Sony TCM-500DV Standard Cassette Voice Recorder

by Sony

Product Details

Product Manual [808kb PDF]

• Item Weight: 8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000094FVD
• Item model number: TCM500DV
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #101,661 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Personal voice cassette recorder / Built-in flat microphone for conference recording / Auto-reverse / Playback speed control

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tough, versatile, accurate., May 19, 2005

By 

wormdrive (Newburyport, MA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sony TCM-500DV Standard Cassette Voice Recorder (Electronics)

I bought the 500DV about 3 years ago and have used it everywhere for everything. I made tapes. I listened to Books on Tape. I used it with headphones; I listened to the integrated speakers. I played it in hotel rooms, airplanes, the desert, the snow, on long drives, while doing carpentry, while changing my oil. It's been dropped, sprayed with water, subjected to sawdust, dirt, and hundreds (yes, hundreds) of public library cassettes. It finally gave up the ghost after being dropped for about the fifteenth time (snapped one of the wires going to the drive motor--it's actually repairable, with a teensy soldering iron).

Total maintenance performed: dabbed the playback head with isopropyl alcohol twice; blew on cassette bay to remove sawdust several dozen times. Dismantled once to put auto-reverse drive belt back on (it slipped off after I dropped the device onto a driveway, I think).

It's got a speed control knob on the back, which is big fun to play with but eventually gets a strip of electrical tape so it doesn't keep moving when it's in my tool belt. The speakers deliver crisp sound audible from across a room and give your ears a rest from that unpleasant sensation that can occur from wearing headphones all day. I listen to my 500DV about 40 hrs. a week (I am a carpenter) and have become spoiled with its surprising ruggedness, reliability, and steady delivery of clear sound.

Cons: Musical instruments sound tinny on playback, as the 500DV is designed for the human voice. It is a tad heavy when compared to its cheaper Walkman-like counterparts. It is more expensive than most voice recorders due to the external speakers, speed control knob, and overall ruggedness. The "PLAY" button kind of looks like the other buttons (dab some bright pink nail polish on it) and can be hard to find.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Misconception of Reviewer "An Electronics Fan", August 3, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Sony TCM-500DV Standard Cassette Voice Recorder (Electronics)

The only review of this recorder (Sony TCM-500DV) says that the recorder and appropriate adaptor "have been discontinued." According to Sony, neither is the case. The recorder is still available as is the appropriate Sony Worldwide AC Power Adaptor, their model number AC-E30A.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very clear cassette voice recorder, August 29, 2005

By 

E. Foley - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sony TCM-500DV Standard Cassette Voice Recorder (Electronics)

I used this voice recorder to record meetings, and lectures. It picks up the speakers' voices very clearly. I am extremely pleased with this product.