Customer Reviews

RCA RP3503 "Shoebox" Cassette Voice Recorder

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I'll preface my review by stating that if I were searching for a high quality voice recorder I would have gone with a brand other than RCA. However, I needed an inexpensive unit which my two young children could operate without much difficulty, and one that played music cassettes. This one does the trick. It is light, compact and easy to use, the sound is decent, the microphone keeps them entertained since they can record their own voices on tape, and the unit operates on both battery or A/C which means I can tote it along in the car to keep them busy. I searched all over for the actual toddler tough versions of these tape recorders which were sold a few years back, Fisher Price or Playskool I believe, but it seems that technology caught up to even the little kids' toys and the units are all CD or MP3 now, which my children don't yet use. This cassette recorder suits our needs just fine for now, and at an affordable price.

The RCA cassette recorder which I purchased from Amazon for $24.99 did not work after several days of sporadic usage. I tried different tapes and had the same non-working result.

Audiovox is listed in the manual as the distributor, but it states that I must pay/ship the defective recorder to a "Product Exchange Center" in Texas. The RCA warranty does not cover such things as (1) Customer Instruction...and allows the Exchange Center to charge me for "service not covered" whatever that may be. Additionally, it also allows the Exchange Center to ship me a "refurbished" unit.

This entire ordeal has soured me on buying anything but books from Amazon. It would easier to buy a recorder from the local Best Buy and be able to return a defective item for a new one or my money back.

I purchased this inexpensive unit solely for the purpose of using it to record individuals that I would be profiling in the local newspaper. Since the purchase this summer, I have been satisfied with the quality of the unit's performance.
For those seeking something of a higher standard, then money should be spent. However, for a basic recorder/player, one can't pass this one up.

I recently purchased this tape recorder, only to be quite disappointed by its quality (or complete lack thereof). Not only was the recorded sound awful, but the playback was pitch-warped and jumpy. I should have trusted my Dad, who says this brand is the pits. My mistake! I have since used the Sony TCM-929, and it is excellent...it does what it claims to do.

Don't waste your money on this one!

I loved this product, when it was working, then one day, less than 2 months since I got it, it just stopped, went dead.

Checked it, had someone else check it--but no, it's just not working anymore.

It's inexpensive, yes, but when it stops working so soon, it would have been cheaper to have paid a little more for something with higher quality.

RCA used to be a reliable brand... too bad...

I purchased 3 of these units. I had to return them to manufacturer because they did not work correctly. I received 3 new ones....they did not work either. I am sending them back again and was told they would send me new ones again.

This product is lightweight and easy to hold. I do a lot of tape recording (voice recording) as a hobby and I found this recorder has poor quality in recording. It does not have a strong output either. I need a recorder that does not make me "lisp" when I speak and that will record without holding it up to my mouth.

This thing is an utter joke. You pick up just as much motor noise and buzz as you do what you are recording. The built in mic is terrible, and the external mic is exactly the same, just plugs in. There is no recording level adjustment, no features whatsoever to make it worth the $24. Cassette isn't digital, but man it's not this bad. Don't get it.

I felt so compelled to save others from this headache that I decided to submit my first review.
I purchased the tape recorder to use as a listening center for my classroom.
The product is so cheaply made that the buttons stuck and froze from the start.
The volume from the headphone jack was too low to be heard with a headphone.
Don't waste your money. Spend a little bit more to get one that will work properly.
The packing slip that came in the shipping box was the wrong one. It belonged to another customer
in a different state.

I just bought this item and used it twice..after the first use,the tape I was playing began getting faster and faster,until you couldn't understand it at all. I tried again and the same thing happened. I can't use it anymore because a machine you can't trust is worthless.VERY DISAPPOINTED