OM SYSTEM WS-882 digital voice recorder with stereo microphones, 6 Recording Scenes, Direct USB, Voice Filter, Low-Cut Filter, 4 GB memory, Voice Balancer, Intelligent Auto Mode, VCVA

the WS882 is very similar in build to the 852 which I already own. I love these machines, they work very well and I like particularly the fact that they are rather retro. Well done Olympus for keeping the style the same. Reason being -you do not feel as if you are having a torch shone in your face to use it as you can switch off the backlight. A 128 KBPS is all you need for uploading your audio track for podcasting or whatever. Anything larger than this is too much for that particular job. I have used several other forms of recording with microphones and I always come back to these handheld recorders. I don't think they can be beaten! You can sit anywhere with it to record outdoors or indoors without the Faff of having to be attached to a laptop or whatever. Please keep going with these Olympus with their original and long lasting grey crystal screens -they are a joy.

This is the second similar recorder that I have used. The first was a W852 which worked. Well until I sold it.This one is so similar and easy to use. Easy to use at meetings and gives clear recordings.

Gone through several of these in my business but always the same problem - stops connecting to my laptop which can have serious consequences. Sent 2 off for repair which was handled quite efficiently but not a cheap exercise at £44 per unit.

I like this recorder. It's a bit quiet on playback for me but otherwise does all that I need without adding the optional memory card. Battery life seems to be good as I am still on original batteries. I like the screen and menu options. I added my own neck lanyard as surprisingly there is no lanyard included. I have a smaller recorder but prefer this one.

Good small compact recorder. Could be great if only the buttons didn't rattle.It's a nuisance if using the unit in motion.I decided to return it as this shaking noise was a deal breaker for me. In fairness mine might have been faulty so maybe best to judge for yourself.

Great little machine, does what it says.

As reliable as ever. Never let me down. I’ve bought a couple in the past and the sound and technology keeps on improving. Fantastic product.

As a mid-range voice recorder, this is great, but it does fall short in a couple of areas.It's a fairly small, lightweight unit, but well made, as you would expect from Olympus (or OM Systems as they're now called). It's compact enough to carry around in a pocket or bag and is discrete if using it in a meeting or classroom.Straight forward to operate, it doesn't take long to get it all up and running out of the box. It takes batteries (included!) rather than being powered from an internal lithium battery, which is a surprise for a device costing as much as this. Batteries do have their advantages though, as you can quickly swap them out if they start running low when it's in use. On the other hand, lithium batteries are usually higher capacity.Sound pickup from the stereo microphones is very good. It will easily record a voice clearly across a room. Some clever built-in audio balancing and levelling processing produces pretty clear audio when recording multiple voices. There's some noticeable background noise suppression too, which is good. I also like that you can connect an external mic for improved audio.Recorded audio quality is capped at 128kbps MP3. That's fine for most audio note taking purposes, but it would've been nice to have a couple of higher quality modes.Audio files can be quickly transferred to a computer via the built in USB connector. That's a great feature as you don't have to carry a cable around.The LCD screen is clear enough, but it seems a bit low tech in this age of full colour LED displays. Even just the simple addition of a backlight would've been welcome, as the screen becomes hard to see in dim light.Despite its shortcomings in some areas, this is an impressive little recorder. However, there are many other voice recorders with comparable specs and features on the market that are significantly cheaper, so it's hard to give this OM Systems WS-882 a completely glowing review. Still, if you are in the market for a reliable, good quality voice recorder from a reputable company, then you could do a lot worse than this one.