Sony High-Resolution Portable Audio Recorder

Very happy with this purchase, one of the nicest portable recorders that I've owned.

This is a very good recorder. I've owned Sony digital recorders and tape recorders for 30 plus years. This model is excellent. I used this at a crowded meeting to record sessions and even though I was sitting well in back, the recorder (using the 300 kpbs setting) did an outstanding job. (People who say they aren't seeing improvement or much difference from other Sony recorders should adjust the recording settings.). The quality is crisp and clear. I also uploaded the recording into one of the services that automates transcription. They are dependent on sound quality, and the transcript I got back was very good. Sony is great on interface. Anyone who has used their recorder before will recognize immediately the layout and functions. It's intuitive and easy to use. I haven't tried the bluetooth function yet. I may update this. Sony makes a great digital recorder that cost half this price (model ICD-UX560) that also does a great job, but there is significant improvement with this device. The microphones are far more sensitive, the sound is deeper, richer and more complete. The is much better than Sony's earlier line of PCM recorders with the fixed microphone positions (PCM-M10). I use this device for interviews, so I can direct the mics at the subject to improve the sound. I think it's priced well and definitely worth the extra money, especially if you record at conferences, meetings, where the audio can be difficult. A big plus is this comes with a very nice case that provides some decent protection. There's also a wind screen. It has a built-in battery that seems to have a long life to it. I haven't tried to measure it.

After multiple uses of this device, my view of it is very mixed to say the least. It is certainly not as versatile as it could be. Restrictive recording capability is the best way I can describe it. It has 16GB of internal memory available which if you use the full capability (24 bit/96k) yields roughly 7.5 hours if recording capability, which for most purposes is more than adequate. There is also a slot available for microSD cards but the highest resolution capability is not available with that slot. That makes no sense to me. I often record at multi band festivals, so if I use up the internal memory, I have to either switch out recorders or settle for a much lower resolution to use the card slot (16 bit/ 44.1k). I for one would like to maximize my ability to record music. That’s not possible with this unit and why I can’t give it 5 stars.

Excellent portable audio recorder. Elegant looking. Compact size. Light weigh. Long battery life. Many options for recording quality. Simple to operate, with intuitive software. Fine build quality. With its 16mb internal memory, there is plenty of space to record. The controls are simple but effective and easy to learn. If the lithium ion battery lasts the life of the rest of the recorder, this would be an improvement. I'd say sound quality is quite good but may not be as good as PCM-D100, due to roll-off of bass notes below 40 Hz. It has been working great so far and the sound quality has been solid, especially when attempting to record mid and high-frequency sources. I can't wait to start recording lectures with it though. I am hoping that It would do a good job rejecting background noise!

The recorded sounds was very disappointing, very noisy and flat. I ended up returning the product and purchasing another brand for third of the price which records much better sound. I was really sorry, because otherwise I liked the slick and compact appearance of the device, integrated USB connector and internal memory.