Superb voice recorder

Good points: it delivers stunning stereo recordings due to a top quality built-in microphone and a great Sony CODEC. The supplied voice editing software works well. All functions are easily accessible from menus displayed on the LCD screen - a big improvement on older Sony models where options were hard to select or needed confusing combinations of button presses.

Negatives: it's expensive and the in-built memory is shamefully small (32MB = 85mins in the highest quality mode). Adding a cheap 1GB card I now have over 44hrs of recording time - more than I'll ever need!

Very good for the money - 256mb memory not 64mb

Well firstly I must point out that Amazon have incorrectly listed this item as only having 64mb of memory - In actual fact it has 256mb of memory.

The max recording times in LP mode is 130 hours & 25 minutes or 29 hours & 45 minutes in HQ mode. The voice recorder works perfectly and the desktop software supplied is more than up to the job.

You can convert voice recording to MP3 files at the touch of a button or automatically should wish to share the files with others which is a nice feature. The unit is also certified for use with Dragon Naturally Speaking, which is helpful.

FM Radio works very well, overall a nice set of features for the money, but the build quality isn't perfect, as the back feels a little tacky and cheap, but considering the price and capabilities it's well worth every penny.

great dictaphone

Okay if your like me and dont want second best this is for you this dictaphone boasts so much in such a small package. long battery life long recording times the microphone is really good more importantly allows you to add headphones and external microphone. the quality of recording is great and what more important you can back this up to your ps hassle free just use the software and usb provided. This is a great tool for catologing and backing up. If you have a tape dictaphone you will wonder how you ever used such a heavey beast.

Good value lots of features and easy to use

Very clever piece of kit. The first time I used it the recognition rate was fantastic, it's supplied with Dragon version 9, which appears to the professional version of this wonderful software.

It's like having your own P.A - shame it doesn't make the coffee and do the filing.

Nice mic, poor in battery consumption

This voice recorder has a VERY sensitive microphone which picks up even the faintest background noise, but in just 2 hours of recording the battery (1xAAA) run out.

The design is very discreet, not bigger than an average MP3 player, with extra features! Lightweight. Very, very easy to operate voice recording.

Comes with headphones and a neck attachment to carry it around, and the software CD needed for PC uploading. It has a USB terminal so no wires are needed to connect to the PC.

Recording voice with the headphones inserted makes a very loud whistle sound, you have to unplug them.

The USB terminal cover is made of very flimsy plastic and so is the battery cover, and by flimsy I mean very thin, literally giving way, bending as you try to close them. They are the weakest points and an obvious breakage strategy (so you have to buy a new one!).

After using the device for voice recording, as I went to try out the other features the battery needed changing. Therefore I can't say anything regarding the MP3 music player and data storage.
But short battery life is a put off.
Two hours are a relatively short time to last, my old voice recorder lasted at least 8.

This means that I would have to carry a pack of batteries around if I plan to record for any lenght of time.
Also, it's not ecologically sound to be throwing out batteries every two hours!

Maybe Sony should have incorporated a rechargeable battery if the device needs so much energy to work, or allowed for two AAA batteries to be fit in.

I will be sending this item back, and try Olympus, also because there is no software needed with the Olympus machines.

Lives up to the SONY name

I was delighted when I opened the box, it's much smaller than the image shows.

Remove the cap at the bottom of the device and you find a USB 2 connection, this enables it to be connected directly to the USB port, from here it works like a USB flash drive, so you can use it to store and back up all your important files, it's also a MP3 player, great set of headphones supplied.

After a two weeks use i can't fault it - 5 star all the way!

Sony dictation machine

It's simple to use and pretty to look at, but the recording leaves much to be desired. If you are recording at close range the Sony does a great job, but with distance the recorded volume falls of hugely and is over shadowed with an annoying background hiss. This makes it too difficult, if not nearly imppossible, to hear through the in-built speaker or supplied headphones. The only way that I could make sense of things was to use a set of headphones with a volume control and the Sony's microphone sensitivty set to maximum. Given the price of these gadgets the Sony's performance is well below acceptable. I do not have experience of hard drive dictation machines, but my minidisc was far better than this. This item is going back and I'm of to Olympus, they enable the hiss to be turn down post-recording.

Sony's best kept secret

If you are at College, University or just need good note back-up for meetings etc. (Get permission first)

This is THE item for you - it actually does what it says.

It's quiet and discrete to use so will not annoy others in lectures, class or meetings.

The multi mic actually works, but will pick up paper rustling so careful when taking written notes.

Very well designed.

I hope Sony do another version with longer recording time capacity soon.

Don't waste your money on this!!!!

Somebody bought this for me as a gift to help me when I returned to studying last year. The recording quality on this is absolutely awful, it's very bulky, the battery life isn't very good and it just kept disappointing me over and over again no matter where or what I tried to record. It also has its own drivers and its on file format when recording which just causes more headache (this means it won't play on any media player until you convert the files to MP3). After trying all the settings I just gave up after about a month and left it to rot on my shelf. I have recently purchased a Olympus WS-300M and the Sony cannot hold a candle to it, the Olympus is cheaper, lighter, thinner, smaller and recording quality is light years ahead of the Sony. Save your money people and opt for the Olympus!!!!