Sony ICD-PX470 Stereo Digital Voice Recorder with Built-in USB Voice Recorder, Black

When I first started college back in 2011 during my first degree, I had bought a Sony voice recorder similar to the PX470 but a much earlier version. For that model they had a separate cord to connect to your computer to download the recordings. The earlier version had helped me so much back then that I knew immediately that I needed to get another right away this semester when I realized how quickly my professor moved through material (Finishing my second degree, Hence the long time span!). I really love That the USB is within the voice recorder, making it unnecessary to keep track of another cord. The sound quality is impeccable, I sit about 20 to 25 feet away from my professor with the microphone facing him (I sit in the last row) And I'm clearly able to hear everything he says when I playback the recording at home through my computer. It makes taking notes so much easier and less stressful since my professor talks SO FAST! One quality that I found super useful especially was the directional pad with the back button, options button etc. that made it so easy to flip between the various options for the sound recorder, folders that contain the Recordings, and going to the actual record function without any hassle or confusion. I really appreciate that you can record in one format (MP3, In different kpbs) to save some memory space, and convert them into higher quality versions (WAV) using the sound organizer software. The software allows me to easily transfer my lecture recordings to my laptop, organize them into folders, edit them (Cutting them down, splitting/combining them, etc), and even transcribe them! The sound quality is unbelievable, and there are so many different options based on the situation that you need this recorder for, whether it's recording lectures, music, or meetings etc.. This is why I stick to Sony, I am amazed and delighted every time!

The bottom line: Very fast delivery for international purchase and amazing product for its price! I bought this recorder on 22nd last month here on Amazon and had it send to Taiwan, where I live, using the cheapest Standard shipping method. The initial estimated time of delivery was 8th this month, but amazingly it delivered to my house on 31st last month, meaning it took less than 10 days to deliver and the item arrived at my place about a week earlier than the estimated delivery time, which is amazingly fast for international delivery and the fastest delivery I've ever had with any product I bought from Amazon so far. The package arrived safely and the product was intact and well protected. The product itself met all my expectations and some more. In fact it's better than the price it asked for IMHO. I'm glad I didn't pay more for the higher-end and more expensive model. And I don't understand why some people complain about its size or lack of LED screen. For me they aren't problems at all. True it may not be as compact as some of sony's other more expensive models but it sure isn't bulky either. It's compact enough for me. Also the lack of LED screen doesn't bother me either because I don't use it in the dark anyway. Besides having LED screen would only drain the batteries more quickly and I definitely don't want that. The point is you get what you pay for. For me what's important is the features of the product, which it totally delivered. I love that the settings are highly adjustable so that it can meet all the different recording needs and scenarios. And the ability to extend its memory up to 32GB through microSD card comes in handy too, especially if you need to record in the highest quality format LPCM. Speaking of quality, I mostly use this recorder for lectures and language learning and the recording quality is crisp and clear (the noise cancellation feature helps a lot there), and far superior than recording with iPhone (obviously). Overall I have nothing to complain about its functions and recording quality. My only gripes (if there's any) are: Firstly the sound quality of the built-in speakers are less than satisfactory. Fortunately I never use them and only listen to the recording files with my earphones, so it's not an issue for me. But if you plan to use them then don't expect too much. They are merely servicable at best. Secondly you can't recharge the device with its USB plug even if you have rechargable batteries inside. I pointed this out because I used to have an older model that could do that but this one doesn't have that function. But again it's only a slight inconvenience so I can live with it. Besides, like I said earlier, you get what you pay for. All in all I was very happy with this recorder and would highly recommend it to anyone who wants a quality recording device but doesn't want to spend a fortune and waste money on bells and whistles they don't need. 2019/4/2 UPDATE: After more than 8 months of use, this recorder still works perfectly for me and I've also come to find that the build of the device is very robust because I've accidentally dropped it a few times from the desk or from my hand, yet there's barely a scratch. Although if I have to nitpick (other than what I've already mentioned above), I wish the recorder would allow the user to save their custom settings so they can easily switch among different ones depending on the situation. Also it takes a bit too much time to turn on the device. In normal circumstances this wouldn't be a problem but if you want to record something on the spot and you don't have it already turned on then it could be a bit annoying. But like I said, those are just my personal nitpicking and they don't affect my original review.

It is lightweight, easy to carry anywhere, and the recording quality is surprisingly good for how small it is. The sound is clear and clean, which is really the whole point of owning something like this. That said, let’s talk about the not so fun part. The battery drains fast. And I mean fast fast. Recording a single class for about two hours will already knock down one bar. It is not unusable, but you will definitely notice it. The more annoying part is the battery drain when it is not even being used. I thought I kept forgetting to turn it off. Nope. If the battery is left inside, it slowly drains anyway. Which means when you actually need it, there is a decent chance it is already tired. The fix is simple. Take the battery out when you are not using it. Still, that is one more thing to remember. Now let’s be honest for a second. Phones these days do almost everything. They record audio, transcribe, organize, and basically act like your personal assistant. So no, you do not really need this. But sometimes you want a small dedicated device that just does one job and does it well. No notifications. No distractions. Just press record and forget about it. For that purpose, this is a great little gadget to keep around. If you know why you need it, you will like it. If you do not, your phone is probably already doing the job.

This voice recorder is the perfect size for portability. Sound quality is great and the instructions are easy to understand. I used this to record speeches at a memorial celebration of life and am happy I purchased this item. Now I have the memories preserved for the future. Recordings are clear. The buttons work fine and are of a comfortable size.

Until transcription services were available at a reasonable price, dictating notes wasn't an appealing option but now, I can make long notes and get them accurately transcribed for a few bucks a month. This little device plugs straight into the USB port and away we go. I carry it pretty much everywhere now. Worth considering.

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Bought for a very important meeting, playback sound is not great through the speaker, but perfect through headphones or computer.

Retractable USB stick is very convenient for PC transfer. You can also drop your mp3s to music folder so it also works well as an mp3 player. Recording quality is good and configurable (you can record MP3 or uncompressed 44.1k 16bit WAV). I like that it has built-in memory, 4GB - enough for many hours of recording (even with WAV it would be 5+ hours) or you can expand with microSD to 32GB. With search by date, playback jump-points, slow-down and loop features I can use it for transcription without a need to actually transfer anything to PC. Compact, lightweight, doesn't drain batteries too quickly. Of course if you're looking for a high-quality professional recorder for musical instrument or signing, that's probably not it, there's no info on noise levels and dynamic range, but it can be sufficient for a demo or for capturing musical ideas.

very nice unit