Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsCan't "lock out" the record button so it may activate by accident in your pocket
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2023
Good sound, easy to use, BUT huge design flaw (for me, anyway) in that the RECORD button just slides up and down with no way to secure it. Since I carry this with me everywhere, it's really annoying to pull it out of my pants pocket to make a note to myself, only to find out that it's been recording for 20 minutes in my pocket. Easy to delete the file, but still annoying and it depletes the battery. Recorder is pretty small and fits well in my hand so that's a plus. If it had a way to lock the RECORD button I would've given this 5 stars overall, but, alas. That said, if you carry it in a breast pocket or jacket pocket (though probably not a purse as I'd think you'd run the same risk of accidental activation), you'll probably not have any issues with errant recordings.
Another plus of the Olympus compared to some other recorders I've tried, is that there is very little lag from when you activate recording until it's ready to actually start the recording process. Some others that I've tried literally take 5-7 seconds FOR EACH STEP before they start recording whereas this one is almost instantaneous. Was quite annoying with my previous recorders to have to count to 5 after turning it on and then count to 7 before I could start my note. Huge plus for the Olympus on that feature.
