Uqique Mini Digital Voice Recorder Review

The perfect voice recording device!

Hey there.  Imagine this...  You're in class (or in a meeting) and you're supposed to be paying attention.  No matter how hard you try, there is no way that you take notes on every single thing that was said.  Your hand can only write so fast.  This may not be too much of a problem, but when it's a hour and half long lecture or meeting... you're going to wish you were able to "catch that again."  ESPECIALLY for those of us that need to take minutes during a meeting.  There is so much dialog and so much back and forth that you'll wish you can replay the meeting so that you can write up accurate minutes.  I'm in meeting all the time having a replay of the meeting would be perfect when writing up those minutes!  Well, with the Uqique Mini Digital Voice Recorder, now I can!!!  The awesome people at Uqique provided me with a Mini Digital Voice Recorder so that I can try out and review and let me tell you... I am glad that they did.  Not only has it been extremely in a school/work setting, but it's been extremely useful at home as well.  Before I go into my experience with the Uqique Mini Digital Voice Recorder, let's talk specs.

• Built in 8 Gig Memory
• Up to 96 Hrs of total voice recording time
• Up to 10 Hrs of continuous voice recording
• Audio files are saved in .WAV
• Plays MP3, WMA, and WAV audio files
• Recording bit rate is 192 Kbps
• Rechargeable 70 mAh Lithium Ion Battery
• USB 2.0 compatible
• Compatible with Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/8

Let's talk design and content.  The Uqique Mini Digital Voice Recorder is definitely mini.  As in 1.75 x .75 x .25 inches.  This thing is so small that you can easily conceal it to secretly record conversations.  Perfect if you're trying to spy on some one or trying to record a lecture or meeting without being all obvious about it.  It's also great for bloggers like myself that book interviews and need audio to embed in posts.  It really is an easy way to get audio on the fly!  As for content, you also receive a set of earbuds and a USB to 3.5mm jack (never seen one of those before) so that you can upload your audio files to a computer and charge the device.  The earbuds headphones are nothing spectacular.  They are wired the cord is pretty lengthy.  About 3 feet or so.  You can use the earbuds to listen to recordings practically right after recording and listen to music (more on that later).  They get the job done so no complaints.  The USB to 3.5mm jack is something new to me.  You use the cable to charge your device (0% to 100% charge in about 30 mins!!!) and to upload your recording.  The only negative thing about it is that the cable is so uncommon that if you were to lose the wire, you'll have a tough time recharging the mini recorder.  Everything now uses micro USB or lightning cable connections that you would figure this would be the same.  A bit of a questionable design choice if you ask me.

Now, using the device is pretty easy... once you know how, so it is important that you read the instructions.  Simply flicking the switch to the on position will cause a red light to blink a few times.  Once it blinks 3 times, the light will turn off.  Once the light turns off, it is on and recording!  YES, IT IS ON AND RECORDING!  I fumbled with the device a few times thinking that it died or something because the red light was not on.  Practically every device that I own has some kind of indicator light to let me know that it is turned on and working.  Not this one...  It being off means that recording has started.  Once you are done recording, you simply turn the switch to off.  The files are automatically saved into the device and are ready to be listened to.  Once I knew how it worked, I didn't have any more issues.  Charging the device is fairly simple, just plug it into the USB port and you are good to go.  However, you can use the device and charge at the same time.  Not a dealbreaker, but it's good to know that you can't use it while it's charging using an external battery pack.  One last thing... it is also an MP3 player.  You can download music onto the device and listen to tunes.  It's a nice feature to have but I'll admit that I won't be using it for music much.  Not when I have Pandora on my phone.  It's just something that I don't see myself using but see others enjoying.

That USB to 3.5mm jack cable, though... Don't lose that thing!  You're going to need it!

Now, the experience.  This Uqique Mini Digital Voice Recorder is nothing short of freakin' awesome.  First, my home use experience.  We are a family of 6.  The kids range from 16 to 5 years old so there are bound to be an argument here and there.  One of the most common arguments between them stems during a "he said, she said" incident.  I made it known to the family that I would be walking around recording them for the day (up to 10 hrs at a time was perfect for this).  It just so happened that it picked up an argument between the kids.  Of course, it was of the he said, she said variety.  It was EASILY settled when I played the recording back and determined exactly what was said.  It was awesome.  I'm not going to lie.  Having to settle one of those arguments between the kids is always tough on us since we can't really determine what was said and how to go about solving the problem.  I was fortunate that I was able to get them and now I just the recorder sitting on the desk and, "go to the tape" whenever it happens again.  So far, during the past 2 weeks, it was only that one instance.  I wonder if maybe the kids knowing that it's there prevents them from saying things they'll regret.  lol  

I also had the privilege of using it in a work setting.  I mentioned taking minutes above... well, I'm the guy that takes minutes and sometimes I miss getting all of the dialogue into my notes.  It can be frustrating.  Using the Uqique Mini Digital Voice Recorder, I was able to playback the meeting have some of the most accurate minutes taken ever!  This would be the equivalent of using it in during a class lecture.  You have to listen and take notes and the absolute worst thing is missing what the instructor said.  Using a discrete voice recorder is the perfect tool to help you succeed in those types of situations.

So there you have it.  The Uqique Mini Digital Voice Recorder is a pretty neat and awesome recording device.  It's small and discreet and can be used practically anywhere.  Whether it be for business, school, family, or for mischievous reasons, this mini recorder will definitely capture the conversations and play them back with ease.  And you can pick one up for under $25 bucks at Amazon.