- S2 Sports design Net MD Walkman
- G Protection Jog Proof
- 5 way thumb control key for ease of use during sports activities
- Splash proof casing
- Read our guide to the Sony S2 Portable Audio Range
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Technical Details
Product details
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Combining the power and versatility of a Network MiniDisc Walkman with a body shell that is both reflective and robust, Sony has created the first MiniDisc Player/Recorder aimed at the active sports market.
The MZ-S1 Net MiniDisc Walkman is a larger, chunkier and heavier MD player than most on the market, because it's a rugged sports model, complete with a large latch that clips securely over the rubber-sealed disc slot, rubber covers for all the ports and socket and a tough, wipe-clean case that won't scratch. The in-ear bud headphones are light and unobtrusive too, but the strap only stops you dropping it rather than letting you carry it easily.
You can run, jog and shake or drop the case without interrupting the music and all the playing controls are on the side, falling naturally under your thumb when you hold the player one-handed. Play, stop, fast forward, rewind and volume are all combined in one five-way control; only pause is separate. Although the edges are a little sharp for comfort, the control makes it easy to get the track you want without looking at the player and it's almost impossible to change the volume by accident; if you do there's an automatic volume control to stop it getting too loud too suddenly.
You do need to look at the player to record or edit track names, but as you can only record from an external source like a CD player you're not likely to be on the move at the time: there's an optical cable in the box for digital connections but you'll need a second cable to analogue sources. Alternatively, you can plug the USB cable into your PC and transfer tracks you have stored as MP3 or WMA. You get the same choice of single, double or quadruple-length recording, which puts over five hours of music on one MiniDisc, and you get about 50 hours playing time from a single AA battery. The OpenMG JukeBox software is a little complicated because you have to check tracks in and out of your library to transfer them but you can create multiple playlists and convert CD tracks directly. You can't transfer tracks from MiniDisc to MP3 though.
You're paying a slight premium for the rugged go-anywhere portability of the Net MiniDisc Walkman, but the controls are simple and the sound quality is excellent. --Mary Branscombe
Manufacturer's Description
Take this player anywhere – from rugged mountains to the urban jungle. Back at base camp you can sort the music essentials you need. Just transfer the music files at incredibly high speed onto MiniDisc in seconds and then you’re ready for your next challenge.
The MZ-S1 features Sony’s new MiniDisc technology called NetMD. NetMD allows the user to download music files from a PC to MiniDisc at incredibly fast speeds. For example, an 80-minute CD can be downloaded in just 2.5 minutes. In addition to this great feature, the MZ-S1 also boasts G Protection Jog Proof technology, MDLP and a five-way thumb control key for ease of use.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
29 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Electronics
Over the years I've bought (like most people) a lot of personal stereos of all kinds of formats. This is the closest I've ever come to finding the perfect machine for portable music. Physically it's designed for travel, it's got a tough case, has no external buttons that can snap off or external battery compartments that open way too easily. The controls are very easy to use on the move. It has no remote control, something I see as a real boon: most of them are too fiddly/too fragile/too cumbersome to be any use. They also jack up the price of the unit, especially when its an LCD model. Let's face it, most people only want remotes for the pose factor. This machine is (for the time being) the state of the art in terms of portable audio. You can pay more, but you can't buy better. Anyone who does any kind of lengthy travelling to work doesn't really to look for anything else.
Of course the real power of this machine is it is a real go-anywhere, record from anything device. Whether you want to use analogue cable, fibre cable or USB, this NetMD machine is happy to accomodate. This is something that NO other MP3 device can do. You can pay £££ for the Apple iPod and it will choke if you try and connect it to anything other than a Mac. This baby doesn't care what you use.
Apart from the great sound and build quality, it's important to value just how practical this unit is. You don't need a CD burner to create disks with MP3s on, you don't need to use clumsy CD-R disks and you won't be hampered with the truly laughable battery life of things like iPod (and other hard drive derivatives). This machine will last at least 50 hours on a single AA battery! This machine is (for the time being) the state of the art in terms of portable audio. You can pay more, but you can't buy better. Anyone who does any kind of lengthy travelling to work doesn't really to look for anything else.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Electronics
I was unsure about spending as much money as this on a minid disc player, I was put off by the fact I had to record all my CD's onto minidisc and thought about getting the sports CD player instead. I have to say this was one of the best buys I made. The mini disc player looks very nice and the sound is excellent. I would reccomend buying alternatve headphones and the ones supplied have a slighty "tinny" sound and are not that great for running on a treadmill to. With the CD supplied I have a choice of how many tracks I would like to store on a dics. With the long play option I can store 3 compliation CDs onto one minidisc which is excellent. They say that the quality will be slightly compromised but to be honest, unless you are an absolute purist you wont notice this very much at all. I would reccomend this to anyone who wants a good piece of kit and is willing to spend the extra.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Electronics
Well its about time sony pulled its finger out. I was about to give up on this media ,but at last sony seem to have done the job.My only problem are the headphones ,why could sony not supply the vite headphones,as supplied to the U.S.A. market ?
