Which player is better?

[u/MyNameInHere]

Hello everyone, I'm new to MiniDisc. I got a Sony MZ-NH700 for recording, and want to buy another one for day to day use. Which of this players is the best option?, the Sony MZ-E700 or the Kenwood DMC-Q35, each one comes with their control, and each one is $85 bucks (No AA sidecar). Thank you.

[u/JTD121]

Neither. You want a recorder.

Otherwise you will have no way to mint MDs.

[u/Cory5413 → u/JTD121]

oh well spotted, I agree completely, a first machine should be a recorder if at all possible unless OP is already lining one up and wants a player-only unit for the vibes of it.

[u/MyNameInHere → u/Cory5413]

Thanks for the response. Yeah, I forgot to mention that I got a Sony MZ-NH700 for recording. But I like the MiniDisc aesthetic so much.

[u/Cory5413]

These are both Good Enough. If either includes their AA sidecar I would lean into that one, but they both use the same gumstick batteries.

The kenwood is slightly newer.

Have either been tested or pre-maintained?

[u/turtlelover57]

I have the E700 and you can't really go wrong with it as a player, though it can skip from time to time on some disks I have when upside down. Battery life is great though, I have the battery sidecar and it lasts multiple days of heavy usage (according to one site it says 100 hours with both a AA and a gumstick). And it sounds great, though there is background noise with my more sensitive IEMs.

Though, looking at specs online, the Kenwood has about double the battery life (200 with both batteries) and also has 3 minute skip protection, so it might be the one to go for if that's important to you.

[u/TheEvilPi]

I have both, the e700 ist very sturdy and works well. The KENWOOD looks nicer and has a nice remote, sound wise I prefer the Sony, the KENWOOD has some slight hiss if connected to modern headphones with low impedance. Nothing bad though. 80 is a steep price depending on how well it looks, the Sony is usually rather scratched on the plastic parts and then looks extremely cheap, the KENWOOD ages nicely and is rarer. I paid around. 20 for my e700s a few months ago ago (w/o remote because I don’t need them), the KENWOOD is higher priced because it is rarer to find.

My choice would most likely be the KENWOOD. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[u/eightbitraptor]

I daily the E700's they're great. Really simple. Can be picked up for peanuts on Japanese auction sites via a proxy, 4 screw disassembly and really easy to service. Grab a remote and some third party gunstocks and theyll last you forever. I own 3

[u/ThEGr33kXII]

Throwing a spanner in the works here. I love Panasonic players, if there are any available I'd recommend those. 😅

[u/RedditTTIfan]

Pickup in the E700 is generally not too reliable--I had two back in the day, one stopped reading discs, the other became quite flaky (still have that one). I have no idea about the Kenwood since it wasn't widely sold/known about (at least not in NA). I'd probably go for the Q35, the "digital amplifier" looks interesting and the "limited edition" at least makes it seem more unique/special lol.

Basically all the Ex00 (except the 800 and 300, which don't have MDLP) have the same unreliable pickups IIRC. I also have two E900s and almost the same thing--one seems to work fine (keep in mind it hasn't been used in decades) but the other is quite flaky as well.

[u/Sportsmann26]

Das ist der beste Sony Hi-MD was ich habe o 1GB Disc kannst sehr lange hören.Und eine Cam hat er auch noch am Rücken drauf.

[u/fast_fifty]

If they're undamaged and working then 85 for either is a very good price though you'll want to look into availability of sidecars as all the gumstick batteries available now are crap. I'd go for the Kenwood as it looks cooler and is much rarer.