The new Olympus DM-5 - an experience report

24.08.2010

Looks good, this new DM-5/DM-3 recorder by Olympus. But what about the inside and easy operation? We have been trying out the DM-5 for some days. Therefore, we are now able to describe the impressions we got.

Its strengths

The DM-5/DM-3 proves to be a very good mp3 and audiobook player. The playback quality is really nice, saved files can be conveniently administered and searched for. In contrast to other mp3 players, the DM-5 additionally offers a magnificent recording quality which many users may know from the Olympus DM-550. This makes the DM-5 the first device on the market that:

• allows good mp3 and audiobook playback
• produces excellent mp3 and wav recordings
• supports Daisy format (DM-5 only)
• is equipped with an internal loudspeaker

And all this comes in a compact mobile phone format!

The following formats are at hand: wav, mp3 and wma in different bitrates. The microphone feature is adjustable to various recording settings. The Zoom feature, for example, proves itself very well for recording individuals. The external mikes that we used (e.g. Beyerdynamics M58, SonyECM-907) work perfectly together with the gadget. The adjustments for the microphone feature are also taken oven for external mikes – very useful.

The design is fashionable, the colour display dominates the front and portrays clear, well legible menu information. Almost all keys are below the display on the front and are sensibly ordered for operating with your thumb. The keys have a prominent pressure point which makes them well tactile.

DM-5 lying: nice format for your waistcoat pocket

The built-in loudspeaker is wonderfully clear and – compared to other recorders – quite powerful.

The speech navigation is more complex than that of previous Olympus models. For example, most file names and files are being read out loud. This is sensible when looking for recordings or music where the display is not in use. Your own recordings are titled with date and time of recording.

The package content is extensive: power supply unit (for Germany and Switzerland), case, earphones and rechargeable battery. The accumulator can be charged via USB or power supply unit and holds approx. 35 hours when continuously running.

Diary and display screen are nice add-on features that we, however, did not make use of.

Its weaknesses

Unfortunately, the DM-5/DM-3 cannot fulfill all announced features completely.

The speech navigation has been considerably improved. Still, some fields, e.g. diary, date and time, are not read out loud. The navigation is not consistent and may get confusing without checking the display.

The DM-5 supports the Daisy format which is an audio format with various navigation options. A pity that not all Daisy advantages can be fully used as a list navigation is the only option available.

Songs that you listened to start from the beginning again after having switched off the device. This is time-consuming and little convenient.

Practical advices

Date and time are told via key F1 in the basic menu

F2 tells you the battery charge level, also only in the basic menu

You get to context related menues via F3. Also, this key always transfers you back to the basic level.

The function keys can be personalised, e.g. F1 for „delete“

For listening to a Daisy book, copy the data, at all times, into a new subfile in the Daisy file.

Our recommendation

If you are looking for a good mp3 player with very good recording feature, the DM-5 or -3 is just the thing for you. Olympus has succeeded in combining valuable mp3 playback and recording in one device.

As to the weaknesses, Olympus has promised us a speedy firmware update. We will promptly inform you about any news relating to this.