Sony ICD-PX720 Digital Voice Recorder with PC Link

Comment: This was exacly I was looking for nothing more nothing less.I`t allows me to record any little idea I have.It`s small so I can bring it anywhere in my pocket.I can store all of this info into my computer very easily when Im home.The sound is pretty good.In my opinion you get what you pay for out of it.

Comment: It is a very good recorder. From my testing, it can record sounds that you can hear (assuming the recorder is near you ;)). I havent yet tested how long the battery lasts. From the limited recording I did, it looks like it will definitely last a few hours of recording, which is more than enough for me.

The biggest problem with this recorder is file transfer to PC. For device that supports USB transfer, this is about the worst implementation you can have. If you want to transfer files to your PC, you need to install a special software & driver (the CD is included, though.. and you can download it from Sony's support site). The software includes file transfer and some editing support. I really wish the device popped up as a "USB disk" on Explorer, so I could just drag-drop files. Having said that, the software works well (may be a bit intimidating for grandparents).

Comment: This recorder is easy to use for recording, has good sound quality, and is very portable. Unfortunately getting access to the recordings on your computer is a big chore.

You should be able to simply plug the cable into a USB port and drag the MP3 files onto your computer, but you can't. You have to install a driver and then use Sony's own software to convert and transfer the files. Everything about this process is non-intuitive:
-- The manual says the recorder works with Vista but no Vista driver is included on the CD, so you have to go to the Sony site to download it.
-- The Sony site did not have my version of Vista listed as an option, so I had to guess and pick a different version.
-- The download is 94 megabytes (seriously?), and the installer makes you look up the model number of your recorder to install the right options (seriously?).
-- Once you get the file transfer software up and running it's very clunky and non-intuitive.

So, 4 stars for a solid product, minus 2 stars for terrible product-to-computer interface.

Comment: I purchased this product from Amazon, and i'm very happy i did it.

I run windows 7 on my laptop and the new version of the audio program needed to transfer the recordings to the PC works just fine. Although some people said the program is too slow, in my laptop it runs as quickly as it could. Perfect.

The recording quality is really good and the audio resources available are quite useful.

Comment: I am very satisfied with my Sony PX 720. I use it to record interviews I do with coaches for a radio pre-games. The sound quality is truly broadcast quality and very easy to use and the use of FIVE folders is also very helpful to keep interviews with different coaches separate. the USB port is wonderful to download my audio to a computer to save and the easy to erase audio files onthe PS 720 is simple to use.

The one feature that I found not up to par is when recording on the mic input with an external mic. The recording sound levels or the ability changing sound levels so it will not over modulate the recording seems to not exist. I record the game audio live at the site and I found that its not as good as I expected from Sony.

The build in mic works very well to record one-on-one interviews and play back for broadcast works very well. I am please with my Sony PX 720. I would recommend this unit to anyone that can uses a digital recorder who wants an easy way to download your audio files to a computer instead of re-recording them during play back to a computer.