Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony TCM-150 Cassette Recorder with Automatic Recording Level Control

The Sony TCM-150 is about the cheapest cassette recorder on the market at this time. For five to ten bucks more you get voice activation, an external microphone jack, a tape counter, and extended play/record. The models with these features are the Sony TCM-200DV (without the tape counter) and the Panasonic RQ-L31. Of course, in all these cases, you're getting a cheaply made recorder intended for lectures, notes and inteviews. If you want something for music or that's built to take some punishment you'll have to pay more.

Last word on the 150: The odds are you're going to need at least one of those extra features - especially voice activation. Pass on this one and pay just a tiny bit more for something better.

I've been using this Sony for recording church services for a couple years now. Obviously, this is not a high-tech operation. I convert the tape into digital format for editing on my PC to create CD's. I've been able to make some great tapes so far and I'm recording in a huge "cathedral" type church. For the size and cost, I think it's great. I don't think I'd use it for listening to music as the microphone is rather "noisey". I recommend this for persons who aren't ready to make a major investment in high-tech recording equipment.

This is a terrific tape recorder.

I've always found that bells and whistles like voice activation don't work. This one does. You want it on, you turn it on. You want it off, you turn it off. It's recording quality is very good for this medium. We're not talking digital sound, of course, but no magnetic tape machine will deliver that quality.

I've used probably a dozen recorders over many years, and this is one of the best values out there.

I am quite disappointed with this sony product. It works well but the big drawback is that you hear the motor rumble in your recordings. I wonder if other buyers have this problem or did I get a poor model? Buy cheap and get cheap I should know better.

Not bad for its price: this recorder works fine and has no annoying drawbacks. Just don't drop yours--I just did and that was enough to break it. My only complaint about its design is that it lacks a clip and, as dorky as these are, if you are walking around the house or doing any other hands-free mobile activity while listening, then you have to find some way to affix the recorder to your body without the clip.