Best Reviewed
Digital Voice Recorders
- Budget digital voice recorder Olympus VN-6200PC *Est. $60
- Best digital voice recorder with MP3 player Olympus WS-500M *Est. $100
- Professional-grade digital voice recorder Samson Zoom H4n *Est. $300
- Digital voice recorder for dictating and transcription Sony ICD-MX20 *Est. $250
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Best digital voice recorder with MP3 player
- 545-hour maximum recording time
- 2 GB built-in memory
- Works with PCs, Macs
- No USB cable needed
- No support for MP3 playlists
- Complex controls
- Memory can't be expanded
The Olympus WS-500M doubles as an MP3 player, but voice recording is where this digital recorder really shines. This Olympus WS-500M doesn't take memory cards, but its 2 GB of built-in storage accommodates nearly 35 hours of recording at the highest-quality stereo setting, and nearly 545 hours in its lowest-quality mono setting, which experts say is still quite usable, especially for personal note taking. It can also store up to 500 songs. A built-in USB jack means you can plug the Olympus WS-500M right into a Mac or PC without a separate USB cable. Budget buyers might also want to investigate the Olympus VN-6200PC (*Est. $60); it has less memory (1 GB) and fewer features, but experts say that it is a competent performer overall. If you need a higher-quality digital voice recorder for podcasting or radio, experts say that the Samson Zoom H4n (*Est. $300) is an excellent, but expensive choice. For those on a tighter budget, the Samson Zoom H2 (*Est. $150) also gets good reviews for professional-grade recording.
The only professional review of the Olympus WS-500M is at PCMag.com, where editors offer a thorough evaluation. A few dozen owners of the recorder post detailed reviews on Amazon.com.
Our Sources
PCMag.com gives the Olympus WS-500M an Editors' Choice award for its full-featured recording options and what reviewer Eric Grevstad calls a "fairly robust digital music player." Grevstad also likes that the Olympus WS-500M plugs directly into your computer for easy transfer of files. On the downside, Grevstad says that to take full advantage of all of the recorder's features you'll encounter a steep learning curve, as some buttons are multi-functional and features are nested behind several menus.
Review: Olympus WS-500M, Eric Grevstad, Oct. 9, 2009
2. Amazon.com
More than 30 users contribute to the Olympus WS-500M's overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars. Many of the users have owned Olympus digital recorders in the past and compare the WS-500M to older models. Most reviewers are very pleased with sound quality for recording lectures and voice memos, and a few musicians say music sound quality is also good. Among complaints are difficult navigation and poor sound quality through the external speaker -- a complaint which is resolved by downloading files to a computer or using headphones.
Review: Olympus WS-500 Digital Voice Recorder, Contributors to Amazon.com
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