Olympus Digital Voice Recorder WS-853, Black

Price: £59.00
(as of Aug 02,2024 06:07:21 UTC – Stereo recorder that is packed with premium features. Premium quality recording packed with features to enhance efficiency. Perfect for use in all environments. Use it for business meetings, classroom lectures, or just about anything.
Batteries ‏ : ‎ 2 AAA batteries required. (included)
Is discontinued by manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 11.18 x 1.8 x 3.81 cm; 73.71 g
Date First Available ‏ : ‎ 17 Sept. 2015
Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Olympus
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B014658DHQ
Item model number ‏ : ‎ V415131BU000
Department ‏ : ‎ unisex-adult
Guaranteed software updates until ‏ : ‎ unknown

High quality MP3 recording;Includes Olympus Carrying Case for WS Series Voice Recorders
USB Direct connect with battery charge function
8gb internal memory
Micro SD card slot
Playback speed control 0.5X – 2.0X
)

Reviewer: Leon
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Generally satisfactory
Review: This is the third digital Olympus VR I have used. I use these for recording field notes on biological surveys and similar outdoor activities.I bought it on Amazon UK, but from the US site as it was mysteriously cheaper than the same one from UK. I could wait for the longer delivery time. It means guarantee leaflet info is only for North America but that wouldn’t affect my statutory rights.New features I like:- the built in pop-up USB connection allows charging of the supplied rechargeable batteries from any USB port and transfer of files to a PC etc without needing a wire, although that is also possible.- recording time is massive- rechargeable batteries supplied. I could use my own rechargeable ones in previous versions, but this one has a setting to say which is in use – I’m not sure what it does, perhaps prevents charging if you set to non-rechargeable?Features I don’t like:- it is important to me, for my records and other reasons, to be able to easily see the exact time and date of each recording as I scroll through them. While this information is displayed as you advance yo next recording, this is for an extremely short moment of time, then being replaced by play symbol and other info. I’ve searched every function and can’t find a way round this. there is a calendar index, but only by date. The file name doesn’t indicate this information. I wouldn’t have bought such a device knowingly, so can’t give above 3 stars – it might not matter to another purchaser though. The previous recorder displayed this info by holding down one of the buttons – this one doesn’t.- the on-off power switch feels flimsy, I am not confident this will last.- the power-on time is rather slow compared to previous two recorders.- you need to wait a second before speaking after pressing record or you can lose a few syllables.- the power switch is on the right so needs to be used with right hand. My previous recorder was ‘left handed’ which was better for me when using with another implementOther features are as expected. Sound quality is good but not amazing. Battery life didn’t seem fantastic from new, but I always carry spares.

Reviewer: AIplikci
Rating: 1.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Broken already
Review: Bought this in July. Only used it for a couple of times and put it on shelf. I need it now, tried to charge but no luck. Very disappointed

Reviewer: Mr.T C Steatham
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Like the Olympus brand
Review: Sound Quality not so good

Reviewer: jp
Rating: 2.0 out of 5 stars
Title: breaks very fast ,and then imposible to fix
Review: breaks very fast ,but as long as it works its great ,but not the greatest value

Reviewer: Cliente Amazon
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: .

Reviewer: Nathan Rowley
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: DisclaimerI purchased this microphone with my own hard-earned money. All of my thoughts here are strictly my own. I have not been paid or compensated to write this review. I wrote this review in my spare time because I am such a fan of the device.Pros1. Longevity & Durability. I have dropped it so many times and it still works great. It is a solidly built product.2. Excellent Sound quality. Way better then a phone microphone.3. A sensitive microphone. If you put it next your ear while on the phone you can hear both sides of the call.4. It is a AAA battery recharger.5. It uses AAA batteries. That are easy to obtain.6. It has a calendar. It keeps the time.7. You can choose to record into different folders so that you stay organized.8. Simple controls and operation.9. The hold function is great while you’re recording. So, you do not accidentally hit buttons.10. A removable battery. This increases the longevity of the product.11. There is some much customizability of the record quality.12. Great battery life with the included batteries. Like about 1 to 1.5 days running all the time at the highest file format.13. Included rechargeable batteries.14. Included quality black soft case. It is made of the same material as laptop sleeves. The soft case grips the device firmly, so it will not fall out.15. You can connect a lanyard to it.16. It has a kick stand to avoid vibrations.17. A quality build.18. Easy software upgrades from the Olympus windows upgrade app. There has only been one update so far.19. A stylish design.20. An expandable micro-SD card slot. *** Please note that 32gb is the maximum size*** I have tried a larger 128 GB micro-SD card and it would not work. It would not even recognize the larger 128 GB micro-SD card.21. There is a cover over the micro-SD card slot.22. The USB port is built into the device. You do not have deal with cables. There is a cover for the USB port.23. It does not scratch easily.24. Compact design. It is a great balance of features performance and size.25. There is a loop in the soft case where you could attach a carabiner to keep on a key chain.26. Two 3.5 mm jacks. One for recording and one for a speaker.27. All quality plastic used.28. The beeps and lights can be turned off for stealthy operation.Cons1. It picks up finger prints easily.2. The include soft case gets softer the more you use it. It will not let the device slip out though.Worthwhile UpgradesThese are items that I wish that I bought when I first bought this microphone. You can get many of these items on online discount stores for not a lot of money.1. A hard zipper case. It comes with a quality soft case but having a hard case to store extra batteries is nice. The soft case comes in a plastic case and I use that for more waterproofing. Using a Ziplock bag would also help with water proofing and so that you can carry extra batteries, etc.2. A lanyard. It makes it easier to not drop it. Plus, you can tie the microphone a pole. You cannot use a metal clip lanyard, like for a badge. You need to get a thread lanyard.3. A 32 GB memory card. This is not a must have because 8gb is a lot of space, but it is nice to have. A cheap one is fine because the transfer rate is low.4. A lavalier microphone. Try to get one with an L 3.5mm connector.5. The Olympus telephone recorder mic.6. A silicon case. They exist but I have a hard time finding them.7. Lithium-Ion AAA batteries. Turns this thing into a recording power house.Overall, I am very happy with this microphone. It has been an asset for me. I wish that every product that I own was built with the philosophy that they built microphone with.

Reviewer: Carolus
Rating: 1.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Das Olympus WS-853 hatte ich erstmals vor Jahren gekauft (im Bild 1 das linke Gerät). Es hat seine Dienste getan, doch dann ließen sich die aufgenommenen Dateien nicht mehr via USB-Verbindung auf den Rechner laden. Ein Ersatz musste her. Weil das alte seinen Dienst getan hat, wurde das gleiche Modell noch einmal bei Amazon bestellt (im Bild 1 das rechte Gerät).Die Lieferung verlief für Amazon-Bestellungen irgendwie ungewöhnlich. Bei Bestellung am 21.9. war mir die Lieferung für 5.10. angekündigt und später nochmal bestätigt worden. Dass Lieferungen bei Amazon schon mal einen Tag früher als angekündigt kommen, habe ich schon mehrfach erlebt. Aber dass zu einem Artikel erst eine ungewohnt lange Lieferzeit 21.9. bis 5.10, also 14 Tage angekündigt wird und die sich dann vom 21.9. bis 28.9., also auf 7 Tage verkürzt bzw. halbiert, war für mich ungewöhnlich und hätte vielleicht als Warnsignal wahrgenommen werden sollen. Aber zunächst sieht man die verzürzte Lieferzeit eher positiv, schöpft keinen Verdacht.Das Gerät in Betrieb genommen, irritierte, dass eine Spracheinstellung auf Deutsch nicht möglich war, sondern nur English, Francais und Espaniol. Später in den mitgelieferten Handbuch-Dateien die Sprachübersicht aufgerufen (Bild 2), stellte sich heraus, dass man mir wohl statt einer Version für “Western Europe” mit 8 möglichen Spracheinstellungen incl. Deutsch eine Version “Americas” zugeschickt hat mit nur 3 Soracheinstellungen und ohne Deutsch. Mir war unklar, warum das nicht gekennzeichnet wird, war irritierend, aber noch kein Beinbruch. Ãœblicherweise halten wir die Amerikaner für fortschrittlicher in digitalen Technologien, jedenfalls gab das noch keinen Anlass zur größeren Beanstandung.Bei der Aktualisierung des Datums fiel dann auf, dass die Grundeinstellung ein ultimatv weit zurückliegendes Dataum aufwies. Ich kann nicht mehr sagen, welches und will das auch nicht durch Zurücksetzen der Einstellungen suchen gehen, weiß nur, dass ich irgendwie erschrocken war. Trotzdem war das immer noch kein K.O.-Kriterium.Dann aber hatte ich den Eindruck, dass das Gerät ganz deutlich langsamer ist als das vorherige. Ich machte zwei provisorische Vergleichstests.1. Einschalten der Geräte und warten bis zur Einsatzbereitschaft, also dass die Aufnahme betätigt werden kann. Beim alten Gerät dauerte das 13 Sekunden und war mitunter ein Ärgernis wegen Langatmigkeit. Das neue Gerät brauchte dazu 20 Sekunden, brauchte also nochmal 50 % länger als das alte Gerät.2. Anschluss via USB an ein Ladegerät bis die dabei angeordnete “Wartezeit” abgelaufen war. Beim alöten Gerät wurden dabei 5 Sekunden gemessen, beim neuen 13 Sekunden.Aus den beiden Messungen schließe ich, dass das neue Gerät einen wesentlich schlechteren Prozessor haben dürfte.Eine Vergleichsmessung zur Ãœbertragungsgeschwindigkeit vom Gerät auf den PC via USB-Anschluss war mir aber wegen des Defektes des alten Gerätes nicht möglich. Die Ãœbertragung war aber bereits beim alten Gerät nervig langsam und nach den o.b. Vergleichsmessungen kann ich mir nicht vorstellen, dass das neue Gerät da schneller sein könnte.Ich wollte das alte Gerät durch ein gleiches ersetzt haben, habe bei Amazon das Gerät mit der gleichen Bezeichnung gewählt und ein erheblich schlechteres bekommen.Ich sehe mich enttäuscht, werde das Gerät wohl in den nächsten Tagen zurücksenden und glaube, dass auch Amazon hier – wenn man denn die Kundenfreundlichkeit so herausstellt – bezüglich Transparent der Produktbezeichnungen bzw. deren Darstellung auf den Amazon-Seiten noch Verbesserungspotential hat.Ich würde gerne Null Sterne geben. Aber das geht leider nicht. So ist es denn einer.

Reviewer: Lew Miller
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: This recorder is very well-designed and user-friendly. Its principal drawback is that the display is compact and can be difficult to read; older citizens might need to wear their eyeglasses.The “STOP,” “REC,” and “OK” buttons are large and easy to operate, and handle the record and playback functions superbly, but do read the manual — this recorder has many tricks up its sleeve! Some of them can be disruptive if they emerge or alter your planned action because of ignorance.The recorder has several pre-defined recording curves, or “filters: Dictation, Meeting, Conference, Telephone, and DNS (for voice-recognition software). They are in the menus, of course, but there is a direct-access button in the lower-right corner of the control panel, marked “Calendar,” with “–Scene” below. Pressing and holding this button opens the “Scene” menu, and the filters are selected by pressing the “+” and “-” keys on the central, circular button array, then pressing the “OK” button in the center. I have found these options to be very effective, and the noise-cancelling filter, which is engaged during replay, is outstanding.The recorder has 3 record “modes,” 8-, 64-, and 128-kbps. The highest rate, of course, produces the cleanest, most accurate sound, while the lowest rate yields the longest recording times. 64-kbps is the best compromise, but the recorder’s high 8-GB capacity provides 130 hours of recording time at 128-kbps, 260 hours at 64-kbps, and 2,080 hours at 8-kbps. In addition, the recorder can accept a micro-SD card up to 32 GB in size in its micro-SD-card slot.The 8-kbps mode produces very dull, low-quality sound (70 Hz to 3.5 kHz). It should be used only for maximum endurance. 64-kbps records from 70 Hz to 15 kHz (more than perfect for voice), and 128-kbps records from 70 Hz to 17 kHz, which produces good, but not perfect music recordings (weak bass).Battery life is excellent. I have recorded perhaps 500 hours at 128-kbps since I received the recorder, and the recording times listed in the manual for the Ni-MH batteries have been reasonably accurate.An unusual feature is the built-in USB plug, which is at the top of the recorder, and is extended and retracted by a slider button on the back. The recorder can be plugged into a computer for down-loading of files and/or to recharge the batteries. To accommodate this feature, the microphone and headset jacks are on the left side (as you look at the front of the recorder), which can be awkward for carrying the recorder in a pocket while a headset or an external microphone is plugged in. Because the recorder is very small, this configuration is not usually a problem. Recordings made with the recorder in a breast pocket have been excellent.The recorder can be plugged into a charger, and the USB plug system appears to be sufficiently durable to support the recorder’s weight, but to eliminate the likelihood of damaging the recorder, a USB extension cable might be desirable. However, they are expensive.Finally, there is also a small fold-out stand in the back of the recorder, so that the microphones will be elevated and point up slightly for a group or conference recording.

Reviewer: M. A.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Item received in good condition. It is a good recorder for voice recording.

Stereo recorder that is packed with premium features. Premium quality recording packed with features to enhance efficiency. Perfect for use in all environments. Use it for business meetings, classroom lectures, or just about anything.
Batteries ‏ : ‎ 2 AAA batteries required. (included)
Is discontinued by manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 11.18 x 1.8 x 3.81 cm; 73.71 g
Date First Available ‏ : ‎ 17 Sept. 2015
Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Olympus
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B014658DHQ
Item model number ‏ : ‎ V415131BU000
Department ‏ : ‎ unisex-adult
Guaranteed software updates until ‏ : ‎ unknown

High quality MP3 recording;Includes Olympus Carrying Case for WS Series Voice Recorders
USB Direct connect with battery charge function
8gb internal memory
Micro SD card slot
Playback speed control 0.5X – 2.0X