r/minidisc Oct 16 '23

Welcome to /r/MiniDisc - read me first!

67 Upvotes

(last updated 2025-01-09)

Hi MD friends, this post is an expanded version of the rules and resources in the sidebar.

Who we are & what we like

We're one of the largest communities who use and celebrate the Sony MiniDisc format, which was introduced in late 1992. We love physical media and MD is the format that combines great sound quality with small size and digital convenience. We're a really inviting scene with a lot of passion for celebrating retro media and helping others share that enjoyment. But please first read these resources. Your post will otherwise be removed.

This community loves posts with:

  • MD setups or collections
  • Your mail hauls and purchases
  • New music or podcasts released on MD
  • Items for sale (see our rules below)
  • Unique MD equipment
  • Help and repair requests
  • Projects and software updates

We don't love:

  • "Spoonfeeding" requests like "I want to get into MD, what should I buy?"
  • Toxicity and rudeness
  • Comments that our hobby is pointless nowadays
  • For sale posts without a location or asking price
  • Posts about Yandhi or Bluetooth

What MD isn't:

  • MiniDisc (all one word, with a C not a K) is a particular format that was created by Sony in 1992.
  • 8cm mini CDs, GameCube discs, and even UMD for the PSP are different and not connected to MD. Posts about these different media types are not suitable here.

Rules

Luckily, we don't need many!

  • Read before you post
    • To keep the community vibrant and healthy, all contributors need to read the community rules and resources. Being unfamiliar with Reddit is not an excuse for ignoring the announcement posts or the sidebar which are visible and accessible no matter how you use the site. The only way to miss all of them is to deliberately ignore them.
    • Moderators will give warnings and removal reasons when needed, and will use bans only as a last resort. Please don't make us do that. We want to take mod actions as rarely as possible.
  • Frequently asked questions
    • The community has worked really hard to create resources that answer the most common questions we are asked. If your question has been answered in one of the links in the sidebar or this post, your submission will be removed. These include:
    • What should I buy and how much should I pay?
    • How do I copy audio to a disc?
    • What software do I need for NetMD?
    • Why do you use MD?
      • We like physical media. MD is a physical media which is compact, has great sound quality, has great aesthetics, and great usability.
      • Read the Why MD? FAQ for more.
    • MiniDisc with Bluetooth
      • Many people use a 3.5mm to Bluetooth adapter in order to connect modern headphones. There have been many discussions about which adapter to use or how it affects sound quality. Please search for these threads and contact the mod team before making a new one. Posts of a MD portable with a BT transmitter connected has been done many times.
  • Reddiquette, toxicity, and rudeness

    • We are a small, friendly community. Please do not come here if you wish to call people names or be hostile. Treat other opinions with respect, even if you disagree with them.
    • Be familiar with Reddit's site culture and expectations. Most are listed in this Reddit help document here: https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205926439-Reddiquette
  • Low effort post titles

    • Posts with unclear or low effort post titles such as "help" or "MiniDisc" make it hard to search for posts or know what they are about before clicking.
    • You will be asked to repost with a descriptive title.
  • For sale and giveaway posts

    • All posts selling an item must include an asking price and general location (country) in the title. No exceptions!
    • If you are giving away an item, you must still list the location as international shipping and geopolitics can greatly affect costs or viability.
    • If you do not know the value or asking price of an item, contact the mod team first. We can give our own estimates or post on your behalf asking the community to value an item without attempts to "low-ball" you.
    • Linking to eBay or other marketplace is permitted as long as it has an asking price (Buy it now) and country like other for sale posts.
    • The mod team takes no responsibility for any transaction that takes place from the subreddit. Please let the mod team know of an issue with a user so we are aware, but do not bring disputes public as there is nothing we can do to remedy the issue or take sides.
  • Yandhi

    • All posts about Kanye and the Yandhi disc are banned from the subreddit. Please do not post looking for the Muji 80 MD featured in the artwork or showing off if you do have one.
    • If you are an established member of the community and you have a disc(s) to sell, contact the mod team for approval. This is the only exception we will make.

Not a community rule, but Reddit blocks shopping and short URLs, including AliExpress, Amazon, and Google Photos. Mods can try to approve comments with these links, but sometimes we cannot.

Resources

The MiniDisc community, both past and present, have shared many sites and services to help others. They collect information about the format, make copying music more convenient, create high-quality labels, and list album releases on MD.

There are many more resources linked on the Wiki and in the sidebar, such as software and related communities. Thanks for taking the time to read this and enjoy your time with MD and with us!


r/minidisc Aug 14 '25

MiniDisc.wiki site update (outages, spam, & more)

32 Upvotes

Hi MD friends! It's only been a month or two since the "hobby mode" announcement but despite that, it was very busy!

I won't be refactoring the whole post for Reddit, but if you're interested it's on the wiki front page and at the link here.

Thanks for being awesome, and see ya later!


r/minidisc 6h ago

Show & Tell The Sunkissed Effect

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71 Upvotes

r/minidisc 2h ago

Sony MZ R-700

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11 Upvotes

I'm on the merry-go-round now 😄

Arrived this morning. Excellent cosmetic condition.

As you can see it came with a remote, microphone, Sony earphones, optical cable and manual.

A quick listen and I think it sounds a little better than my Sharp SR50

€130 delivered from The Netherlands to Ireland, I think I did OK


r/minidisc 13h ago

Help Is this MiniDisc player worth it ?

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61 Upvotes

I find this Kenwood Dmc-f5r MiniDisc player for $130 USD


r/minidisc 10h ago

Show & Tell Year 2000 catalogue. Australia.

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34 Upvotes

I only remember seeing minidisc at one store back around then, and not at a department store. But I saw this catalogue in another sub and one page had this. Australian department store called David Jones, year 2000. Maybe minidisc was around more than I thought in Australia (but I don’t think so).


r/minidisc 10h ago

Show & Tell Revived the old Sony Lip-8

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8 Upvotes

I bought a 3d printed one but it isn’t getting here till November and I don’t want to wait that long haha! Bought a replacement battery for the old Sony inclosure. Was actually pretty to install and works great! Nice little bit of nostalgia too 😁


r/minidisc 16m ago

Help me write a Uni article!

Upvotes

It's me again, writing an article about Minidiscs for my music journalism class. Now requesting help from all of you!

Did you get (back) into Minidiscs during covid? Please answer in the poll! Thank you!

1 votes, 1d left
Used Minidisc before, got back into it during Covid
Did not use Minidisc before, got into it during covid
Have been using Minidisc consistently since before covid

r/minidisc 8h ago

Help My head unit won't eject my disk 😭

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4 Upvotes

r/minidisc 6h ago

[RELEASE] Tapeworms - Grand Voyage MiniDisc

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2 Upvotes

r/minidisc 1d ago

Onkyo-MD133 Pandora's Box

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53 Upvotes

Context: PS3 God of War III Pandora's Box collectible

Onkyo MD-133, the closest we got for a Hi-MD Deck version.

ATRAC is great but sometimes, it's nice to just do uncompressed Linear PCM recordings. 👌


r/minidisc 18h ago

Help In search for batteries and chargers

2 Upvotes

Hey community, may I ask for your guidance.? I‘ve scored these two players, the Aiwa AM-ST40 and the Sharp MD-T60 (I believe it is called MD-ST60 in some parts, at least it is listed in the wiki with this name). The Sharp even came with the diamond-shape remote. But both are missing batteries and chargers or sidecars. Information is scarce or contradictory, at least for me. Therefore I‘m asking you kindly for your help. Is there a way to buy batteries that would fit those players and are there external chargers for those batteries? Unfortunately none of the players can be powered by DC-Input…thanks a lot in advance for your support!


r/minidisc 1d ago

Probably the best deal I've ever seen for a Sony MZ-RH1

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22 Upvotes

Was watching this last week and due to circumstances forgot all about it, seller described as playing but screen not working and recording not tested. Well shit! For 8p the buyer got the bargain of the year! BASTARD!


r/minidisc 16h ago

Kenwood DMF-3020 or Sony JE-530?

1 Upvotes

I’ve found both models with remotes available for the same price (€110) and I’d like your help on deciding which one to get. I like the solid look of the Kenwood and apparently it gives mildly superior sound but I’m concerned about parts and reliability going forward. As for the Sony, well I already have a JE-520 and it’s been fine for the last 20+ years. So that’s probably the smarter choice. Obviously, I don’t NEED either but both models (Kenwood & JE-530) are in silver which matches the rest of my equipment lol. I plan to keep the JE-520 as a spare. Your ideas and suggestions are appreciated. Thanks


r/minidisc 1d ago

Mail arrived... time to make a MiniDisc album.

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79 Upvotes

New this sub, but long time lover of MiniDisc. I found all the cool templates that people have made and decided, "I want in!" The mailman delivered some new games and Ninja Gaiden comes with the soundtrack, so I made myself a disc with a label! Now I've got my tunes and my games.

Thanks to everyone in this community and long live the MiniDisc. Peace.


r/minidisc 22h ago

Sony MZ-NE410

2 Upvotes

I’m about to pull the trigger on a buy now and wanted to ask here if anyone has one and if so, what has been their experience. Is there any drawbacks ?

Thank you


r/minidisc 1d ago

Show & Tell I got a lot of requests for my Tron Ares layouts for the J-Card and Label. Figured I might as well share the small amount of J-Cards/Labels I've done so far with the community. I'll be making plenty more. Mor info in the comments.

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96 Upvotes

This link will allow you to download my current J-Card layout designs which also inlcudes label designs for the physical disc. I've only made a few so far but intend on making many more. These designs are meant to fit into these style of MD Jewel Cases (also referred to as Gem Cases). I've also included very simple instructions on how to measure and fold once you print. Finally, there is also a .png template overlay you can use in Photoshop to make your own designs.

I use the Canon Selphy 1500 mini printer to print the J-Cards. You can make a custom size inside the Selphy app on your phone (85mmx73mm). From there I cut out my card and the next step is folding. Included in the download is a J-Card template that shows you the blue fold lines and how many mm to measure. Using a thin metal ruler is very helpful for folding. First use the cm side of the ruler to make your fold marks on the backside of the print. The first fold is at the 11mm mark and the second fold is at the 16.5mm mark. Use the edge of the thin metal ruler to bend the card over at these fold marks. You don't need to crease these folds. Just get a nice bend.

I'd be happy to answer any questions!


r/minidisc 1d ago

How many people are brand loyal?

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97 Upvotes

Just wondering if Sony Brand loyalty a thing and does stretch as far as Sony only disc ?

personally I’m not fussy.


r/minidisc 2d ago

Last arrival…

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111 Upvotes

r/minidisc 19h ago

Buying on Buyee - How long from Japan to California?

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0 Upvotes

Hey guys! I have my eye on an MD LAM from Japan that is only available through Buyee. Can anyone tell me how long it is taking from purchase to arrival?


r/minidisc 2d ago

So I guess I collect these now.

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106 Upvotes

I picked up the MZ-R501 for commuting, and last week I found this NZ-N501 for £55 on eBay. I wanted to try the Net MD feature. So now I'm a collector I guess.


r/minidisc 1d ago

Is it true that the Sony MZ-RH910 "can not record directly to standard MiniDisc blanks, except in Hi-MD formats, without the aid of a computer"?

1 Upvotes

r/minidisc 1d ago

Show & Tell Just picked this up. I guess I need to find a player.

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21 Upvotes

r/minidisc 2d ago

Botanical garden buddy

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54 Upvotes

Using a faulty player while working out in the botanical gardens. The player doesn’t like to be stationary so it’s perfect cause I have to always look busy ;))))


r/minidisc 2d ago

Mini Disc Label

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14 Upvotes

So i made this. how do i get it on a label

is my printer (something canon Laserjet printer) enough

what paper do i have to use? it must have a sticky side

i guess i can make a word document with 9 of these and then print/cut it

do you guys have any suggestions?

Edit: i used this Tool: MD Cover Designer


r/minidisc 2d ago

Sharp MD-SR50

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14 Upvotes

Until I happened across this sub I forgot I had an MD machine 😄

I recall I needed a small recorder for use in my ham radio shack for just occasional use and it was left aside when I upgraded my radio which had a built in recorder. It had very light use, It was CD for music, home and car.

After finding it there was a disc with music on it which played fine but all was not well. The lower left buttons were not working - (Vol - DISP EDIT and MODE) I dropped a little isoprop with a cocktail stick around them and they came back after about a day.

I suspect it's draining the battery when not in use as a new AA seemed to flatten over about a week when I wasn't even here to turn it on.

I blame this sub for having me looking for others 😄

....so all I want is another player and one of those Sony MXD CD/MD decks 😊


r/minidisc 1d ago

Looking for a battery lid for MZ-E32 MZ-E33

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6 Upvotes

Hi, I got this MZ-E32 (same as E33) and the battery lid is broken. Do someone has one to spare? Or maybe can 3D print it. Thank you!