🎙️ Enhanced Olympus DS-9500 Digital Voice Recorder with ODMS R7 Software, Stereo and Mono Review

Pure disappointment. I have used 3 generations of Olympus recorders and always loved them until this model came out. It automatically reset the passcode, refused to charge and is now unusable (I haven't even used it for a whole month). Very short battery life. There is no instant recording function like the DS-5000.

Problem car. I have been using Olympus professional digital recorders for ten years. This machine is a step backwards in quality (it's plastic, not metal) and ease of use (the accompanying software is clunky and poorly designed). If you can get a new or refurbished 5500 you will be very lucky.

I bought this in June so we will definitely get it for our next meetings. Used it three times and now it just records a loud buzz. I can't return it because the return period has expired. Very upset that we can't use a device we've spent a decent amount of money on and have to spend another chunk of money to replace it.

As a journalist I have used the DS4000 for many years on both PCs and more recently iMacs and Macbook Airs. I was excited about the move to the DS9500, mainly expecting to be able to use the Dragon software for the normally tedious task of transcribing interviews. When Olympus assured me that the DS9500 would run just as smoothly as the DS4000, I was convinced. Ouch! It was a huge mistake and quite frankly a misrepresentation on the part of Olympus. It's not nearly as intuitive as it was on the

This is an addendum to my original review below. The device is now on firmware version 1.15 and still keeps crashing. It doesn't seem to happen when Wi-Fi is off, so I turn Wi-Fi off until I need to download sound files. However, I would not recommend this device to other Olympus recorders. The software is faulty. From time to time the device freezes, requiring the battery to be removed. It starts very slowly and eats up the battery - half a battery in a clinic, my DS-5500 lasts for weeks…