Review on Sony ICD B25 Digital Voice Recorder by Jero Fontaine

Really 4.5 stars. But it wasn't a choice. It's a very capable device for the price, although I focused on clarity and record-breaking times. So I'm amazed at the clarity of the recording even in Long Play (LP) mode. Compared to another one I used (Olympus VN-90) there is no comparison. There is almost no hiss in LP (like the BH-90), but the voice sounds a bit like speaking into a tin can. But even then it's not bad. You could run this unit in LP mode all the time and, in my opinion, miss very little of what you get in Standard Play (SP) mode. But for those times when you need a clearer shot, the SP is there, and it's noticeably better. Don't get me wrong, this is by no means MP3 quality and it's not meant to be. And of course, as you move away from the source, the quality deteriorates, as with any similar device. But compared to what I expected from the quality of an LP, this is fantastic. The recording time is there: 127 minutes SP, 339 minutes LP. That's enough to record long meetings or lectures. If the device is only used for simple reminders, it takes a long time to fill up the memory. Other nice extras include a backlit display. It lights up when the function button is pressed. The display itself is large and easy to read. There are also plug-ins for an external microphone and headphones. The device is small, light and fits easily in a shirt pocket without taking up much space. As mentioned above I would rather give 4.5 stars if I could as there are some quirky things going on with this device. First, the buttons on the front of the device are small and hidden flush. If you don't have short nails or small, pointed fingers, you won't have a problem. This, and you need to use two hands for some operations from time to time. I gave it a quarter star for that. Second, the time display in army format only. I haven't read about the possibility of displaying the usual 12-hour format in the instructions. Again, this is fairly insignificant but deserves another Quarter Star downside. Even less noteworthy is the fact that there appears to be an option to attach a wrist strap. But none were provided. I gave no negative points for this as the device fits so well in a shirt pocket as stated above. Overall, I would recommend this unit to anyone who wants clear sound over long recording times. Maybe there are better ones, but so far I'm happy with the Sony ICD-B25.