Digital Voice Recorder by Yemenren, 8GB 3072Kbps Sound Audio Recorder Dictaphone for Meetings Lectures, USB, Voice Activated, Double Microphone, Metal Casing

The seller and product were nice overall. I have one HUGE problem however. It formats ONLY in Windows, and the "WAV" files will not open on my Apple Mac without a third party encoder. Last the unit should sell a wind screen as the mic is in a rectangular top, and getting a low level is difficult. It would be nice to turn off Auto Gain Control (AGC) and have. a manual record level adjustment. I could really like this, especially for the price... but for the reasons stated, I would give the unit a 4 star rating, and the seller a 5 star. Adding manual record level control, a wind screen and drag n drop to Mac that worked w/o re-encoding, would make this a 5 star unit at twice the price!UPDATE: The seller contacted me and was very helpful. Promised to consider my feature requests in the next generation of recorders. Here were my feature requests in priority order:Please consider making a semi-Pro unit with the following features (in priority order):1. MAC compatible (My Mac will read Fat32 Windows Files, just not this recorders WAV… check your WAV specs to make sure they are industry standard. I prefer WAV for best quality)2. Manual Recording Level (turn off AGC)3. Better SNR / less noise (hiss)… I would like pristine sound… Use a higher quality mic preamp and/or condenser mics. There is noticeable hiss even w De-noise off.4. Slim Wind Screen that fits… Most will not be using the headphone jack anyway… Pro units have an option for a headphone and a user mic (like a headset). These jacks could be on the bottom or the windscreen coul have two holes for these. If it were me I would eliminate the headphone jack.5. Selecting a file to delete is confusing? Also – turning off auto-Loop is confusing? Last, when I play a file and stop in the middle by selecting the “Play Key”, the file starts at the point it was stopped. Request an option to return to beginning of file if Play is stopped. Some will want to continue where the file left off.. others will not.6. Folder Select – The Olympus allows one to select a folder and then record files for a particular client in the same folder. Keeps subjects organized.7. An App Store App that when connected the recorder App displays the Folders and from this window one could file the audios to specific locations (organization)8. Replace the slider record switch with a simple push on – release off… The slider is difficult to use… Something like your Play Key or the menu key – simple to use - for recording on/off would be better.UPDATE 2: I added a foam windscreen and the sound is now very good, no "pops". One more CRITICAL feature request... a red light indicator that it is recording! If I am driving and want to capture ideas, I can't be straining my eyes to see if the screen is blinking (dangerous while driving!) - we need a clear unambiguous red light ON means recording!!! -I upgraded to 5 star because of the price. Adding the features listed, the RED record light AND a way to bypass Auto Gain Control would really make this a nice unit. I did have to purchase a 3rd party app to get my Apple Mac (High Sierra) to play the WAV files this produces... So would like a Mac Friendly WAV format that did not require re-transcoding also. GET A WIND SCREEN! I cut one I had to fit and used some black E6000 glue... you need to be able to access the switches so be careful/ degrades from the look - but again for $30 bucks... 5 star!This would compete w the professional recorders…. and there is a market (Big One) for less expensive - quality recorders w these features. I have a $500 Olympus DS7000 that no longer works w Mac High Sierra, so many Mac users are in need of a replacement ASAP!!!

Firstly, I want to touch on the box. When the package first arrived, it came in the standard item box. Nothing special: minimalistic white box with the item on the front and some specifications on the back. The box didn't have any visual problems which are always a good sign. When you first open the box you'll be greeted by the voice recorder, the manual, a language book, and the USB cord. The voice recorder has some really nice weight to it. I would assume the metal casing of the item is what causes it to have a fair amount of weight to it. Visually the item has a glossy metallic finish with silver plastic buttons. The casing seems to be a very nice quality and the buttons don’t seem inexpensive but they are plastic. When using the item, it works phenomenally. I had trouble learning the mechanics of the recorder, but once I opened the manual, all my problems were solved; Therefore, look at the manual. It might save you. The voice recorder works great at recording my philosophy class lectures( disclaimer: I sit in a 30 student classroom which is dead silent most of the time-- Not a lecture hall.) It records the entire 60 minutes of sitting in the room without any lapses. When it comes down to audio quality the item is mediocre. Everything is intelligible but my iPhone has a better sounding audio. The overall reason why I wanted this is for lectures. It’s inconvenient to have my phone out most of the time and most teachers don’t approve the use of electronic devices. All in all, I really enjoy the item. It looks and feels pleasing, It’s extremely convenient, but the audio is subpar in accordance to my phone’s audio. Still, I would rate this to be a 5/5.

The device is compact and portable. But that's about all the good there is about it.Tested this device out at home after setting the device denoise and frequency levels to the highest, and the playback still contained a lot of noise. The device also did not pick up my voice very well from 3 feet away at normal talking level. It was just barely audible beyond the noise, not crystal clear or high quality. At 6 feet away, it was even less audible, and at 10 feet, the playback of my voice was only whisper.I brought the device to my class lecture as well. I sat only 10 feet away from the professor, he was speaking loudly, but the result was still despicable - the voice was very low and the background noise was constant and loud, even set at the highest volume with earbuds- completely the opposite of the product's description claims and the appraisals from other reviewers.I bought 2 of this product based on its good ratings and will be returning them both based on its poor performance picking up class lectures.Complete waste of money.