Digital Voice Recorders Reviews

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Digital Voice Recorders Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Digital Voice Recorders Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. O'Reilly Digital Media	Your Top Voice Recorder Questions David Battino Sept. 2006, with comments as of Nov. 2007		Digital voice recorders are an afterthought, if not totally ignored, at most techie websites that normally review a great number of gadgets. Therefore, it's rare to find someone who's obsessive about voice recorders, yet doesn't seem to have an interest in hyping a specific product. This rather long file has a give-and-take between blogger David Battino and his readers about which digital voice recorder is the best choice for their situation. About a third of a way through, Battino gives a November 2007 update in which he says he bought the Olympus WS-200S for himself, although Olympus has since produced several newer models "with better audio specs." He adds, "Last I checked, other voice-recorder manufacturers such as Sony and Panasonic still had cruddy audio specs," but says if you don't mind spending $200, there's the Zoom H2, about which Battino links to a positive review by O'Reilly's Mark Nelson, an acoustic musician.
2. Digital Bits	Digital Voice Recorder Review Andy Kaiser Not Dated		Andy Kaiser is a technology consultant who self-syndicates his tech column to newspapers, including his hometown's Grand Rapids Press in Michigan. He offers sound general advice about what to consider in purchasing a digital voice recorder and makes two product suggestions at opposite ends of the price spectrum, recommending the since-discontinue-but-still-available Sony ICD-P320 and the Olympus DS-4000. Kaiser indicates that the cheap Sony is good for students and casual users, while the pricey Olympus is a good bet for those who make "massive amounts of voice recordings."

Digital Voice Recorders Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Digital Voice Recorders Ratings Comments on Reviews

3. Laptop Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Digital Voice Recorders Editors of Laptop magazine As of Jan. 2008		Laptop doesn't exactly make it easy to find its reviews of digital voice recorders -- you have to search for them. But there is good information once you find it. Laptop reviews only three models, all by Olympus, but they are helpful, professional reviews. The Olympus WS-331M and the Olympus WS-310M receive four out of five stars each, and the discontinued-but-still-available Olympus VN-960PC gets 3.5 stars. The most recent review, in June 2007 by Joanna Stern, says that the WS-331M performed well in a mock interview in a noisy restaurant, although with some background clutter. "It's absolutely at the head of the digital voice-recorder class," Stern writes.
4. AudioTranskription.de	Interviews Dr. Thorsten Dresing and Thorsten Pehl Sept. 2007		This German retailer reviews the Olympus WS-210S, giving it an Editor's Choice rating. Three Olympus 300 series models are covered in one write-up, noting that the 300 series been an Editor's Choice for two straight years. It also reviews the Zoom H-2. This link gives the reports in English. One helpful part of this site is that you can hear samples of recordings from each model reviewed, so you can compare them yourself. The recordings are in German, but even if you don't speak the language you still can contrast the audio quality. The reviews are thorough and seem unbiased. For instance, Dresing and Pehl note that the Olympus WS-210S is fine for its price and good for one-on-one interviews but not for podcasts or group discussions. However, they indicate that the sound quality is much better on its predecessor, the WS-200. While the reviewers aren't in love with the plastic case of the Zoom H-2, they say that it offers "by far the best recording quality you can get" at its price.
5. The New York Times >> Details/Subscribe	Some Hot Recorders For Those Cool Podcasts Larry Magid Sept. 21, 2006		This article is mostly for those who require high-quality recording for podcasts. Reviewer Larry Madrid mentions a few cheaper options for those who just need a basic recorder, then focuses on three higher-end models: The since-revised (and renamed as the MicroTrack II) M-Audio MicroTrack 24/96, the Roland Edirol R-09 and the Marantz PMD660. Magid chooses the Edirol as his top pick because it uses AA batteries and is smaller than the Marantz.
6. Wired Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Voice recorders Jose Fermoso As of Jan. 2008		Wired magazine publishes occasional brief reviews of digital voice recorders, giving them ratings on a scale of one to ten. In 2007, it reviewed the Olympus DS-40 (which rates a seven), the Panasonic RR-US470 (five out of ten) and the Phillips Digital Pocket Memo 9600 (seven out of ten rating). Wired is a credible publication, and its suggestions are trustworthy; the problem with this haphazard method of occasional reviews is there's not really a clear way of telling what's the best product for the price. Reviewer Jose Fermoso says the Olympus offers "outstandingly clear" recordings and playback, but the software is criticized. He adds that the Panasonic offers superb recording quality and "surprisingly accurate" translation software into German, Russian and Spanish, but overall it is frustratingly difficult to use. Fermoso also notes that the Philips "looks so retro, you'd swear it could be steam-powered." He likes the 9600's ability to insert audio edits, but the unit does get hot.
7. Amazon.com	Digital Voice Recorders Contributors to Amazon.com As of Jan. 2008		As with any customer reviews, frame of reference is a drawback, since most people don't have experience with more than one model. However, these reviews are useful after narrowing your choices with professional reviews. Repair issues, sound quality and customer-service problems are usually detailed by frustrated buyers. We found some below-average ratings for the Sony ICDU60 and ICDU70, but most other recorders get mixed-to-high average scores.

Digital Voice Recorders Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Digital Voice Recorders Ratings Comments on Reviews

8. PC World >> Details/Subscribe	From Speech to Text James A. Martin Oct. 10, 2007		This is more a review of Nuance Software's Dragon NaturallySpeaking speech recognition software than it is of the Sony ICD-SX57 digital voice recorder that Martin tests it with, but he does give his opinion of the Sony digital voice recorder. He said he chose the ICD-SX57 for the test because it's new, not expensive and is supposed to work well with the software he wanted to try. Of the ICD-SX57 itself, Martin writes, "Like some other Sony products I've tested, though, usability sometimes takes a back seat to functionality." He also says he would have liked better instructions.
9. GearLog.com	Hands on: Olympus Digital Voice Recorder WS-321M Editors of GearLog.com Nov. 27, 2007		Gearlog, the Magazine Publishers of America's choice as the best magazine blog for 2006, is affiliated with PC Magazine. Its review of the Olympus WS-321M says that although this digital voice recorder plays MP3s, "audiophiles need not apply." However, it does work well as a recorder.
10. About.com	Sony ICD-P520 Digital Voice Recorder Bridget Johnson Not Dated		The author is About.com's guide to journalism. Johnson reviews only the Sony ICD-P520, based on personal on-the-job testing, finding it great for her purpose: interviewing sources for print articles. She does say that if you expect more than that, such as recording music performances, you may be disappointed with the sound. Although only one digital voice recorder is evaluated, at least the review is based on practical tests. (Note that ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com.)
11. GoodGearGuide.com.au	Philips Digital Pocket Memo Andrew Kliem Apr. 18, 2007		This Australian website, usually a good source for unbiased professional electronic reviews, rates just two digital voice recorders and one of them has since been discontinued. Andrew Kliem gives the Pocket Memo 9600 3.5 out of 5 stars, saying it's expensive and not easy to use, though it does offer excellent recording quality and a host of features, including voice activation that is "quite cool."
12. TomsGuide.com	Zoom H2 Digital Audio Recorder David Strom Oct. 12, 2007		Tom's Guide and Tom's Hardware is a reliable, although not extensive, source of long gadget reviews. Reviewer David Strom says you can find cheaper options than the Zoom H2 and that the "user interface is a bit quirky," but the bottom line is that "its recording quality is superb."
13. TomsGuide.com	Three Olympus Digital Voice Recorders: Which is Best for You? Aaron McKenna May 18, 2006		Two of the three products in this review have already been discontinued, but if you are interested in the Olympus WS-320M, it's worth a look. McKenna, editor of Tom's Hardware Guide UK, gives a good breakdown on how to use the WS-320M, and his bottom line is that if you basically want something for saving notes and a USB connection without a cable (it plugs right in), this is a good choice.
14. Pocket-Lint.co.uk	Olympus DS-4000 Voice Recorder Review Dan Leonard June 16, 2004		This British "gadget news and reviews" website calls the Olympus DS-4000 "the best in its field." Reviewer Dan Leonard says the price is too high, but that's offset by its ease of use, high capacity and compatibility with both Mac and Windows. It "isn't just a pretty face," Leonard writes.
15. O'Reilly Digital Media	Review: M-Audio MicroTrack 24/96 Mark Nelson Nov. 30, 2005		The MicroTrack 24/96 has been tweaked a bit and renamed the MicroTrack II. This review compares the older version to the Roland Edirol R-09 and Marantz PMD660, saying that with the money you save by going with the MicroTrack, you can buy a good microphone.
16. PC Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Digital Voice Recorders Editors of PC Magazine As of Jan. 2008		PC Magazine rates digital voice recorders based on laboratory testing as well as hands-on use. It rates only seven voice recorders, giving an Editor's Choice rating to the M-Audio MicroTrack 24/96, the most recent recorder reviewed (March 2006). The MicroTrack has been redesigned and renamed as the MicroTrack II, and almost all of the other digital voice recorders reviewed here have been since discontinued. The only still-available model here is the Octave Multipod; reviewer Molly K. McLaughlin says the Octave handles just less than an hour of audio, but is "mighty handy for those who travel light."
17. About.com	Top 6 Digital Voice Recorders Susan Ward Not Dated		This roundup is by About.com's guide to Canadian small business. However, Susan Ward does not say whether her selections are based on hands-on use or testing. Ward selects the Olympus WS-300M as the best of six digital voice recorders, calling the sound "superior for the price." (Note that ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com.)
18. Outsec.co.uk	What Type of Digital Recorder Should You Buy? Richard and Vanessa Phillips Not Dated		This is the website of a British transcribing service. It gives no indication why its suggestions are made, and except in one category there isn't even a runner-up choice listed (the winner in every category is an Olympus model). There are some good usage tips, but without any supporting data, we can't tell if the models recommended here were actually tested.
19. KarlGrobl.com	Olympus WS300M Digital Voice Recorder and MP3 Player Karl Grobl Not Dated		Veteran photojournalist Karl Grobl touts the Olympus WS-300M that he uses in his work, pointing out that he gets a commission if you click from his website to buy one. He does say that while he owns a camera that has a voice recorder in it, he finds that awkward to use for interviews and thus added a digital voice recorder to his collection of professional tools. He likes that the single AAA battery is easy to replace.
20. PriceGrabber.com	Digital Voice Recorders Customer Reviews As of Dec. 2007		One good thing about the customer reviews here is that the reviews state how long the person has been using the product. On the downside, most models get only one or two comments from readers, so it's hard to gauge any kind of consensus.
21. Epinions	Voice Recorders and Transcribers Contributors to Epinions As of Jan. 2008		Epinions doesn't have as many user reviews of digital voice recorders as Amazon.com, but it may be worth a check once you've narrowed your choices. Quality and level of detail varies from review to review.
22. CircuitCity.com	Voice Recorders Contributors to CircuitCity.com As of Jan. 2008		Circuit City lumps in digital voice recorders with tape recorders, but customers do rate 15 of the 19 low- to mid-priced voice recorders by Olympus, Sony, RCA and Panasonic. Unfortunately, there just aren't as many reviews here as there are at Amazon.com.

Digital Voice Recorders Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Digital Voice Recorders Ratings Comments on Reviews

23. VoiceRecognition.com	Digital Recorder Overview Anonymous Not Dated		This is the site of a retailer primarily of voice-recognition software that transcribes digital voice recordings, but it also sells a few digital voice recorders, headphones, etc. It "reviews" nine digital voice recorders with star ratings, but all of them get very high scores. The write-ups consist of a bullet list of features. While the ratings are not useful, the features lists are somewhat helpful.