Side by Side Comparison of: Olympus vs Olympus Cancellation Microphone

Handy, light and dependable. I like this recorder it has enough memory for a semester (two semesters actually). It's not that cheap and not that expensive, the price is right! The quality is great plus it comes with a USB cord so easy transferring to your computer is possible. Perfect for a Bio student (any student).

Okay guys. Buy it, I love to record lectures and sit in the back of the room. When I first started to hear the recorded lecture the first day I was shocked! I can hear the professor perfectly, it sounds amazing. JUST go ahead and buy it. I am a medical student and I already started recommending it to my classmates. Thank you for this product!! THANK YOU

It does what it says it does. Very simple to use, no hassle.

I'm not an expert recorder, I just got this one because I wanted to record the lessons from a seminar I attended. The microphones are fairly sensitive, so it picks up a lot of the background noise. Maybe a specialized microphone will make this better.

Transferring the files to the PC is easy to do with the included USB adapter. And the sound is much higher playing through the PC speakers than the recorder itself.

Battery life is the best feature here. When it says it lasts a 100hrs, I can totally see that. I recorded 30+ hours of lessons and the battery icons still appears as full or close to full.

Works great for law enforcement purposes. Excellent audio quality, I use it to record in MP3 format which works great. Unlike other Olympus models you don't have to install any software to download the audio tracks. You just connect it like a thumb drive and copy the files, way better than other models!!

I have owned several Olympus digital recorders over the years and this one is the best by far. First off it connects directed to your PC which is a must if you want listen to your recordings on the computer. Not all have this feature... so be sure it says "PC" somewhere in the description. But most importantly ... this recorder can look up previous recordings by the date instead of having to scan and search through numerous recordings before you find the one you are looking for.

Took this to record voices while on a recording session in Palm Springs, I used Olympus ME-51S microphone to record 3 people talking and playing acoustic instruments outside and by the pool just to get some backing tracks (because sometimes we say ridiculous things and forget about them the next day) I was surprised how well the recordings came out, not CD quality but it's better than you might expect from a hand held. The file system navigation is a bit of a pain having to search through files by date and length. So I just removed the card and gave it to my friend to pull files off directly. Definitely recommend having around, much better than my Samsung Note 5 can record.

This is a superior voice recorder compared to the other few I've owned, and I think the LCD screen is acceptable for "readability" although a backlight feature would be a plus. I'm pleased that you can monitor a recording live as-it-occurs with headphones in the headphone jack. That feature was a "must have" for me. The instructions that come with the Olympus VN-722PC are extremely vague. I'm glad that a PDF file of more thorough/detailed instructions exists and can be downloaded right here on this Amazon page (it is hard to find... look for the "Technical Specifications" heading midway down and on the left side). Anyhow, this recorder is jam packed with useful features and options. It does take some intuitiveness to understand all the bells & whistles, yet it takes very little "smarts" to simply (and rapidly) start recording and later, playing back.
My one star deduction (from a possible 5) was for the smoothness of the plastic housing. I found the unit could easily slip/slide out of my hand, plus the casing was awfully sensitive to handling noise during recording (if you're fidgeting with the unit trying to hold it near someone speaking in a news gathering scenario).
My solution is pictured in this review. I've adhered a strip of rubber splicing tape that I custom cut to fit the bottom half of the Olympus. It's cut so that it doesn't interfere with the battery access panel. I find the rubber tape provides an excellent grip, and your fingers/palm won't slide around on the case/housing. Btw, the rubber tape can be found here on Amazon. Just copy and paste the following in the search field: Morris 60220 Black Rubber Splicing Tape, 600V, 30 mil, 22' Length, 3/4" Width

I'm so impressed with that tape I think I'll use it on other things that need a better grip (no, not that thing ;-)

This really does go a long time on one set of batteries. I have used twice a week to backstop my notes in a lecture-format college class, for a month on the original batteries, and expect I'll get through the rest of the semester or longer without replacement. The USB sync for transferring recordings to computer has worked without hitch. I took the advice of another reviewer and bought the Olympus ME-52W Noise Canceling Microphone to use in class, since it can block out a lot of the background noise, and the pair has worked very well together. The controls definitely are small and unlike a microcassette recorder, power-on takes a few seconds before you can begin recording. This is definitely for set-piece recording in a room, like interview, rather than on-the-go.

I just received mine two days ago and am pleased with it thus far. I have been using small recorders -- microcassette and digital -- in research interviewing for more than 20 years and l have some specialized requirements. I need the recorder to transfer files to a PC easily, and so having to replay a recording through the earphone jack to the microphone jack of the PC is unacceptably slow. I need the recording to be reasonably audible for transcription purposes. And I want it to be compact, easy to use, and unobtrusive when I pull it out of a pocket or backpack as I am requesting permission from an interviewee to record. The 722PC meets these requirements. In the past I have owned a couple different Sony recorders, and this is now my third Olympus. About two years ago I purchased a 702PC at Costco for about $40, and it included connecting cable, batteries and a bonus soft carrying case. I checked with Costco this time as well, but learned they only stock them in the month or two around the beginning of the college school year. The little carrying case is really helpful for protecting the recorder from damage and prevents accidentally pressing a record or playback button if you carry it in a backpack or pocket. I see it can be purchased for an additional $8. Oh well.

In comparison, the 702PC is now about $20 more than the 722, and it has only 2GB of memory, as compared to 4GB internal to the 722. Both have slots for Micro SD cards from 2 to 32GB. But the 702 has some subtle features that are desirable. For example, the 722's buttons seem to me to be a little closer together and smaller, and therefore a little more difficult to use for a man with slightly larger fingers. I think the 722 is a little more compact, but the compactness came with some tradeoffs. I think the sound quality on the 702 may be somewhat better. I tested the 722 for dictation with my own voice, and also tested it on voices from a cable news network. It picked up the TV voices just fine at about 15 feet and probably would have done okay at longer distances. I believe the sound quality is a little poorer for the 722: it has sort of a tinny sound at higher frequencies.

Previous versions of Olympus recorders came with a short cord for connecting to a USB port. This recorder has a little rectangular device in which the two cord ends -- micro USB and regular USB -- connect to the recorder and PC, respectively. At first I was turned off because this gadget suspends the recorder in air beside the USB port. But maybe this is an advantage since you don't have to find a flat surface for the recorder and don't have wires hanging around in your way.

The little connector device comes with a short lanyard so that it can be hung from a small hook in the bottom of the recorder. A previous reviewer reported that the lanyard loop was so short that he/she couldn't get the device to pass through the loop and suspend it from the recorder. Either Olympus corrected the problem, or the reviewer didn't look at it closely. The lanyard connects to the bottom of the wire device with a little plastic tab-like pin, and you simply squeeze the pin to extract it from the device. Then you attach only the lanyard to the recorder and replace the pin in the bottom of the wire device. I think it's a toss-up whether you'd want to have this little device dangling from the recorder, but if you were to store it separately in a pocket or backpack it takes up much less room than the connector wires provided with earlier recorders. It also has a little storage slot for micro SD memory cards. I rate it as an improvement over the previous wire connectors.

Another feature that potential buyers may want to consider is compatibility with voice recognition software like Dragon Naturally Speaking by Nuance. (I use it but have no financial incentive for plugging it.) It is sometimes handy to be able to convert dictation from a recorder directly through software like Dragon to avoid having to type everything. The Nuance website rates various recorders as to sound quality compatibility with their software -- and therefore accuracy of the dictated text. I'm not sure if the 722 is rated, but both the 702 and the 722's forerunner, the 721, are given five out of six marks. They report that a good quality microphone run through the microphone jack of the 702 or 721 can improve text accuracy up to six out of six. Please note that typical voice recognition software needs to be trained to an individual voice, so it is not useful for transcribing interviews that contain voices other than the one to whom the software is trained.

I rated this four out of five because I am fussy. The small shortcoming that I mentioned make the difference in my mind. This recorder does not have the audio quality of a really good digital audio recorder, but it is still a good value for the price.

Review Olympus VN-722PC

This full featured Olympus Voice Recorder arrived in excellent condition packaged with two Alkaline batteries. It's easy to hold and feels solid. I'm looking forward to using it - and telling you more, later. This is the second Olympus Voice Recorder I've purchased after a number of years being satisfied with an earlier model. In the meantime, first impressions:

The included physical manual is incomplete but refers to a robust version loaded on the 4GB built-in memory. The latter has versions in English, Spanish, or French through separate, respective files to a PC or MAC with a furnished, very short USB cable.

The recorder's internal memory is organized with 5 predefined recording folders shown simply A, B, ... Recordings are named by the recording date and sequence number. The manual touts the ability to search for files through a calendar interface. It works by selecting a particular date which then lists the files so recorded: selecting one shifts to its folder and playback begins immediately - the folder's name is listed at that time. You cannot use the calendar list to delete files: first select the file, stop playback, and push "erase".

The USB interface provides a nice way to transfer mp3 (the default - one setting) or wma (three choices, but I recommend only the highest setting) sound files to your computer. Recordings can be made through the built-in mike, optional microphones (including stereo), or through an attached device (not tested). Several pre-defined setups "recording scenes" are pre-defined(dictation, meeting, conference, duplication, duplication/timer, auto divide, telephone, DNS), but how they differ in audio quality is left to your faith in Olympus' engineers. Page 21 of the larger manual tells you how use three of these modes.

The Voice Recorder offers many options. As such, take the time out to get familiar with how to use them through the manual. Unless you've used Olympus products before, it may not seem natural at first, but I think you'll find it reasonably easy to learn.

It's better than nothing but I haven't figured out what setting to put it on for recording my outdoor classes. It seems there is no good setting to catch the voice of my teacher but not pick up every move I make. TIP: The stand is loose and will add noise to the recording so stuff a piece of paper in it.

The recorder is very compact, easy to use and has plenty of space for long recordings. My only criticism would be the volume at playback. To hear it you almost need to place the speaker against your ear.

I just got this to conduct phone interviews for my blog and to record my standup comedy performances. So far, it's easy to use EXCEPT for the fact that the instructions are TERRIBLE! I'm still learning how to use this device. I don't know what all it can do. BUT it has already worked exceptionally well for my phone interviews (i just used it yesterday). I didn't order a pickup mic but I did press record and turn my cell phone on speaker phone...and it picked up all of the sound in the room (including me tapping my feet because I was nervous). It also was VERY EASY to transfer the file from my phone interview to my Macbook. I just did a drag and drop when I located the file and was able to save and rename the file to iTunes. The mic seems to be very sensitive because when I listen to me practice my set, I can hear me swallowing! I haven't figured out how to rename the recording files on the device yet. But overall, it seems to do what I need it to do. SO far, SO good.

. Advertised as easy to use. Directions appear to make this easy to use. But when you actually want use it you realize the directions need clearer and additional information. I cannot imagine how difficult others may be.

The recorder is easy to use and simple. It does what I want it to do but has a good amount of feedback (or excess noise, whatever it is called) even when close up. But it does what I need it to do, so 3 stars.

This product is very difficult to learn to use. The quick instruction book doesn't give you enough information to use it properly. Even my very technical husband couldn't believe how complex this item is. I am a writer and need it to facilitate my work, not to create more anxiety. I had to return it.

Not a very user friendly interface. Relatively complicated to use. User's manual just as cryptic. It sits in my drawer until I want to look up a Youtube video to learn how to use it.

I'm very disappointed in the VN-722PC. ... The Text on the Screen is TERRIBLE! It is so small, you simply cannot read it without squinting your eyes - and I have excellent vision! There is a "Simple" Mode you can use to make SOME of the Text bigger, but then you lose important pieces of information such as what format is being used to record. I previously owned the VN-702PC and I was pleased with the VN-702PC. Olympus simply should have kept things the way they were with the VN-702PC. Everything about the VN-722PC is cheaper and made with less quality. For example, the battery cover of the VN-702PC had a hinge that opened up nicely and made loading batteries easy. The VN-722PC has a rubber band that is used to hold the battery cover; which is very annoying and makes loading the batteries difficult to load. Plus, there is no doubt the rubber attachment used to hold the battery cover in place is eventually going to break because it is so poorly constructed. The recording quality is very good, which is why I'm giving this 2 stars instead of 1 star. However, I'm VERY DISAPPOINTED in this VN-722PC product because it isn't as good as its predecessor, the VN-702PC in terms of construction quality and in terms of ease of use. If you have anything other than 20/20 vision, buy a different recorder.

Not as useful as I hoped. I don't think it picks up very well. I sat at the back of the room while the speaker was about 15-20 feet from me, most of the time I could only hear whispers. Ended up using my ipad to record the lectures for about a year.

It was working perfectly fine for about 3 months... then all of a sudden, the recorder was no longer recording.

I assumed that it was something with the settings so I decided to reset and format the recorder. That still did nothing. So I attached an external microphone to the recorder and it was able to pick up my voice. After I detached the external microphone, the recorder was no longer able to pick up anything. I've been trying to troubleshoot the problem but it seems that the built-in microphone no longer works.

Have been using it once a week for 1-2 hours at the time. Occasionally stops for no apparent reason after 10-15 minutes. It's infuriating to realize that a meeting you thought you were recording, actually wasn't. Looking to buy a more dependable brand (Sony, Panasonic etc.)

I haven't even had this recorder for a year and it's broken. I'm in school and use this to record my lectures. When I play them back there is an awful high pitched squeal like sound that makes it impossible to listen to the recordings.

Not a good recorder. I bought this because of its overwhelming good rates, but if you use it you will find that the amount of noise is unacceptable. It is the a very poor recording quality that has no noise reduction.

Neither was the manufacture's warranty good. I contacted them to have it repair, I receive the news that they want me to send it to them, pay the shipping, though under the warranty, and takes more than a month to have it back. The inconvenience and the poor quality make me skeptical about how objective some reviewers are.

There is an huge exaggeration in the content page about it reducing noise, it basically does little at best or you can say does nothing at all. If you record a lecture, all you will hear is the wind, and a very uncomfortable pitch level.

I recorded 3 one hour interviews (and verified them after each interview), turned it off, put it into the bag it comes with and put it into my backpack. When I pulled it out of my backpack this morning, there were no files on the recorder. Seriously, how does it lose files? Not happy with this device at all.

Has very little volume and is hard to operate... would not order it again.