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- 1076 Hours of Recording
- 4gb memory and Micro SD Compatible
- PCM, MP3 & WMA Recording
- Built-in Stereo Microphone
- 51 Hour Batt.Life
Product Description
Maybe we should have called it the Ultra recorder. Ultra-long memory, ultra sensitive microphone, ultra useful features, ultra sleek… The DM-520 provides more than a thousand hours of recording with 4GB of internal memory and state-of-the-art capabilities such as file move, file copy, sound editing and multi-format recording.
Nagercoil Vimalan
/ July 30, 2010I got this product to sent to my sister in India where she studies classic music and instruments. She got it record and replay for her to self train. She told to me that the quality is very good and she can move around the files list. She dislikes the name of the folder where u save the files..
Other than that I will recommend anybody to buy this one…
Rating: 5 / 5
Obay Z. Abdulfattah
/ July 30, 2010I tried a lot of these recorders till I found this one. this is the best
Rating: 5 / 5
Dennis
/ July 30, 2010I have owned other Olympus products and have always felt the quality to be excellent and the DM520 is no exception. Unit fits in the hand nicely and the controls are easy to use. I would,however, prefer if the power on switch was a little bigger and easier to get at. Not a major issue. Mic is very sensitive but wish it put out a little bigger volume. For someone who is looking for a top quality recorder with good features and easy to use, this is an excellent unit.
Rating: 5 / 5
Ladislav Petr Kodym
/ July 30, 2010I’ve never had before recorder capable to record in such an amazing quality using built-in microphone. Definitely five stars.
Rating: 5 / 5
Michael Lee
/ July 30, 2010I’ve had this recorder for a year now. Love it. Pay attention to other critical reviews to determine if it has all the features you want (Olympus has other recorders better suited for special purposes like dictation).
The voice menus have proven surprisingly useful. I use this in the car a lot to record quick thoughts and reminders. Once you get the hang of where the buttons are, no need to look at the recorder to use it.
Speaking of the buttons, there’s an OK button dead center in the front of the recorder, ringed with up/down/left/right buttons. Thes button functions change depending on mode and are all you need for simple playback. If you’ve used a Logitech Harmony remote, you know how useful this button configuration can be when done right. It’s done right here.
Recording quality from the built in (stereo) microphone is excellent for voice. I haven’t tried it with music. It picks up voices in a large conference room clearly from 20 feet away. The stereo isn’t irrelevant even for voice. When multiple people are talking over each other it actually helps intelligibility. I just don’t worry when recording a large meeting about being able to hear everyone. While writing this review, I tried a little experiment, setting the recorder on the floor in a far corner of the living room, default record settings, and then walking around the house talking. In the dining room, 25 feet away, clear as a bell. In the kitchen, partially blocked by walls, still pretty clear. 40 feet down the hallway in the bedroom, still clear, if faint. If there’s one reason to choose this recorder above others, it’s the ability to grab multiple voices from distances you wouldn’t expect.
Hardware quality is excellent. I’d recommend a case if you’re going to carry this in your pocket with your keys. My previous DM-20 was pretty marred by being tossed around with keys in my pocket for years. The included case is way too big for a pocket. I ordered another case off Amazon purely for slimness. Unfortunately, the Amazon link thing didn’t work for it or I’d link to it. I’d love to find a neoprene case designed specifically for this recorder. Probably this link will be suppressed:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000UX1060/ref=oss_product
The recorder takes two AAA batteries, and will charge Nimh batteries via USB. Battery life is almost too long. I forget that you have to hold the Stop key while connecting to USB port on your computer to go to charging mode instead of connected mode. The recorder works well as an external USB drive.
Bells & whistles–there are a lot. I have no idea how to use most of them. The Scene stuff seems interesting. It changes a group of recording or playback parameters all at once for different scenarios (music, lecture, large conference room, and multiple custom scenes you can add). Since I haven’t gotten an unuseable recording yet from the defaults, I haven’t tried any of this. There’s voice activation with multiple sensitivity settings. You can add an SD micro card (I put one in just for backup–I’ve never come close to exhausting the 4GB of built in memory.)You can transfer files from the built in memory to the card and move files between folders. It works as an mp3 player and has Audible support.
Bad stuff:
You do have to press a lot of keys to get some things done. Others have complained about erase–once you learn the dance it’s ok (Erase, up arrow, OK, up arrow, OK).
Could we please get a decent case for this? It’s supposed to be a pocket recorder but it’s hard to carry it around in your pocket.
Rating: 4 / 5