Sony MZ-B10

The Sony MZ-B10 portable Mini-Disc player is a great unit for business, journalism and lectures etc. I have other portable MD recorders, but I have kept this one because of its convenience. I use it for quick recordings, church rehearsals, and anywhere I don't want to carry external mics and cables. Just set it down and press the record button. Other people can operate it without having to read the manual or navigate through selection menus.

The internal mic is mono, but if you use an external stereo mic it will record stereo. The mic input has phantom power. Records on standard minidiscs (not Hi-MD) in MD, MD-LP2 and MD-LP4 formats. Batteries are standard AA, which helps when you need to replace them in the middle of that special recording. External power input also available.

All the buttons that have to do with recording are accessible, usually one-press. It has speed control to slow down or speed up those boring lectures.

My only gripe is that you cannot enter any text (disc name, group name, track name), which is standard with MD technology. It will display text info if you insert an MD recorded elsewhere, so the capability is there internally - just no human interface. (Sony might have had simplicity in mind when designing it.) Since I own other units, I record on the B10 and then enter track information using another unit or via the PC.

Portable MD devices I own (Sony): MZ-N510, MZ-B10, MZ-NH1, MZ-RH1

Home MD Deck: Sony MDS-JE630

Stereo Microphone: Sony ESM-MS907