Olympus DS-50 Digital Voice Recorder (275 Hours) Review

The manual does not specify the most important quality difference between recording in STXQ mode versus STHQ.

STXQ results in 128kbps WMA recording.
STHQ results in 64kbps WMA recording.
Both modes are 44.1KHz 16 bit.

The conclusion is that if you are recording music or otherwise want the highest quality, you must record in STXQ mode.
To achieve the best possible recording using an Olympus mic intended for this DS-50 recorder, consider ordering the ME51S mic, which is superior to the included ME53SA.

This is a fantastic recorder. But it is not the ultimate recorder for musicians. For example, see the Zoom H4 or the Olympus LS-10 Linear PCM Recorder.

If you have a Mac or otherwise want to convert the WMA files to the more universally playable MP3 format, consider downloading the EasyWMA program (or one of many other similar free or inexpensive programs). This recorder is compatible with Mac computers if you are willing to convert WMA files after transferring them to your Mac (setting USB class in the DS-50 menu to "Storage Class" allows drag-and-drop from the DS-50 to your PC). The manual does not make this compatibility clear, and might mislead you to think it is only compatible with Windows.

See also the Olympus DS-61 (2GB) and DS-40 (512MB) for basically identical recorders at different price points. The DS-40 is a great bargain for those with more limited budgets or who do not need as much recording capacity. The DS-61 is not yet available on amazon, but is available elsewhere.

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Product Description:
Record a full month of sound by remote control. In addition to capturing stereo sound from meetings, interviews and other critical information expected of professional digital recorders, you can control recording and stop functions with the included remote control. The super-high-quality sound is also great for dictation - it's the ideal professional audio device.

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