Sony MDS JE-500 + 60 mini disc

Name
MDS-JE500
Manufacturer
Sony
Released
1996/06
Device type
deck
MDLP
No
NetMD
No
Hi-MD
No
Radio
No
Dimensions
430 x 93 x 280.5mm
Weight
3.5kg
ATRAC ver
4
Power cable
AC
Price (launch)
$600


¥59 000
-


Inputs
RCA in, Digital optical (TOSLINK)
Outputs
1/4 inch headphone, RCA out, Digital optical (TOSLINK)
Control


20 bit, ATRAC 4 device. Shipped with RM-D8M remote, but can also use the RM-D10P remote commander.
TOC cloning not possible (machine automatically ejects disc when power applied).
The JE500 has gold plated input and output connectors and a 1/4“ headphone jack. The S37 has an audio bus connector for Pixy systems, and the RM-D10P can not be used when the audio bus connector is in use.
The German Stereo Magazine claims the converters are far from Sony's claim of 20 bit resolution, the 18 bit converters of the JA3 were much better (“a few grades”). The reason for this seems to be the bundling of ADC / DAC into one chip, whereas the JA3ES has separate AD and DA chips. They still claim it is excellent for most users, however.
(MDS-JE500) MD Mechanism: MDM-3A
Optical Block: KMS-260A/J1N
ATRAC IC: CXD2650R
If you ever thought hi-fi recorders are fussy to use, then Sony's new ВЈ300 MDS-JE500 MiniDisc may change your mind. From the moment you pop in the disc and the machine says 'Welcome', you get the feeling it's been designed with people in mind.
The MD format is easier to work with than all its rivals, analogue or digital. Playing a MiniDisc is like playing a CD, while recording is similar to cassette, but simpler. If you're making a digital recording direct from CD things couldn't be more straightforward, with automatic level setting, track numbering and sampling frequency conversion (from 48, 44.1, or 32kHz). Analogue recording is also far easier than cassette--there's quick track numbering and level setting with small but effective meters, and no messing around calibrating tapes.
After you've made your recording, the MDS-JE500 offers a number of post-editing facilities which users of DAT, DCC and Compact Cassettes can only dream about. Thanks to MD's random access you can renumber tracks you've recorded, move them to any position on the disc, or erase one or all of them. You can also combine two or more tracks under a single name, or divide single tracks into identifiable sequences which can be combined with others.
This might sound a tad complicated, but it can all be done by pressing just a few buttons on the remote, and the alphanumeric display tells you precisely what's going on. So friendly is the Sony's operating system that it's got more help messages than many home computers!
The deck is silent and foolproof in operation and offers track access times of under a second for any operation, far superior to DCC or DAT, and faster even than many CD players.
MiniDisc's durability and lack of fuss make it the ultimate user-friendly format of the Nineties. Try it and you will realize how tedious all the other formats are to use. By contrast, DAT and DCC's serial access are a real drag, while CD's fragility and non-recordability make it look obsolete, since MD discs are protected by a caddy, making them very durable.


Sound Quality
Lurking inside the MDS-JE500 is Sony's latest 1-Bit Hybrid Pulse DAC with a 20-Bit analogue-to-digital convertor and new fourth- generation ATRAC coding. All this high-tech trickery seems to have paid dividends, because this Sony MiniDisc really sounds good. In absolute terms it's not up to DAT or high-end CD, but not too far behind either.
Although the idea of ATRAC sends hi-fi purists into fits of apoplexy, its affect isn't particularly audible. In fact, the basics of MD's sound are absolutely right, with quite a neutral tonality, strong bass, clean treble and surprisingly good dynamics. You're quite at liberty to forget its digital data manipulation algorithms and actually listen to the music, should you so desire.
I started listening with direct digital recordings from a Sony X77ES CD player via the optical cable supplied. The MDS- JE500 turned in a musical rendition of Steely Dan's ``Rose Darling'' with powerful bass, strong image projection and a sweet, slightly softened treble. Compared to Sony TCD-7 DAT portable there was a slight lack of clarity and space to the acoustic, but it was marginal.
Moving to Miles Davis' ``Kind of Blue'' CD, MD again made an impressive copy. Double bass was rich, drums and cymbals tight but subtle and Miles' trumpet clean and resonant. There was a subtle change in the acoustic once more, with sounds in the far distance brought forward slightly, but if anything this seemed to improve the stereo effect.
Moving to analogue recordings made from my Michell Orbe turntable, the Sony did itself proud, conveying the full wallop of the bass sequences on ABC's ``King Without A Crown''. Midband was good, with just a hint of clouding and a slightly diminished airiness to the acoustic. DAT also does this, but not quite as much. So gentle was the effect though, you wouldn't know unless you'd heard the original on a capable system. Alex Reece's ``Feel the Sunshine'' was also storming sonic fun, with little deviation from the original. The only differences were a subtle softening of the upper treble region with some loss of lustre, a slight hardening of the upper midrange and a marginal loss of presence.
With pre-recorded MiniDiscs, things were less consistent. A 20-bit sampler disc sounded smooth and spacious, but the bundled Michael Bolton disc came across badly, sound plasticky and artificial--although the jury's still out on whether this was down to the disc or the artist.... Overall though, the MDS- JE500 was most enjoyable recording from a good source through its analogue inputs, a trait it shares with DAT. As I ran the gamut of my vinyl torture tracks, the Sony was hard to fault. Even compared to the best Nakamichi it offers 'good' sound, so for just ВЈ300 it's near remarkable. It betters nearly all cassette decks (an obvious exception being Sony's own Walkman Pro, and even then MD is superior in some respects), regardless of tape type or noise reduction. So, for the price of a middling Dolby S cassette machine you get clean sound devoid of hiss, vow, flutter, dropouts, fiddly tape calibration or the need to turn the tape over after 45 minutes. Quite something.


Conclusion
Traditionally MiniDisc has given journalists the heebeegeebees because it breaks hi-fi's most important rule--thou shalt not lose information. MD's data coding does precisely that, so most of the great and good of hi-fi scribbling were agin it from the start. But consider this--if the end product sounds good enough, does it really matter how it goes about the job? This is Sony's answer to MD's detractors, and it's a compelling one.
At ВЈ300 Sony's MDS-JE500 has much to recommend it, not least the MD format itself which is great to use--so durable it makes CDs feel like 78rpm gramophone records. MDs are really far easier to handle, store, and transport. And as far as sonics are concerned, even the most hardened hi-fi hack would have to admit that it's good. If I was forced to put my cards on the table and nominate cassette's rightful successor, then MiniDisc is it.


WORLD VERDICT * * * * (Actually 4 globes, Hi-Fi World's highest rating, Outstanding)
Impressive sound and unmatched convenience make it an excellent buy. Superb value for money.




[After the end of the review, the author goes on to talk about MDs in general and their prospects.]


What is MiniDisc?
MD is an optical disc in a protective case, about two thirds the size of a modern computer floppy disc. With the recording surface fully enclosed, MD is extremely durable, with a claimed life of up to one million recordings. It's also insensitive to shocks and extremely light and compact, making it ideal for mobile use. MD gives a playing time of up to 74 minutes in stereo or twice that in mono, and blank discs cost around ВЈ5 each at the moment. Although pre-recorded MiniDiscs are available they've yet to achieve widespread sales. However, an increasing number of new releases are now appearing on MD.