Before we test the Olympus LS-P4 voice recorder

Recently bought the Olympus LS-P4 and we can't wait to test it

Unboxing the Olympus LS-P4 voice recoder

Upgrading our sound recording device was in our list for quite some time. Finally, we stopped our attention on a very lightweight and portable voice recorder that made a good impression from the very first time we saw it - the PCM linear Olympus LS-P4 recorder.


What is the Olympus LS-P4?
The Olympus LS-P4 is a very compact but yet very capable sound recording device with 3 high-quality microphones. The company markets it for video creators and musicians who would like a small recorder with advanced capabilities.

First impressions and our initial test of the LS-P4 

Main features
Here are the main features that made us buy the Olympus LS-P4 in 2020:

• Compact and stylish device with good build quality
• 3 mic system recording high-quality sound
• 8 GB - plenty of internal storage (microSD available as well)
• Easy file management through built-in USB
• Headphone and mic ports 
• Music playback
• Bluetooth connection with headphones or paired smartphone for remote controls
• Video kit - includes hot shoe adapter and audio cable
• Adequately priced - around $200

Initial audio quality tests

We made couple very quick audio recording tests with the LS-P4 using some default settings. The quality of the recordings (as expected) is very good but we definitely need to make some adjustments to the preset settings.

BOYA BY-LM10 microphone sound test

Our feedback from these initial tests were that this is a very easy to operate audio recorder, quite simple, unlike some of its rivals in this class that are twice or three times the size of this Olympus.

Here is our initial review and first impressions right after we unboxed the Olympus LS-P4:

Olympus LS-P4 first impressions - video

Expect our in-depth review of the Olympus LS-P4 shortly where we will make some more advanced testing.

Meanwhile, please share your opinion about this recorder, do you like it and would you consider buying one?

2021 Update

We have been using the Olympus LS-P4 voice recorder for quite some time so we decided to share a quick update about its performance. 

The recorder still looks and works like new which is a good thing, since it has been carried around different places and conditions.

We also made a sound test the other day so you can listen and hear how this Olympus recorder performs after it has been used for some time. We never cleaned the mics or did any other intervention to the recorder since we bought it.

Olympus LS-P4 2021 sound test - video

The sound from this recording was not edited, it is just separate video that we have paired with the recording that we took straight out of the LS-P4 recorder.

As you can hear the sound is pretty with deep mids and lows thanks to the 3rd microphone. 

So, for now we are keeping the Olympus LS-P4 voice recorder and it will be used for work related tasks in the future. Hopefully it will last for some more years.