Sony ICD PX333 Digital Voice Recorder

Sony makes these recorders to last! I bought a new one after the one I had by accident fell in the toilet (don't ask). It was completely submerged -- but I did snatch it out fast (clean water, it was a stupid accident I can't even begin to explain). I took out the batteries and left the back door open so it might dry out and work again. I thought, however, nothing is going being totally submerged in water, especially a digital device. The Sony voice recorder that took a swim is just like this but an earlier model. I had it since January 2012, and paid about the same amount of money for it. After it fell in the commode I thought there goes a nice item I used daily down the toilet, quite literally. So after it dried out for a few days, I put back in the batteries. Nothing. I shopped around and bought another Sony voice recorder at Amazon, this very one. It arrived in a week -- nice fast shipping -- and well packaged. It did not come with the Sound Organizer software CD, though I have the software CD from an earlier purchase of the recorder, but I'll bet you can download the Sound Organizer software from the Sony site. It's worth it because the software is very good. When the new one arrived, I put in the batteries and it did not work. WHAT?!? Then I realized I put the batteries in backwards, so I turned them around and that did the trick. So I wondered, maybe I should see if the dunked recorder would work because I might have put the batteries in backwards. HOLY TOLEDO!!! The dunked recorder turned on right away and works just like it did before it took the dive in the toilet. I thought of returning the new one I bought because there are so many other things I need, and these really aren't cheap. But I decided to keep it instead and use the older model as a back up. Overall they are excellent digital devices, well made and the support from Sony is superb. Let me say this about the voice recorder: It has many options and features for recording: you can set it to lecture, voice recording, meetings and more. Each will impact how it records. You can set it to dim background noise, to make the mic very sensitive (and boy is it!) and a host of other useful features. At first the recorder might seem overwhelming because there are so many options. I always end up setting the date and time manually, but that's easy. After you play around with it for a while, getting the hang of everything is fairly easy. AND you can add a microSD card to increase the capacity or just to have other storage. I use an 8 Gig microSD card because if for some reason you mess up (just like I did) and unplug your voice recorder's USB cable from your notebook (just like I did) before going through the process of disconnecting the connection in your notebook, you can mess it up and it won't work like that anymore. But you still have the ability to transfer to your notebook by using the SD card in an adapter. So with my old one (that took a toilet bath) I have to remove the SD card and an adapter to transfer voice notes into my notebook. It's easy and works well. I also kept the new one because I like using the USB cable (that DID come with the recorder.) What else can I say? The Sound Organizer software is great. I have used music files in my notebook and edited them into ringtones. Then transferred them to my Samsung software. You can use the Sony Sound Organizer software to adjust settings in your voice recorder and also to make playlists and probably a whole lot of other stuff that I haven't even tried. In the range of easy to hard, I would rate the software as easy and intuitive. THIS is probably the most important aspect of these Sony devices: the excellent support. If something is STILL causing a problem or you can't figure out something (just like me) there is the Sony phone number where you can get fabulous and friendly service. Sony items may cost a bit more than their competitor, but when you are stuck and just need help, they are there ALWAYS THERE. I never thought about factoring in support when I bought items, but now I do because for example, Samsung won't do squat to answer questions because I bought an international version from Amazon. Sony, on the other hand (and like HTC, too) has support that is among the best. You would be amazed how much it matters. I had to reinstall the software and could not figure out where my voice files were (good old HP notebook hard drive crash after only two months) and those people at Sony offered to remotely connect and they not only fixed the issue but explained how to do it and were not resentful about it. They also were professional, the focused on the issue and not like some others, they ONLY does the repairs (ie: without tampering with browser settings and setting that may just be too tempting to techies at some companies. I have come to learn that it's worth spending a few extra bucks on an item if the support is good. It is not just selling the item but the support that should go with it. . This is actually my third Sony voice recorder. They have all been this make, but newer models. My first, which I loved and got the software CD and handbook with, was stolen in a burglary in January 2012. I had it for maybe three years. The second took the commode dive but is still working perfectly And this model. So if you are on the fence about which voice recorder to get, I hope this review helps. I would not pay more than $59 for it (I got my first about six or seven years ago for $39) so if you see anyone selling it for more, shop around. They are now in the range of $55 to $59. My only reservation about this one is there was NO software CD or little Sony booklet. But it would not be a deal breaker, because nowadays I'll bet you can download the handbook in pdf form and the Sound Organizer software from the Sony site. I just think the sellers should say so, because people might not know you can get software. As far as this seller goes, (World Class, Inc) the recorder arrived within a week, it was packed well to be safe and was shipped USPS, which in my opinion is a smarter faster way for small items. I don't know about where you live, but UPS cannot deliver a package to me that doesn't look like they ran over it first. Because of torn, opened, damaged and mangled packages have been so bad I have now decided I either reject them or send them back. Oh, and this recorder also arrived with two AAA batteries.

As a nursing student, I like to record my lectures in class so that I can go back and jot down notes I have missed. When you get the product, you are greeted to this long black candy bar shape with sturdy and high quality plastic. It comes with two AAA batteries. On the top of the device, you have two audio jacks. The red one is an input for an external microphone if you choose to use one. If not, the device will default to the one built in. The black one is a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack to listen to your recording privately. The left side houses the mini usb (not micro) for connection. this is a shame since mini usbs aren't all that popular and I only have one cable that can connect to it compare to the mountain of microusb cables I have. There's a micro SD card slot/M2 slot for additional storage. You will also find a sliding switch for on and hold functions. The hold function locks down the controls so when you are recording, you don't accidently push down buttons. There is also a land yard hole if that is your thing. To the right is a thankfully flushed erase button. They make the button difficult to push so you don't accidently erase important recordings. there is also a volume rocker, a playback loop button, and a noise cancellation switch. In the back theres nothing except the battery cover. The front has the folder select button, a button for different recording scenarios (Lecture, Audio In, Meeting, Voice notes, Interview), a display button when pushed shows different information on the screen, a play/stop button, a record/pause button, forward ,reverse, stop and t-mark. The speaker is mediocre to good. I really wouldn't expect a fantastic battery like the htc one's speakers on something as like this recorder, but it gets the job done. There is only one microphone. There is a useful battery status on the display when you turn it on. Sound wise, I'm pleased. Of course this depends and varies on the situation you are in. I will give you my experiences as a student. If you are in a lecture hall, this is terrible. The echo makes the quality pretty terrible. Plus when you sit in the back of the lecture hall, you will pick up a lot of other nonsense from other students, or the shuffling of papers from students next to you. If I place the record right next to the speakers in the lecture hall, words are audible, but don't expect it to be HD. In a smaller room, things are better as the reverb is less and the professor's voice is a lot closer to the microphone. It works best if you place the recorder on the table where the professor stands. The audio quality from that is top notch. However, if a student asks a question, it most likely won't pick it up. If I am at home and I record my voice, it is amazing. Still, I like this product because I can still make out the words the recorder picks up. I don't go to lecture halls anymore, so it suits me well for my purposes.

I had this voice recorder for 11years, and it still sounds great. The built-in speaker and functionality are perfect. The mic and recording are fabulous. The only issue I have about the device is that the white lettering fades on some of the buttons and if you don't use it for a while you have to go online and save the pic so you can reference how to work it again. Whereas I had other recorders that would stop working after a while, this one is still going. It's built very well.

I had one of these for over two years then I lost it while in the woods. All of the features matched my needs. The ability to store music, podcast, and make my own voice recordings made it a one-device does all for me. You can set date/time on recordings (music or voice recording) to play as an alarm so I wake up to a different song each day of the week. The sound quality is excellent and when you use Sony's Sound Organizer you can easily set-up podcast downloads, move music and recordings to/from your PC. Anyway, I lost one of these and I looked for it for a month or two and I just couldn't stand being without it so I bought this replacement. I didn't rate it at 5 stars because the display isn't back-lit. Everything is great on this device except you can't see the screen in low light without you flashlight or something. Some folks say the menus are complicated but I disagree. The right-left button scrolls through the top level menu and then there is a choice for "Details" to take you to a second level. A different list of menu items may appear if you are in playback or record mode. It wasn't long for me to get familiar with how it works. Oh and the batteries...I have left it running all night in the woods to "listen" for game sounds. I retrieve it and review the recording in Sound Organizer for peaks in the sound graph. I can do this three nights on one pair of batteries. It's very efficient with energy consumption. It can go 16-20 hours easy on a battery and records. Another cool thing about this device is it has an external speaker so you can chose to use ear phones or just playback through the speaker. It also has a mic-in jack so you can add one of those ear piece microphones and record meetings or conference calls for later use to take notes. All in all, I have been very pleased with this device and my 15 year-old son has bought one and is using it to keep all of his music on now...and he has iPhone and other devices but he likes this thing better.

This is a great digital voice recorder. It's really small, perfect hand-held size. The main buttons are easy to use and see. I purchased this for my grandfather to record his life stories, and he's not the most tech-savvy person. I wanted to find a device that had capabilities I could use, like emailing the digital files to family members, but would still be easy enough for him to figure out how to do the basics, like record and play back. The two main buttons you need are front and center, easy to see, easy to press. You just have to press the record button to record, press it again to pause, or press the stop button to finish the recording. You can then press the play button to hear what you have recorded. It has rewind/forward buttons, which seem basic, but were not on the last recorder we had. It made it difficult for someone transcribing the recorded information because they would have to listen to the whole recording several times to get it all transcribed. If it was a long recording, this could be a bit time consuming. However, this recorder has the rewind/fast forward options built-in. The device has plenty of storage space on its own, but you can also put an SD card in for additional storage. You can also plug the device into a computer via USB, and download the files to the computer. They save as MP3 files, so you can easily email them to anyone, and play them on other devices. MP3 is a pretty universal format, so I prefer that over a WAV file. The microphone picks up sound really well, almost too well. Make sure there's not too much background noise where you're recording. The volume can also go up pretty loud, so you can easily hear playback.Overall, really happy with this recorder.

This is my 5th voice recorder since 1999. All Sony. They have been great. Reason for so many is that I use them a lot! I still have two others that I'm using but they are "attached" to particular locations. This one I carry with me most of the time, use it to capture the "next big idea" while I'm dring to/from work. This recorder is excellent. Really well designed, lots of nice features, no down side at all, so far. The microSD flash memory port (I'm using an 8G for 168 hours total recording time) is a really nice addition from previous recorders, as is the USB port. And this model records in mp3, perfect to allow others to email to other so they can listen to my ramblings. The sound quality is excellent, easy to use record/playback. If I have a gripe, it's that the user manual is non-existent. I have no problem whatsoever using all the various options, including the "hidden" options in the secondary menu. But that's because I've had previous Sony VRs. Someone who is coming to this device "cold" may not find and utilize all the neat features buried within. For example, you can play back at a different "speed" than the original recording but the pitch of the recording does not change, like with a mechanical tape recording slowed down. No small design / engineering feat, but it's buried within the options menu. Too bad, Sony, you're missing the boat when it comes to touting your features and benefits to buyers/users. Short story: great recorder, excellent value for the money ($50 or so).

I have had three of these work orders, the sound quality is unbeatable! The built-in speaker is not bad at all, and having a microphone Jack and a headphone jack is very nice. It works just fine with Duracell rechargeable AAA batteries. The batteries don't last forever, and I have a few sets, with at least one always hot off the charger. I do not leave the battery is charging continuously, I use an automatic charger. The mini SD card slot is very nice, but I do not actually need the extra storage space for what I use it for. The power switch is the primary problem, it is extremely small and the last one that I had the power switch fell off the board inside, and was impossible to put back on. The switch is extremely small and fragile. That is the only real weak point in this design. The only other complaint is that the screen does not light up. There should be a button that will light up the screen, the two Triple-A batteries have plenty of power for something like that. Also, the price of this unit continues to go up, and it is reaching the point where it is not worth the price. But, it is a good machine with excellent sound quality, and can be left in a shirt or pants pocket and it will pick up people talking 20 or 30 feet away as long as there is not too much background noise. I use this as a security guard when doing Security in an office building, and it picked up all kinds of things, and was a good insurance policy against people complaining about my professionals. I was accused of racism once, but the audio recording proved the complaintant a liar.

I bought this DVR almost a year ago, but didn't have occasion to use it until yesterday, when I recorded an administrative hearing I was conducting. In a nutshell, I was blown away by the quality of the recording. The hearing took place in an average-sized conference room at an oblong table that seats four on each side and one at each end. I was at the head of the table, and planted the DVR about an arm's length away from me. I put it on a beanbag-style smartphone stand that tilted the DVR back at a 45 degree angle and set it to record in Meeting mode. There were seven people at the table most of the time. The people who spoke were for the most part seated at the front half of the table. When listened to on my computer, the resultant file was excellent. Witnesses, even those who were soft-spoken, sounded clear as a bell with excellent fidelity. There was no boominess, background hum, hiss or crackle. I'll have no trouble reviewing the testimony when drafting the decision. My only fear was hitting the wrong button and messing up the recording - or forgetting to hit record after a break - but I practiced at home the night before, and everything went A-OK. When connected to my iMac with the included mini- (not micro-) USB cable, the DVR mounts as a volume with no problem, and the MP3 files created by the DVR open automatically in iTunes when double-clicked. The Windows software has a combine files feature, which unfortunately is not included in the Mac software. This could be useful if I want to record a long hearing as a series of separate files, or if I accidentally hit the stop button instead of the pause button when recording. If anybody has any recording or usage tips, please reply in the comments.

I am very happy with my little (literally) Sony ICD-PX333 recorder for the following reasons. 1. The VOR (Voice Operating Recording) actually works well (one of the main reasons why I chose this recorder). If there is a delay in starting, it is not noticeable, I've really been amazed at how well the VOR works. Using this feature is just a matter of going to: Menu/VOR/change No to Yes. To change the sound sensitivity: Menu/Detail Menu/Mic Sensitivity/Medium works fine for me. 2. Small and light, it's easy to find an eyeglass case to store it in. 3. A short USB cord is included and easily plugs into my laptop (can also be used for cameras and other devices). 4. The installed software (Sound Organizer) is a nice, easy to use, option to help keep things organized. It comes installed on the recorder and easily installs on your computer. Once you do that, you just plug in the recorder and your files transfer to Sound Organizer automatically (with or without deleting them on the recorder). You can set up your folders any way you want, including adding new folders, renaming them, etc. 5. If you have an HTML cable running from your computer to your TV, you can use your TV's speakers either via a plugged in recorder or using Sound Organizer. For us, the playback volume is adequate on the recorder for previewing recordings but listening to them as loud as we want to on the TV is a big plus. By the way, an HTML cable is an affordable way to watch movies, etc. for free on your TV via your computer. I don't see what's not to like about this product, I highly recommend it. To be nitpicky, the volume could be louder and the LED display could be brighter but both are ok (we are seniors with hearing and eyesight issues).

Useful and ideal for recording hour-long interviews.

Realicé las entrevistas de la tesis doctoral con este producto. Graba super bien, tiene muy buen alcance. Es super facil pasar los archivos a la compu, y más facil transcribir utilizando las funciones de acelerar o desacelerar el audio. Tiene muchas otras funciones que yo no utilicé, pero estoy muy contenta con la compra.

nice product.. with good quality of recording and easy to use.

I finally had a chance to use this recorder in a real time setting. As Recording Secretary I have to prepare the minutes of meetings and use a recording to help in that task. Our meeting was in a room about about 30 feet by 50 feet, maybe 20 foot high ceiling. 15 participants in the meeting. I'm just compiling those minutes now and all I can say is WOW! The audio recording of those meetings from this little recorder are AMAZING! To say this recorder exceeds expectations is an understatement. I also work in the media and can attest to the value of having solid, reliable equipment in the field. Voices are clear in the recordings and ambient noise is not an issue at all. I purchased a 32GB micro SD card which provides more than ample recording space. The first session I recorded was an hour and a half long and the mp3 file is only 125MB. Recording is one-touch simple. Press the record button and be assured you're recording by either the red indicator light or the scrolling display. File transfer from the recorder to another device such as laptop or desktop is just as easy and at a fast transfer rate. I backed up each session immediately afterwards and was impressed by how little time it took.