Panasonic SJ-MR230 Personal MiniDisc Player

I have used this for over 1 year and it's a very great MD player/recorder. The keypad makes titling very easy, and the unit feels solid and is made of high grade chrome. I have the red colored model, which is a metallic red. The speakers are okay, not for very loud listening volume. If you're working in a room and you need some background music, the speakers work fine, but if you want to crank it up, then they are not enough. Recording sound quality is great, I own some Sharp as well as Sony Minidisc recorders, and this Panasonic is tops! It also lasts a long time with the battery (gumpack type), and the optional battery compartment case. Charging the unit can only be performed when inserted into the keypad tray, which causes some inconvenience when traveling, you have to bring the keypad tray with you in order to charge the battery. I also own the SJ-MR220 model, which can directly hook up to the adaptor for charging. MDLP is a great function, since it extends the recording time. I can fit about 45 songs in LP2 mode, LP4 mode can fit twice as much, but then the compression is noticeably lower quality (like mp3s). I am an audiophile, and I can hear the difference in sound quality between LP4, LP2, and regular. Therefore, I do not recommend LP4 since the sound quality is worse, the ambience is gone, and the higher frequencies tend to get attenuated and sometimes sound tinny. One thing I like is the BASS equalizer, it's pretty powerful on the XBS-2 setting. The unit comes with over-the-ear headphones, which I prefer over regular headphones. The carrying case is great and made of a thick cloth material with a drawstring to close the opening. Night operation is good as long as you have the remote, it illuminates when you touch any button. The button positions are conveniently located, which is much better than my Sony MD remotes.