Customer Reviews

Olympus VN-2000 64MB Digital Voice Recorder

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I am very impressed with this little device. It's incredibly small and light, and very easy to use. To anyone accustomed to tape machines of any vintage it (a) makes storing and accessing different recordings a breeze, and (b) seems to drain batteries only minimally ... I have used it a lot in the couple of weeks since I got it, and the gauge still shows a full battery. The built in mic is incredible, and deals equally well with one-on-one conversations, and lectures recorded from the audience. My one regret is that you can't download files to a Mac from it (or from any other Olympus machine, so far as I could discover). Still, excellent for the price.

I bought this recorder, after reading reviews, researching the product for my need (college lectures)and purchased it via Amazon. I like the voice recorder...it is small, easy to use (although I carried the product information pamplet in my bookbag, just in case), nice playback sound (although if using earphones, you can only hear from one side). Sounds like a great product??? Well, after a year of use, it simply stopped working. Thats it. I thought I was recording lectures, afterall the red light came on each time, and it wasn't working. To my disappointment, it cannot be repaired. So...about $60 for a years use, I won't be purchasing another from Olympus.

I loved this little recorder. It did everything that I wanted it to do, and then some. It was well-designed, easy to use, had good voice quality, and (for me) generous capacity. But note how I'm writing my review in the past tense. A few days ago, my unit stopped working properly. It'll play back just fine (thank heavens for that, at least) but it freezes up and refuses to respond to button presses when I try to record anything. You have to take the batteries out and put them back in again, but then you simply end up back where you started. You still can't record. I did a "full reset" and it didn't help. I just called Olympus support, hoping there was either something else I could do to fix the unit ... or perhaps a sympathetic agent who'd replace an out-of-warranty unit that hasn't performed to a reasonable expectation. No such luck. So I got from July 2006 to January 2008 out of this thing ... 18 months of use. Sending the thing in for repair would be "$30-$40." Cost to replace it: $40. Olympus, I expect better, especially since I'm apparently not the only one to have this happen. I don't support companies that make devices that only work a year and a half. I'm going to replace this defective unit with another brand.

It is very easy to erase all files in a folder. If you accidentally or unknowingly hit ERASE twice, all files will erase.

More added: After 23 months of use, it finally died. Warranty, of course, is no longer valid. I now have a useless piece of junk!! If I could, I would change review stars to NONE.

I use this product at work to listen to T.V. shows recorded at other times. I use a cord that has a 3.5 mm prong on both ends to plug into the headphone jack on my t.v. and record programs at the time they are on. I also have a cord that has a 3.5 mm prong on one end and an audio out plug on the other to record shows from my DVR, Tivo or VCR. The long speed is almost inaudible, but the middle speed (16 hours of recording time) is pretty good. It's no Ipod, but I only paid around $50 for it and it serves its purpose.

It worked great for a few months then experienced the same problem others have reported. It hangs once you press the record button and you must remove the batteries to recover. Would not buy an Olympus product ever again.

I bought this a couple of years ago and used it once. So, while practicing for a concert with our choir I started recording the practice sessions. I only recorded 4 or 5 sessions and then it died during last practice. I thought it was the battery, although it showed 50% charged when I arrived, but, I changed the batteries out and it still would do nothing. So, now I have no recordings and no way to access the previous ones.

I wish it would playback, like some of the other reviewers.

I don't know if I will buy a newer one or switch brands

I had the same experience as a previous reviewer - it worked great and did everything I wanted for almost two years, and then would no longer record. It saved my previous recordings, but I cannot get it to record anymore. I, too, will buy another brand.

This product combines functionality with a sleek, compact design. Simple to operate, it has a sensitive microphone which produces great recordings. This recorder is excellent for people who don't need to use a recording medium like a microcassette.

I owned this model before a couple of years age and it eventually malfunctioned but the sensitivity of the microphone and the clairity of the speaker is exceptional.I was not satisfied with the more expensive replacement I bought. So I found & repurchased this model at Amazon since it was no longer carried it the superstores.