I need a new, portable mini disc player - can anyone recommend a decent one

Asks Daniel

A. Although you don't hear so much of mini-disc players these days - it's hard to get past the hype of CD and DVD players - there are quite a few good ones on the market. It really depends on your budget as to what you'll go, for but you should be able to pick up a really good one for around �200.

Some of the best on the market include the following:

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Panasonic SJ-MJ88

Price: �180

Panasonic SJ-MR200

Price: �200

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Panasonic SJ-MJ88 - this is a really tiny player and has been promoted as the smallest and lightest (79g) on the market. It is a playback-only machine with great sound quality, a backlit remote, earphones and an easy-to-operate control panel (volume, play and track select options). This is all packaged inside a tiny silver box, which is very sleek, minimal, and probably the most stylish looking model available.

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Panasonic SJ-MR200 - You can record on this mini-disc player (analogue and digital) and it comes complete with a touch sensitive panel, a large clear display panel, 38 hours of playback (15 hours of recording) time, microphone input and great sound quality. It is small and compact (weighs 94g), but not as good looking (or as cheap) as its brother the SJ-MJ88; its dark grey and black trim exterior is a bit too masculine.

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Sharp MD MT90H

Price: �180

Sharp MD MT877H

Price: �229

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The MD MT90H is another neat little machine. It's playback-only and offers some great add-ons like a mains adapter/recharger and line-in leads for digital and analogue recording. It also comes complete with a remote (with play, volume control, track select, bass, edit options) and earphones and fantastic sound quality.

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For an extra �50 you can purchase Sharp's MD MT877H mini-disk player - which basically offers all that the MT90H does, with knobs on! You can record on it, pump up the sound with a three-level bass boost, and enjoy excellent sound quality. Because it has MDLP built in it, offers a three-colour LED screen that tells you if the track has been recorded in standard, LP2 or LP4 modes. It is just a bit better-looking than the MT90H too - in a sleeker, silver square box that packs up neatly into its own carrying case.

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Sony MZ-G750

Price: �200

Sony MZ-E900

Price: �230

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Available in a dark grey finish, with chrome trim this is a small but chunky machine weighing in at 120g, heavier than most of the other MD players on review here - but that shouldn't affect your decision on which one to buy. It comes complete with MDLP and an AM/FM radio, 36 hours of standard playtime (9 hours of recordable time). It has great sound quality, a sturdy back-lit remote and bass boost.

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Sony's other MD offering currently on the market - the EZ-E900 - is a great looking player, it is part of its Walkman range of portable players and, like the original Sony Walkman, it looks as though it should already be a classic. It only weighs 60g, is LP compatible and is available in a playback-only version. It looks more stylish than the MZ-G750, but it does not come with as many add-ons, so doesn't really justify the extra �30 it will set you back, especially as you cannot record on it.

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by Karen Anderson