Sony MDS-JA50ES

1 9 9 7 1997
1 9 9 9 1999

The penultimate MiniDisc recorder worth its salt, centered around the ATRAC algorithm in its ultimate original verion (4.5) and the 20bit Wide BitStream.

It was built like a true ES unit and was an excellent recorder costing 180,000¥ and weighing 14,3kg - as costly as any X7 CD player !

The Frame & Beam structure was here aided by BASC, mixing brass, aluminium and steel for even lower cabinet resonances.
Two R-Core transformers feed everybody happy while the famed VC filter (not yet VC24) allows for four different LPF shapes.
Digital output can be selected as 20bit (normal) or upped to 24bit.

It just is a pity the MiniDisc format itself started out so unausipcuously with the original ATRAC (3.0) which was... well... it really stunk.
That is, pehaps, probably, people weren't used to crappy MP3s yet.

24bit d/a excepted, the MDS-JA50ES can be seen as the best possible iteration of MiniDisc.

Yet to come was the upgraded MDS-JA555ES, ATRAC Type R and the ultimate Type S before said format was relegated to portables and unsuccessful upgrades (market-wise) like the Hi-MD or the earlier Data-Discman.


A fair review of the JA50ES is here, and a detailed description lies here.

Sony MDS-JA50ES, image 1 Sony MDS-JA50ES, image 2 Sony MDS-JA50ES, image 3
Sony MDS-JA50ES specifications
Title Value
Format : MiniDisc
Channels : 2 stereo
Sampling frequency : 44.1Khz
SRC : 48kHz/32Khz > 44.1Khz
A/D : 1bit Current Pulse (20bit res.)
D/A : 1bit Delta-Sigma (24bit res.)
Error correction : ACIRC
Compression system : ATRAC v4.5
Frequency response : 5Hz...20Khz (± 0,3dB)
S/N ratio : > 108dB
Dynamic range : > 105dB
THD : 0,002%
Wow & flutter : nada
Inputs : 2x analogue line (500mV / 47kOhm)
2x digital TOSLink (660nm)
1x digital coaxial (75 Ohm)
Outputs : 2x analogue line (2V / 50kOhm)
1x digital TosLink (660nm)
1x headphones (28mW / 32 Ohm)
PC : 26W
Dimensions : 43 x 12,5 x 37,5cm
Weight : 14,3kg.
Supplied remote : RM-D13M (export)
RM-D14M (Japan)
Optional remote : RM-D10P keyboard/remote (7500¥)
page online since : april 2007
page updated : september 2010
page type : LGT / KNB
page weight : 175.75 Kb / 0 b
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