Olympus LS-10

(Originally written by Almasty/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
- How long have you been using it?

About one week.

- Which feature do you like the most / the least?

Pros:

- Good manufacturing quality (although made in China ); Sturdy metal housing (unlike EDIROL's R09)

- Good overall usability, real controls for recording and playback volume, easy-to-see buttons (unlike EDIROL's R09)

- Good-quality mics (unlike EDIROL's R09) with windscreen!

- 2 GB internal memory + SD and SDHC card

- Battery operation (LR6 or AA) for up to 16 hours. I haven't actually checked if it lasts that long, but it's true that you can use it for hours...

- Low frequency filter (unlike EDIROL's R09)

- LED indicator that flashes faster and faster when you reach the maximum recording capacity

- PIP PSU + remote control

- 12 recording formats: MP3, WAV (up to 96KHz/24bit) and WMA

- Good-sounding headphone amp (unlike EDIROL's R09)

- Editing menus (tracks copy/cut/paste but no direct rename function... however you can do everything you want on your computer) with reset option and memory protect function for the internal memory and a SD card to avoid data loss

- Screw thread for camera stand + wristband (unlike EDIROL's R09)

- Software included: Steinberg Cubase 4 LE Music and video tutorial!

Cons:

- Internal memory/SD card selection is too complicated

- Complex menu structure due to the folder architecture, but freely editable "Fn" function (I use it to select between the memory card and the internal memory)

- Mic "zoom" function doesn't work properly (it's like using a limiter),

- no optical or coaxial output (unlike EDIROL's R09)

- No pre-rec function with buffer memory (unlike SONY's PCM-D50)

- No voice-controlled auto start (unlike MARANTZ' PMD 620)

- Data transfer is not made in alphabetical but chronological order. Perhaps that can be changed...

- Low-quality of the small integrated speaker (just enough to listen to a voice but not for music or sound ambients).

As a summary: it's a nice tool and it will replace my R09 (whose 1/8" jack is faulty), except for the connection to my hi-fi system via optical cable because only the R09 has this option (unlike the R09 HR).

- Did you try any other models before buying it?

Roland EDIROL R09 plus MiniDisc (Sharp MD MT 866 and MD-DR 470H) and DAT (Sony TCDD-7

and TCDD-8).

- How would you rate its value for money?

Very good A bit too expensive but very interesting considering its quality.

- Based on your experience, would you buy this product again?

Certainly.

I needed a pocket recorder better than my cassette dictaphone to capture rehearsals benefits outdoor enthusiasts or concerts.
I had gone to buy a portable MD. Once found the unit price and added an external microphone, I was ready to give up my desire to purchase with the cost ... and I came across a promotion of CNAF where the remote was offered.
To me, these small portable digital recorders were nothing better than a dictaphone. Reading technical Characteristics made me change my mind.

What I like the most is its compactness and ease of use.
What I like least is its battery consumption (a pair of alkaline to ten hours of operation). After it suffices to provide a set of batteries in advance

What I find very useful is the thread to size photograph (Olympus requires) a level camera is much less heavy and bulky than a mic!
Although the internal memory capacity of 2 GB is comfortable, use an SD card can be affrachir the cable to transfer to a PC.
Embedded microphones are directional enough to save a good stereo image of a hand and do not capture the noise ambients (Comments neighbors!). Equipped with their bonette they are relatively protected from wind noise. We then noticed the resemblance between this unit and a famous mouse )

The value for money was very interesting compared to a MD configuration at the time of purchase. Today the MD has disappeared from the market, the choice is made.

I just bought the LS-10, because I had two needs to be replaced.

1. dictaphone to record the ideas of components rapidly. So I had a small battery, with HP and with built-in microphones and USB on a PC to send

2. recording again, to stop using portable DAT with external microphone

With the LS-10, I found the device that could meet both needs.

What I like most at the moment:
- Usability: it was immediately on hand.
- The number of recording formats is impressive as the 24 bit 96 khz (wav) to 128 mp3's you can do anything
- The seriousness of the device. My old voice recorder is an Olympus and it's quite natural that I turned to this brand

What I like least:
- The connections in jack walkman format (but given the size of the unit, it would difficult to place larger jacks)
- The power of HP, a bit pokey compared to my dictaphone, but it's enough to check an outlet rebosser a song
- The price, I paid 529 CHF (yes, Switzerland), it's still quite expensive

I went through the net before making this purchase, read full opinion, I was two fingers to crack for the model of Thomann SWISSONIC but I wanted to have something a little more solid to me let go in time.
As previously announced, I have two very specific needs and all the recorders without integrated speakers were zapped. The Marantz also seemed quite in the same price range, but it was more for less memory and a digital screen smaller.

Quality / price ratio: I expect to make recordings with guitar and voice to really judge the quality, but I think that we pay for

I have not enough experience, but is full of little extras that made me choose this recorder:
- Size
- The look
- The 2 gb internal
- DVD's Cubase LE 4

short is an investment in time so fingers crossed

in fact I have a portable DAT (Sony) and stereo microphone (Sony too) to sell

*** How long have you use it?
I reu today!

I jump on it without opening the doc and I dj russi without difficulty doing what I wanted to do! Good beginners.
Even when I missed a few explanations of some options a little obscure but some tests or documentation allowed me to understand quickly.
Pleasant surprise, the batteries are provided. It's not for the price of two LR6 reoit but when a new toy is fun to play with aussitt!
I dballe all the terrace of a caf IDAL place to do some testing. Once back home, I could apprci the contents of the box:
- Bag a lot, simple, useful. It lacks a way for attaching the belt. I never n'accroche my belt but I guess in some cases, may be practical.
- Foam protection blast (note well the clip!)
- Tlcommande and IR Receivers
- Strap
- USB cable
- Cubase LE
- Docs
- Cable jack / jack socket 3.5mm practice to import / export to or from another device (CD player, Systm registration, ...)

*** What is the particular feature you like best and least?
It smells like the right product. Sounds tough, I wondered if the interface would be nice. Many compare the Systm menu of the ipod and I was wondering if an ipod imitation was nice. In fact, the interface is simple, convenient and effective!
J'apprcie the quality of the sound, although sr, with a winning background, a "hisssssss" a little.

Some would say that we are 6 directories which limit is a problem ... I would say that it is a solution ... was used to restrain himself a little store!
Too bad that some functions just like the 'zoom' to be states that the PCM and with certain constraints Sampling rate.

I also bought a small lavalier microphone by the same occasion. Little of this dception ct (I may be an option pass ct), as the micro course MONO, ls LS-10 records on the left lane and there right. I prfr in this case the zinzin happening in mono, or duplicates of two cents (but the blow would surely Chow storage space).

I like the adjustable function key which can be assigned The argument that we want. For example, this button lets you choose the encoding without going through the menu, or choose the type of 'zoom', type 'reverb' (I got these useless but good reverb <img class="smiley" src="/images/audiofanzine/interface/smileys/icon_lol.gif" alt="" /> Is clever but mostly practice.

*** Have you tried many other models before acqurir?
Essay no, but yes read. J'tais originally hung Zoom H4N but I had my way, afraid of (and I mean by being afraid of because I have not tried it but just read reviews ...):
- The size of H4N
- Weight
- Appearance standard remembering my Archos ...
- Limit their autonomy, while the LS-10 it is a MODEL in the genus

*** How do you report qualitprix?
It is home to a dictaphone zinzin but given the product, I find a honnte because the quality is the appointment and I think the product well finished and ergonomic.

*** With the exprience, you do again this choice? ...
My exprience is not yet standard but for now, I cop my choice!

*** Additional Information
I have read in other opinions that tlcommande n'tait not viable. Documentation Announces Operating 5m, I could vrifier. In my case, she seems to work fine. This is a tlcommande infrared, similar those used for TV, DVD, etc ... no better, no worse. Note that no test to see if I even think that the door must be limited in amount because of the collection's outdoor IR of Lumire natural.
I put a 9 / 10 because no product is perfect, nanmoins, the product matches my expectations: small, lightweight, battery in the economy, quality microphones simple and convenient.)