Customer Reviews

Olympus VN-90 Digital Voice Recorder

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you need something simple and inexpensive this is the product for you. Some key features: well designed -- compact only 2.3 oz., quality built, good voice quality, receptive mic, good battery life, recording capacity (3 separate folders), reasonably priced. The negatives; can't download recordings to computer, the recording time for SP mode (and this is the mode I would recommend using for quality...) is only 67 minutes.

I needed a recorder for my children's violin lessons...bought a sony TCM-323 cassete recorder..hard to FF and REW exactly right..when practicing it wasted too much time, also the sound/clarity was fair.. Was not sure if a digital recorder could record what we needed, was going to be any better than the cassette recorder. We needed clarity to pick up the fine music of the violin.~~Spent the money for this product and already I do not know what I did without it! Not only does it record clear/free of all the sounds a cassette recorder makes...but the playback--is speedy and makes practicing a breeze! I love the small size! It is actually fun to use! The TWO folders are useful for different child's lesson...Only drawback is the SP mode (which is the best for clarity and sound) has only 1hr7min of recording time..wish it could be longer!! LOVE THIS PRODUCT!

I had an Olympus DS-150, sadly it went through the washer one day. I didn't really like the controls on the DS-150, so I was looking for something that would be easier to operate. The VN-180 is well designed, with easy to use buttons. Nice, since I bought one for my retired Dad to help him keep track of things (he was skeptical, but now uses it every day) The VN-180 has 3 folders, 2 are general purpose, and the other is a schedule folder.

Alarms! You can set a Schedule alarm to play back that days schedule messages at a certain time each day. With the other two folders, you can set up to a total of 20 alarms (any date/time) - tied to a specific message, that will cause the unit to beep (subdued), and then with any button press will play the associated message - even if the unit is off. This is a very nice feature.

The recording quality in the SP mode is good (although not as good as the DS-150), and the LP mode is serviceable. You can set the sensitivity of the microphone (Hi/Lo) which does help with noisy environments. The VN-180 also has a fast playback option, and auto-shutoff. The only thing I don't like about it, is the quality of the LP recording.

I love this. I thought a 90-minute capability for the price was great. It is easy to use, and the sould quality is excellent. (I did a fair amount of research, and thought this was a standout.) I have used it to record: business meetings, a lecture, mental notes to myself, my 2 year old talking, and audio emails. It is light, and I like the design. It's easy to download onto a PC. I've got a bunch of extra stuff for my PC, and love 'gadgets', but this was one thing I was missing. It also makes a good gift.

Oh yeah, I did use it for one other thing.... I turned it on when I was in a pub with some friends. It picked up the conversations as well as the background noise. I then played it back in the background when I made a phone call at a completely different time, and the person on the other end was convinced I was calling from a pub at an unusual hour.

I use this device almost exclusively for doctor appointments
so I can remember what the doctors said during the session. It is quiet and unobtrusive - no whirring noises. I place a mini-2-
mini cord between the earpiece socket on the olympus and my line
input on the computers soundblaster card, start up cool edit pro or any sound editor and push play and record the conversation to
a wav file which I then convert to an mp3 file. This way I have
a permanent record of ALL of my doctor appointments. For the price of the recorder, and if you are an aging baby-boomer whose
memory is starting to go south - this device is a god send.

Again, Olympus has succeeded in making a quality product. This model in particular served me quite well. I have had it for only half a year and it is in top shape. The features that this model contains are amazing. I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a serious device to record and store your thoughts.

Often I have good ideas, but my memory forgets them before i have a chance to write them down. I bought a Palm 3Xe in hopes of solving this problem. Another problem arose, I would start typing the ideas in but could only get the first one in. It took too long typing and i would forget the other ideas that i had. I was in Radio Shack and saw the perfect thing, a small digital recorder. However, i did not want there brand. The Olympus name stood out in my head and that is what i went for. I just received the VN-180 today, and i have to say this device is great. Now i can record my ideas and then type them into my Palm. It is smaller than i thought, it actually fits into the plam of my hand. It is so lite that i carry it around my neck, so i am never without. I have only had it a few hours and already it has helped me with my memory. I will also use it for school next week. Olympus, the name says it all!

I received this recorder for Christmas. I intended on using it for interviews because I'm a journalism major. I found that if you hold the device while recording, it picks up every little movement of your hand, making it difficult to hear what is being recorded. Also, voices sound very far away and blurry when played back. I know there is a microphone you can buy to go with it, so I'll have to try that. I don't have any prior experience with recorders, so maybe they all sound like that, though.
I like the different ways you can file recordings; by date, time, or subject.
Also, it is very lightweight and small enought to put in your pocket.
Overall, it's a decent recorder.

I love this product! I am using it constantly. It's very simple, it's slim and fits easily anywhere, has a carrying strap, volume control, two separate files, and sounds great! I use it mostly when I'm out, as ideas come to me. No more writing on paper at the stop light, trying to finish as the light turns green... This is saving my life and probably many pedestrians as well! I then play all my messages when I'm home and ready to write, and then hit Erase All. My kids even leave me messages, letting me know what they want me to get for them when I'm out. No problems here! I love it!

...I have never had a DVR or anything like it. I didn't want to mess with some [other] device and get frustrated only to buy a better one. This is quality through and through...it is easy to use, I figured out the basics without reading the relatively thick instruction book. It is smaller than I thought which is good since I usually want to be inconspicious when I use it. It is definately worth every penny as I hate losing good ideas. A must for inventors, entrepeneurs, etc...