Customer Reviews:
 Had this for a year in terrible conditions... November 4, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I've used this recorder for nearly a year now, and I love it. It is sensitive enough to record voices at 50 yards away. And, it is still clear and crisp enough at close ranges.
It'll hold up in the toughest conditions and strains. For some of my recordings, I've had to be out in the woods or open fields during freezing weather or burning heat. The tapes always come out clear, clean, and enjoyable. (Nature recordings, outdoor events, races, etc.)
As a reporter, I used it for interviews. As a student, I used it for lectures, discussions, and notes. The 2X recording time is worth the price alone. Not only that, but if you have to listen to the full three hours that is possible on tape, but you don't want to drain the battery, there's a 3V adapter plugin at the bottom.
The tape deck has remained secure despite some drops. The deck heads are still smooth, and the gears haven't started squeaking, which is something that other recorders have done in the past.
Overall, if you need a tough, durable cassette recorder, this is the one to buy. I wouldn't buy any other now that I have this one. Sure, you get longer recording times with MP3 and MD recorders, but this is a bargain for what it is.
Oh, and it's great for paranormal investigations... but, that's at your own discretion.
Good Tape Recorder October 6, 2007
This tape recorder works very well. It picks up multiple people in the room and will play back clearly. I had used another brand of tape recorder that stopped working after two uses. This one is much better. If you can't go digital, this is the tape recorder to buy.
The downside is that it does not come with a cord to plug it into the wall.
Double the price and you still get more than your monies worth October 2, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This recorder for the price paid is a real GIFT. Compact, excellent sound quality with a mic that goes well beyond expectations. Small enough to carry in your inside coat pocket. If you have the dlightest need, buy one!Sony TCM-200DV Cassette Recorder with Dual Power Source
A Quality Produce July 28, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
I perfer tape recording over modern CD or mp3 technology for my lecture work. Where I stop on the tape is a mechanical process. I can remove tape and transfer it somewhere else, and I can continue right where I left off on a different machine. This is not possible with the new technology. Besides, the large stores like Best Buy, no longer carry tape cassette equipment, and smile at me when I ask for it. Circuit City still carry a limited amount.
The Sony TCM-200DV is a hand held machine. It is low priced (below $40 through stores like Amazon,) and still available. The 200 does not have a counter, but I've learned to live without it for the money. Production has been discontinued so get one now.
 Great cassette recorder but missing a couple of necessary features July 10, 2007
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
This little recorder offers what I need-microphone jack and double speed. This allows you to get twice the recording time on a casette. The slow speed has reduced sound quality, but it's plenty good for voice, AM radio and shortwave broadcasts. The mic jack allows me to record from my AM/FM shortwave radio. Just plug into the mic jack and the headphone jack on the radio. However, the level is too high to record this way and it will distort. I use a headphone volume control that has a jack on one end, plug on the other, and volume control inline. Set the volume almost all the way down and the recording will sound great. The level does not have to be perfect-the recorder has auto level control. Keep in mind that plugging the cord into the headphone jack will turn off the radio's built in speaker. You can plug in headphones or an external speaker to the recorder to monitor. There's no way to adjust volume while recording, so you may want to use another headphone volume control. The Sony has good audio quality. There's also a pitch control to make fine adjustments to the playback speed. Oddly the pitch control also affects ff and rewind speed. To get the fastest rewind possible, turn it up to max. I give it 4 stars because there's no tape counter. It's frustrating to get to a certain point on the tape. And where in the world is the auto stop??? I've never seen a cassette recorder without it. not good for unattended recordings.
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