Olympus L400 Ultra-Compact Microcassette Recorder

First, the problems. Someone with real small hands will appreciate it. Others with bigger hands might find it too small. Those used to holding a microcassette recorder a certain way (using the thumb to work the controls for example) will have to get used to the small size. The controls on this device are electronic buttons instead of manual push buttons. But I have to shift the device up in my hands to access all the buttons with my thumb. In addition, only the rewind function works while the tape is playing. That is, you can't fast forward without stopping the tape first. Further, they didn't add a separate fast forward button, but you hit the rewind button twice to go forward. I don't really like this feature. Finally, the voice activation doesn't work too well. At least not for me.

Now, the good news. You can turn the access to the buttons off, so if it is in your pocket, it won't go off prematurely, and it won't accidentally pop the tape open since the eject slide is on the bottom of the unit. The speaker sounds pretty good and recording quality is about the best I've seen from the total of 4 recorders I've had. All in all, I have started to like it, but I would have made it a little bigger and gone for controls more like traditional recorders.

Update: I have used this recorder almost every day (at least 3-4 days a week) for about a year and a half. Everything above still stands, but there are other things, some good some bad. First, the bad (or, perhaps, not so good): you MUST use good quality tapes in the machine. I used whatever tapes my firm had, some cheap tapes that probably are good for 2 or 3 erases even in a cheap machine. This caused the unit to act up -- and you would hear 6 beeps when trying to play, record, or even rewind. I thought the unit was defective and called customer service, who told me to send it in. Finally, I realized that the problem didn't happen when I use Maxell, Sony, or TDK (high quality tapes). Second issue, you can't start talking immediately after hitting record. I didn't realize this unitl recently when my secretary was always missing the first words of sentences. I wondered why until I was rewinding one day and found out that there is a quick delay before recording. It is constant, but lasts for less than or about a second.

Now, the good news: this thing still produces the best sounding stuff. Olympus clearly makes the best analog recorders. Although I think the unit could be a little better, you do end up getting used to the small size (if that was ever a problem) and the controls. I haven't gone back to the voice activation feature to see if I was the problem, but one day I will. Good luck, and after 1.5 years, I would buy this again.