This is a really fine digital (voice / sound and music) recorder and player.
It is very compact and the design of the product and the menus is done very well, with one minor exception. It fits in your hand. The controls are easy to understand and use although it will help to read the instructions. Some buttons have multiple uses (e.g. a short push versus a long push or different functions in different operating modes.) One poor design choice: Button labels are in white print on a silver-colored case. Black or dark gray would be a lot easier to read!!
A note on instructions: The quick start guide that comes with the recorder is pictorial and next to useless. Go to the Olympus website and download the PDF user manual.
You can use either a NiMH AAA rechargeable battery (comes with the unit) or an alkaline non-rechargeable. When you install a battery it initializes for a time (maybe 20 seconds?) and then you need to set in a soft menu which battery type. You can also operate it off a USB charger or power pack through the USB connector (see below.) I tend to use an alkaline battery. Why? I use the recorder very intermittently. If I used a rechargeable battery it probably would need to be recharged each time. If you use it frequently (e.g. more often than once per week) then the rechargeable battery will be a good choice.
The built-in, slide-out full-size USB connector lets you connect to a computer or a USB charger. There are menu choices to make for changing between charger and computer interface. This could be easier than it is. The menu choices design remind me of USB connection technology as of about five years ago.
Use the internal 4GB memory or add a micro SD card up to 32 GB. I added the card. Note - you choose which memory is in use - internal or external.
It pays to explore the recording and playback menus. While recording a low pass filter can be used to avoid recording low frequency noise such as AC or machinery hum. In playback, noise cancellation can be turned on and a volume stabilizer that boosts the volume of lower-volume (farther away) voices. Both are REALLY useful and effective. I find even if I am about 50 feet from a speaker (e.g. in a lecture) recording on medium volume is plenty sufficient. Playback can be slowed down (if noise cancellation is NOT used) which can help in transcribing although I find noise cancellation more valuable than slowing down the speaker.
It can record in WAV (poorest quality, smallest files), MP3 (at various bit rates up to 256 kbit/s), and PCM (highest quality, largest file size.) PCM files are about 10 times the size of MP3 256 kbit/s. I find MP3 256 kbit/s works completely fine. It might also be great at 128 kbit/s but I have not tried.
Recording is through the built-in stereo speakers (mono for WAV) or through an external microphone.
The speaker gives excellent sound although it does sound a bit tinny. What do you want or expect for a speaker in a handheld recorder?? Attached a high quality set of headphones and the sound is very impressive. There is also a microphone IN jack through which you can record from a microphone or any device with a Line Out jack. The jacks are 3.5mm.
There seems to be a bug in the unit's firmware. While recording in a particular mode (e.g. PCM) it tells you the amount of time left on the memory in use (internal or micro SD) in the active recording mode. It reports more time remaining for PCM than for MP3 256 kbit/s, which is way wrong. PCM uses by far the most memory per minute of recording.
Overall: A really great recorder. Highly recommended. If for some reason I lost mine I'd repurchase this one. There is also a WS-823 - the main feature is an FM radio. I have no idea how good it is, and I don't need my recorder to be an FM radio.
If this review was helpful, please let me know by voting for it.
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This Item  Olympus WS-822 GMT Voice Recorders with 4 GB Built-In-Memory |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $112.56 | -28% $55.71 List: $76.98 | -20% $39.99 List: $49.99 | -39% $54.99 List: $89.99 | -20% $111.99 List: $139.99 | $174.99 |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 15 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 | — |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Easy to use | ||||||
| Sound quality | ||||||
| Value for money | ||||||
| Sold By | HDD Shop | Amazon.com | G TANYI | Big Rocket Man USA | Amazon.com | HDD Shop |
| hardware interface | usb, sdhc, microsd, secure digital | usb2.0 | usb | usb2.0 | usb | usb, sdhc, microsd, secure digital |
| memory capacity | 4 GB | 32 GB | 72 GB | 32 GB | 8 GB | 0 GB |
| format | wma | mp3 audio | mp3 audio, wav | mp3 audio | mp3 audio | wma, mp3 audio |
| battery quantity | 2 aa, 1 aaa | 2 aaa | 1 lithium ion | 2 aaa | 1 aaa | 1 aaa |
| weight | 0.12 pounds | 77 grams | 0.17 pounds | 77 grams | — | 0.12 pounds |
| mic form factor | Built-In | Built-In | Built-In | Built-In | Built-In | Built-In |
| mic operation mode | Stereo, Mono | — | Stereo | — | Stereo | Mono |
| headphones jack | 3.5 millimeters | 3.5 millimeters | 3.5 millimeters | 3.5 millimeters | 3.5 millimeters | 3.5 millimeters |
Reviews with images
Works okay, but light, cheap feel for the price - awkward to use
This digital voice recorder was an upgrade from my very old model Olympus DS-30. The old model had a substantial, metal-like feel, while the new WS-822 is very light and plastic-like. The central buttons (the circle in the middle) are a little awkward and difficult to use. The middle of the buttons are recessed and impossible to reach easily, so I eventually figured out that I have to use the rim of the buttons (the shiny part of the circle) to press the buttons, but my fingers keep slipping off of them. The device is powered by one rechargeable AAA battery (included) and does not have a charging cable. Instead, the USB connection is integrated into the device. It took me a few minutes to realize there was a little slider on the left side of the device which released the retractable USB connector. It is a bit annoying to try to plug the USB into the computer, because unlike with a cable, I have to unplug everything else in order to use it. The device both charges and connects to the computer with the USB connection.I attached this to my Norstar landline rotary phone with an adapter device which I purchased on Amazon at the same time as a replacement for an identical device. It is called the VEC TRX-20 3.5MM Direct Connect Telephone Record Device (ADAPTER ONLY). Maybe there is a setting I am missing, but the new recorder will ONLY record in mono with this adapter. Not stereo - so that the sound comes out of only the right side of my headphones. The old recorder - using the exact same adapter - was able to record in stereo. My boss has the same new model WS-822 and it also will not record in stereo using the adapter.For the record, the old model (DS-30) still works fine except for (I believe) the mic/remote port seems like it doesn't work well anymore with the adapter, which plugs into it. The old model does not use rechargeable batteries and had a separate cable to connect to the computer. Also, the mic was removable.I hope that this device will continue to work for our purposes, but I was not thrilled.
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Top reviews from other countries
Gordon C
Great Also as a Music Player, Built-in USB plug & Speaker, Easy Battery Replacement, Multi-Language Display
Reviewed in Canada on December 9, 2014Style: Voice RecorderVerified Purchase
Kam
Easy, intuitive, and the recordings are very clear!
Reviewed in Canada on March 18, 2015Style: Voice RecorderVerified Purchase
John K. Meyer
seems great. i haven't used it that much
Reviewed in Canada on October 16, 2014Style: Voice RecorderVerified Purchase
