPod, stick it into the fag lighter and have lots of wires trailing all over the place, and unplug it all when I park, and replug it all when I want to go again. Not sure where the other end goes - maybe it beams it in via an FM link or something. As you can tell I'm not an mp3 person. I like music I can see, touch, pick up and stick in a slot.
As 6x2 car units seem to be a thing of the past it really seems as though I'll have to sell both units and listen to the Home Service instead.
Soooo - is there any value in MD kit or is it just so much obsolete junk landfill?
TBH I'd just look at getting a head unit that has either a USB socket or an SD card card slot. Then you can put dozens of albums worth on a USB memory stick or SD card even if you use a higher bitrate. IIRC Minidisc is compressed anyway so it's not like you'll be losing sound quality if you use the same bitrate. Saves having wires everywhere and the possibility of getting your generic MP3 player stolen if you forget to take it out of the car.
I've got about 12 albums on my current 4Gb SD card and it's less than a quarter full (at 192Kbps) and if it did get pinched, it's only £8 or so rather than upto 48 CDs.
I've still got an old Sony MD530 recorder with about 20 discs (inc 6 brand new and wrapped blank discs) in my loft. I tried selling it on AVForums and got offered £15 (postage would have been £12.50 so I didn't bother).
I've got about 12 albums on my current 4Gb SD card and it's less than a quarter full (at 192Kbps) and if it did get pinched, it's only £8 or so rather than upto 48 CDs.
I've still got an old Sony MD530 recorder with about 20 discs (inc 6 brand new and wrapped blank discs) in my loft. I tried selling it on AVForums and got offered £15 (postage would have been £12.50 so I didn't bother).
OldSkoolRS said:
TBH I'd just look at getting a head unit that has either a USB socket or an SD card card slot.
Interesting idea, thanks!However it doesn't get over the problem of dedicated units - for example, what fits in an S-Type Jaguar? They have 'digital buses' which last time completely foiled the ICE fitter...
I'm by no means an expert as the last in car unit I fitted was 5-6 years ago. However, don't they make a replacement panel into which a standard head unit will fit (I know they do this for Ford dashboards for example and a Jag is basically a Ford these days 
)? Not sure re the digital buss, unless it's to do with the steering wheel controls not being able to work a replacement unit perhaps, it just depends on what is more important to you (though steering wheel controls are quite handy I find once you're used to them it's hard to go back to not having them).
)? Not sure re the digital buss, unless it's to do with the steering wheel controls not being able to work a replacement unit perhaps, it just depends on what is more important to you (though steering wheel controls are quite handy I find once you're used to them it's hard to go back to not having them).Here's a photo I found on the net - whaddya think? If it can't be done in a 2001 model I'd be surprised if it can be done in a 2006 model - the makers like to stitch everything up more and more.
When I bought my 2001 S-Type it only had a radio/cassette player!! I tried to find a CD changer for the boot that would take CD-Rs, and whilst there were several about, none was compatible. I dropped the car off at the ICE folk to fit one, but they called me an hour later to say it was impossible. I ended up on eBay having to pillage s/h Jaguar bits for £loads
When I bought my 2001 S-Type it only had a radio/cassette player!! I tried to find a CD changer for the boot that would take CD-Rs, and whilst there were several about, none was compatible. I dropped the car off at the ICE folk to fit one, but they called me an hour later to say it was impossible. I ended up on eBay having to pillage s/h Jaguar bits for £loads
I've given up on MD now.
I used to have MD headunits in my car but with mp3 players being so cheap and phones coming with music players built in I don't bother now.
I have my MD recorder in my rack and have had it since 1999! I probably haven't switched it on for two years! Got over 100 MDs on the shelf too, gonna go the way of the cassette!
I used to have MD headunits in my car but with mp3 players being so cheap and phones coming with music players built in I don't bother now.
I have my MD recorder in my rack and have had it since 1999! I probably haven't switched it on for two years! Got over 100 MDs on the shelf too, gonna go the way of the cassette!
Me too.... sony rack, which I took out of my hifi system about a year ago when I had the living room decorated, after I decided I hadn't used it in 9 years lol... just think of the electric that was used on standby lol.
Sold one car md unit seperatly, and the other went when I sold my TVR S2 about 5 years ago... first thing the new owner did was but a cd player in
Ohhh still got a portable MD player/recorder as well.... used that for one holiday trecking around the US, and thats it.... good as new.
Still haven't got my head around this MP3 business.... 4 albums on my iPhone and thats it LOL... I too wwant to hold it
Sold one car md unit seperatly, and the other went when I sold my TVR S2 about 5 years ago... first thing the new owner did was but a cd player in
Ohhh still got a portable MD player/recorder as well.... used that for one holiday trecking around the US, and thats it.... good as new.
Still haven't got my head around this MP3 business.... 4 albums on my iPhone and thats it LOL... I too wwant to hold it
liquidken said:
MD was never that great to start with.
Better than mp3 though (dependent on sample rate of course)It's funny. I geared up for MD in 1999 - I saw it as a 'cassette version' of CD, and you could make them yourself. I discussed it with a tecchy friend of mine and he said 'What about mp3?' Well of course in 1999 it meant nothing - but in hindsight he picked the winner.
(Mind you VHS was worse than Betamax but it still won)
I bought Minidisc instead of a CD recorder. Bought a ZIP disc multitrack recorder just before hard disc versions become popular and affordable. I'm sure there's something else I bought that later proved to be the losing side of a 'format war'. However I bought a BluRay player and a week later it was annouced that Toshiba were pulling out of HD DVD and BluRay 'won', so I got it right for once. 
Law of averages I suppose...
Law of averages I suppose...I had a Sony multi CD changer and head unit with MD built in which I took out of the car I wrote off - but haven't put it in the new car yet - and it was brilliant.
Also have a portable Sharp MD recorder that I use for recording gigs via the mixing desk - and used to also use it for recording albums.
Like someone said earlier on, you can carry more of these in the console than CDs.
Also have a portable Sharp MD recorder that I use for recording gigs via the mixing desk - and used to also use it for recording albums.
Like someone said earlier on, you can carry more of these in the console than CDs.
Simpo Two said:
...
When I bought my 2001 S-Type it only had a radio/cassette player!! I tried to find a CD changer for the boot that would take CD-Rs, and whilst there were several about, none was compatible. I dropped the car off at the ICE folk to fit one, but they called me an hour later to say it was impossible. I ended up on eBay having to pillage s/h Jaguar bits for £loads
I'm pretty sure you can now get OEM iPod integration solutions...leads typically terminate in the glove box or oddments tray, so you don't have unsightly wires.When I bought my 2001 S-Type it only had a radio/cassette player!! I tried to find a CD changer for the boot that would take CD-Rs, and whilst there were several about, none was compatible. I dropped the car off at the ICE folk to fit one, but they called me an hour later to say it was impossible. I ended up on eBay having to pillage s/h Jaguar bits for £loads
Try dynamicsounds.co.uk. Have used them before - good guys, good prices and can help with fitting.
I'm pretty sure you can also get revised fascia panels to allow fitment of std DIN headunits.
MD is not worth much (anything!) at all. One day it may be. I have an early Sony Walkman one in the cupboard somewhere
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