Topic: Olympus LS-7, announced at NAMM

[sunjan]

This just out.  Nothing groundbreaking, but smaller than the previous models.
MSRP $199

http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1547&page=overview

Recording Format     PCM (WAV), MP3 and WMA
Recording Media    Built-in 4GB flash memory and micro SD card slot
Recording Time    PCM
44.1kHz/16bit: 1h45m
88.2kHz 24-bit: 1h55m
48kHz 16-bit: 5h25m
44.1kHz 16-bit: 5h55m
PC Interface    Hi speed USB 2.0
Overall Frequency Response    20Hz-20kHz(center microphone ON)
70Hz-20kHz(center microphone OFF)
Practical Maximum Output:
Headphone 4.0mW + 4.0mW (at load of 16Ω)
Speaker 400mW (8Ω load)
Speaker    20 mm round dynamic speaker (mono)
Microphone Jack    3.5mm dia. Mini-jack, impedance 2.2kΩ
Earphone Jack    3.5mm dia, impedance 8Ω or more
Power Supply    2 x AAA Ni-MH rechargeable batteries or alkaline (LR03 or R03) batteries / DC5V AC adapter (optional)
Size    4.4 x 1.5 x 0.6 inch (112 x 39.8 x 15.9 mm)
Weight    3.17 oz (90g), including batteries

[colargol]

Does this one not have a line input? I can't see from the images...

-colargol

[flintstone]

Sunjan, you always bring us the best recorder news! 

The LS-7 is quite different than the LS-5 announced last Summer and sold in Europe.  For example, the LS-7 weighs 90g including two AAA cells, while the LS-5 weighs 165g.  I wonder if this means the LS-7 has a plastic case.  The LS-5, LS-10 and LS-11 have a metal case.

Also different:  The LS-7 supplements the L&R mics with a center microphone.  There is no center mic in the LS-5, or in the more expensive LS-10 and LS-11 models.  Specs listed above say low frequency response is improved with center mic (sensitive to sounds as low as 20 Hz, instead of 70 Hz with center mic turned off).  The text implies that the center mic works with the L&R mics, rather than turning them off when the center speaker is on.

The LS-7 has a single speaker, while the LS-5, LS-10 and LS-11 have a pair of speakers.  The LS-7 uses MicroSD card, while the others use SD or SDHC.

Let's hope that the street price of this model falls quickly.  The LS-11 costs about $235 these days, and it has 8 GB of internal memory rather than 4GB like the LS-7.  I'm guessing the LS-7 will have a street price of $169 initially, and then fall to $150 or so by Summer.  That puts the LS-7 between the Tascam DR-8 and DR-2D models.
 
[update: the body of the LS-7 is "ightweight aluminum," according to Olympus. ]

[sunjan]

Thanks Flintstone.
I'm a gear slut with no budget, so I love window shopping 

My guess is that the mic jack doubles as line in, that's how the other models work, right? Or do they have two separate input jacks?. Would be crazy of Olympus not to accept line level.

[rjp]

My guess is that the mic jack doubles as line in, that's how the other models work, right? Or do they have two separate input jacks?. Would be crazy of Olympus not to accept line level.

On the LS-10 and LS-11, the line in and mic in are separate jacks. In addition, PIP on the mic-in can be shut off via the menu. If the LS-7 didn't have a line-in capability, I wouldn't bother with it.

[Chimney Top]

i like my ls10... you can use either the line in or mic i believe.  edit) on one side it has what looks like a mic input, the other side has two - probably one line-in and the other headphone jack.

4 gb of internal memory is fine since you can use an sd card.  but this has an omni mic built-in as well as stereo, plus it is smaller.  i like!

[dyneq]

I was seriously considering the ls-10 or 11 (looks like a really nice machine), but I can't abide by their decision to aggressively roll off the bass on the mic input. It makes some sense for the built-in mics, I guess, but it would be nice if the user could defeat it for the mic in. If I owned one, I'd bother Olympus to address that in the firmware.

I'd be interested to see if the LS-7 has the same 'feature'.

[flintstone]

Olympus confirms that the LS-7 has an input for external mics, but no line input.

[dyneq]

So I've been posting over at Olympus' audio blog and asking about the roll-off issue. Here is their most recent response:

We get this question a lot and the engineers in Tokyo have definitely responded with the LS-7. This model includes a center, omni-directional mic which currently measures down to 20Hz when turned on. Back to 70Hz when center mic is off and only the directional condensers are engaged. I can’t say for sure at this time if the unit would perform the same with externals.

I got the chance to play with this recorder at NAMM a little and was pretty impressed. Bass roll-off has been addressed, the unit is notably smaller than the previous LS entries, same Linear PCM quality, a switchable low cut filter and it’s still built like a tank to survive your gear bag. One thing I should note, however, is that there is no manual level to this unit as of yet. It is auto-leveling at this point. This is one area where the LS-10 or 11 may better suit your needs.

As for LS-10 bass roll-off, 83Hz is accurate to everything I have seen.

Auto level only is an interesting choice for a PCM recorder! And 70Hz roll-off is consistent with the LS-11 mic in, so I'm not sure who they're targeting with this recorder. I guess the point and shoot musician? Anyway the hybrid cards/omni approach is kind of cool, but no manual rec. level is a deal breaker for me.

[colargol]

• No line in
• No manual recording level

Doesn't sound like this one has any other interesting features than being small...

-c

[jboyzh]

This device looks nice, besides auto rec level.
It seens to have about the same size and functionality as the Oly DM-520, which I own, which does not suck at all, and which btw HAS manual recording level.
I only can hope they'll add manual levelling here. I mean, how does that fit together, imagine 96k/24bit and 20Hz-20kHz on one hand, while that auto rec level pumps up and down?! Doesn't make much sense to me for a PCM recorder...

[jboyzh]

Good news re manual rec level. Joespark from olympusamericaaudioblog: " I recently received a final version of the LS-7 and it does, in fact, have a manual level mode."

[John Willett]

I was seriously considering the ls-10 or 11 (looks like a really nice machine), but I can't abide by their decision to aggressively roll off the bass on the mic input. It makes some sense for the built-in mics, I guess, but it would be nice if the user could defeat it for the mic in. If I owned one, I'd bother Olympus to address that in the firmware.

I'd be interested to see if the LS-7 has the same 'feature'.

If you want quality at a lower price, go for the LS-5.

The LS-5 is the same spec. as the LS-11 except:

• 2GB internal memory instead of 8GB
• No carrying case as standard
• No remote control as standard
• No Cubase lite - but an alternative Olympus software

So really - it's the same spec. other than a smaller memory - so you use SCHC cards instead.

The quality of the LS-5 is better than the LS-10 but a lot cheaper - and (other than memory) the same quality as the LS-11.

[dyneq]

The LS-5 is not available in the USA (NAMM is a US electronics trade group).

[floete]

damn, when is somebody going to put a sliding on/off pause button on the side of one of these things?  it's the only thing i miss from my old handheld cassette recorder, and i miss it a lot!