Olympus DM-1 Voice and MP3 Recorder with WOW! Technology

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Manufacturer: Olympus
Price at amazon.com: $195.99
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Used & new from $180.00

List price $349.99



Product Features:

• Digital voice recorder and MP3 player
• 64 MB removable SmartMedia card for up to 22 hours of dictation and 1 hour of MP3/WMA music playback
• Backlit orange LCD screen
• 8 hours of playback or 11 hours of recording from two AAA batteries (included)
• Includes earbud headphones, USB cable, DSS (Digital Speech Standard) software, and soft carrying case

Product Description:

Description from Manufacturer:The Olympus DM-1's dual-purpose design--as a digital voice recorder for work and a digital audio player for leisure--offers valuable versatility for a world demanding ever more efficiency. This doubly cool device stores and organizes hours of voice-quality digital audio files while standing ready to crank up MP3 and WMA (Windows Media Audio) music files.

Fittingly, the DM-1's metallic blue body cuts a sleek shape suited to both business and recreational environs. The unit is easily gripped in hand, and its silver-styled buttons and textured switches feel sturdy, if not downright elegant. It comes with a nifty fitted case with Velcro straps.

As a voice recorder, this unit is brimming with deluxe features. An included USB cable speeds through downloads from your DM-1 to your PC in minutes. And since digital voice files, being extremely compressed, require little memory, you can store a virtually unlimited number on your computer. The files save in the Digital Speech Standard (DSS) format and the play, organize, and interface through your PC via included DSS software on CD-ROM.

We were pleased to discover, however, that one can do a lot of organizing right on the player. The DM-1 lets you delete files or whole folders right there on its backlit LCD so you store only what you want. The LCD displays recording length, time, and date.

The included 64 MB SmartMedia card is removable so you can expand your available memory (up to 128 MB, depending on the card), but it's also large enough to hold over 10 hours of voice recordings in SP (Standard Playback) mode. In SP, the audio quality is clear and reasonably free of artifacts. Under LP (Long Playback) mode, the memory card holds a lengthy 22 hours, making this recorder especially useful for extended use and travel. The quality difference between SP and LP modes is slight enough that the 22-hour setting is probably your best choice.

But the thing that makes the DM-1 so much more fun than an average voice recorder is the fact that it doubles as a terrific digital audio player. You can store and play about one hour of CD-quality audio on the included memory. The player boasts WOW! technology to enhance the sound, but sonic purists (or those with great headphones) will just hear an earful of distortion more than anything else, though the reverberation effects are pleasing with some music. The preset EQ settings provide distinctive, easy listening no matter what your music preference with rock, pop, and jazz.

Though comfortable, the supplied headphones sound inadequate even with the compensation of the EQ and WOW! effects. If you prefer to tailor the sound, you can also customize an EQ setting through the recorder's menu button.

For public listening, the integrated speaker plays either voice or music when no headphones are connected. The small but highly listenable speaker is another example of how this diminutive device impresses with big sound and cool features.

To conserve battery space, the Variable Control Voice Actuator (VCVA) automatically starts and stops recording when sound rises above or falls below at a given preset volume, or threshold. Other battery-saving features are hold, which keeps the device from accidentally recording the silence inside your pocket or suitcase, and an option that disables the orange backlight.

The palm-sized DM-1 offers intuitive button placement; fingers fall on the important buttons without obstructing the microphone, speaker, or display. And, your hand will have the control system memorized in minutes. Two exceptions keep the button layout from perfection: the volume control and the power switch. The power button hides on the back of the unit (probably to keep you from inadvertently turning it on or off) and the volume control sits atop the unit, a tiny dial with even tinier numbers. In our opinion, a front- or side-mounted button that displays the volume level digitally would have been ideal.

The unit derives approximately 8 hours of playback or 11 hours of recording from two AAA batteries (included); an AC adapter for continuous play must be purchased separately.

Apart from these minor quibbles, however, the DM-1 is a stand-out product--a versatile and exciting tool and toy. --Husseni Yali Rasiwala

Pros:

• Decent, comfy headphones
• Helpful step-by-step instruction booklet
• Ample 64 MB memory card included
• Onboard speaker
• USB cable included
• VCVA and hold feature saves precious batter life
• Backlit display easy to read in dark settings
• Accurate voice recording

Cons:

• No audio during forward or reverse scan in music mode
• AC adapter not included
• Awkward power button placement
• Tiny volume dial

Average Customer Rating:

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Comment: Good Quality-Lacking basic features Rating:
The DM-1 appears to be a high quality device. The recording and playback sound quality is acceptable with internal speaker and mike.
The playback quality in the Music mode with WOW is better than expected.
However, for dictation, the basic ability to rewind and "edit" a voice file after it is recorded is missing. That is a serious limitation for using this for dictation.
Also the Music Match Jukebox software necessary to load Music files is limited unless one pays another $20 to upgrade. The limitations are bad enough, but the constant nagging messages about upgrading are disruptive and offensive. Also transfer of files to the device is very slow using the Music Match Software.
Also of note, drivers for Windows Media Player are not available.
The best way to transfer files between the DM-1 and PC is to use a card reader. That is much faster.
The concept of a voice recorder with MP3 capability and removable media is great but the missing voice file edit capability and crippled Music software are disappointing and very limiting. I expected more at this price.

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Comment: Great product with a few weaknesses Rating:
As a voice recorder:
The DM-1 and the Olympus software provide very basic functions. Get a more serious dictation machine if you need a lot of functionality. You can add index marks while recording or playing back, which is pretty handy for longer recordings. The voice activation mode with variable sensitivity works very well. You can set one alarm to play back a recording, but you can only set a time, not a date (like an alarm clock). The DM-1 would be a lot more useful to me if I could set multiple alarms and set both a time and a date. That way it could replace my Palm for creating reminders (the DM-1 is a lot easier to carry around). In high sensitivity mode, the mic picks up distant voices very well and playback quality is good with headphones. The sound quality is very acceptable, but I recently tried out a $100 Sony ICD-B10 recorder and the Sony had signficantly better recorded playback; very smooth sound without the slight roughness of the DM-1. The Sony also had (and the DM-1 lacks) a timer so you can set a date and time to start recording. When I plugged stereo headphones into the Sony I only heard sound out of one speaker. I find it easier to listen when I can hear the playback in both ears, so I like the DM-1 better in that respect.

As an MP3 player:
The included ear buds had mediocre sound (weak bass) so I got some lightweight $5 Maxell headphones and now the sound is excellent. The WOW system gives you wider stereo separation. Just choose the low 3D setting, the higher settings sound too shrill. There is also a variable bass boost setting. The Rock equalizer preset works fine for me, the user preset is difficult to set because you can't adjust it during playback. The USB connection is slow. I got a 128 MB Smartmedia card ($40) so I can load more music. With 128 MB I can load 2 hours of music and still have 1.5 hours of voice recording space left.

Other:
There are four tiny switches that may be hard to use if you have large fingers, and they seem fragile. The volume wheel is tiny but works OK for me. There is a plastic cover for the USB port but it is too easy to lose. A sliding door or attached cover would have worked better. If you listen to MP3 music a lot, you need rechargeable batteries. The two-tone blue case with orange backlight is very cool.

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Comment: hard drive and flash memory comparisons for mp3's .... Rating:
Okay. Here is a write up, that I did, on the comparisons/contrasts on MP3 players. Mainly, the Harddrive versions (I.E. Rio Riot/Apple IPOD -both of which I own) and the flash memory type... (I.E. Memorex 3642 Mp3 Player, of which I own as well).
What prompted this little jaunt (of which you may send to as many people as you like) My (expensive) Apple IPOD died during a sync last month. Just me copying files over to it, and the battery ran out of juice. I would have not attempted to copy music had I known the battery was low, but the battery read FULL STRENGTH. Anyhoo, I called Apple, they said return it for maintenance.
I did. Sent it back.
They returned it, still broke.

To my suprise, there is only a TEN DAY return policy.

TEN DAYS.

I did not realize this at all... and will not ever buy another apple product.

So, after a month or so of messing around trying to find another MP3 player... I decided to go with a flash memory MP3 player, the ones that use memory sticks.

SO, here are the pro and cons of these devices.

Pro's for the Memory Stick Mp3 players

-Cheaper. WAY CHEAPER than Hard drive types.

-If you go into music match and file convert to MP3 Pro and shrink the size of your MP3 to like, say 3o percent... you can really make a good Kompression. Example. My Memorex MP3 player has 32mbs of memory on board. It is expandable to 256mb. 32 mb will basically let you put one cd's worth of music. It is easy to put music on and off of them, due to your computer reading the USB as just another hard drive, so you drag and drop to put on, delete them to take them off. But, after you shrink your files to MP3 Pro 30 percent, you can put twice as many. So, basically a 256mb chip will allow me to put 208 songs on my little less than palm size MP3 player. And it wieghs like 3 ounces.

- More on memory. These little chips are the size of the upper part of your thumb, at least my thumb anyway. They come in 128mb, 256mb, 512mb and even though there aren't any MP3 machines out there to handle them YET, you can even buy a 1.5gig thumb size chip thingy. Considering the size of the chips and the shrinking kompression I told you about earlier, I could shrink my whole KOLLEKTION down to 10 of those 1.5gig chips. At the current shrink rate I am at 5 DVD's, which are way bigger and more fragile than these little chips.

- Not as fragile as hard drive type. You can drop one of these chips and not scratch it. I wouldn't stomp on one with my foot, nor get one in water, but they are encased in plastic. Ruggedish.

- Batteries last for like two days. There isn't much going on here, no moving parts, no laser or hard drive to put power to. Most of these flash Memory types have a single AA battery. I use a rechargeable type, so we are talking very low cost here.
In comparison to the hard drive types, where you will get a solid 8 hours of playing, this really whupps up.

- Size. Small. Very small. Mine is three inches by three inches. A square. But, you can get smaller ones. And the memory chips that go in them are the same ones you use for your camera. And you can put files on them. If you want to put a word doc on your memory chip, you can. Your Mp3 won't recognize it, but it is nifty storage.

COMPARISON/CONTRAST

- Size does matter. In the case of hard drive Mp3 players... lets face it, you can, if you so chose to, put a library of congress on these monsters. They are the caddilacs of the hand held devices, and guzzle batteries like gasoline. But when it comes down to it, size is the only thing they have going for them. I don't mean to downplay the hard drive types, but don't drop them, don't shake them, and after shelling out $499 to Apple you might consider insurance. Apple doesn't care about you or your apple after 10 days of ownership.

- Price/Komparison. IPOD ran me $499 bucks. My memorex MP3 player ran me 45 dollars. The 128 memory chip runs you 50 bucks. Owch. There really isn't a comparison to the two. The memory stick Mp3 players just kick ? on this issue. And, you get MORE than a ten day return policy, since you buy these things at Target/Wal Mart etc...

So, that is my review in a nutshell

Posted at November 11, 2003 07:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)