The Personal Hi-Fi Blog: Panasonic CJ-MR200

~~~ SJ-MR200 ~~~

PORTABLE MD RECORDER

MiniDisc [MD] is a magneto-optical disc-based data storage device initially intended for storage of up to 74 minutes and, later, 80 minutes, of digitized audio. In the form of Hi-MD, it has also developed into a general-purpose storage medium. MiniDisc was announced by Sony in September 1992 and released that November for sale in Japan and in December for the USA and Europe. The music format was originally based exclusively on ATRAC audio data compression, but the option of linear PCM recording was later introduced to attain audio quality comparable to that of a compact disc. MiniDiscs were very popular in Japan but made a limited impact elsewhere. {wikipedia}

Introduction

in 2000 Panasonic SJ-MR200 was Introduced: (Aug/2000) As the World's Smallest and lightest MD Recorder as of July 2000. it cost 42,500 Yen. The unit incorporates a .25 mm Rule Newly developed LSI and one Beam Optical pickup. Text Display on Main Body is 2 X 12 characters. The unit has a special unique flat switch for Labeling and Track selection - Can title while Playing a Track etc. Special "one Track Record" function. 40 Second Shock memory. Synchro-Recording, sampling rate Converter. time Mark mode (Automatic Track Marks at 3 or 5-minute intervals). Battery charges only when UNIT is stopped. Recording level Control Limited to High / low sensitivity Switch.

Features

Flat-switch for editing and titling.
LCD Display with 2 lines of 12-character on the unit.
Remote control with 6 character LCD with backlight.
Remote display: the track name, playtime, battery life, play mode & sound preset.
Train function: reduces sounds that may annoy others around you.
Track skip.
S-XBS - Bass Boost Sound Enhancement.
A title search function allows another track to be selected by name while the unit is playing.
Track titling while playing the track.
Synchronized recording.
Monaural recording - double the recording time.
Inputs: line, optical, mic.
Output: headphones.
English and Japanese Kana song title entry.

Sound Quality

EQ variable is X-SBS -> TRAIN -> NORMAL bright Crystal clear sound by Panasonic. Adjustable bass moderately satisfied, a little boomy (X-SBS level). Same as the CJ-MR100 the Analog sound rock but the digital is a bit dull. with a different set of headphones, the sound was quite low. This one has a very low output considering its predecessor but overall has an excellent quality.

Power source

Recharge time: 3 hours.

15 hours playback, or 7 hours of recording, on a rechargeable battery.
21 hours playback, or 3.0 hours of recording, on a single AA external battery.
38 hours playback, or 15 hours of recording, on a rechargeable battery and the external battery case.
1 x AA size battery using the supplied battery case.
1 x 1.2v NiMH rechargeable battery.
Adapter DC 1.8 V

Accessories

Stereo Earbud Headphones are connected via a back-lit remote controller.
1 NiMH rechargeable battery.
Battery case for use with 1 AA size battery.
Carrying case.
One-year Japanese warranty.
Operation manual in both Japanese and English.
Japanese 100 volt AC adapter (AC-D401)
RCA jack to mini-plug connection Cable

Specifications

Size: 79.9 x 73.6 x 18.6 mm.
Weight: 94 g without rechargeable battery cell 120 g with rechargeable battery cell

■ AUDIO

System: MiniDisc digital audio system

Recording system: Magnetic field modulation direct overwrite

Laser: Semiconductor laser (780 nm)

Pickup: 780 nm

Sampling frequency: 44.1 kHz

Sampling rate converter: 32 kHz/44.1 kHz/48 kHz

Coding: Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding (ATRAC)

No. of channels: 2 (left and right, stereo) 1 (monaural)

Frequency response: 20 Hz - 20,000 Hz (+0 dB, -6dB)

Wow and flutter: Below measurable limit

Headphone amp: 3.5 mw + 3.5 mw

Phone jack Impedance: 22Ω