Like people, digital voice recorders can't be judged solely on their looks, but if that were possible, the Sony ICD-TX50 would be hard to beat. It is slimmer than any recorder in our lineup and is just flat-out pretty. And while it isn't exactly the best digital recorder on the market, it's not all looks either. The design is also practical with a built-in pocket clip that makes this the most portable and discreet recorder out there. Simply slide it in your pocket and take it with you to your next lecture or interview. You almost forget it's there.
Beyond design, it has a number of features to recommend it. It records up to 16 hours in LPCM (CD-quality) sound or up to 178 hours in MP3-quality sound. This is on the lower end of total hours when compared to other products in our digital recorder reviews, but for most people's needs, this is more than enough time.
This is especially true considering there is a USB connection, and an included USB cable, that will allow you to transfer files onto your PC and then delete them from the recorder to free up space for more recording. And if you find yourself needing more than the 178 hours of recording time, an SD card slot allows for many more hours of storage. You will need to purchase the SD card separately, however. If you are someone who needs a lot of internal memory, this is a feature you will want to take a close look at before buying. However, with the SD card slot option, the number of recording hours shouldn't be a big issue for most people.
One problematic thing about having controls like fast forward, rewind and track marking buttons on the side is they can be tricky to access and it will take some getting used to, especially when you're used to having them in front. For some, this may even be a deal breaker. But we find the more you use it, the better you get at it and the more comfortable the side buttons become.
In terms of sound quality, this portable recorder has Sony's proprietary Intelligent Noise Cut technology, which cuts out background noise for a clearer recording of the sounds you want to capture. It has five folders to store audio files in, so you can separate them by subject. This is a great feature for students who can separate lectures by class or a journalist who is working on several articles; you can keep audio tracks organized by folder even before transferring them to a PC.
The digital pitch control feature on this recorder is a nice feature as well. If you've ever been in a situation where you need to listen to audio quickly to find a specific quote, you'll appreciate the ability to do so without distorting the pitch of the voice you are listening to. As the pitch gets higher, your ability to understand the words being spoken decreases. This feature allows you to understand the words you are hearing even though they are rushing at you at an accelerated rate.
Standard features that you almost expect are also included, like track marking and voice activation. These features allow you to do things like save battery and easily navigate to important points in a lecture or interview that you mark with the press of a button.
The Sony ICD-TX50 is not only the prettiest, sleekest recorder in our lineup – it also comes with some nice and useful features. Expandable storage largely makes up for what it may lack in total number of internal hours of storage, which is on the low end when compared to other products in our lineup. Students and professionals of many kinds will be very happy with this recorder.
If you are looking for a slim type digital voice recorder, Sony ICD-TX50 worth for considering. It has come in just 6.4mm of thickness with 50g of weight. It offers up to 178 hours of MP3 recording in its 4GB built-in internal memory. If it’s not enough for you, you can expand the memory capacity via its MicroSD card slot.
The Sony ICD-TX50 digital Voice recorder equipped with stereo digital microphone and 150mW speaker output for clear playback. This voice recorder comes with a pocket clip to store it tight in your pocket. The clip also can act as a recording stand for Tabletop recording.
Sony ICD-TX50 digital voice recorder other features includes voice note, My Scene recording modes for optimum result, Voice Operated Recording function that automatically stops when no sound is detected, and it will start the recording when certain level sounds are detected.
Sony ICD-TX50 digital voice recorder also comes with other interesting features such as Digital Pitch Control that allows the recording to be played at a faster or slower rate without changing the pitch, an Intelligent Noise Cut mode that reduces ambient noise during recording.
Sony ICD-TX50 powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides up to 24 hours of playback when the battery on a full charge condition. With Three minutes of charge, you can use it for one hour of recording, thanks to its Quick Charge function. It also has a sound organizer for easy transfer and editing your recording.
Super Slim And Sleek Clipped Design
Looks smart. Works sharply.
Designed for successful businessmen and upwardly mobile executives, the ICD-TX50 always looks sleek and polished with its 6.4mm thickness and 50g weight. Whether it’s clipped smartly on your shirt pocket or placed strategically in the boardroom, it remains resplendent as the perfect status symbol of your success.
Quick And Easy Recording
One-touch recording even from your pocket.
With easily accessible "Record" and "Stop" buttons, the ICD-TX50 is so easy to use that you can even operate it without removing it from your pocket. Its one-touch operation lets you start recording anytime you desire, even without people knowing!
Battery-Saving Function
Prolonged usage with automatic stand-by mode.
The recorder’s bright organic electro-luminescence display turns off automatically after a few seconds when there are no command changes, even during recording and playback. This intelligent function prolongs the recorder’s battery life for prolonged usage, and can also be disabled anytime according to your preference.
Quick Charge
Enjoy 1 hour of recording from a mere 3-minute charge.
The ICD-TX50 is engineered with your busy lifestyle in mind. A convenient 3-minute USB charge of its built-in lithium ion battery is sufficient to power the recorder for approximately 1 hour’s recording, so you can record with peace-of-mind without worrying about low battery life.
Intelligent Noise Cut And Voice Amplification
Clear voice playback.
Enjoy clear and uninterrupted recording quality with the ICD-TX50’s smart features. "Intelligent Noise Cut" reduces recorded noise for clearer sound quality, while "Voice UP" automatically amplifies low or distant sounds to make them more audible.
It has a sleek, attractive design and features like an SD card slot and USB connection.
It does not come with a memory card for its SD card slot and the side buttons will take getting used to for some.
This digital voice recorder is a great tool for students and professionals who need an extremely portable, discreet tool to create clear recordings, largely free of background clutter.
Features
Sleek Design with Clip
Quick and Easy One-Touch Recording
Battery-Saving Function
3 Minutes Quick Charge for 1 Hour of Recording
Intelligent Noise Cut and Voice Amplification
Clear Organic LED Screen
GENERAL
Built-In Memory
4GB
PC Connectivity
Yes
Channel
Stereo
Recording Format
Linear PCM / MP3
Playback Format
MP3 / AAC / WMA / WAV
Messages/Folders
4074 Files, 400 Folders
Earphone Jack
Yes
Battery Type
Built-In Lithium
Dimension (W x H x D)
40.8 x 102.3 x 6.4 mm
Weight (including batteries)
Approx. 50g
PLAYBACK TIME
LPCM (44.1kHz, 16-bit)
18hrs
MP3 (192kbps)
24hrs
FUNCTIONALITY
Scene Select
Yes
Voice-Operated Recording (VOR)
Yes
Noise Cut Function
Yes (Intelligent Noise Cut)
Low Cut Filter
Yes
Digital Pitch Control
Yes
PC Data Storage
Yes (Micro SD)
MP3 Music Playback
Yes
Digital Voice Up
Yes
USB Charge
Yes
Track Mark
Yes
SPEAKER
Speaker Power Output
150mW
Speaker Size
10mm x 6 mm
OVERALL FREQUENCY RESPONSE
MP3 (192kbps)
95 - 18,000 Hz
LPCM (44.1kHz, 16-bit)
95 - 20,000 Hz
Product Specifications
Software
Operating System Compatibility : Windows® 7 Ultimate, Windows® 7 Professional, Windows® 7 Home Premium, Windows® 7 Home Basic, Windows® 7 Starter, Windows Vista® Ultimate Service Pack 2 or higher, Windows Vista® Business Service Pack 2 or higher, Windows Vista® Home Premium Service Pack 2 or higher, Windows Vista® Home Basic Service Pack 2 or higher, Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005 Service Pack 3 or higher, Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2004 Service Pack 3 or higher, Windows® XP Media Center Edition Service Pack 3 or higher, Windows® XP Professional Service Pack 3 or higher, Windows® XP Home Edition Service Pack 3 or higher, Mac OS X (v10.3.9-v10.7), pre-installed
Supplied Software : Application Software, Sound Organizer (CD-ROM) (Windows® only)
Audio
Recording System : Digital Stereo
Microphone : Built-in, Stereo Microphone
Audio Format(s) Supported : MP3 files: Bit Rate: 32 kbps - 320 kbps, VBR Sampling Frequencies: 16/22.05/24/32/44.1/48 kHz File Extension: .mp3
WMA files: Bit Rate: 32 kbps - 192 kbps, VBR Sampling Frequencies: 44.1 kHz File Extension: .wma
AAC-LC files*: Bit Rate: 16 kbps - 320 kbps, VBR Sampling Frequencies: 11.025/12/16/22.05/24/32/44.1/48 kHz File Extension: .m4a * Copyright-protected files playback not supported
LPCM files: Bit Rate: 16 bit Sampling Frequencies: 44.1 kHz File Extension: .wav
Audio Features
Microphone Sensitivity Feature : Yes (Hi/Med/Lo)
Recording Features : 5 Modes: Linear PCM / LPCM (44.1kHz, 16bit): Non-compressed High-Quality stereo mode SHQ (44.1kHz, 192kbps): Super High- Quality stereo mode HQ (44.1kHz, 128kbps): High-Quality stereo mode SP (44.1kHz, 48kbps): Standard Play monaural mode
Convenience Features
Voice E-Mail Function : Yes
On-Screen Clock : Yes
Search Features : Cue/Review, Easy Search, Track Mark
Message Folder(s) : 5 folders
Erase/Protect : Yes
Safety Lock : Yes (Hold Function)
General
Type of Use : Ultra Portable Voice Recorder
Recording Media : Built-In Flash Memory 4GB1 and Memory Card Expansion Slot (microSD)
Recording and Playback Times : LPCM 44.1k 6H MP3 192k: 44H 40M MP3 128k: 67H 5M MP3 48k (Mono): 178H
Hardware
Speakers : Approx. 10 mm x 6 mm (13/32" x 1/4") diameter
Display : Full Function LED Display with LED operation indicator
Inputs and Outputs
USB Port(s) : 1 (micro-B jack), High-Speed USB Compatible
Headphone Output(s) : 1 (Minijack, Stereo) output for headphones 16 ohms impedance
Power
Output Power : 90 mW
Speaker
Frequency Range : LPCM 44/16: 95 - 20,000 Hz MP3 192k: 95 - 18,000 Hz MP3 128k: 95 - 16,000 Hz MP3 48k (Mono): 95 - 14,000 Hz
Weights and Measurements
Dimensions (Approx.) : 1 5/8" x 4 1/8" x 9/32" (40.8 x 102.3 x 6.4 mm) not including projecting parts and controls
Weight (Approx.) : 1.75 oz. (50 g) Including battery
Dimensions (Approx) Width : 1 5/8" (40.8 mm)
Dimensions (Approx) Height : 4 1/8" (102.3 mm)
Dimensions (Approx) Depth : 9/32" (6.4 mm)
OVERALL
Built-in Memory
4GB
PC Connectivity
YES
Built-in Microphone
Stereo
Recording Format
Linear PCM/MP3
Playback Format
MP3/AAC/WMA/WAV
Battery Type
Built-In Litium
Maximum Number of Folder
400
Maximum Number of File
4074
Maximum Number of Files in one Folder
199
INPUTS AND OUTPUTS
Headphone Jack
YES
Microphone In
NO
USB port
YES ( microB )
DC in Jack
NO
Memory Card Slot
microSD
RECORDING FEATURES
Scene Select
YES
FM Radio Recording
NO
Manual Recording level adjustment
NO
Low-cut Filter
YES
Limiter Function
NO
Add/Overwrite Recording
NO
Pre-Recording
NO
Cross-Memory Recording
NO
VOR
YES
Sync Recording Function
NO
Recording Monitor
YES
PLAYBACK FEATURES
Digital Noise Canceling
NO
Full Digital Amplifier
NO
Digital Pitch Control (Speed Control)
YES
Key Control
NO
Noise Cut
YES (Intelligent Noise Cut)
Digital Voice Up
YES
Equalizer
YES
A-B Repeat
YES
Easy Search
YES
Alarm Playback
YES
EDIT FEATURES
Track Mark
YES
Erase
YES
Protect
YES
Divide
YES
Move File
YES
File Copy
YES
Folder Name Change (without using PC)
YES
OTHER FEATURES
Calendar Search
NO
LCD Backlight
YES (OLED)
USB Connection Charging
YES
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