This was an enjoyable post, thanks for sharing!
I got my first and only MiniDisc recorder in 99 or 2000, and I loved it. I can't remember why I sold it, although I'm pretty confident the answer was "being poor". I was adamant I definitely wanted the recorder, not just to play commercial disks. Actually, I don't think I ever bought non-blank disks. I comparison shopped in-person at the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre in Dublin.
The store I bought the recorder from was the second place I looked, but they were more expensive than the first shop -- when I was about to leave they said they would price match the other store. I told them the price, which was about 50EUR cheaper; the clerk tried to ring the store to confirm the price, but couldn't get through and gave me the discount. Hand on heart I was not trying to con anyone, but I later realized I'd looked at a lower end model at the first shop. Oops.
For the last two years I've really gotten back into physical media -- definitely not for the sound, I am pretty sure 320Kbps MP3s are good enough for my imperfect ears -- but for the collectible nature and the pleasing ritual of putting on a record, CD or tape and listening in order. Also, I can pick up weird stuff from charity shops that just isn't on streaming services. Miami Vice TV soundtrack? Got it!
(Buying cheap CDs for a dollar or two at the charity shop is offset by the occasional $50 collector's vinyl release though, so this is still not a thrifty option, if I add everything up).
I repaired my cassette deck with new belts recently and felt like a magician -- with the right player, tape sounds _much_ better than I had remembered. IDK if nostalgia is at fault or the fact that most of my cassette usage when I was young was via no-name walkman clones and pound-shop quality headphones.
Now your MiniDisc post has piqued my interest, too. I think the only thing stopping me is the fact I _don't_ go anywhere right now, as I work from home and I'm sheltering-in-place or whatever. Otherwise the idea of rocking one MD worth of audio for commute into and out of the city appeals.