Sony MZ-N1 Net MD Walkman

Richard Price
30 April 2002

Considering the way big companies are embracing the MP3 format you have to wonder what all the fuss with Napster was really about.

The strangely named MZ-N1 Net MD Walkman from Sony is a sleek 87g portable, MiniDisc recorder and player. It connects to a PC via a USB port and also plays MP3 files in a roundabout way.

MP3 players and CD-ROM burners all come with some sort of Jukebox type software for recording, encoding and ripping files.

OpenMG Jukebox included with the Net MD uses some of Sony’s high-level cryptographic technology to put a few restrictions on recording and playback.

Yes, it’s copyright protection technology that conforms to SDMI (Secure Digital Music Initiative) specifications. It also means getting audio files onto the Net MD is a little more complicated.

First, tracks from a CD must be recorded onto the computer hard drive using Open MG Jukebox. In the process each music file is converted from its original format to the ATRAC3 (Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding3) format.

ATRAC3 is based on "ATRAC," the music compression technology used for the MiniDisc.

MP3 and WAV files can also be imported into OpenMG Jukebox software. They are automatically encoded in ATRAC3 before being transferred to the Net MD.

Transferring files to the Net MD involves checking them in or out. A file can only be checked out 3 times making it possible to be copied onto three different discs. Anymore than that and it either has to be re-recorded or one of the other “copies” checked back in.

Once copied to the Net MD the MiniDisc should be playable in any other compatible MiniDisc player.

The Net MD snaps into a cradle that connects to a USB port.
It is advertised as compatible with Windows 98 and upwards but I could not install the software on a Windows XP Pro system.

I installed it instead on a system running Windows ME. It took me 8 minutes to transfer 20 tracks to the Net MD (after spending 25 minutes copying the CD to the hard drive).

Great for those with a vast collection of music files already on their hard drive.

The Net MD is certainly a neat little unit but considering the price Sony could have thrown in a better set of headphones.

The Net MD comes with a remote control but the cable is rather short and the headphones flew out my ears every time I tried to read the remote screen.

Controls are easy enough to master. There is a three-line dot matrix display and a Jog Dial that can be rotated and pushed to make selections.

There is no built in microphone, but with a cheap one plugged in to the Mic jack it worked well for recording interviews.

The Net MD also incorporates variable compression recording called MDLP (MiniDisc long Play) making it possible to record over five hours of music onto an 80 minute disc

MiniDisc is a robust format, but only stores audio files. It is not possible to drag and drop data files onto them.

Net MD only supports USB 1.1 so speed freaks may be unimpressed.

Price AU$899
www.sonystyle.com.au

By Richard Price, Editor, EnergyME.com

For information on getting a product reviewed email richard@energyme.com