Olympus DS-2 Digital Voice Recorder Review

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(More customer reviews)The Olympus DS-2 Digital Voice Recorder is one of those breakthrough products that makes me want to recommend it to everyone I see.
Digital voice recorders have been around for a number of years and I have owned a few, a Sony and an older Olympus model. They have previously been very disappointing, mostly because of the poor sound quality. Comparing the DS-2 to older digital voice recorders is like comparing a high-end stereo system with a Victrola.
The DS-2 is a reasonably sized, very configurable digital voice recorder. But the term "voice recorder" is not the best description of this little gem. You will discover, as I did, that the quality of recording can be so good that you can easily record music and be quite satisfied with the incredible sound. It has a built-in stereo microphone and you can also attach an external stereo (or mono) microphone using the mini-jack mic input.
The built in speaker has decent output for its size. You can also use headphones or connect to a stereo or other audio device using the headphone output jack. I use a cassette tape adapter in my car which enables me to listen to my audio notes on my car stereo while driving.
The DS-2 has 5 different recording modes. 2 of them are Stereo (Stereo HQ-Stereo High Quality recording and Stereo SP-Stereo Standard recording) and the other 3 are mono (HQ-high quality, SP-standard recording, LP-long term recording). Olympus uses two different recording formats, WMA and DSS, depending on which recording mode you are in. WMA mode is used for all stereo recordings as well as the highest quality mono mode (HQ). The DSS format is used for the 2 lesser quality recording modes, SP and LP.
Recording time for the DS-2 can be as much as 22 Hours 20 Minutes in LP mode and as short as 1 Hour 5 Minutes in Stereo HQ mode. If you are using the DS-2 strictly for dictation or general voice reminders, you will be quite pleased with the recording quality in the lowest quality mode, LP. And remember that in this mode you can record for over 22 hours. I think that is pretty amazing. If you bump up the quality to SP, you can still record for over 10 hours. HQ mode records for over 4 hours. Stereo SP mode records for over 2 hours and Stereo HQ mode records for just over 1 hour.
You can alternate recording modes and your total time will adjust according to whatever mode you happen to be in.
The DS-2 display is small but more than adequate. The text is sharp and clear, while the back-lighting makes visibility excellent during daylight or in dark situations. There is contrast adjustment
The unit uses 2-AAA batteries. You can also use NIMH batteries if you want to be able to recharge batteries. Battery life is pretty good averaging about 10-12 hour while recording or 8-10 hours of playback.
The unit also comes with a USB docking station and software which works on both Macs and PCs. This enables you to upload audio files to your computer where you can then listen to them or just store them
Here are some of the other features of this device...
-5 folders which can hold 199 files each for a maximum of 995 recordings. You can also name your folders something other than the default "Folder A, Folder B", etc. There are also some pre-set folder names available such as ""Meeting", "Memo", "Note", and so on. Although it is tedious to change folder names on the player itself, using the DSS software and making the changes via the computer is a breeze.
-VCVA (variable control voice actuator). A fancy phrase that simply means you can set the device to only record when a certain loudness threshold has been reached. This enables you to avoid recording silence thus effectively extending the total recording time. This feature is very adjustable and you can adjust it to compensate for ambient background noise.
-Mic sensitivity can be adjusted for either "Dictation" which is lower sensitivity or "Conference" which is high sensitivity.
-Timer record function lets you set the recorder to begin recording at a specified time.
-File Comments: You can enter up to 100 characters to name a file. There are also 10 pre-set comments such as "Important", "Confidential", "Priority" and so on. Although it is tedious to add file comments on the player itself, using the DSS software and making the changes via the computer is a breeze.
-Noise Cancel Function: The recorder has a feature to reduce background noise during playback. This can be useful if the recording was made in an environment with a lot of background noise.
-Alarm: You can specify a time for an alarm to sound and you can also attach a specific file to play after the alarm is turned off. This is a great feature for giving you audio reminders at specified times.
-Variable playback speed: You can vary the playback speed in intervals up to 2x. This is great for listening to long recordings in half the time.
-Index Marks: You can "mark" files during recording or playback with up to 16 index marks per file. This is handy for quickly accessing specific parts of a long lecture, for instance.
-Files can be moved from one folder to another.
-The device can also be used as external memory for your computer...for the transport of files to another computer for instance.
The features are numerous, but easily accessed via an intuitive menu system.
I absolutely love this little device. It is an excellent performer with great features at a very good price. It is an excellent value overall.

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The advantages of digital voice recorders are numerous: superior sound, long recording times, and the convenience of built-in memory (much handier than hauling around several microcassettes). Enter the high-performance Olympus DS-2, which makes professional interviewing and dictation easy and efficient. With 64 MB of internal memory delivering up to 22 hours of total recording time in Long Play mode, the device is great for archiving long meetings or lectures, or for researching huge projects that require dozens of interviews. Users also have the choice of recording at several other speeds, including extreme high-quality modes that offer far less recording time (as little as one hour and five minutes) but much better audio resolution. The latter modes are more suitable for recording soft voices or when taking down complex song ideas--a process that's further assisted by the built-in stereo microphone designed to pick up all sides of a conversation with equal clarity.
The DS-2 is a breeze to use thanks to its straightforward front panel, from which users can quickly access or move files (the recorder comes with five folders, each capable of holding 199 files), set the alarm, or change the recording mode. Multitasking users will also delight in the voice activation function, which enables hands-free recording--a must when you're busy taking notes. Voice activation also saves battery life by powering off when no sound is detected. And when you just don't have time to attend to the details on the spot, you can set the DS-2 to record automatically over a fixed span. Simply enter the start and end times and the timer function is ready to go.
And though the DS-2 is primarily a recorder, the package comes with DSS Player software for editing and archiving files. The software offers a nice way to delete long silences, eliminate small talk, or combine two small but related passages into one large statement. Users can then transfer the files (they record in high-compression DSS and WMA formats) to a PC or Mac via the included USB docking station and cable. Once transferred, you can save them in perpetuity while freeing up the internal memory to record other interviews or meetings.
Additional features include a backlit LCD screen that shows the date, time, battery life, and more; 3.5 mm headphone and microphone jacks for added flexibility; and several basic and advanced playback options, including slow, fast, skip, and repeat. And best of all, the variety of functions come packed in a chassis that fits conveniently in your hand or pocket--quite unlike the bulky tape recorders of yesteryear. The DS-2, which also comes with a pair of earphones and a carrying case, runs for 18 hours on a single pair of AAA batteries (included) and carries a one-year warranty.
What's in the Box DS-2 voice recorder, USB docking station, USB cable, stereo earphones, carrying case, DSS Player software CD, two AAA batteries, user's manual.

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Olympus WS-310M 512 MB Digital Voice Recorder and Music Player Review

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(More customer reviews)Even though there are some GREAT features on this device, one of the main drawbacks is the microphone. It is located on the right and left sides of the recorder but there are holes for the microphone on the FRONT AND BACK. The recorder is far too thin to stand on end unless it's a perfectly level surface that doesn't move at all. Unless you want to sit there holding the recorder in your hand straight up (which is what I've been doing and don't mind), do NOT get this recorder. Laying it down on your desk or notebook puts the microphone holes in direct contact with your notebook or desk surface. Any sound you make on the desk will be picked up. Also, since it is laying down, half of the microphone is essentially covered, you will have a harder time recording the lecture. Another thing very much worth mentioning is the record time. The product description states that it can record up to 68 hours on LP. On this speed, you will not pick up anything unless you are speaking into the recorder with it mere inches from your face. I leave the recorder on its highest quality setting (HQ Stereo) at all times but I only get just under 9 hours of recording time.
With all that said, if you do hold the recorder up on end, it does record well and it is very easy to move files off the recorder and onto your computer. Despite its microphone difficulties I have decided to keep the recorder and I do use it to record all of my classes. I'm very pleased with it.
I cannot comment on its music playing abilities since I have not used it as a player.

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Slim, attractive, and highly functional, the Olympus WS-310M digital voice recorder packs 512 MB of internal flash memory into its lightweight housing, letting you record up to 138 hours of high-quality audio in WMA format. It's ideal for recording notes or long lectures, interviewing sources for an upcoming story, or capturing spur-of-the-moment song ideas before they disappear into the air. As an added bonus, the WS-310M can store up to 130 WMA or MP3 songs for high-quality stereo playback, letting you listen to your favorite tunes between (or during) classes or while waiting in line at the DMV. All this in a tiny body that measures 1.5 inches wide by 3.73 inches tall--roughly the size of a pack of gum.
The WS-310M features five separate file folders capable of holding 199 files each, so you can organize nearly 1,000 files by subject, theme, or other categories. Users also have the choice of four recording modes: HQ, which minimizes background noise and is great for recording people with low speaking voices; LP and SP modes that offer extended recording times; and the unique Stereo HQ mode, which makes two-channel recordings. And thanks to the voice activation option, users don't need to press a single button to start recording. The WS-310M will instead record as soon as the built-in microphone picks up sound.
Perhaps the most convenient feature, however, is the built-in USB connector. To attach the WS-310M to a PC or Mac, all you need to do is remove one end of the recorder's body, which reveals a male USB plug. This USB Direct design eliminates the need for a USB cable (the male plug connects directly to your computer), making the device even more portable. Once connected, you can download music files, images, or documents, in effect turning the recorder into a small hard drive, or you can transfer voice recordings to your computer for storage or multimedia use.
The unit also offers built-in WOW sound enhancement to produce rich, three-dimensional audio with a nice bass component. Additional audio improvements include a user-selectable equalizer that lets you tailor the sound to your taste or environment, along with Olympus's innovative noise-canceling technology, which makes the audio even clearer by removing unwanted hiss and background noise. You can even adjust the built-in stereo microphone's recording level to meet your needs.
Every bit as important are the playback functions, which include fast (50 percent) and slow (25 percent) playback, random play, and repeat play. And should you need to identify and quickly retrieve important sound bites, all you need to do is insert an index mark and refer to it later. Additional features include a locking function, which keeps important data from being erased; an easy-to-read, backlit, full-dot LCD; and a pair of stereo headphones.
What's in the Box WS-310M digital voice recorder, stereo earphone, one AAA battery, USB cable, user's manual.

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Olympus WS-320M 1 GB Digital Voice Recorder and Music Player Review

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(More customer reviews)My DVR (digital voice recorder) experience has included the Sony ICD-MS515, the Olympus DS-2200 and DS-2. My main use for DVRs is PC archival of lectures and sermons.
The new WS-320M appealed to me because of its 1GB of flash memory, small size, WMA codec, and built-in USB connector. My older DS-2 is disadvantaged with only 64mb of memory and a proprietary USB connector.
This DVR is much smaller than other DVRs. It is almost half the volume and weight of the DS-2200 (similar to the DM-20). The WS-320M is constructed mostly of plastic, but it is well made and assembled with screws. There is a mechanical hold switch. The USB port cover / battery holder slides off smoothly after pressing the release button. No significant force is required to slide off the port cover or to reassemble it. There is a groove you need to line up first to reassemble the port cover. The small AAA battery cover is not attached to the DVR and can get lost. There is a hand strap hole, but no hand strap is included. The buttons, switches, and d-pad are well-made and provide a small amount of tactile feedback. The smaller size of the DVR makes it very portable but it can cause problems operating the switches for those with larger hands. Anyone used to small music players should have no problem operating the WS-320M. However, someone who regularly uses a voice recorder for dictation should probably stick to the larger professional DVRs like the Olympus DS-2200 and Sony ICD-BM1.
I started testing the WS-320M without reading the manual. It was easy to use. Button and menu operation is very logical. The LCD screen is smaller and less bright than the DS-2200 / DS-2, presumably to save battery life. The screens displays a large amount of information including folder name, time elapsed, time remaining, battery, record mode, and more, though not necessarily at the same time. A press of the OK or STOP button will change the information displayed. While recording, the screen displays a horizontal bar sound level meter.
The WS-320M uses only the Windows Media audio format codec. Other Olympus DVRs use the proprietary DSS format. I prefer the WMA format over the DSS format because the audio sounds more life-like. DSS format in SP or LP mode sounds harsh and full of compression artifacts. Recording in STHQ mode on the WS-320M with the built-in microphone produces satisfactory recordings but even better sounding recordings can be made using a high quality external microphone like the Sony ECM-DS70P or the Olympus ME51S. Overall, I liked the recordings on the WS-320M more than the recordings from my DS-2200. The DS-2200 tends to clip high volume sounds. Using a stereo dubbing / attenuator cable, I "ripped" some songs from a CD player to the WS-320M in STHQ mode. The "ripped" music sounded like FM radio quality or better. All of the voice recordings are file date-time stamped appropriately and date-time stamped internally. You can see the internal date with the program DSS Player (not included).
When I plugged the WS-320M into PC, Windows XP recognized it and installed it. There appears to be no driver available for Windows 98. A new drive appeared in the My Computer window. I was able download the recordings to the PC at about 50 MB per minute. I then uploaded some WMA format audiobook tracks to the WS-320M voice folders. The transfer rate uploading is about 26 MB per minute. This is faster than USB 1 and is comparable to many small mp3 music players. I was able to play the audiobook tracks in voice mode.
In general, the voice mode operation of the WS-320M is very similar to the operation of the DS-2200 or DS-2.
As a music player, the WS-320M is comparable to a Creative Muvo Nano / N200. The sound quality is good with a strong low end and a very low level of background hiss (only noticeable with sensitive earbuds). The volume levels range from bedtime quiet to painful. Music is transferred to the WS-320M by copying music files to the music folder or to the root. The WS-320M can handle two levels of folders (artist and albums for example). Navigation on the player is by folder and not by tags. The player uses mp3 tag information only for the screen display. This player can only play bitrates from 5 kbps to 256 kbps. It will not play 320k mp3 files.
This player has most of the functions of dedicated mp3 flash memory players. There are settings for RANDOM, REPEAT, REPEAT ONE, Play One Folder, Play All Folders, ROCK, FLAT, JAZZ, POP, User 5 band EQ, SRS WOW (surround sound / trubass). You can change the order of music tracks and delete music tracks. There is no bookmarking function and no sleep timer.
More information can be gleaned from the WS-320M user manual available for download from the Olympus website.
The WS-320M is a good player / recorder for a student. You can fit a week's worth of lectures on the recorder and still have about 500 mb left over to fill with music. I would not recommend it for a business person needing a true dictation recorder because of its small size and small controls. But for someone who wants to record meetings and seminars and listen to music, it is a good choice.
Pros:
Small size, good price benefit ratio, long battery life for a voice recorder, good construction, built-in USB connector, informative display, good quality voice recordings, WMA codec, dictation capabilities, external microphone input, date-time stamped recordings, plug and play for file/music transfers, and MP3/WMA music player with DRM support.
Cons:
Tiny controls, separate battery door (risk of loss), lesser quality built-in stereo microphone (typical of consumer level recorders), no remote control capability, no included dictation software (DSS Player Lite is available for free download), no included carry case or strap.ADDENDUM (July 13, 2006)
Upon reading the comment that the reviewer's WS-320M had firmware 1.18 and kept date and time correctly at all times, I contacted Olympus customer service and was able to obtain a warranty repair to correct the problem where my WS-320M would not keep time with the battery compartment disconnected. About ten days after shipping the recorder to Olympus, the unit was returned repaired with a note that the circuit board was replaced. My recorder now keeps the correct time.
After seven months of use, the WS-320M has held up well. It has been protected by a sheet of clear vinyl wrapped around it and still looks new. I have been very satisfied with this recorder. The recorder will even play protected audiobooks downloaded from the public library. My Ipod will not play those audiobooks.

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Slim, attractive, and highly functional, the Olympus WS-320M digital voice recorder packs 1 GB of internal flash memory into its lightweight housing, letting you record up to 277 hours of high-quality audio in WMA format. It's ideal for recording notes or long lectures, interviewing sources for an upcoming story, or capturing spur-of-the-moment song ideas before they disappear into the air. As an added bonus, the WS-320M can store up to 266 WMA or MP3 songs for high-quality stereo playback, letting you listen to your favorite tunes between (or during) classes or while waiting in line at the DMV. All this in a tiny body that measures 1.5 inches wide by 3.73 inches tall--roughly the size of a pack of gum.
The WS-320M features five separate file folders capable of holding 199 files each, so you can organize nearly 1,000 files by subject, theme, or other categories. Users also have the choice of four recording modes: HQ, which minimizes background noise and is great for recording people with low speaking voices; LP and SP modes that offer extended recording times; and the unique Stereo HQ mode, which makes two-channel recordings. And thanks to the voice activation option, users don't need to press a single button to start recording. The WS-320M will instead record as soon as the built-in microphone picks up sound.
Perhaps the most convenient feature, however, is the built-in USB connector. To attach the WS-320M to a PC or Mac, all you need to do is remove one end of the recorder's body, which reveals a male USB plug. This USB Direct design eliminates the need for a USB cable (the male plug connects directly to your computer), making the device even more portable. Once connected, you can download music files, images, or documents, in effect turning the recorder into a small hard drive, or you can transfer voice recordings to your computer for storage or multimedia use.
The unit also offers built-in WOW sound enhancement to produce rich, three-dimensional audio with a nice bass component. Additional audio improvements include a user-selectable equalizer that lets you tailor the sound to your taste or environment, along with Olympus's innovative noise-canceling technology, which makes the audio even clearer by removing unwanted hiss and background noise. You can even adjust the built-in stereo microphone's recording level to meet your needs.
Every bit as important are the playback functions, which include fast (50 percent) and slow (25 percent) playback, random play, and repeat play. And should you need to identify and quickly retrieve important sound bites, all you need to do is insert an index mark and refer to it later. Additional features include a locking function, which keeps important data from being erased; an easy-to-read, backlit, full-dot LCD; and a pair of stereo headphones.
What's in the Box WS-320M digital voice recorder, stereo earphone, one AAA battery, USB cable, user's manual.

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