Excellent

I'm presently conducting interviews as part of post graduate research and needed a dictaphone, so I got this. I must say that I'm very impressed. Unlike the previous reviewer, I can rewind. The track must be playing though - eg you can't stop playback, then rewind.

The sound quality is excellent through headphones, pretty good through the internal speaker. Batteries (which ARE included, unlike the Amazon description) last for ages, and the unit can record 30 hours of high quality audio. Recordings are also time stamped which is handy.

There is no USB connection for transporting files to mp3 on computer. However, I use Audacity (a free audio editor - google it) and plug the headphone socket into the mic socket on the front of my PC using a male to male 3.5mm jack lead to record. Works great, but might take a while depending on the length of the recording which can then be exported as wave, mp3, or Ogg Vorbis.

Overall, an excellent device which surpassed my expectations at least.

Great stereo microphone !

Bought to complement my WS-210S Olympus digital recorder. Seems that mixing different makes of mics and recorders can produce disappointing results!

This Olympus microphone and the Olympus WS-210S are a perfect match and work very well together.

The Olympus USA site has a better product description than any site I have seen.

It also comes with an extension lead and a tie clip so that the mic can be placed within 1m of the recorder.

This microphone requires plug-in-power, i.e. power supplied by the recorder.

Jungle sound is back

this tape player is wonderful for submitting music at any place or time. the battery life is very good and the sound quality reasonably clear for simple music such as dnb, jungle or hip hop. if you wish to carry it around it is very light and its microphone recording feature is a good addition to the player. i love using it to play my mixes out loud to people and, when going on a walk to do artwork it is very useful. IN A SENTECE, IT IS WITHOUT DOUBT a PORTABLE RAVE.

Excellent sound, portable and wish it would go down in price!

The only negative thing about this product is that using the menu with the finicky buttons needs a bit of practice. Saying that once you have the hand of this the sound recording quality is amazing for its size. It is incredibly sensitive and has the bonus of four track recording and being very portable it is so convenient. It takes two AA batteries which last quite a while and again is convenient. We use these in university and I don't own one yet being a student I keep waiting for them to go down in price - no such luck yet - wish list I think.

Social researcher tool

I will be conducting some interviews in January. I bought this machine as it was a good price, got good reviews on amazon.com and it is mac compatible.

The sound quality seems fine for my needs (quiet room, two or more people talking). I don't see that I will have to buy an external microphone as the built in one seems good enough.

It is mac compatible and the software works perfectly fine on it.

If you want something affordable and want something that is mac compatible and has the option of buying a transcription kit (headphones and pedal) then this one is great.

It is easy to use, has good clear buttons, good instructions, the battery life seems good and I would recommend it.

It is great!

I bought a new one beacuse I needed something to record my singing lessions. I have tried many diferent recorders, but I must say that this one is perfect. The mic record great. The sound is clear expecialy with high notes when usualy you get unreciognasible sound. Really, I am very setisfided!

Amazing

The quality of the audio recordings that this little device produces is astounding for something so small. Its memory capacity and battery life are huge. It is sturdy, small, lightweight, well-designed and very easy to use. I have used it for recording everything from interviews to symphony concerts and it has coped superbly every time. The recording quality is far superior to anything I have heard from a tape recorder and the files produced can (if they are not too long) be e-mailed easily to anyone who needs them. I would happily give it 5 stars on every scale I can think of.

Good value, great features, superb buy!

This is so simple to use, with 2gb memory I'll never fill it and to transfer to my PC it's a simple drag and drop process.

The carry case it comes with is an added bonus, and with quite an expensive piece of kit it's nice to know its not getting scratched in my pocket.

Last thing to mention, check out the dimensions - being about the size of a mobile phone, this is a far cry from the brick of a dictation machine is used to have.

Waste of Money, Don't Buy

This is the worst product I have ever used. I used it once and it has not worked since. Olympus will not do anything about it. The one time it did work, the sound quality was terrible, I could not understand a word of what i had said and I was holding the damn thing. Batteries last a whole 10 mins before being completely used up. The old mechanical ones with a little cassette work much better and are a lot cheaper.

Fabulous

I use this for recording my singing lesson. Quality of sound for this is excellent. Burns onto a CD wonderfully. It does occasionally cause problems with my IPOD but just doing a basic reset on the machine sorts it out without losing any data.

WS-300

The shop assistant showed me this gadget when I asked him about dictaphones. I then sat there in the shop and researched it over the internet reading all the 11 reviews written earlier and consequently bought the item. I haven't regretted it one bit. In fact, I have just tried it out and am over the moon with it.

It is every bit as everyone has said about it before. Slim, Shiny, Good-Looking, Discreet, User-Friendly with amazing recording and sound qualities. For someone like me who is used to keeping written diaries, this is the not just the next step up, this brings me on par with Captains Kirk, Pickard, Janeway, Sisko...that whole lot on the Enterprise, Deep Space 9...etc. No more grappling for pen and paper to write in my diary. No more opening up the computer to log the day's thoughts and reflections. I can bring this baby with me to bed and have a good natter into it under the duvet covers in the dark if I am particularly tired or I can just chat into it whilst it hangs around my neck on a lanyard and record the day's events. Verbal diaries are now in...or should I say: Captain's log, stardate:.....

Oh, and about it being a bit flimsy. Like any precious property you own, treat with care and respect. I can understand how it isn't built to withstand a briefcase. Mine (my briefcase) can be a bit vicious.

In conclusion, an item worth buying/owning if you keep diaries like me and are tired of pen, paper and being stuck infront of a laptop/ computer. It is great for verbal documentation/reports...etc. Need I say more...except that it is excellent value for money. Go on, get one and you'll understand what I'm raving about!

Genius !!!

I am a student studying Journalism and so I needed a device that was small and compact yet powerful and reliable enough to record my interviews. Having used the now seemingly obsolete minidisk format and having lugged the hefty marantz round with me this little Olympus device fits the bill perfectly.

Not only is it small enough to carry around in my top pocket it is pc friendly and works fine with Adobe Audition (the software I use to edit my interviews). The quality of sound recordings is phenomenal if a little over sensitive but im looking to rectify this with a decent microphone.

I cant recommend this product enough. I just know it'll serve me well.

Fantastic Product

I bought this item to record interviews for a course I was doing. It is now something that I feel lost without and use on an almost daily basis. The battery life is fantastic. It's very straightforward to use and the recordings are clear. I particularly like the ability to slow the recording down when listening back. While the majority of the time I simply listen direct from the recorder, I have downloaded files. It worked easily enough but I do still need to get my head around the software that comes with it.

Not for a lawyer

If you are used to using a dictaphone for dictation, do not get this machine. It has no insert or overwrite function and so is useless for dictation involving any thought.