Olympus WS-700M Digital Voice Recorder 140152 (Grey)

I just ordered this Olympus VN-8100PC digital voice recorder a few days ago and so far it has worked pretty good. I had an older digital voice recorder, but it didn't have a USB port, so I couldn't transfer files to my PC which is what I wanted, so I bought this. I've made several recordings and transferred them to my PC and they sound good, all you do is plug it into a USB port on your computer and then you can access this device just like a USB thumb drive. I decided to go with this one because the older Olympus model VN-6200PC on Amazon has over a hundred reviews that are mostly all positive, and this one is simply an updated more advanced model with 2GB of memory instead. I checked the Olympus website and this one is very close to the 6200PC model that everybody loves, but with more features and an easier looking layout. The most important difference is the ability to record in MP3 format, the 6200PC can only record in WMA format. Also this one has 2GB of memory, so you can record for a long time, and if the memory fills up you can just transfer the files off the device to your computer. As far as the layout of the on screen menu settings and buttons on the device, it is super easy. I didn't even read the instruction manual to figure everything out, I just played around with it for a few minutes and everything was pretty much self explanatory, it's designed so anybody can use it without having to click through a bunch of settings and crap just to get it to work. If you buy this device, one very handy accessory to get is the Olympus TP-7 Telephone Recording Device . It sells here on Amazon for $[...] or so and has a ton of reviews all rating it very positive. I bought it with mine and it works perfectly, I recorded a phone conversation earlier today to test it out and it worked great. The main purpose of buying this digital voice recorder was really to record phone conversations using the TP7. All you do is plug the TP7 into the mic input on your digital voice recorder, and then put the ear piece into your ear and when you are on the phone talking to someone hit "record" then when you are done hit "stop" and that is it. The Olympus digital recorders only record in mono, so that means when you play back your phone conversation on your computer speakers/headphones you will only hear sound from one speaker/headphone, but that really isn't a problem or big deal since it's only a conversation you're listening too and not music. As a side note, hopefully more people realize the VN-6200PC is an old model and do not buy it instantly just because it has a ton of good reviews. I almost did that until I went to the Olympus website and realized this 8100PC model was newer and better then the 6200PC and cost pretty much the same. If this review helped you, leave a comment or something :)

This is a review for the Olympus WS-700M Digital Voice Recorder 142625 (Blue) I needed a compact digital recorder for multiple purposes: To record my thoughts while away from my desk, To record myself for later transcription (via DragonSpeak), and to record personal stuff (guitar and ukulele compositions, parties, and my daughter singing). I bought this as a backup to my other Sony PCM-M10 recorder, which is an excellent recorder but I found to be a bit too "large" to conveniently carry around everywhere. I also considered the Sony ICD-PX820 and the Olympus VN 6200pc, but decided to get the Olympus 700M for various reasons I will spell out here. Firstly, this 700M is the "middle" unit of the latest releases (600S, 700M, 710M). All three have built-in memory (2, 4, and 8 GB, respectively), stereo mics and stereo mic inputs, built-in USB port for direct connect to PC, playback speed control. The differences are in the size of the built-in memory/storage and a few other features. I went for the 700M because I wanted the expandability (microSD card slot) but did not want or need the FM tuner in the 710M. It would have been nice to have the directional mic of the 710M, but again I did not need it. It is just slightly larger than the ipod nano, but the sound is just as good (if not better) with the 700M. The only disadvantage I can see with this unit as an mp3 player is that I have yet to figure out how to create separate subfolders in the music folder. Once I figure it out (if at all possible), I'll post an update. It is easy enough to operate. Without any experience with any Olympus recording devices, I found it relatively easy to use out of the box without reading the instructions. The files are labeled by day and time stamps, and the file names are progressive (WS700###). There are 5 folders, labeled Folder A-E. I've plugged this unit into WinXP Pro (32-bit), WinVista, and Win7 and recognized. It is also recoginized by Mac OS X Snow Leopard (I no longer have Tiger, so I can't speak for this OS, but supposedly it is supported). I will bring it to work one day to see if it will work on Linux OS. Stay tuned. It comes with a single rechargeable AAA alkaline battery that recharges by plugging the device to a computer via USB (as long as the USB port provides power out, which some of the older PC's USB ports do not). It can be directly plugged into your Mac or PC (USB Direct) through a USB connector that slides out of the bottom, so no cables are required. It does come with a cable extender to plug it in to a usb port while the recorder is sitting flat on a surface. It also comes with earphones, which is a decent set, but I prefer using my ultimate ears or klipsch headsets. It has a Variable Control Voice Actuator (VCVA), a "voice activation" feature which sets the audio device to record automatically only when sound is detected at a pre-set level and stop when sound drops below the threshold level. I've tried this, but never really used it too much for dictation purposes. The purpose of this function is to eliminate "dead air" during recordings, conserving memory and shortening file times. I've always just pressed the record button to pause, if needed. It allows for Index Marks, which are digital tags that can be inserted while recording or during playback. It is a useful function, which can be used to skip forward and backward in recordings to pre-selected reference points. This can help with finding specific areas in the recording (such as a particular sound byte). It has a larger backlit LCD screen (compared to previous models). Not having any of the other or older models, I cannot say whether this is a good or bad thing, but I always favor the larger screens to avoid the smaller fonts. The stereo mic inputs allow me to use my stereo Sony mics (I have both the Sony ECM-DS70P Electret Condenser Stereo Microphone and the Sony ECM-DS30P Electret Condenser Digital Microphone), and I the recording is significantly improved for some cases (recording jam sessions) and not too different for others (dictation). The recording levels can be monitored for both channels on the display. I like that the option is available. The reason I did not pick the Olympus VN 6200pc is because it lacked stereo recording. I wanted the stereo recording capability because I want to be able to use this recorder on impromptu jam sessions (family gatherings, parties, or just at home). I was tempted to get the Sony ICD-PX820 because although the built-in mic is mono, the mic jack can take a stereo mic (which I have) and record in stereo. Also, neither the VN 6200 or the PX820 have an expansion slot (the WS 700M has a microSD slot), and this is a major factor that swayed me because I want the expandability. Because of these reasons (among others I will not elaborate on) I decided to purchase the Olympus WS 700M. Overall, I am truly enjoying this recorder. If I need a higher quality audio recorder, I bring my Sony PCM M10 along. This Olympus WS 700M is a great portable recorder that I can bring every day and everywhere. I highly recommend it. For the extra $$ over the other two units, I think it is worth it. I like the portability, and I've been truly enjoying this gadget. For the price and quality, this unit deserves a five-star rating. ************ Comparison with other WS series: 600S - Base recorder 2GB internal memory, mp3 and WMA recording, Comes in metallic silver color No memory slot (the 700M and 710M have a microSD card slot, up to 16GB expandable), No Noise cancellation (included in 700M and 710M), No FM tuner (710M only), No USB battery charge function (in 700M and 710M). 710M - everything in the 700M plus the following features: 8GB internal memory (4GB in 700M) FM Tuner Directional microphone Comes in Metallic black color For those who want a more detailed specs layout: -Multi format recording: mp3, WMA, and PCM -Built-in 4GB flash memory and microSD slot -Input level: -70dBv -VCVA (or Variable Control Voice Actuator) -Max Output: 80mW -Speaker: 18 mm round dynamic speaker -Microphone jack: 3.5mm; impedance 2k ohms (mono) -Earphone jack: 3.5mm; impedance 8 ohms (mono) -Power Supply: AAA NiMH rechargeable battery, or AAA alkaline battery -Battery life: Approximately 25h alkaline (not yet tested NiMH) Overall Frequency Response (these are straight from the Olympus site): PCM 44.1kHz/16bit: 40Hz-21kHz MP3 256kbps: 40Hz-20 kHz MP3 128 kbps: 40Hz-17 kHz ST XQ mode: 40Hz-19 kHz ST HQ mode: 40Hz-16 kHz ST SP mode: 40Hz-9 kHz HQ mode: 40Hz-13kHz SP mode: 40Hz-8kHz LP mode: 40Hz-3kHz RECORDING TIMES: PCM 44.1kHz/16bit: Approximately 6 hours MP3 256kbps: Approximately 34 hours MP3 128kbps: Approximately 69 hours ST XQ mode: Approximately 67 hours ST HQ mode Approximately 134 hours ST SP mode Approximately 270 hours HQ mode: Approximately 270 hours SP mode: Approximately 532 hours LP mode: Approximately 1058 hours

I am using this product now for over two weeks. The product packaging, delivery etc., were pretty good. Happy with the seller. The product is excellent for a stereo recording. It has many folders to categorize your recordings into. My only gripe is that once you record it, you cannot listen to your recording on the provided speaker. The volume at its highest setting is bearly audible in public spaces. If you are in a quiet environment still it is not loud enough. The included headphones help. The included NiMH battery saves the environment and is re-chargeable. So far I am yet to re-charge this battery after its initial 8hr charging. Overall I like this product, except that if you need to listen, please use a computer to listen to.

Wow. I'm very impressed with this recorder. The reviews encouraged me to give this a recorder a try. Appearance- It's very snazzy. It's very clean and just really looks nice compared to the appearance of others. Kind of trivial, but it's a nice little bonus. Battery life- I've only used this for a week, but have recorded six hours of lectures so far and the battery indicator hasn't even gone down one bar yet. So far so good. User interface- Very easy to navigate. The information included with the recorder also explains how to switch folders, access the menu, etc. There's also a setting to make the font two different sizes, both very clear. By default, it's on the larger font which I found to be more than adequate. I switched to the smaller one and it's still highly visible. What I liked is that I can turn off the beeping indicator when you press buttons. There are a few people in class who have theirs on and it's kind of annoying to hear that beep when they pause during lecture. I'm glad this one has the capability to turn that off. There is also an amber light that illuminates when in record mode. Helps prevent any accidental non recordings or leaving it paused too long (something I've been guilty of in the past). What's also nice is the plug n play capability. Included is the usb cable that you connect it to the computer with. It reads it as it would a flash drive. You just access it as you would a flash drive or HDD, and can go through the different folders (I've designated each for a specific class, so it makes finding the files easier) to find the file you need. From there, you can drag and drop the files onto your computer. Very simple. Quality- Crystal. I was using an MP3 player before and would have to convert the files to increase the volume to hear adequately via computer (the sound played back on the MP3 player was barely audible). The sound files created with the Olympus recorder (choice of MP3 or WAV files)don't require any modifying and can be played "as is" either on the computer or the recorder itself. The speaker on the unit works very well too. Depending on the lecture, turning it up to full blast is too loud, which is good. It means that you don't have to turn the volume up really high in order to hear clearly. Bonus- I like that this one came with a case. Keeps it protected while in my bag. Overall, I would highly recommend this, especially for college students in long lectures. I was prompted to buy this because I would zone out the second half of 2 hour lectures and miss a lot. This helps greatly, especially to review while I'm on the computer. Edit- 3-15-11: the battery life is amazing. The recorder is almost filled to capacity with about 15-16 hours recorded and wow. The battery indicator has 3 bars, and it's only now teetering back and forth from full to two bars left. Update- 1-2-12- It's been almost a year and I stand by my first impressions of this recorder. It's been awesome and I haven't had any problems with it. :)

Olympus VN-8100PC Digital Voice Recorder 142600 (Silver and Black) Started taking guitar lessons and realized I needed to record my sessions. I would recommend this unit for any student or teacher to use for lessons. In fact the teacher should own a recorder and ask their students to bring a SD card if they want their session recorded. This unit does not have an SD card. The 2 MB build in memory does the trick for now. Price Point: I did not want to over spend yet I wanted an entry level recorder that would do the job. You can spend from $30 up to $300 on recorders. I found a deal on this one for $45.00 The normally list for $99.00 Ease of Use: Very good. Start, stop, playback, and, downloading to PC real easy. I set up a folder on my pc to play along with my lessons. Microphone: The built in mike is ok for recording. If you purchased a separate mike this would be sure to make a difference. My next step. Speaker Quality: Not so good. However, I found listening with earphones or my iPad does the trick. The sound quality is there its just not with the built in speakers. Portability: Great. Comes with a nice pouch, similar to an iPod. Battery life appears to be good. Target User: For students who have yet to be discovered this recorder is a real winner. This unit would also work just fine for the classroom and conferences. You need to keep it still when recording. The unit looks to be well built.

I just received this today, so I cannot speak to longevity. However, I have used the Olympus brand of products for decades and find them to be well above par. The manual not only comes in hard copy, but is also included on the device - I was able to copy it to my hard drive and magnify the print for ease in reading. This also means I can search the document for any topic I want to review. I found the initial set up to be intuitive, with one small note, the power button is on the side and is a slide type. Once you know that, it is much easier to operate (go figure)!! But this recorder also has such a multitude of options, that I believe anyone (or any office) will find all the customization settings they need. I particularly like that one can select either a 12 or 24-hour time format AND that rechargeable batteries are recommended. Each of five folders on the recorder can hold up to 200 files, and the total recording time is over 33 hours. The recorded files can be copied and moved just as other files on a computer. My mind is racing with applications for which I can use this recorder. I think most of us can speak faster than we can type, making this a good alternative for sending messages. Now I can get a 'voicemail' to my children by attaching it to an email and their phones won't even ring. I have already attached a voice file to an email and sent it out as a test. I sent myself a copy and the sound is great. Now I can send birthday wishes, etc., in my own voice. It was my experience that the file opened as quickly as any other attachment. One small drawback for me is that the included usb cable is very short. It won't reach from my desk to the usb port on the front of my desktop computer, nor will it reach the port if I place the recorder on top of my computer tower. I have several cords and one of those worked. One could also simply put the recorder on a small stack of books or something - it only lacks about an inch and a half. I suspect that it was imagined that people would be using a laptop or notebook computer. This was not enough for me to take away any stars, it's just a bit of a bother. The recorder fits the hand well and is small enough to carry easily. I am old enough to remember correcting carbon copies of documents - so this is almost like magic to me. WHAT A COUNTRY! I should also note that Amazon got this here very quickly, even though I used the free shipping option, and that the contents were very well packaged.

I bought this recorder back in 2011. Why am I just now reviewing it now? Because I was reviewing something else, saw it on here and thought "Why the heck not?" I LOVE this thing. I still have it and it still works like butter. I bought it to take notes for Uni and have since found other uses for it. It records incredibly well and is great for stealth recordings. (Note: Check your state for laws regarding stealth recording so you won't get into trouble. Mine says so long as I am one of the people in the conversation or I'm not involved in the conversation but the conversation takes place somewhere where there is not a reasonable expectation of privacy (such as in a public place) I can record away. Also note: if you are recording across state lines (ie during a phone call) federal law prevails (which is the same as the laws quoted above or at least it was the last time I checked). Verify the current federal recording statutes before proceeding). It picks up sound like a champ, even when hidden. It lasts a LONG time on 1 set of batteries because it automatically puts itself in hibernation mode when there's no sound. True story: I once even busted my son having a party in my house while I was at work by hiding it the living room after my spidey senses told me something was amiss. I simply put in fresh batteries in the morning before I went to work, hid it on top of the fridge on record mode and went to work. When I got back that evening, it was still good to go. That little bugger had picked up sound from everywhere in the house. And let me tell you, I picked up some interesting conversations....that I promptly chopped down using MP3 Rocket and forwarded to the parents of each applicable child involved in the unauthorized "gatherings". Needless to say, my son was far too paranoid to ever do that again. Good times. I've had a number of voice recorders and this one has proved to be the best BY FAR. Still going strong 7 years later.

I purchased this recorder only because I could not buy another new WS-300. I had purchased a WS-300 several years before, and loved it. After a lot of use recording meetings, classes and conference calls so I could transcribe them later, and not miss information by trying to take notes in the meeting, class or call, the WS-300 started skipping. I looked for a reason for skipping, the only thing I could find was a software update. Mine had the latest update. I figured I'd get a second recorder. I think I only paid about $35 for the WS-300, so I wasn't looking to spend a lot of $$ on a second recorder. I have specifically purchased Olympus products, because I had always had good experience with their products before, but from day one the WS-600 had a buzz anytime I used it to record a phone meeting or conference call. The Buzz is so loud on the play back that It's hard to hear what was recorded. It must be picking up some electronic interference, I have not noticed it picking up the noise when recording conversations in person. But since I got this primarily to record meetings & conference calls, all which are via the phone, this recorder is almost unusable. This model is much harder to figure out, for someone that isn't familiar with Olympus recorders. My mother & my Aunt both purchased the same model recorders to take to the doctor, on vacation, etc. Had I not had the same model and was able to walk them thru how to use their recorders, they would not have been able to use them. Unlike the WS-300, which I believe is much simpler to use. The change to the design of the battery compartment is so hard to open on the units my Mom & Aunt have, they are unable to change the battery themselves, they both need to get someone with stronger hands to change the battery for them. After messing with the WS-300, I found that if I download most of my files more often, and delete them from the recorder the skipping stopped. The WS-300 is also much better at voice activation, so not to waste space with dead air. I am hesitant to purchase a newer model, I think they try to add too many new features, and it detracts from the quality of the recorder. I have considered Purchasing a used WS-300, but am hesitant buying a used unit. It looks like the used WS-300 units are selling for much more than I paid for mine in new condition.