I just bought it and am very happy with it. Like a previous reviewer, I use mine for song ideas and also for singing practice. I prefer the larger speaker of a shoebox recorder because it provides better fidelity and more volume than you get with hand-helds. And although I don't move my recorder around much, I wanted both portability and a direct AC connection.Before buying the Panasonic shoebox recorder, I compared it to the GE 3-5027. I chose the Panasonic because the Panasonic comes with a removable power cord that plugs directly into the wall and the recorder. The GE recorder uses an AC adapter with a transformer that plugs into the wall and has a thin wire that plugs into the recorder. I always use AC, not batteries (because as batteries weaken, the music changes pitch), and I've had bad luck with adapters where the wire goes bad or the little connector that plugs into the recorder doesn't fit snugly causing intermittent power losses. I prefer a connection that's more substantial and durable.The GE recorder is also 3 inches shorter (7.38") than the standard shoebox recorder (which is approx. 10.38") and appears to have smaller buttons. Since I have large hands, I prefer the full sized buttons of the Panasonic. (I didn't actually measure the buttons or compare the two recorders side-by-side, so this may be just my perception.)If you plan to primarily use batteries, have limited space, and want a shoebox style recorder, the GE 35027 may be right for you.The Panasonic is approximately 10.25 inches long and comes with an AC power cord, tape counter, mic jack, and 8 ohm monitor jack. I primarily use the built-in condenser microphone for recording. The recording sound quality is incredibly accurate. My only negative comment is that, at least with my recorder, the biasing is high, meaning that the pronunciation of an 's', as in "eyes", occasionally hisses or splats.I also looked into buying one of the PoGo! RipFlash MP3/WMA hand-held recorders instead, but decided that the cost difference wasn't worth it since I can already convert my cassette recordings to audio CDs for a more permanent backup by connecting a cable from the monitor jack of the recorder to the input jack of my computer's sound card. Panasonic RQ2102 Cassette Recorder
I would give this product a 5 simply for existing! I had a hard time finding a similar product in stores. When I would stumble onto one, the price was often ... more than what I could get it for here. I don't know if this review praises ... or the product more. Nevertheless, I'm very happy with it. Sure, it's a bit antiquated in this era of digital gimmickry. But for what I need it for, it works great. Easy to use controls, big speaker for playback and it doesn't eat tapes! What more do you want?
Great little recording tool, almost perfect sound recording forthe price definitively the best all-around simple tape recorder,much better than Radio Shack's $49 and even higher priced. Thestandard recorder. Great for seminars, school, I use it forphone recording and song composition. I have a recording studioand this is a very valuable piece vs. the costly equipment.
The only inconvenience with this product is size but the purpose for which it was given to me did not require miniature size, as a matter of fact, for an older user, the controls are quite "user friendly" I recommend the product for stationary use.
I bought this tape recorder after I read a good review here. If the review was truethful, I must have gotten one from a bad production batch. With the volume set at the mid-range, I could hardly reproduce any audible sound. The volume has to be at maximum before I could hear discernible voices without putting my ear right above the speaker. It also records a lot of anoying background noise. I had bought recently an Aiwa micro-cassette tape recorder which turned out to be nearly useless. I was hoping this one, using a full size cassette and with a large speaker, would not have the problem of smaller one. But that was not the case.
i bought this to read my little girls bedtime stories aloud and record them for when we aren't home. we've also had their grandparents from out of town read their favorite books onto tape. it works GREAT for this purpose...and the kids love playing with it too, in between. very sturdy.
I had one of these as a child and did not think they even made them anymore. I have never seen one currently in stores. It is just what I needed to tape some of my college lectures and interviews for my genealogy research. It is better priced than the micro-recorders.
I purchased this tape recorder/player for my father, who is legally blind but still likes to lecture on various gardening topics for local clubs. He wanted a way to record his lectures as well as a back-up tape player in case the one provided by the Association for the Blind has a problem. Therefore the buttons have to be large and easy to mark in a unique way and the operation has to be simple. I have always liked Panasonic and I was not disappointed this time, either. The player works perfectly and the built-in microphone picked up the music I was playing from another audio-tape player with surprising accuracy, as well as my voice. The buttons come with raised emblems which will help my father to find the one he wants. The recorder runs efficiently on 4 size "C" batteries, as well as plugging into the wall, and has ports for headphones and a hand-held microphone (not included with this unit). Best of all from my point of view, it looks and feels like my favorite old tape recorder from the 1970's. I didn't get to handle it for very long because it was a gift, but I really like it. - Cassette Recorder - Cassette Players - Cassette Tape Recorder - Panasonic Tape Recorder'
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