Average Customer Review: ( 12 customer reviews )
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46 of 47 found the following review helpful:
 Great package Feb 08, 2002
By R. Hof
I use minicassette recorders on interviews a lot, and this one is a great recorder for the price. It's small enough to fit in a shirt pocket (and nicely slim as well), and the ergonomics are good: easy to play back, fast-forward, etc. It has all the basic controls you need. I can't speak for the sound relative to others, but for voice, it's more than good enough. It picks up voices quite distinctly even in a relatively noisy environment. I also like the battery indicator, so I always know when I need to bring extra batteries, which last a pretty long time. I also can't speak for reliability, but I've had no problems in the six months I've been using it. The only caveats are that the microphone/earphone jack is smaller than ones used by other recorders, so you need an adapter or a mike/earphone with small plugs, and that it doesn't come with an AC power supply. But overall, it's great.
40 of 41 found the following review helpful:
 Olympus Microcassette Recorder Dec 29, 2002
I purchased this product and found that it was of relatively poor construction quality. After reasonable normal use the cassette door hinge broke. I elected not to send it back for repair as my need for this equipment passed, but I was surprised that such a key element of the recorder would be so fragile.
44 of 46 found the following review helpful:
Only Okay Nov 26, 2002
By A. Marks
I was given this as an unexpected & thoughtful gift, but after working with it a bit, I don't think I'd chose the Olympus again. One basic design flaw is that it doesn't stand up very well on it's think rounded base. You can balance it, but it will topple over at the slightest disturbance. I compared it with my friend's Panasonic RN505 which is substantially heavier, but has a bigger, better speaker & is more stable. When I played my tape on her machine it seemed as if the microphones on both were comparable.
38 of 42 found the following review helpful:
marginal playback quality. Mar 19, 2001
By -
i purchased the j500 in order to record focus groups, but found that i needed to purchase an additional audio-cassette recorder in order to ensure that i'm able to capture everything that is said. i have a difficult time making out what people are saying when the recorder is placed in the middle of a fairly large boardroom table. there is quite a bit of feedback which makes understanding words fairly difficult. this may be eliminated by purchasing an external microphone...which will be my next purchase.
41 of 48 found the following review helpful:
Buyer Beware Dec 10, 2001
By E. Reed
I am not sure if it is my usage of this recorder, the tapes I put in it or the batteries. My recorder doesn't work anymore. The features on it are good, and it is certainly an attractive recorder. While it did work, I had absolutely no complaints. Unfortunately it isn't working now (and I have complaints). If I had to purchase another mini-recorder, I would go with a bigger name brand, just to be safe. It may cost extra money (as in a few measly bucks) but it is better to pay five more than replacing a whole new recorder. Lawyers will like the cassette recorders (and micro ones) but for the average person, I might even venture to suggest purchasing a digital recorder. Give it some thought, but whatever you do, be careful before you buy this one. I would not recommend it!
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based on 12 reviews
