Sony ICD-SX25 Digital Voice Recorder

I'm perplexed that J Liu's excellent review didn't get a 100% "helpful" rating from readers. I do not have as much experience with digital recorders to add much to that review, so I'll just add a few observations:

1. Don't buy used or "new" without the software (e.g., ebay offers lots of digital recorders without software). The reason is because the manufacturers don't offer the software on their web sites, only updates to the original software.

2. Stereo Long Play seems great to me, I couldn't tell any difference compared to Stereo. I tested mic pickup by laying the mic on a table and walking about 15 feet away into another room. All modes performed great except LP.

3. Voice Up is a useful feature for hearing things that otherwise would be unintelligible. I was able to understand the other end of a loud telephone conversation when I left the SX25 three feet away from the phone.

4. If you intend to use this to immediately listen to what you've recorded (e.g., if you are practicing a presentation), you might be better off buying a microcassette recorder because its speaker is better and therefore more convenient.

5. Reader reviews of the ST25 complain about the "sideways" controls. I don't see the problem. Pushing towards you just selects one of three folders, A, B, or C. Pushing away from you goes into the menu. All menu items operate similarly, and all are only one level down. Sure, you need to read the manual thoroughly, but I couldn't really think of a better setup. It's not I-Drive (BMW's much maligned multi-level controller).

6. The SX25 is rated well for the Voice Recognition software "Dragon Naturally Speaking 8". (You need Preferred or Professional version, and not Standard like I bought.)

Overall, I like it a lot. Amazing how clear things sound with headphones/earbuds. Easy to use for simple recording and listening, nice small size.

I use this recorder exclusively for class lectures and could not be happier. Most important feature I was looking for was clarity in a large room. I was very impressed with the sound quality. The recorder does not have to be anywhere near the professor to pick up their voice perfectly! I bought one of the cheaper sony recorders first, it was about $50, and returned it because the sound quality was terrible. For me this one is worth the money because I am recording from a distance. It's also very compact and easy to use. Definitely recommend it for students!

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I purchased this voice recorder to record college lectures and then transcribe them to text. The SX25 has a pretty good amount of recording time for the low quality setting at around 12 hours. A few of the features include: VOR-a thing where the recorder supposedly starts recording when it picks up sound and stops when it stops reading sound (I could hardly ever get it to work), the ability to cut and divide recordings, four different quality settings, and a very informative LCD screen. The SX25 also is supported for Dragon Naturally speaking preferred. Included in the box is a set of earphones, a USB cable, a program to save recordings and a carrying bag.

One would suppose that for over one hundred dollars you could get decent voice recording. In my experience the actual recording is the worst part of this product and ironically its primary function. After taking it to one class lecture at the second highest quality level sitting ten feet from the instructor, I brought it home and with the volume all the way up I could not make out anything intelligible. Moreover, I could not use it to transcribe to text. I was lead to believe by the general description of the product that it could record from a considerable distance. Most likely this would be better used for just personal voice records for notes, not as a long distance recorder, because the microphone is extremely weak.

Read Best Reviews of Sony ICD-SX25 Digital Voice Recorder Here

The Sony ICD-SX25VTP -($199.99 at Amazon.com and as low as $165.00 with other online merchants listed through Amazon.com) is light and compact digital voice recorder. After careful research, I decided to settle on this model because it comes with the Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred Voice-To-Print Software pre-packaged for a mere $20 more than the Sony ICD-SX25 $149.99. The software purchased separately is priced at $169 on Amazon.com.

Otherwise the ICD-SX25VTP and ICD-SX25 are EXACTLY the same, it's just that one comes bundled with the VTP (Voice to Print) software.

In addition, there are different types of Dragon Naturally Speaking software.

They are the following:

Dragon Naturally Speaking 8 Standard $83.99 listed on Amazon.com (not compatible with the Sony ICD-SX25 Digital Voice Recorder)

Dragon Naturally Speaking 8 Preferred $169 (Compatible)

Dragon Naturally Speaking 8 Professional $679.99

Dragon Naturally Speaking 8 Medical $969.99

Therefore, it would be less expensive to purchase the SX25VTP for an additional $20 to $40 for the software, than to purchase them for the total price of $318.99 when purchased separately.

It is best to read the manual thoroughly before use. I say this because it took me at least three (3) hours to figure out how to "train" my voice for the voice recognition to enable the transcribing. The use of the transcription services can only be used in the ST setting. You must speak slowly for the software to transcribe the words accurately. If you are giving dictation, you must input certain commands to format the document, unless you don't mind doing a significant amount of editing after the document as been transcribed.

The volume playback is low, but it comes with ear phones and that has a better result. However, after reading the manual for both the recorder and the software and I've used it a couple of times, I am please with this purchase.

*Same review for the Sony ICD-SX25VTP*

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It works quite well. The one thing that needs improvement is the playback volume, which without earphones is a little weak. The device is slim, so I'm not sure if that volume increase can be done without compromising the size. I do like the feature of having three folders (A, B, and C) on the device for saving sound files (99 in each). I use one folder for MP3 music (converted to *.msv files) and the stereo sound is surprisingly good. The five way rocker switch makes navigation easy. At my work a committee is looking into purchasing voice recorders for employees who need to do in-field legal interviews; this model so far is the winner. I wonder what the discount is if you buy 100 units. :-)