Sony MZ-RH1

MiniDisc players have been almost entirely eclipsed by MP3 players, but according to experts, MiniDisc recorders are much better than MP3 players for making live recordings of concerts and lectures. Sony offers just one portable model, the Sony MZ-RH1, which reviewers say is an excellent recording machine. This model records on 1GB Hi-MD discs (*est. $7 apiece), which can hold up to 45 hours of compressed music and can be re-recorded thousands of times. Reviewers say the SonicStage software required for player-to-PC transfers has some quirks, but is improved over earlier versions, and Mac-compatible software is now available as well. Furthermore, Sony has removed most of its restrictions on uploading recordings, so you can use the MZ-RH1 to transfer content of older MiniDiscs to a computer. If you're looking for a cheaper, non-portable MiniDisc recorder, owners also like the Sony MDS-JE480 (*est. $135).
The best review of the Sony MZ-RH1 portable MiniDisc player can be found at MDCenter.nl, whose writer goes into great depths about this unit's performance.