Panasonic RN305 Micro Cassette Recorder with Voice Activation System

The RN-305 sits squarely in the middle of Panasonic's RN line of microcassette recorders. It doesn't come with many advanced features, but what you do get is a solid recording device with voice-activation capability that runs for more than a dozen hours on a pair of AA batteries.

The voice-activated recording technology used in the RN-305 works better than we expected and usually only clipped off the first part of the first word that activated it. However, though it's easy to set the sound level required to activate the voice-activated recording feature, we achieved universally better results when we manually started and stopped the recorder. The RN-305 runs on batteries and has an external 3-volt power jack, but no AC adapter is included.

This recorder also comes with a feature that doubles your recording time by slowing down the tape speed. The recording quality does take a slight hit, but the results are still intelligible. We also liked the fast-play feature, which plays back recordings faster to make transcribing easier. The pitch of the recording rises to Chipmunks level when this option is enabled, but this is par for the course with this feature.

The RN-305 has a headphone jack, but if you need an external microphone jack, you'll want to opt instead for the feature-rich (and more expensive) Panasonic RN-405. Without a microphone jack, the RN-305 cannot record telephone interviews, and the device also lacks other handy features like a tape counter and a low-battery light. Still, the unit is a generally good workhorse that should appeal to students, employees who need to record meetings, and other users looking for a no-frills microcassette recorder that works as advertised. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Voice-activated recording feature works better than expected
• Inexpensive
• Good battery life

Cons:

• Few advanced features
• No microphone

One-touch recording combined with standard controls such as cue, review, and pause make the Panasonic RN-305 a complete microcassette recorder. The voice-activated system and built-in condenser mic allow for easy, automatic recording. There is a dynamic speaker for quality playback. Fast playback lets you speed up a tape by 20 percent. The Panasonic RN-305 runs on two AA batteries, and there are DC-in and headphone jacks. The slim design fits in the palm of your hand, and it comes in a silver finish.