What do you mean I have to give this back?

Author's Rating:

Pros: Size, recording quality, compatible with lots of Windows programs.

Cons: Some of the controls are very small, LCD screen is crowded.

The Bottom Line: 
The Bottom Line is really ticked off she had to give this one back. But it's on my Christmas List.

Author's Review
I've owned a few gadgets in my time that were beyond useless. The "Vegamatic" (at least I think this is what it was called) was one, and if you don't know what that is, ask your mother.

After the Vegamatic disaster I thought I had redeemed myself, when I was able to use this Digital Voice Recorder for an assignment.

I'm a bit of a gadget queen, so any assignment that let's me try out new "toys" and pays me to boot, is something I jump at.

The Sony Voice Recorder arrived last week and I had two days to try it out before the assignment. This job included the recording of a sales presentation without the presenter being aware she was being recorded. Not an easy feat in old times, when I had to hide a huge recorder in my purse and the background noise pretty much drowned out everything that was said.

Recording another person without their knowledge is legal by the way, as long as the other person is aware (and has signed a statement to that effect) that at one time or another in her career she will be recorded to evaluate her sales presentation. This will vary from state to state, so check with local law enforcement before you attempt to record someone without their knowledge. Do not record a conversation without prior consent from both parties.

So now on to the review....


I'm at an age where I marvel at anything that is smaller than a deck of cards and actually works. The Sony ST25VTP works amazingly well.

It is much smaller than a deck of cards. Barely a half inch thick and not longer than a pack of cigarrettes, it easily fits into shirt pockets, pants pockets and can even be concealed on the body with the help of a specially designed pouch (duct tape works too). It is slim enough to not give itself away under clothing, but I wouldn't recommend wearing it under a tight fitting shirt.

For regular recording purposes I recommend putting it in a shirt pocket, for hidden recordings you have to find your own spot.

The recorder is made from a composite material with a stainless steel look. Designwise it looks okay, but nothing to absolutely marvel over. It looks like it can take a bit of a beating, but daily banging around in purses and desks without some protection is probably not recommended.

The top part of the recorder is almost entirely taken up by the LCD screen. This screen gives information about batterylife, the recording mode and the time counter. It also shows whether you are using the internal mic or an external one. The great thing is that it gives all this information on one screen. The bad thing is that some of the displays are rather small. I always had to double check to make sure the external mike display was there, because it's not easy to see. But then I'm getting ready for bi-focals, so if your eyesight is good, you might not have this problem.

The bottom part of the recorder functions as the speaker. Quality from this speaker is average, even with the Pitch control activated, but it works for the average user.

The recording, playback, fast forward and rewind controls are on the right side of the recorder. The record button is clearly marked and it's also the largest button on the recorder. After a bit of practicing I was able to operate all controls using just one finger, but my husband, who is tall with large hands, had a bit of a problem working the tiny playback and rewind controls.

The back of the recorder features two important components: The battery compartment (this recorder uses two AAA batteries) and the "Hold" button. This is my favorite feature, because it enables me to hit the record (or playback or whatever) control and then slide the hold button over and nothing and nobody can switch the controls. Once it's in hold mode it stays whereever you put it. I've heard horror stories about people hitting the record button and then accidentally hitting it again, so nothing was recorded. With the Hold button this is not possible.

Other features include a plug in for an external mic, AC adapter and/or headphones.

There are three recording modes for this recorder. You can record in stereo, SP or LP mode, depending on what you use it for. I used both the stereo and LP mode, but really could not detect a difference until I uploaded the Audiofile into my computer. Then it was pretty clear which was the Stereo and the LP mode.

This model also features a Voice activated recording mode. This is great for meetings or presentations with a lot of downtime. The recorder sort of goes into a sleep mode and only records when there's noise in the room. Unfortunately it does not distinguish between regular background noise and people speaking.

There is a pitch control and Playback Speed Control on this recorder. This comes in handy if you have someone with a very high or low pitched voice that is hard to understand or if there is a lot of background noise.

The recorder also features an incremental rewind function. This is great so you don't have to fast forward or rewind through the entire length of the recording. The only thing I find is lacking is the possibility to rewind or fast forward within each increment. So if you know that the recording you want is in increment "7", you will actually have to listen to the whole increment in order to find what you are looking for. But nothing is perfect. This one comes pretty close.

Another great feature are the file folders. For people that do a lot of recording for different applications or subjects this will come in handy. Each recording can be placed in the appropriate folder and then uploaded to whereever you need it. This keeps things nice and orderly, just the way I like it.

The internal mic is adequate if there isn't a lot of background noise. It's perfect for quick recordings in the car or at meetings, as long as the recorder (and mic) is close to the person being recorded. Anything further than three feet away and you have to use an external mic. There are several different models on the market and I used on to record the sales presentation.

Playback quality depends on the type of recording you did. I recorded a short test with very little background noise and the playback quality was fine, but not great. The sales presentation I recorded had a lot of background noise, lots of music and the mic was concealed under my shirt, but the playback quality was still audible. Static is pretty much nil and there is no irritating sound from a tape running, because there is no tape.

With fresh batteries, this recorder will record for about 11 - 12 hours. Battery life is a bit short, mine died after 16 hours. The good thing is that, once the recorder is powered down and the hold button is switched on, drain on the battery is neglible.

This recorder is compatible with Windows XP/2000/Me and 98. I've used it with Windows XP and have encountered absolutely no problems.

The recorder comes complete with a small carrying case, but unfortunately it does not have a strap or clip.

Overall it's a great gadget that can save time when it comes to recording meetings, classes or presentations. I'm seriously thinking about buying one, but the $160.00 retail price is a bit steep yet for me. Once the price drops to below $100.00 or so, I will most definitely go out and buy one.