Olympus J500 Microcassette Recorder

by Olympus

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5 x 3 x 0.9 inches ; 5 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004VXN2
• Item model number: J500
• Batteries: 2 AAA batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,921 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #8 in Electronics > Portable Audio & Video > Microcassette Recorders
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 28, 2008

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Keeping track of memos and important recordings is easy with the Olympus J500 Microcassette Recorder. An indexing capability and tape counter allow for easy location of recordings. The three LED battery-check system provides information on how much battery life remains. Dual tape speeds give you up to three hours of recording time on a 90-minute tape. For a private listening experience, use the external earphones jack. External jacks for a microphone and external power are also provided (AC adapter not included).

Product Description

Keeping track of memos and important recordings is easy with the Olympus J500 Microcassette Recorder. An indexing capability and tape counter allow for easy location of recordings. The three LED battery-check system provides information on how much battery life remains. Dual tape speeds give you up to three hours of recording time on a 90-minute tape. For a private listening experience, use the external earphones jack. External jacks for a microphone and external power are also provided (AC adapter not included).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great package, February 8, 2002

By 

R. Hof - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Olympus J500 Microcassette Recorder (Office Product)

I use minicassette recorders on interviews a lot, and this one is a great recorder for the price. It's small enough to fit in a shirt pocket (and nicely slim as well), and the ergonomics are good: easy to play back, fast-forward, etc. It has all the basic controls you need. I can't speak for the sound relative to others, but for voice, it's more than good enough. It picks up voices quite distinctly even in a relatively noisy environment. I also like the battery indicator, so I always know when I need to bring extra batteries, which last a pretty long time. I also can't speak for reliability, but I've had no problems in the six months I've been using it. The only caveats are that the microphone/earphone jack is smaller than ones used by other recorders, so you need an adapter or a mike/earphone with small plugs, and that it doesn't come with an AC power supply. But overall, it's great.

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Olympus Microcassette Recorder, December 28, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Olympus J500 Microcassette Recorder (Office Product)

I purchased this product and found that it was of relatively poor construction quality. After reasonable normal use the cassette door hinge broke. I elected not to send it back for repair as my need for this equipment passed, but I was surprised that such a key element of the recorder would be so fragile.

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Only Okay, November 26, 2002

By 

A. Marks (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Olympus J500 Microcassette Recorder (Office Product)

I was given this as an unexpected & thoughtful gift, but after working with it a bit, I don't think I'd chose the Olympus again. One basic design flaw is that it doesn't stand up very well on it's think rounded base. You can balance it, but it will topple over at the slightest disturbance. I compared it with my friend's Panasonic RN505 which is substantially heavier, but has a bigger, better speaker & is more stable. When I played my tape on her machine it seemed as if the microphones on both were comparable.