The MZ-N910
by Polymemnetic
One of the final standard Minidisc Recorders, and a worldwide release, unlike its successor the MZ-N920. The MZ-N910 was available in Silver, Orange, and Blue, it was the penultimate standard Minidisc recorder.
I was first introduced to the Minidisc format in my 11th grade science class, by the Japanese exchange student I was deskmates with. While my memories are admittedly a bit fuzzy, I’m reasonably certain his was a blue MZ-R900. He let me listen to it during class, and it made a lasting impression on me. I went a different route in my music listening, as I already had a Sony CD/MP3 player, and then eventually the iPod Video. But my interest was always there, because I remembered for years one of the commercials that I’d seen on television.
Sony MiniDisc - Drive Thru Commercial 2002 directed by Jodie Foster
This commercial piqued my interest, and remembering it during the summer of 2020 got me thinking about MiniDisc, and how I had adult money now, so I could buy things like this.
Further down the rabbit-hole, after spending a not insignificant amount of money on Bandcamp, I imported a listed non-functional N910 with the dock, and badly damaged charger to record discs with. Imagine my surprise to discover it was an otherwise working device with some minor corrosion on the battery terminal. So, here I am with a working device, which is a wonderful predicament to find myself in. Discounts on working devices are always a bonus. A quick clean and lube later, and a preemptive clean of the lens and write head later, and I had a fully working recorder.
On to the device itself. Fully aluminum, circle controls and a side jog wheel for scrolling menus. 3-line display. Net MD capable, with an available option for an external power source, either via dock, or 3V cable. Available in 3 colors. Clean lines, intentional button placement, all the things you’d expect from a Sony device of this era, including the baffling placement of the hold switch, in an indent on the back of the device. Not easy to toggle intentionally, let alone by accident.
Strengths: The obvious one is the NetMD capabilities, clocking in with 4x SP and 32x LP2 recording speeds, but an undersold advantage is the display. Not needing a remote to see what you’re controlling is a great convenience when you’re sitting down with the device on a table and listening to a disc. Robust construction also presents an advantage if you’re rough with your devices. Reading a disc with a properly functional unit is quick, seeking tracks is about as quick as it can be for the format.
Weaknesses: It has a gumstick battery as the primary power source, and all the drawbacks that come with modern replacements. USB ones can’t be charged by the internal charging system, and modern replacements are hit and miss. Battery sidecars exist, but they increase the size of the device and aren’t nearly as aesthetically clean as an internal battery, or a removable gumstick. As with almost all Minidisc portables, it lacks the modern convenience of a backlight. Reading the display in low light puts you back in your parent’s back seat, angling your Game Boy to try and get a tiny bit of light late in the day to play Pokémon on the drive back home.
Overall, the N910 is a well designed and constructed device, and along with its successor N920, an excellent addition to a collection, or a device to use on a day-to-day basis.
Would I recommend it as your first device, to start a collection with? Absolutely. It’s robust, repairable, with no pesky plastics to crack while disassembling for maintenance (looking at you, MZ-RH10). It writes discs at the fastest speed a portable device is capable of, writing a full 80 minutes in 20. NetMD compatibility and modern software makes writing discs an ease if you don’t wish to deal with dubbing from a CD or other audio source. You won’t go wrong with this particular device. It’s certainly one of my favorites in my collection.