Panasonic RN305 Micro Cassette Recorder with Voice Activation System

by Panasonic

Product Details

Product Manual [689kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 0.9 x 2.3 x 4.6 inches ; 4.5 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004T1XI
• Item model number: RN-305
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #85,466 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1973

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

The RN-305 sits squarely in the middle of Panasonic's RN line of microcassette recorders. It doesn't come with many advanced features, but what you do get is a solid recording device with voice-activation capability that runs for more than a dozen hours on a pair of AA batteries.

The voice-activated recording technology used in the RN-305 works better than we expected and usually only clipped off the first part of the first word that activated it. However, though it's easy to set the sound level required to activate the voice-activated recording feature, we achieved universally better results when we manually started and stopped the recorder. The RN-305 runs on batteries and has an external 3-volt power jack, but no AC adapter is included.

This recorder also comes with a feature that doubles your recording time by slowing down the tape speed. The recording quality does take a slight hit, but the results are still intelligible. We also liked the fast-play feature, which plays back recordings faster to make transcribing easier. The pitch of the recording rises to Chipmunks level when this option is enabled, but this is par for the course with this feature.

The RN-305 has a headphone jack, but if you need an external microphone jack, you'll want to opt instead for the feature-rich (and more expensive) Panasonic RN-405. Without a microphone jack, the RN-305 cannot record telephone interviews, and the device also lacks other handy features like a tape counter and a low-battery light. Still, the unit is a generally good workhorse that should appeal to students, employees who need to record meetings, and other users looking for a no-frills microcassette recorder that works as advertised. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Voice-activated recording feature works better than expected
• Inexpensive
• Good battery life

Cons:

• Few advanced features
• No microphone

Amazon.com Product Description

One-touch recording combined with standard controls such as cue, review, and pause make the Panasonic RN-305 a complete microcassette recorder. The voice-activated system and built-in condenser mic allow for easy, automatic recording. There is a dynamic speaker for quality playback. Fast playback lets you speed up a tape by 20 percent. The Panasonic RN-305 runs on two AA batteries, and there are DC-in and headphone jacks. The slim design fits in the palm of your hand, and it comes in a silver finish.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Looking for a Great Buy and Quaility?, June 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Panasonic RN305 Micro Cassette Recorder with Voice Activation System (Office Product)

This is a great bargain without sacrificing quality. Recording is easy and playback at either of the two available speeds has excellent clarity! This was definitely worth the money spent!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for a journalist, February 18, 2004

By 

Sara Swihart (Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Panasonic RN305 Micro Cassette Recorder with Voice Activation System (Office Product)

I'm a writer for a college newspaper. Money isn't something that I can just toss around. However, I needed a micro-cassette recorder for interviews.

I saw this one, it was much cheaper than the digital recorders that I was looking at. I tried it as soon as I got home. If you buy this, be sure to pick up a 3pk of micro-cassettes and 2 AA batteries.

It has worked pretty well. I don't use the voice activation feature. Making sure to get everything that I need on tape is far to important, so I just record.

I really wish that this also had a spot for a plug in microphone. It would really come in handy when trying to get some comments when you are standing in a crowd. A wrist strap would also be nice, so you don't have to worry about dropping this thing.

If you can afford a digital recorder, get it. If you can't or aren't going to use it enough to make it worth spending that kind of money, this is a great alternative.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't quite work, August 20, 2000

By 

Matthew Fields "Splendor in Sound" (Ann Arbor, Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Panasonic RN305 Micro Cassette Recorder with Voice Activation System (Office Product)

In voice-activated mode, records a noisy beep every 2 seconds, thus almost completely obscuring the recording. This is with new Panasonic batteries. Problem only appears in voice-activated mode.