Customer Reviews
Fleeting Fear of Thought Reading 
2008-06-11
This unit has such sensitive mics I had a fleeting fear it could read my thoughts! Needs louder speakers. I may have a hard time reading its thoughts.
I agree with most reviews so far. It's nice to get at least something bundled so I don't have it wrapped in whatever until I purchase a case and end up scratching it beforehand. I say this because there is no better alternative on the market that I can see! Who will develop a sweet case which will allow mics to be outside, or at least that will fit right? The case should match the quality of the unit to protect it better.
Does anyone know the PCM setting for making CDs of voice or music? Will 44.1kHz/16bit be sufficient? 44.1/24 bit? 96kHz/24bit? I'll be using Audition 2.0 probably. Thanks.
Love the recorder. Don't regret getting it for a moment.
Firmware upgrade 
2008-06-10
I love this LS-10. I really can't add anything to the reviews, they are accurate in that the bass does roll off and the little speakers don't put out much sound. I still listen to audio books with it while sitting at my desk. The mic gain is good for me.
There is a firmware upgrade available on the Japanese web site, v. 1.04.
To find it do a google search on "olympus ls 10 1.04"
You should get a result that is all Japanese. Click on "Translate this page."
Make sure to read "update instructions" Also look at "SD Cards verified list."
Major changes:
The 16GB SDHC card supported.
SD Cards verified list
"Directional microphone," even if you set up, [PEAK] light is on display now.
Memory access process to review and improve stability.
I have downloaded the file, but I have not upgraded yet. If you decide to do this you are on your own!
I agree with another reviewer, If something happened to my LS-10 I would buy another right away. For more information on this recorder go to the O'Reilly forums.
I just upgraded to 1.04. Everything went as planned.
Clean Recordings of Nature Sounds 2008-06-08
Clean Recording Tests
1 - Sensitivity switch LOW: totally clean
2 - Sensitivity switch HIGH: a little amplifier noise - at this sensitivity the wind moving the leaves will be loud enough to cover the fine base line of amplifier noise.
3 - Using optional plug-in-powered ear-microphones for 3D recordings - playing back via headphones is so realistic - I thought there was a real mosquito targeting my right ear - it is spooky!
This machine is so small, it can be carried around at all times, so no recording opportunities are missed. The bargraph sound level meter is very usefull for manual level adjustment.
Brilliant 2008-06-04
Sound quality brilliant, easy operation, solid construction, easy to send to PC. If this one ever breaks I will buy another.
PS Pics up wind noise if you record while moving, how do I prevent this even with the mufflers on?
Paul Kahanovitz
South Africa
dissapointed with poor low frequency (bass) response 
2008-05-25
I purchased an LS-10 last week. I really wanted to love this little recorder. Small size. Excellent build quality. Great features. Great menu system. Great control layout. Great battery life.
Alas, the sound suffers from poor low frequency response on both the internal mic and the external mic input.
When I heard my recordings, they sounded thin. I then measured the frequency response of the unit from mic input to the headphone output. (with low cut turned off, of course) The response dropped 3db at 85Hz and by 50Hz it was down 6db. The line input was good to 20Hz. The problem is in the mic preamp.
I don't know if Olympus did this intentionally to match this recorder more closely with their voice recorders, or if the mic preamp is just poorly designed.
Its a real shame that this problem excludes this otherwise excellent little recorder from any serious music or field recording on a professional level.
Live music recorder 2008-07-03
I had been wanting a field recorder for some time, but had to make a decision on what kind. This recorder is absolutely great!
Although, for live music, you will want to also get the stereo microphone plug in as it drastically improves the quality of the recording. My son and his band just gave their first live performance and I was really pleased with the recording, as was the entire band. I can't wait till I can record them again! It is easy to use and easy to understand, and for the price, you just can't get any better.
My only complaint is that it is made in China and I am really trying hard to NOT buy from that country due to the human rights violations, especially in Tibet; as well as the crackdown on freedoms like speech, etc....
This site should plainly state what country the products are made in, as it does matter to many people out there!
WHY IS THE VOLUME SO LOW??? 
2008-06-29
Just wait till you want to HEAR what you just recorded on the LS10. You have to turn the volume up to it's highest level and even then you can just barely hear it. You have to hold it up to your ear with the volume set to it's highest level to hear anything. Other reviewers have also mentioned this so beware before you buy!
Why do I feel some ambivalence toward this great product? 2008-06-27
Before I explain, let me save you time and give you my conclusion up front. Olympus might help us with a feature comparison chart of its voice recorders, or some consumer watch group might wish to do so, along with a comparison of other brands such as Edirol, H2, M-Audio, Marantz, Sony, Tascam, etc. If you know of anyone having done this, please let us know.
If you are considering, whether to buy this unit over keeping it much simpler and less costly, I recommend that you take three steps to make an informed choice you will be happy with:
1) Check out the reviews here
2) Read what Olympus says on its web page (particularly helpful as an overview is their guide book available at http://www.olympusamerica.com/files/LS10_GuideBook.pdf. I wish they had included it with the product or at least stated a reference to it.), and
3) Research other players, PCM as well as regular digital types.
I tried to become informed before buying this product, but in hindsight found I may have made a decision too soon. None of the information I found at the time completely addressed my professional needs as a teacher and life coach. I will review it as such for those of you, who are not professional audiophiles, but appreciate a high-end product for your work and pleasure.
Wanted: A high-quality, multipurpose recording tool
I thought I bought a multi-purpose tool that is a portable mp3 player, external computer storage device for a library of SD cards, and above all a recorder, that has not only the bells and whistles already available in lower priced products, but also superb audio recording capability. Well, I did find this in the LS-10 - sort of. It is all of these, but with some shortcomings, that may or may not be consequential for you.
If you read the reviews, 24 at the time of this review, you will find the recorder is generating some controversy and a few questions. Some rave about this product as superb. These appear to be audiophiles with a professional interest. Curiously, I could not find technical specifications on the built-in microphones and hence found the comment on low-frequency (bass) response helpful and a bit concerning.
Other less happy voices seem to be disappointed, since, like me, some lack of clarity left them with a product that may not fully meet their needs. This may only become apparent after obtaining a unit and becoming more familiar with all that is involved.
Perhaps my reflections here might prevent you from encountering a similar fate. Here then is what I found initially problematic.
Dedicated Remote RS-W30 Available but not Purchasable, No E-Mail Response
At the time of my purchase I could not find out about the dedicated remote required for the LS-10, the RS-30W, on the Olympus website nor anywhere else. I wrote an e-mail inquiry, but like others never received a response.
Since then, Olympus edited their web site and the remote is now listed as available, yet you cannot purchase it on their site at this time nor have I found it anywhere else.
Some Olympus DS-50 packages include a remote control. Why not this one, when high quality recording is obviously going to be negatively impacted by noises from handling a recorder with built-in microphones?
AC Adapter Separate
Speaking of accessories, if Olympus makes a pricey quality recorder for extended long recordings, why not include an AC adapter that in Olympus' own words "will allow you to record with confidence?"
No Voice- or Decibel Activation, nor Timer
The DS-40 has a voice activation feature and timed recording. The LS-10 does not.
If you look at the capability of a recorder for capturing nature sounds, wouldn't you like a feature, where decibel level can be chosen for recording activation? I can think of many applications for this, not only voice dictation. I imagine, not every nature lover prefers to spend hours in potentially inclement conditions waiting for the prized sound to show up only to chase it off by fumbling with numb fingers on a recorder button? (By the way, the auto power-off feature can be set to 5, 20, 30, and 60 minutes, or can be disabled, a nice touch, no pun intended.)
The manual also advises not to use it in hot, humid conditions. As a recorder in the field, this is not a rugged outdoor device. While it appears sturdy, I would not dare drop it or let moisture come near it.
Dreaming of the Ideal for a Moment
Thinking a little out of the box, wouldn't it be great to have a recorder that could record on a variable multi-second endless loop to be saved to memory at the moment of the eventual sound activation preset according to decibel and duration level, which would be appended automatically to the multi second pre-recording. Then the recorder would automatically initiate repeat rounds of additional recordings as initially specified by the user.
In the absence of such a feature I shall endeavor to be grateful for the marvel of technology available in the LS-10 as it is.
External Memory a plus, Superb Sound Quality present, but with a confusing question mark for some
Now, if only the DS-40 came with external memory card capability, I would opt for the voice activation and time recording features over lesser sound quality. What is the additional audio quality of the LS-10 going to do for you? If you want to record bird sounds, as Olympus advertises is a strong point for the LS-10, fine. Otherwise, do you need it? Side by side comparison of similar recordings done by a qualified sound engineer would help.
So, why choose the LS-10 over the other features? Of course, one reason, as already mentioned, is the memory card option with its additional benefit of functioning as an external computer storage device.
That set aside, in my initial bewilderment over the choices extracted from a plethora of web pages and reviews, I erroneously thought the LS-10 would of course have those voice activation and timer features.
I also argued for the best possible voice quality to insure excellent speech recognition by transcription software.
Further, speech, while confined to a narrower frequency range, has a richness and complexity, whose energetic impact can be lost in lower quality recordings. In teaching, the dryness of the needed information alone is often inadequate. One of the keys to success is the passionate, genuine transmission of the subject at hand, in order to educate and inspire. A pleasant voice has warmth and richness one might be happy to preserve in a recording.
Some of this quality is transmitted in aspects of the voice we recognize only holistically, which is not merely a matter of enunciation, rhetorical device, or elocution, but more of timbre. The authenticity and spiritual quality can be carried within its rich texture. Reverse speech and voice stress analysis are recent attempts to define some of the communication within that texture. I hope a recorder will come out one day that specifically addresses this arena without becoming yet another overly specialized device. For now, some of this can only be revealed in post-processing on a computer. For now a high quality recorder like the LS-10 will capture the needed nuances for that post-processing.
In the final analysis, for speech recognition and some voice recording features, this may not be the best recorder, but if you are looking primarily for great quality sound recording, the LS-10 does an excellent job and would appear the way to go.
Do you want a compact Olympus quality linear pulse code mode (PCM) recorder with independently powered analog circuitry that can hold its own place among the competition of other comparable devices? Compactness and long battery life as well as good price among its peers, I glean so far, appear to be some outstanding features over other pulse code mode (PCM) higher end recorders.
Before you decide though, the following should also be mentioned:
More on Sound Quality, Low Input Level, No Mic Technical Specifications
Why is the input level low requiring recording level to be turned all the way up and making the auto recording level in some instances quite inferior to the manual adjustment, some say? I have made the same experience so far, but feel somewhat inadequate in making a judgment call here.
I had used an Olympus WS model before and found a lack of attenuation in the external ME51S stereo microphone bothersome. Recording in a lecture hall, it really did pick up everything, including paper shuffling at the other end of the room as if it were just a couple of feet away. I wonder, if greater attenuation coupled with proper sensitivity may require lower recording levels in the LS-10, in order to be responsive to the full range of sound environments to be captured; however, I have to leave this to sound engineers, who understand these matters far better.
My point here is a question about the reason the ME51S is listed as an accessory on Olympus LS-10 website? The LS-10 already has a stereo microphone. Why would I need to buy another one? Are those LS-10 microphones inferior in some way to the ME51S, and if so, in what ways? Do the built-in ones not have the same stereo separation capability as seems to be hinted at by Olympus advertisement of the ME51S?
Let us look at it from another angle. If we want to eliminate recorder operation noises from being picked up, one of the reasons for the ME51S might be, that it can be clipped to something with an extension cord providing distance from the recorder. If that were the case, why not have the built-in stereo microphones swivel as in one of the competition's players or, better yet, be individually detachable with an extension cord like the ME30W 2 channel microphones?
Again, I ask what are the specifications of the internal microphones, so that we can better compare microphones?
Monaural Playback Only On Left Channel
By the way, if one makes such an expensive menu driven recorder with playback signal processing capabilities such as "euphony," which means pleasantness and agreeableness of sound, couldn't one include a monaural setting for external single microphones that allows recording or at least playback on both rather than just the left channel? External, monaural microphones, as it is, will only play back on the left channel.
Dreaming of The All-In-One "Jetsons" Recorder, though not the "Homermobile"
Wouldn't it be nice, if we could obtain an all-in-one audio gadget that took full advantage of the digital age rather than having to obtain different recorders for different purposes, each with its shortcomings and a consequent, certain lack of versatility?
In the meantime, perhaps we can be grateful for the superb tools available now, which were never even dreamt off by most of us decades ago.
Playback Low, Stereo Speakers Appear a Gimmick
Now, to playback! Playback volume is definitely too low. When you consider, how much they tout stereo speakers, this is inexcusable, when other models clearly have better sound levels. Consider the external speakers merely a way to check that you did catch the recording. Otherwise you have to use headphones with this player (or one headphone, if you used a monaural microphone), which brings me to the mp3 aspect of the LS-10.
MP3 Player Great, but No Bookmarking, Indexing, or Fast Forward Through File
Isn't it nice, that the DS-30 has bookmarking/indexing? Isn't it nice how conveniently an iPod lets you wheel over the controls to find just the right time and spot on the time location bar?
Jumping around the long clip of your uninterrupted concert recording is going to happen on your computer, not on the LS-10. If you want to, the recording can be chopped into smaller files by the included software, but I have not had time to install the software at the time of this review.
A segment can be marked for repetition with an A-B repeat button.
Just so you know, 10 seconds to On and 4 seconds to Off, Menu in 1.5 seconds
It takes 10 seconds for the recorder to turn on and four seconds for it to turn off. The menu was accessed in 1.5 seconds from the playback mode. The partial menu in record mode was accessed almost instantly.
Menu intuitive
Most of the functions were intuitive and I could operate the device right out of the box without reading the manual. For the finer points you will want to refer to the manual though. Which recording mode and level you want to use is best explained on page 5 in the online guidebook referenced above.
Minor Additional Details
Another minor detail I noticed are the nice four rubber feet at the back, which allow quietly putting the recorder down on a hard surface. With the windscreens on, they become the front feet and you will want to insure the surface you put the machine down on is clean or keep with a tripod mount for which the recorder has a socket.
The included nylon carrying case with Olympus logo leather patch is also not roomy enough for the windscreens. A small interior side pocket leaves room for a few SD cards or a small accessory microphone, e.g. the TP7 telephone pickup microphone or even the ME52W noise cancellation, uni-directional microphone.
I am curious, why the included USB cord has two noise suppression chokes instead of just one as most others. Perhaps this is a nice touch again, for which I would however like to know the reason. USB will not work as an additional power source for recording and I don't know of any recorder, where it does. It will also not recharge your batteries.
Print in the literature is small. I recommend reading the manual on your computer, if you want to go easy on your eyes.
The print of battery direction on the inside of the recorder is nearly impossible to read with the naked eye, and unlike with some devices, it is possible to insert them the wrong way and have them make contact. The manual clearly indicates the positive ends of both AA batteries go on the bottom end of the recorder.
Print on the recorder is akin to Arial at font size 8. If you are visually impaired, this will be difficult to read.
Otherwise, the background lighting and adjustable contrast are a nice touch. The screen can be read clearly from any angle, even in bright sunlight. All essential information can be gleaned from each screen. In playback mode pressing the stop button will display date, time, and remaining capacity on the selected memory for the indicated recording mode, i.e. sampling rate and file format.
The silver print next to the buttons is also small, but relatively easy to read against the black background of the casing.
The orange red LED, which can be disabled, is another nice touch. It blinks for a paused recording and stays lit during a recording. The red peak indicator LED is also quite useful in warning of excessive distorting sound recording level. In manual mode, a distortion preventing limiter is available. Auto mode automatically adjusts the recording level, but as discussed not always high enough for every user's preference.
An Fn function button can be set for one of a variety of menu items, rec. mode, rec. level, zoom mic., play mode, reverb, euphony, memory select, property, and light. With each push of the button it will toggle through the respective submenu options of the previously programmed function item, for example light on or off. See the online manual for details, menu settings pp. 36-41.
Since I just received the recorder, this review does not delve into the software included with the device.
I will be looking forward to some firmware updates, which will hopefully result from customer feedback, although I have found no problems with operation so far.
In Conclusion
Hopefully, my initial reflections will have provided you with valuable insight to help you in your decision making process. If somehow I have left you more confused, you share my predicament as a modern consumer overwhelmed by a morass of considerations.
In weighing options I would like to see a comprehensive comparison chart of features of a wide array of recorders, to make better purchasing decisions more readily.
Not all of us fit in the category of musicians, journalists, dictation specialists, ethnologists, or the like. Some of us function in a more interdisciplinary capacity. It would be great, if recording equipment allowed a somewhat broader application than is currently available. Even if you are a musician for example, should you be blind, you won't like the LS-10 and will have to settle for something like the DS-50's spoken menus for non-visual access.
In the absence of that the only further help I can offer is in form of a book a friend recently recommended, which proposes that less is more, and that more choices as a consumer actually restrict rather than free us. The book is of course available on Amazon under the title "The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less" by Barry Schwartz. A low-end recorder will do a great job and cost much less.
For example, the Olympus WS-110 WMA Digital Voice Recorder is at this time around $60, has a low-cut filter (like the LS-10 to suppress wind and fan noises), voice actuation, and indexing, records plenty of hours, plugs directly into USB, and given the reviews, does a really fine job for the price.
If anything was stated incorrectly or something essential overlooked, perhaps you will point it out in a comment.
Overall, the LS-10 is a fantastic recording device, a modern marvel of technology. A few flaws however had me give it three stars, most significantly for me the lack of a variable control voice/sound actuator.
Good luck and happy recording!
I Love the Olympus LS-10 2008-06-21
I bought this recorder to record music at church services and of myself playing the piano. It's so easy to upload the files to my computer, edit then burn a CD, which is exactly what I was looking for when I bought a digital recorder. I can't compare it to other digital recorders as I've never had one before. I'm thrilled with my purchase and have no need to look elsewhere.
I recorded a high school jazz choir in an auditorium. The reproduced sound was brilliant. I immediately uploaded the file, edited it and burned a CD, which I gave to the student I was listening to.
I usually set the recording level to five when I record my piano playing. This seems to be a suitable level, picking up all the subtle nuances of my playing.
I also listen to music on the LS-10 and it's crystal clear. This may have something to do with my Shure SE530 earbuds. I've also listened to music with my iPod earphones and the sound is quite acceptable.
I'd love to get the high end Sony field recorder, but the Olympus LS-10 suits me fine for now.
I do wish that the speaker volume was set at a reasonable sound level -- I can barely hear the playback. The speakers are the only drawback to the LS-10.
I've dropped the recorder twice and it still works fine! No dents either. Very sturdy device.
Buy the Olympus LS-10. You won't be disappointed.
Bravo! 2008-06-13
As a trumpeter I always had the worst seat in the house for my own performances. I had to rely on other people's opinions of how my instrument sounded. Usually they do not have my level of expertise so they couldn't say much about the tiny details of the performance. This recorder accurately reproduces my sound including any slight variances in intonation and articulation. (How do I know this since I cannot actually ever hear myself? I can only say that the LS-10 sounds like the professional trumpeters on my CD player that is attached to my professional level sound system. I can also use my electronic tuner and the LS-10 will pick up intonation variances.) It is also very accurate in reproducing the sound of a pipe organ. They may list it as a voice recorder
