JVC XU-301BK 3-CD/1-Minidisc Player/Recorder

• Plays 3 CDs, plays and records 1 minidisc
• CD pitch adjust (+/- 12 percent in 25 increments)
• Divide, combine, erase, move, or name tracks when recording your own minidiscs
• Full-function remote control with title-input keyboard
• Microphone input

Read the reviews below, but be alert to an issue with this recorder. If you put more than 20 tracks on a disc, the edit functions (move track etc) won't work on these higher numbered tracks.

Buy JVC XU-301BK 3-CD/1-Minidisc Player/Recorder Now

Addition to my review (4/2003): The player has started flaking outnot recognizing CDs are loaded, trays refusing to open when open/close button pressed. Unplug/plug required to clearbut only temporary. Update 8/2004: I had this repaired at a local shop for about 80 bucks and now it works finethey said the "timing" on the trays needed to be adjusted.

So I needed a new CD player, and was thinking about getting into minidiscs (burning CD's on my PC for personal use wasn't cutting it). This system caught my eye, as I have some JVC gear already. Here's my take so far:

Pluses:

Great sound with the digital connection. Full features. Three CD trays makes it easy to fill up a customized MD. Handy remote with full QWERTY keyboard makes titling a breeze (once you get the hang of typing on keys the size of pinheads. Check out the Sharp 722 portable MD recorder for a really clever way to enter in text). Digital input and output (as well as analog). JVC Compu-link works well with my other JVC gear (but see below). Informative displaylots of buttons and flashing lights to mesmerize you. Good, solid Made in Japan fit and finish (with exception noted below).

Minuses:

Has one-step recording to grab one entire CD or the first track on all three (not sure when I'll find a use for that...) but the feature for picking and choosing tracks is clumsyyou have to listen to a snippet of each track and say yea or nay to it. Then when you run out of space on the MD, it still goes through each remaining track trying to find one that will fit. THEN it starts recording. I'd prefer to have a way to enter tracks by number. The Compu-link feature is handy, but can be annoyingfor instance, if you fire up a recording then decide to turn the receiver off to do something else, it shuts down the MD recorder automatically. Oops. There's no way to enter titles onto tracks while you are recording (if your CD supports CD Text, it's automatic)which is the logical time to do it. You can title only when you are listening or with the MD stopped. The MD mechanism seems solid, but the CD trays look and sound flimsy.

Overall impression:

I'm having fun with it, and my customized discs are so cool they make CD's seem like vinyl. But they compliment each other nicely toolike LPs and cassette but sounding many times better (as noted, I have a Sharp 722 portable).

Read Best Reviews of JVC XU-301BK 3-CD/1-Minidisc Player/Recorder Here

I like my XU-301 a lot. It has it's flaws in the handling butthey are easily forgotten when compared to the features you get. Ipayed for mine here in Sweden, replacing an old Denon DCD-620. Maybe the audio isn't the best but it matches the Denon at least.

If you own a MD-walkman and like to listen to several CDs at once the this is the machine for you.