Olympus WS-510M 4GB Digital Voice Recorder and WMA/MP3 Music Player by Olympus
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Digital camera reviews of Olympus WS-510M 4GB Digital Voice Recorder and WMA/MP3 Music Player
Digital camera Review: Adequate
Summary: 3 Stars
Pros: Small, light, portable. Very sensitive microphone. Cons: Small, light, portable, almost too small to operate. Microphone is so sensitive that the rustling of pages being turned in a book sounds like a rushing mountain stream and can overwhelm the voice of the speaker. (Yes, I read the manual and it was set to ST HQ "business negotiations with a small number of people" per the instructions on page 24.) My BIGGEST complaint is that none of the marketing materials I read clearly disclosed that it records ONLY in WMA format. I would not have purchased this recorder if I had known it was limited to WMA only. If you want your files formatted in WAV, MP3, OGG or something else, you have to convert them yourself. It's not technically difficult, but I am annoyed that Olympus chose to use a proprietary sound format without giving the user the option to record in an open-source format. I'm going to adjust the microphone settings to a less-sensitive level and test its performance. The built-in speaker is pathetic. To gauge the quality of your recordings, you have to listen to the recorded file on computer speakers. On balance, this product gets three stars. Ergonomically it should be a few ounces heavier, have a larger speaker, and larger controls. It will get the job done, but is not the world-class product I expected. Why they included the ability to listen to MP3 music on this thing I'll never know. Waste of effort. Definitely *not* an Ipod replacement.
UPDATE 05/30/2010: I bought the Olympus ME-51S Stereo Microphone thinking it might improve sound quality. BIG MISTAKE. Makes the microphone so sensitive that the slightest extraneous noise in the room overwhelms the speaker's voice. I have managed to achieve the best sound quality for my purposes (recording meetings around a 6' diameter table with no more than five people inside a quiet room) by lowering the sound quality to plain 'HQ', setting the microphone sensitivity to 'DICT' rather than 'CONF' and using only the tiny built-in microphone. The mike on this thing is WAAAAY too sensitive.
BIGGEST 'GOTCHA': As noted above, records only in WMA format. If this is a problem for you and you don't know how to convert WMA to your preferred format, look for another recorder. This limitation was not adequately disclosed in any of the marketing literature (or the Amazon listing). I understand the WS-520 will record in MP3 but have not confirmed that fact. Caveat emptor!
OVERALL: It works, but the microphone is too sensitive, the speaker is lame, it records in a proprietary format, and the controls are too small. I do not think the price is commensurate with the value received. With hindsight, I'd choose a different recorder.
Digital camera Review: Amazing voice quality
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great product which I purchased refurbished. I've owned and used this product for 1 year. The recording quality is amazing and the playback has two option which you can select from one at a time, depending on what's needed for that recording: Noise Cancellation and Voice Filter. I have not timed how long the battery life is while recording, but it lasts at least more than 5 hours recording on High Definition. To recharge, just follow the instructions and plug in to a USB port. In a few hours the battery is fully recharged. There is a battery life indicator on the screen. You can transfer files to and from your computer. It is a plus that you don't have to lose your recordings; you can transfer them to your computer and archive them.Digital camera Review: An easy to use digital recorder with just a couple of flaws
Summary: 4 Stars
Used this the first time out of the box and without instructions. Someone I know had one and they told me how to use it. :-)
Love the slideout USB port, but it may not fit easily into all USB ports or hubs due to recorder getting in the way. The USB port can't be too deep or inset too far as the recorder will hit the computer and not fit but one way, however it still is a great little recorder. Seems like the battery is eaten a bit too fast, but that may be personal perception. Very easy to transfer files to hard drive and compact design. Would definitely recommend over other recorders. Sound quality was a lot better than others I tried.
Digital camera Review: Another great evolution
Summary: 5 Stars
You can read my previous posts on this product line (WS-331M) - this model is another great evolution to the Olympus line of Digital Voice Recorders. Olympus has the BEST sound recording quality of these devices - I have used others mfg. tools and was not impressed. This model represents my 5th generation since 2000. These recorders are fantastic tools for students and professionals. I record meetings, calls, training materials and listen to all my podcasts. Having 4G is a tremendous improvement.
Real Positives...
1. Mic pickup & recording quality is just as good as previous models.
2. Storing 1,000 hours in the Long Play mode - which is easily a usable quality
3. the WMV encoding is very efficient - creating incredibly small files
The menus have changed a bit from the WS-331M with 2G - all the control buttons have been moved to the front of the device and the push-out USB port with in-unit recharging is a nice addition. Battery life seems to be a little better than the 331. USB interface is 2.0, fast and convenient - no cables. Listening to recordings and podcasts without earbuds using the built-in speaker, try that with an iPod. They have even added a lanyard connection point - a suggestion I made in a previous review. There is a dual-sided record LED (that can be turned off from a menu option). I am so glad the unit still uses AAA batteries - it's nice to recharge and go, but sometimes you are traveling and can not recharge - so a few spare AAAs give you unlimited recording time.
Negatives:
1. Earbuds that ship with the device leave much to be improved - plan on purchasing or using your own favorites ear buds or headphones
2. New user manual is brief and compact with tiny fonts - could be a little more user friendly / easier to read - but, you can download the manual in PDF form and the online version is more complete.
Digital camera Review: Beware of Olympus Digital Recorders!
Summary: 1 Stars
Buyer's beware. Olympus support is horrible. If you ever lose or damage your software Olympus will not help you get it. I lost my CD when I moved and you can't download the software anywhere (you can't even buy it from Olympus). Now I have a completely worthless digital recorder. I'LL NEVER BUY OLYMPUS AGAIN.