Olympus DS-40 Digital Voice Recorder

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.

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-40 menu to "Storage Class" allows drag-and-drop from the DS-40 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-50 (1GB) 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.

If you want an easy-to-use and reliable digital recorder, this one's for you. It took me 5 minutes to learn how to use it. The sound quality is excellent when recording multiple voices in a room. Over the phone, the sound was not as clear but perhaps I could have used a different setting. The disk space is generous, and you can organize recordings into separate file folders.

Outstanding sound quality in stereo. The mono is OK too, but at its lowest quality levels, it produces an annoying metallic echo. I really like the DSS Software Player Plus program (I had to pay $10 to upgrade). It is easy to use. I can split and join files, easily control noise reduction, rename file folders (even templates that appear in the device), and control the recorder's menu. The menu feature is especially great because in the device, the menu display is somewhat cramped---given that there are a ton of options available in the menu. Also, I use Windows Media Player to play files and burn to CD's. I use a hard glasses case to store the recorder in, as it appears delicate. Some are saying it is made of metal---it seems too lightweight to be metal, maybe aluminum??

The timer feature is oustanding. It has settings for daily, weekly and you can set the record quality. And, there are 3 separate timers!

So far, I've recorded a few hours and the battery meter is still on full power with the generic batteries out of the box.

Without the software, the computer recognizes the recorder as "remote storage" and you can easily drag and drop files to other programs, or load them onto free WMA editor software available online.

The audio files are not as easy to e-mail as I thought. A 20 min recording in high quality stereo is about 8 MB, and when I try and attach it to an e-mail, it takes maybe 20 min to load it on there. But I was able to do it.

I looked long and hard for voice recorders before buying this one. And I am well pleased at the quality and sound control features, as well as file management.

Chris (Duluth, MN)

Works excellent, both sides of conversation are clear using the peripheral TP-7 mic cable. The DS-40 is worth the extra expense for the ability to connect the USB seamlessly to drag and drop the 'non-proprietary file format' WMA files to a PC.

I got this digital recorder due to new regulations in my business that require certain phone calls to be recorded. After using this for several days now it has worked flawlessly. I also purchased the TP7 accessory that you simply plug into the DS-40 mic input and put the earbud into your ear while you talk on the phone. The DS-40 does a great job of recording these calls. I'll also find many more uses such as recording lectures and using it as a daily log for ideas. I don't know how many times I've been driving down the road or somewhere where I've thought of an idea that I want to remember and I haven't had a way to capture it. Now, with the size and quality of the DS-40, I'll just take it with me and when I have a thought like that I'll record it to reference later. I also am a semi-professional songwriter and musician so it'll come in quite handy for capture song ideas on the fly as well. The bottom line is this is a great little recorder that seems to do its job very well. There are only a couple things that I think could be improved. 1) The backlighting seems kind of dim and there is no way to increase it. The settings are either "on" or "off." I suppose this is to conserve power but it seems like this could have been better. 2) I would like to be able to re-name the folders and files to my preference. The folders are lettered A-E (for recording). There is a list of pre-sets that you can choose from to rename the file but you don't have the ability to define a name yourself. The names available could be useful but may not be exactly what you want. The files can't be renamed so if you want to change a file name to identify it by its content, you won't be able to do that. In fairness you can attach comments to a file after you load it into your computer and you could use those comments to help identify its content. Overall, I'm very happy with the DS-40 and would recommend it. It's sound is crystal clear and for the price (especially here at Amazon) you really can't go wrong.