The obvious advantage of this unit is its size. It is barely the size of a MD. Because of its size, the buttons on the MZ-R55 are a little too small to be useful. The volume buttons are separated from the rest, and are on the right side of the face. This is useful, because that is one parameter that people fiddle with the most. The most awkward places for button placements are on the right and left sides of the unit (no I don't mean on the face). On the left side you find the Bass boost button, and on the right side you will find the Track Mark button. These two buttons are even smaller than the ones on the face, so it takes a good push with a finger hail to get them to register. I will admit that I haven't recorded with this unit, but I can imagine that trying to set track marks on-the-fly would be a hassle. The LCD is laid out well, but it is not backlit. The stick remote works very well with two handed operation. One handed operation is nearly impossible. The remote lights up for a few seconds whenever you use it. On the remote are all of the usual functions. The battery life of 4hrs (playback!) is really insufficient. It is even more mediocre for recording (2.5 hrs). In order to increase the usage time, the external battery pack has to be used all of the time. The increased footprint is a trade-off for extended playing/recording time. An additional gumpack battery is probably the best solution to extend battery life without compromising the units small size. The MZ-R55 uses ATRAC 4.0. This unit seems great. My first MD! The buttons are tiny and strange in placement, the headphone jack isn't very loud, there is no optical out, and the battery life doesn't live up to previous models, but I still really love this thing. I first tested the unit with a stereo condenser microphone, and got great results with high decibel recording at close range (using the LOW mic sens setting). Without altering the default recording level, it came out quite loud, going beyond the -12bB warning marker, and yet there was little distortion! A few more tests with different recording levels all yielded fine results. Then I recorded from some cassette tapes to the MZ-R55's line in jack. Again, this worked very well, even with unexpected sound peaks in the source. The remote is useful and brightly lit. The whole system is very small and I plan on taking it into clubs, band rehearsals, and any other places I have a spare pocket. Acoustic guitar/singing tests were astonishing with my condenser microphone AT822. I think it will do everything I need, however I am considering finding a unit with a substantially louder headphone jack (if such a thing exists). After all, this is a WALKMAN. The size of this unit is astonishing and you can flip it all around while playing or recording. It may be the ultimate MD for sneaking into places (its thinner than my wallet). Unless I find something with a substantially louder headphone jack or with an optical out, the MZ-R55 will remain my primary portable recording unit. I suppose what attracted me to the Sony MZR-55 was its size. It is so much smaller than its predecessor the MZR-50. Also, being a later model, I felt it would be a better machine. I have owned it for a few weeks now, and I am quite satisfied. Bizarrely, I have the "Champagne Gold" colour, which looks more of a silver to me.

Why to buy the MZR-55: The unit is compact and can fit into virtually any pocket you can think of. The remote control is also very good with its backlit function. I would say the sound quality and "Mega Bass" facility to be excellent and that is after listening to recordings made with analog rather than digital. I purchased it when they gave away two optical cables with it, and I would recommend purchasing for anyone who has a digital output for their CD player, because these cables are somewhat costly. The functions are also very easy to understand and operate. I found you didn't have to have a pHD in understanding technical terms to read the manual.

Shortcomings: Some people might find the buttons very difficult to use (I only find the Track Mark button on the side of the unit awkward to use). Some people also find the lack of a jog dial extremely annoying. I would say a jog dial is easier, but it is something I find I can live without, and the MZR-55's editing buttons are very easy to use. The remote control, though good, requires two hands, unless you have it clipped to an item of clothing. The battery life is ridiculously short. It is tolerable when you use the battery case but it makes the unit more bulky. The battery lid for the rechargeable battery is way too flimsy. I also find it stingy Sony did not equip the MZR-55 with the funky Fontopia Groove headphones that have a protrusion that fits right in your ear.

Verdict: I would say that the MZR-55 is a good machine. Real MiniDisc-techfreaks might find it frustrating compared to the new Panasonic recorder. But in my opinion, compared to the MZR-35, MZR-37 and MZR-50, it is a marginally better machine. For those with large fingers, purchase the MZR-50. The MZR-55's main advantage is its size. The size compromises some of the other features like the hard-to-use-button-on-the-side. However, and this is my own personal opinion, I think this unit looks so much better than all the other Sony MiniDisc portable recorders. I find its simple and uncomplicated designs (Sharp fans look away now) much better looking than the Sharp 722 model. However, looks are superficial. I find the performance of the recording and playback function very good. The editing features are perhaps not as easy as they should be, but I wouldn't say it was unmanageable. So is it a better machine than the MZR-50? Well those who value ease-of-use will find the MZR-50 a better buy. However, if like me, you value size (or lack of) than the MZR-55 is the one to go for. The lack of a jog dial is not as terrible as everyone thinks, it is still easy to use. The battery life is disappointing and I urge Sony to seriously develop a longer lasting battery for this model. Some may argue the MZR-55 is no longer the smallest MD Portable Recorder around, and that the Panasonic MJS-100 is smaller. However, Panasonic are currently asking for a price that equates to your left kidney and your first-born son. Also the Panasonic's availability is currently limited. I would say that I am 80% satisfied with the MZR-55. Okay got this thing today .... Now i don't have an optical output on my cd changer or discman ... but i did opt. for a gold plated output to input cable that wors like connecting a hedphone jack to another headphone jack ... anyways ... It works pretty good ... the sound is good but not great ... with the optical connection which I'm hopinh to upgrade to sooner or later will make the sound flawless i hope.

i did compare the sound to my cd recorder ... and the cd recorder won by 1 out of 5 points ...

so I suggest you get a cd player with optical output if you want to utilize md's technology ...

As far as ease of use ... i learned how to edit tracks move them ... record ... erase ... ect ... all in less than an hour of playing with it. The remote does is definatly a two hand operation but nothing that's gonna be of annoyance.

One thing i would have liked is backlit display on the player and a the backlit for the remote should stay on alittle longer.

Don't buy this player if you'er gonna just play with it ... since it's $350 at most places that would be one expensive toy.

By the way I paid 250 for mine ... in blue got it at a special price... and no it was NOT refurbished.

Good luck ...

Drew.

If you have any question email me at bluespot@bluestudio.net I am in love with this machine - bottom line. I got my first taste of MD sound quality in 1995 while shopping for a Dolby 'S' tape deck but I couldn't afford the minidisc back then. I also wasn't that impressed with the sound quality of the earlier MD walkmans but in '98 I heard my first MZ-R55 and I knew I would have to get one. I bought my own in October '99 and I haven't gone one day yet without either playing or recording on it. My over-all impression was: "this thing is tiny!" and I was scared to even set it down on a table for fear of breaking it. Within two weeks of buying it - I accidently dropped it on the floor from a four or five foot drop and I was incredibly surprised to find that it still worked perfectly. It has never skipped a track nor has it ever displayed an error message - I think that it is almost miniaturization to perfection.

I do find the buttons too small for adequate handling but I feel that to be a small disadvantage when considering it's over-all usefullness and quality. I also feel that the backlight should have it's own button and not automatically turn off after such a short period of time.

My only real complaint is pretty much the same as the other reviews - BATTERY LIFE. I don't even get that promised 2.5 hours of recording from the Ni-MH battery - it's more like 20 mins so I use the accompanying battery pack to supplement. I would rate this machine as an eight out of ten for all of it's functionality, durability and quality. I am still a happy customer six months later.

Please email me if you have any suggestions and/or questions about the use of this product. Since buying the Sony MZ-R55 portable mini-disc recorder 8 months ago I think it would be fair to say I have put it through its paces. It normally lives hooked up optically for digital recording, and by phono leads for playback to a normal home hi-fi unit. Using it is as simple as playing a CD and pressing record on the mini-disc. Some have found track labelling to be a problem with the lack of a jog dial. Personally I wouldn't reccomend doing it just using the finicky buttons on the base unit (although it is possible with perseverance), but the twist action scroll button on the remote control stick is perfectly adequate and given a little practice becomes second nature.

On the move I have had slightly less satisfaction with the unit, but the sound quality is fine through the supplied headphones - as long as the mega bass function is used. The main problem is the battery life. Not long enough at 4 hours on just the internal rechargable. What this has translated to for me is that the unit is fine for day to day use to listen to as I walk in and out of collage, leaving it to recharge overnight. For extended journeys away from base though the use of supplementary alkaline batteries is essential. I must confess though that even though much has been made of this weakness, I have never run out of in normal use.

Recording wise, the unit easily takes digital output ftrom CD's with the expected quality shining through. I have also used it recoring analogue sound output from a mixing desk. Again the recording quality is good. My preference is to use the maximum recording level on the unit and a little more fime control of this would be a bonus but I have suffered no distortion problems. The same goes for recording straight from microphone to mini-disc.

In essence this unit accomplishes the purposes it was bought for. As a replacement for a walkman it is brilliant. Whatever can be said of the battery life it is certainly better than that of my old walkman, so I am pleased. If you also consider the convenience of on the spot recording which I have used fairly extensively you cant fail to be happy with this device.

Before buying, perhaps it would be a good idea to consider what exactly your needs are. For me the quality and reliability of this unit over the past months make it money well spent, but if your needs rely more upon battery life you would be wise to look elsewhere. I got my MZ-R55 more than a year ago... what i can say is that it's great... i like it more than the newer models!

Good:
-i can use both line out and earphone at the same time. but mega bass is not functional coz mega bass will not function when using line out. (higher model cannot use the same output at the same time)
-buttons are placed where they should be. except for the T.Mark.
-One thing i'm always wondering is that why do most of the people say that they can't use the remote effectively with one hand...i'm using the remote in one hand and it's ezier than using two hands. i don't see why you should use two hands on such a small device =P
-Durable: i've drop...actually it's like flinged it out my table (accidentally of course) hmmm around 4 ft. high...the only thing i found is a lil dent mark at the corner of the recorder. and the song still played w/out skipping (40 sec anti-shock) and up to now the thing still works perfectly.
-Other stuff i don't need to say coz it's all the same w/ other MD portable SONY made.

Bad:
-Battery Life: short
-LCD on Unit: no backlit
-to some people the Design/Looks is a lil bit flat compared to sharp and aiwa's MD portable recorders but i find it the best design compared to MZ-R90 and R95. and its flat design make it umm a bit more classy look.
- no optic out, but all new unit has no more optic out or am i wrong? hmmm.
-i can't see the clock/current time while playing, but hell all sony MZ-R's like that.

Other thingies:
-use earphone model of Sony MDR-ED136 or 238s. after i've used that earphone my megabass is always set to mega bass 1, i rarely use megabass 2 and my volume level: < 50% not like before it was set on 75-85%. though i like to try othe new earphones but so far i found that MDR-ED136 should have been the default earphone of all portables. Hello fellow MD-ers.

I've been using MD since the MZ-R1 (1993-94). I've also owned the MZ-R2.

The following is MY opinion on the MZ-R55 which I just bought not too long ago. It is MY opinion and it may differ from yours. I'm a sound engineer by trade, so I play with alot of gadgets. I was a HUGE SONY fan until a friend of mine bought a Sharp MD-T831 while he and I were visiting Japan. Mind you, I AM wrinting this review with Sharp's recorder in mind, so my views on SONY have changed:

After seeing all the different recorders/players available today (May 2000), the MZ-R55 that I just bought has to be on of the worst player for it's price and performance.

1. The buttons on the unit are too small. Similar sized units have easier to press buttons. (all you user know what I mean about the Bass Boost and Track Mark buttons)

2. Battery length. 4 hours of playback. Is that a joke? Enough said. The Sharp MD-MT831 has over 14hrs.

3. Earphones. I HATE THEM. There are the worst earphones I've ever owned. I LOVED the earphones that came with my MZ-R2 and was hoping to get a similar pair with the MZ-R55. Boy, was I wrong. They hurt my ears, and sound like a 2$ set. And you wonder why you paid 400$CAD for your MD.

4. The Remote. If you don't have two hands available, good luck. The 'twist' play button was the worst idea anyone could think of. Also, you can't display the time remaining on the remote. The clip is rather weak. No Bass Boost on remote.

5. THE CHARGING. This is the absolute worst feature. You can't do ANYTHING with the MD while the unit is charging. That means 2 hours of 'down' time in your daily activities just to charge it.

6. All play modes include repeat. THIS REALLY SUCKS. It was the same case for the MZ-R2, but I was hoping this would change=WRONG. This means that if you want to shuffle play, some song will repeat themselves. Very annoying.

7. Recording. I thought this was a good feature until I saw the Sharp. 1st of all, to set the unit ready for recording, you have to hold the pause while setting the reord button. Sounds like analog action to me. The AUTO recording level is OK for on the fly recordings, but the compression feature is very annoying. I always use MANUAL LEVEL recording. The level indicator isn't all that accurate. The Sharp ONLY has manual. The Sharp's is quite responsive and also has an indicator to say if you are over the recording level limit.

8. End search. The problem with this button is that you HAVE TO USE IT. Or else if you press record, the unit will start recording half way into your MD. I've lost some good recordings because I was in a hurry and forgot to press this buton before recording.

9. Recording continues eventhough no signal (analog of course) is detected by the recorder. This is frustrating because you waste MD space for nothing.

10. Price. Not enough bang for the buck. Kind of like the Intel PIII vs AMD Athalon. You pay for name and not performance.

11. Sound. Ouch. When flat, it's not bad. But as soon as you hit Bass Boost, not only does bass (around 65Hz) go up but so do the highs (around 13kHz). This is rather painful because when the high are amplified, you get alot more 'sss' in the sound...which is just ear-piercing. This happens with my studio headphones too (Sennheiser 580) and not just with the supplied earphones (it's much worse)!

Final thoughts:

This is my opinion only. I know that since the MZ-R55 launch, there have been subsequent models (up to MZ-R90) that have appeared on the market, but I'm positive they STILL have some or all of the above characteristics.

If you want an MD recorder, go and buy SHARP. EVERY single 'problem' you have read above doesn't exist with the Sharp models; which is why I've come to realise that they are indeed things that could have been improved; and they were...by SHARP. The MD-MT831 is not available in North America yet, but the MD-MT821 is just as good. At this point, size is not a factor. Besides the Sharp is, if at all, about 1% bigger, but 500% better. Also, Sharp uses 24bit encoding for better sound reproduction versus Sony's 16bit (for all you audiophiles).

There may be some good things about SONY, but at this point they're ALL overshadowed by Sharp. If you thought SONY was the best (like me), wait till you see Sharp.

PHEW. Happy MD-ing folks. Well, I've had the R-55 for more than a year by now and here are some thoughts:

PROS:

1.) This was my first MD unit, so I didn't know a lot about the technology, but it made me an immediate fan (by now I own another prortable, two decks, a car unit and a car changer...)

2.) The size is amazing, weight's OK

3.) Even most people didn't like it, I find the remote very practical, even tough titling is nearly immpossible with it.

4.) Timestamp function

5.) Everything you need to get started (except for a blank) is provided.

CONS:

1.) Battery life was OK at first, but the battery sucks. Even tough I usually waited for it to completely discharge before charging, after about 6 months it started loosing its capacity, nowadays it lasts for about 1 disc! (No kidding about that)

2.) Got one of the few million units (!) with the annoying bug that after some time the battery won't charge when the lid is closed.

3.) Another 'bug' (I'm not the only one with this problem): when unit's on hold, VOL controls on remote don't work anymore.

4.) Titling sucks (due to small buttons)

5.) No backlight on unit

6.) Can't adjust digital rec-level

7.) If you record something via analog (using auto-level) and play it back on a deck, you won't come even near the 0 db... it's simply not loud enough

8.) Can't do anything while charging

Due to the numerous faiilures on this unit, I wouldn't reccomend it. I got my md recorder about nine months ago and it has been a lot of trouble. I paid about $300US for it 'cos i got it from thai land when a friend went overseas. I live in NZ, and at the time sony was the only brand avail. I wanted the aiwa f70, but in the end chose to get the sony in case it broke down - the idea was that if it caused trouble I could sent it to the service centre here.

Anyway, after about three months, it broke. The batt would just stop charging after about five seconds four times out of five. The internal batt case was apparently drawing 20% more volts than it should have, so after an hours playback (yes, it's sposed to last four) It gave a bleep saying "low batt" and stopped running.

The 40 second shock lasts a little over 50 seconds, but when kicking in, a very short skip is made. Either I got a dud or the r55 is a dud.

I sent it to the sony service centre (via the very kind people at Hubands Retravision) to be fixed and was told about three weeks later that they hadn't done anything 'cos the warranty wasn't valid out-side Thailand (even for the largest audio company worldwide).

To cut a long story short I received it back almost five months later unfixed and missing a screw that was there previously.

I'm still faithful toward MD, but not stepping within ten yards of Sony, and it's service centres. I have just bought a Sony MZ-R50, and I have had it for 10 days now. Overall I am a bit disappointed with it, as there are some little things about it which are very annoying:

1. The recorder cannot do an Analogue synchro, only a digital one, so you have to press Pause at exactly the right time.

2. There is not a track indication on the unit unless you press display four times. This wouldn't bother me, but it makes it harder to edit the disc.

3. It makes a lot of mechanical noise.

4. The remote is not backlit

5. I have heard some people saying the Mega Bass is too strong and affects the midrange and treble.

6. The VU meter is too small. When you try to set the record level manually, it is hard to get it right with such a small meter.

7. The volume buttons are too small

It's not all bad! It uses Sony's ATRAC 4, (The same chip that is in the MZ-R55) The sound quality seems perfect to me and it's very difficult to tell it from the CD. It also has a convenient jog dial, which is useful for titling tracks. The combined battery life is 22 hours playing time, which is good for a 3 year old recorder. The build quality is very good, and it looks quite nice too. It can recharge while playing, has a date and time stamp, and even a REC light!

I wouldn't advise you buy this, unless its really cheap like mine was. A better choice would be the SHARP 722. It has the jog dial, and none of the annoying things the Sony does. Sharp seem to have got it right, especially as the 722 has the slot- in design, which is easier and more convenient to use, as you can put a disc in without having to take it out of it's case, and you don't expose the mechanism to dust etc. It also uses Sharp's ATRAC 6.

If you don't like the Sharp 722's styling or size, then go for the Sharp 821, as it has almost all the same features as the 722, but a lot smaller. It has the clamshell design, which makes it smaller and lighter, but it's more expensive.

In the UK, I got My MZ-R50 for £130, which I thought was a good price. You can get the Sharp 722 for £150 and the 821 for £180 from Richer sounds.

I would give the MZ-R50 6/10. The sound quality is excellent, but it has some annoying features! i am a big sony fan. in fact, i run an almost exclusively sony shop. however ...

the MD MZ-R55 is one of the most annoying, unreliable, biggest pieces of junk that i have ever spent my money on.

o the rechargeable battery is worthless. when it was new, it ran for 2 hours maybe. now that i've used it for 6 months, it is completely spent. i'm lucky if i can get 30 minutes out of it. and you cant even recharge it while the unit is playing and plugged in.

o the MZ-R55 is small, yes, but its extremely heavy for the size. it also has an old-school frumpy appearance. not very attractive. once i dropped it from my bag at about one foot above a concrete floor, and the unit is so heavy and fragile, that it broke. i spent an hour fixing it. vo the remote control is impossible to use with one hand, which is what you want to be able to do if you are out walking around, running, or at the gym. the remote does not tell you when the battery is dying. it just beeps at you and shuts off. if the unit is in a bag, you are left wondering why it just shut off and your music has stopped.

o the headphones that it comes with are a joke, and the cord is so short, that you practically have to attach the remote controller to your ear in order to have any slack room to move your head freely.

o also, the MZ-R55 skips like crazy! not only do i have trouble with skipping when i am out hiking with it in my pack, but i have even had trouble with skipping while exercising on a low-impact aerobic gym machine.

honestly, i HATE this thing. its one of the most annoying pieces of technology i've ever worked with. do not even think about buying one.