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MDS-JB940

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Description:
General reviews on Sony MDS-JB940 MDLP MiniDisc deck.
Read more reviews at eCoustics.com.

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Number of MDS-JB940 Reviews: 4

Forget The 940 Get A 930!

Reviewer: Anonymous July 10, 2002

BRAND NEW MDS-JB940 DOES NOT HAVE CURRENT PULSE DACs !!! It has hybrid pulse DACs instead, and those are not nearly as good as current pulse DACs. I passed This unit up for a 930 after trying them both, Try to find a used 930 if possible.

MDS-JB940 SONY MD deck... WOW!!!

Reviewer: Alejandro Len (jediknight@tutopia.com) from Medelln - Colombia -South America April 25, 2001

I had to wait 3 months till somebody brought one from Miami. They're hard to get everywhere these days; maybe because they're selling CD player-MD recorder combos like the MDX3 (?). It's similar to the JB 920 the 920 doesn't have the PC keyboard connector, but now that I have one with that feature, I see it's not very useful...The keyboard is great for naming tracks and discs and for dividing tracks, but there are a lot of keys that don't perfom any function. I just wanted to get rid of the remote control for once in a lifetime... No backlit keys, small letters and keys etc. I guess a unit as good as this is, deserves at least a back lit remote or an LCD remote.
About the missing "rec-it"... I never used it at all in my older units. This unit has Control A1II connector, but it is not compatible with my Pioneer CD burner, or my Pioneer DVD player or my Sony 550 DVD player they all have the same kind of connector, but all of them only work with gear of the same brand. So, what's the use of that S*t? None, as far as I'm concerned.
Pitch adjustment? What do I need that for? Im not a DJ anyway, but if I was, it wouldnt work for me cuz sound gets interrupted every time you make a pitch adjustment. Pitch can only get the song to play slower, not faster as in the previous 920 and 930.
The distribution of controls is different from the 920. I don't really care about that since I never use the buttons on the units faceplate, but the 920 and 930 are better looking than the 940, that looks less powerful. I always use the remote (or the keyboard when it's possible) to edit. Something I like is that it has only one knob to control recording level digital or analog. It's the same knob for both, and now you can select the "source" with the touch of a button and don't have to go to the unit's front panel to move a switch. You can do it from the remote now...
Some buttons are smaller than before in the 920. I don't like that 'cuz I don't see very well without my glasses. Again, I never use the front panel, but for US$500 I have the right to complain...
The Display is almost the same of the 520-920. No difference to me... they should have made it bigger, but it's ok. I guess it looks slightly better
Scale Factor Edit-. It allows you to adjust the volume level of a track in steps of 2dB. Fade in/out a track within 1 to 20sec. It takes as much time as recording the track again. Fading in/out will take you the same time you've chosen for the fade, and sometimes a little more. I like this feature cuz I use this unit to record from SKY digital broadcast. It allows me to edit fast the endings of the songs.
MDLP. Mmmmm....I don't like MDLP so much since it compresses the music so much, it begins to feel like MP3... low quality (and I really hate MP3).But to be fair, MDLP sounds better than MP3 for one reason here you have a machine dedicated exclusively to process music data, not to perform a million windows tasks at the same time (as computers do). There's still a doubt about MDLP1 is it joint stereo? No. Stereo separation feels great! just as good as stereo rec mode.
Toc cloning is possible with this unit. Test mode is the same of 520 - 920.
About the sound filters... is that a joke? They wont work with the digital outs, only analog, and those filters dont make a very big improvement in quality if that's what you're expecting. The sound gets cut when you change the adjustment from STD - FILTER 1- FILTER 2- FILTER 3.
Fast Facts and ratings
List price - MSRP US$480
Price paid US$500 (including shipping and taxes)
Rating F! You can get this unit new (open box) in VIdeo-DIrect.com for US$249 !!!! But Sony Corp. of Colombia doesn't care about us users and won't bring this unit to Colombia (South America) where I live, until it's old and no one wants it! Why, you SONY guys, always bring to my country the oldest unit at the highest price possible? It's a shame you are still offering the JE520 at US$350!!!!
Connectors RatingA+
2x optical in - 1x coaxial Digital in (RCA style connector)
Control A1-II; analog out/in,
1x optical out
1x coaxial (RCA) digital out
PS/2 keyboard connect Rating A+. It's a very good Idea to name tracks and discs. /Construction Rating Id give it an A+ It weights like a war tank compared to the 520 and it feels rock SOLID. I like that and the aluminium front panel. The on/off switch sounds better than my previous 520. It's about the same of the one the 920 had. /Keyboard control software it has to be improved to get rid of the remote controller...
Rating B /Remote control the same old thing, with a few more buttons. They weren't able to make backlit or LCD!Rating C+ /Reliability I'm still testing, but it is working ok. Rating A+ /New Features Scale factor edit Rating A (it could be faster) /MDLP Rating C+ (very noticeable quality loss in MDLP 4 mode and recordings made in MDLP 2 or 4 aren't compatible with older MD units. /Ease of use I didn't have to read the manual except for the new features. Very easy to use and the manual is clear enough. Rating A+ /Sony service I never needed it before for technical purposes, but it needs improvements.
Rating B /OVERALL RATING A.It's a great machine, it does everything I need and more...and I just like it...)

Musician - Actor

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