Customer Reviews

Panasonic RQ-L31 Portable Cassette Recorder with Slide Microphone

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's kind of inappropriate that so many people complain that recorders _intended_ for speech (e.g. lectures, interviews, notes, etc.) are bad for recording music. Kind of goes without saying. If you want to record music, if you want stereo sound, if require audio quality, then don't buy _any_ cassette recorder in this price range. (The bare minimum for these needs is possibly the Panasonic RQ-A220.)

There's also lots of confusion about the term "mini." The term mini is about the player size, not the tape's. This recorder, like all "mini" recorders, takes normal sized tapes. If you want the really small tapes then you want what they call "micro."

I purchased the RQ-31 to replace an older GE model I was using for notes and interviews. One thing stood out immediately - the microphone was far more powerful. If you speak directly into the machine it will cause some distortion. This is good, actually, because it allows you to record people speaking without pushing the machine in their face. Combined with the voice activation feature this will allow you to easily record your thoughts and conversations without wasting tape. I thought this would be especially handy to record while driving - just leave it in the passenger's seat and it will record only when you speak.

The most basic model on the market at this time is the Sony TCM-150 which is at least ten bucks less. Here's some of what you get by paying more: Voice activation, external microphone jack, extended record, and a tape counter. For most people these features are necessary which makes 150 model a poor choice. The Sony's TCM-200DV, however, offers all of that for about five bucks less than this Panasonic - except it doesn't have the counter which I thought I needed. The next model up, the Panasonic RQ-L51, is identical to the L31 except it comes with an AC adapter and rechargeable batteries. I'm not so sure that the extra cost is worth it, but some might find the adapter necessary.

The recorder feels cheap for some reason. It's too light and there's too much plastic. (The Sony's TCM-200DV has the same weight.) Perhaps the manufacturers are putting all their effort into MP3 and digital recorders. In any case, use it for what it is. If you need an inexpensive recorder for interviews or lectures the Sony 220 or this Panasonic will likely do the job. If you require something a little more tough with better audio you'll definitely need to spend more - or pick up an older machine from the days when they made these things to last.

I bought this recorder for school and due to its 3X recording, you can use a 90 minute tape for 270 minutes. For me, this means that I can use one tape each week for the classes I like to record. I recommend not using the Voice Activated Recording. It tends to make playback sound strange in the place where the tape stops itself and then restarts. If you use the 1X recording, you can listen to the tapes in your car or in any standard cassette recorder. Also, the tapes are cheaper than mini or micro cassette tapes.

I bought the RQ-L31 from Circuit City(in their store)for a total of about $38.00; with no AC adapter or batteries. This recorder has a sensative microphone(built-in)that will pick up birds singing from a neighbors yard! The mic has two positions(up or normal); and it's difficult to tell the difference between the two settings on recordings. The voice activation record has two settings, one is for quiet, distant sounds, the other is for close-up sounds. I have used the RQ-L31 for voice and music recording. It's better at voice recording! It will record music, but a speaker that it not even "2"; just can't reproduce music that well. Also, volume output seems to be lower than most hand-held recorders; although it is totally clear, even turned all the way up. The design puts the speaker in the cassette door. Where you insert the tape(the door)is where the speaker is. I would have to say, that the recorder is not worth the $34.95 that it sells for. It does allow you to use an external mic, and it is shuts off at tape end very quietly. I have a GE mini cassette recorder that has much louder sound than the RQ-L31 by Panasonic. The GE only cost $19.99 at Walmart. It has voice activated recording too; but instead of normal or 3X normal recording length, the GE 3-5364A model has louder volume on playback, and variable speed playback control. If turned up past 75% volume, it gets distorted. The GE also tends to pick up the tape motor sound more. So, the Panasonic RQ-L31 is better at less tape noise recordings. RQ-L31 uses standard size cassette tapes, and has an LED battery level indicator(3 red lights). It is light weight and feature packed, but buy it with the understanding that it is primarily designed for voice/lecture recordings. Circuit City carries the RQ-L31 in their stores. Tape door is awkard to load tapes in, but you can get hang of it.

Great recorder! The playback sound (voice) is amazingly good at 3x recording speed. It's much, much better than my Sony microcassette, even when the Sony is on the normal (best) recording speed. Like another reviewer mentioned, one drawback of 3x is you can't play it in your car deck (but who has those these days?!). But you can record 12 hours on one 120 minute tape at 3x speed! 6 hours a side. That can be good and bad; good for the capacity, bad to find specific spots, eg. the beginnings of things you tape. So, I think 60 or 90 min tapes might work better. I've also heard the longer the tape the greater likelihood of jamming... and, the tape quality itself is lower because the tape has to be manufactured thinner to fit the longer length/s in the cassette shell.

This player isn't much bigger than my Sony microcassette player. Side by side they look about the same size. At first I thought mine was defective; the tapes didn't seem to fit in properly. Load the tape in the door/lid and close it with a little more force than you think is needed (because it seems like it doesn't close properly and you might break it). Or you can seat the tape then close the lid... this method seems less 'harsh' or damaging to me.

I think this model offers the best value vs. the more expensive RQ-L51. The players themselves are identical feature, performance wise. The only difference is in accessories; the L51 includes an AC adapter and ni-cad batteries (which should not work as well or long as NMHs). Neither model includes a strap (unless I threw it away by mistake), which would have been nice; there is a place to put one on one of the corners.

Overall, I think this is a great little recorder for the money and recommend it. Note: having used this for 2 weeks at college, the 120 min tapes hold about 5 hours per side at 3x speed; not 6 hours as I mentioned above. Not sure why.

Very nice item. I bought others in the same price range and they do not come near the quality of this recorder. Very clear. Perfect price for the options and the quality. The site says there is no headphone jack but this model DOES have the headphone jack on it.

I bought this to tape classes. It's a nifty little machine for this task. It uses regular size cassettes that I can listen to in the van to get the most out of my lectures.Easy to use.

I got my recorder about 3-4 months ago. So far, so good. I have used it for voice recording with good results. I also like the fact it has jacks for ac adapter, external microphone and earphones. It takes standard cassette tapes. To me that is a plus.

I purchased an AC adapter from Radio Shack to keep battery purchases down. I also had to buy an additional plug since it takes a very small plug and the adapter did not come with that size.

I do handle it with reasonable care. It is plastic, so take care of it and you will probably get good service.

I had purchased 2 of these recorders and for a while both were working great. One is still working fine as of July 2, 2010 and one cannot record reliably. The tape just twitches instead of moving. That unit is still capable of playing so far at either standard speed or 1/3x speed.

The Panasonic RQ-L31 is inexpensive and compact, and has a generous array of special features. These features include a handy "odometer" that provides a number that tracks the length of the tape, as you record or play. Another useful feature is a red colored light display that indicates the battery level. Other features are a pausing button, a button that activates voice activated recording, a button that slows down recording/playback, and a switch that increases recording sensitivity. Of course, you will find the usual essential buttons: record, play, fast forward, fast reverse.

The quality of the recording is muddy and lacking in treble quality. However, this can be remedied by pushing the button that increases the sensitivity of recording. This button has a marked effect on increasing the treble (to a desired level). In fact, I used epoxy cement to cause permanent activation of this button. Since I wanted to make certain that the voice activating recording switch was left OFF, and the slow recording button was also left OFF, I used epoxy cement to permanently keep these buttons in the desired position. (I wanted to avoid accidental activation of either of these buttons, with the consequent ruining of my recordings.)

A problem with this Panasonic recorder is that it causes crackling sounds to occur in the background of all of your recordings. If you really do not want crackling sounds on all your recordings, you should seriously seek a digital voice recorder. (It is possible that my particular Panasonic recorder was a dud -- or lemon -- and is not representative of other new Panosonic recorders.)

At any rate, this recorder is superior to the Sony V-O-R, CLEAR VOICE, TCM-200DV cassette recorder. This Sony recorder is equal in size to the Panasonic machine. However, the Sony recorder causes a horrible high-pitched whining sound to occur throughout the entire recording. This high-pitched whining sound, found on the Sony machine, has been noted by other reviewers on the Amazon site.

Therefore, I would recommend the Panasonic recorder, but only if the high-sensitivity button is kept in the on-position, for example, with epoxy glue. If you fail to activate this button, the recording will be muddy and lacking in treble qualities.

The sound quality of the cassette recorders from both Sony and Panasonic might be useful for self-teaching, where you need to learn things for your daytime job. But these particular recorders are TERRIBLE for recording things of a personal nature, e.g., kids' birthday parties or nature sounds. I would suggest, instead, buying the Olympus DS-40 digital recorder.

Once you use the Olympus digital recorder, you will NEVER want to use a portable cassette recorder for RECORDING. On the other hand, if you need to do some LISTENING, perhaps of a recording relating to your daytime job or to some project of a technical nature, a conventional cassette recorder is much more handy, and has better sound quality (because it has an actual built-in loudspeaker), than the Olympus DS-40 digital recorder. Also, it is self-evident that the simple push-button control mechanism of the cassette recorder is much easier to use (for example when driving, or when using in limited light, as in an airplane), than the controls on any digital recorder.

This is a product which a visually impaired person has used for years with great ease and success. I am glad to see we were able to order another for her. The durability is great!

I use this cassette recorder all the time. It is small and portable, so I can take it with me everywhere. I listen to books on tape. This is a perfect recorder to put in your pocket while you are walking, doing chores, doing yardwork, or just sitting by a fire while camping. Get lots of batteries and enjoy!