Full Real-World Test & Comparison: ALON MP3 Dictaphone

[Menneisyys]

As promised yesterday (now that it?s sold at 10 euros only), a detailed evaluation and review of ALON MP3 Dictaphone follows. I also took the chance to re-test the (still) current Ultimate Voice Recorder 4.01 on the latest, v21 firmware and to update the chart initially published in my first and, because it?s based on a very early firmware version, not very good review (now, with firmware version v21, I?d write a much better review of the handset) published HERE. Please consult the call recording-related part of the linked article for more info on the other applications. Note that the Ultimate Voice Recorder 4.01 column has been completely retested in the chart below to find out whether it still has a bad initial lag and it is shut down when there?s no memory left. I haven?t re-tested VITO?s app (which, just like UVR, hasn?t changed either since my review); note that its price has dramatically dropped in the meantime (just some days after I?ve paid full price for it ? oh well, I was pretty unlucky? ).



A more detailed pro / cons list of the application, regarding both recording and playing:

Call / voice recorder:

Pros:

- supports all kinds of MP3 recording, even high-quality ones (while VITO?s app only supports 8kHz) and the memory-saving AMR
- moderately low power consumption (about 0.71 W at 96 kbps / 48 kHz MP3 and 0.4 W at AMR recording; including the idle power consumption ? about 0.07 W ? of the handset)
- once started, stays in memory ? doesn?t get killed, unlike UVR
- call recording list shows the call direction; so do the filename, which has the format date, even including milliseconds_direction_$$_number (like in 20080507095443_I_AL$$*********** ) ? that is, all the necessary info
- absolutely no lag at call recording start / cutting at the end, unlike with both VITO?s app and UVR ? in this regard, absolutely the best
- a lot of additional (playback & streaming) functionality
- successfully suppressed the initial beep at starting to record most of the time ? just like UVR

Cons:

- if you record to a storage card, it sometimes crashes after stopping recording incoming calls, losing the entire conversation on my v21 N95 ? a MAJOR bug. (No such problems with UVR.) Restarts also happen during normal (non-call recording) dictaphone use. This has only happened with a really crowded (some 2500 HE-AACv2 songs) 4Gbyte card; not when recording to the main storage. That is, if you encounter crashes, ALWAYS record to the main storage ? with AMR call recording, this won?t take much memory
- no auto start upon system reboots, unlike Ultimate Voice Recorder
- while the PDF screenshot shows the contact information being used (instead of the phone number), it didn?t work in my tests

The player:

Pros:

- WMA, MP3, (no HE-AACv2!) AAC, OGG support
- Internet streaming
- 3-Band Parametric Equalizer ? with a considerable power usage hit, though

Cons:

- no HE-AACv2 support, which would be welcome on non-high-end N series devices not containing a HE-AACv2 decoder: crashes when trying to play them
- on the N95, doesn?t support the volume buttons
- Power consumption with MP3: without equalizer: 0.67W - as opposed to the built-in player?s considerably lower power usage; with equalizer (one-point [haven?t tested with more points] strong gain around 10 kHz), 0.85W. (Note that, with WMA, approximately the same (0.49W) as with the built-in player of N95.)
- No AVRCP support for BT A2DP users (unlike with the built-in player)
- No goodies like the excellent stereo widening of the built-in player

Verdict

Really recommended if you need absolutely the best call recorder application. While its playback functionalities aren?t the best (except for the bookmark support, N95?s Music Player is way better), there are no major problems with the recorder. (Again, I need to emphasize that accessing the system-level contacts to look up contact names didn?t really work on my N95. This problem, however, is much less acute than, say, the major lagging / cutting and background shutdown problems of the alternatives.) Particularly now that mobile2day.de offers it for 10 euros only (incl. VAT), quite a bargain. (Of course, if your handheld is not a Nokia N95, you will want to give the test version a thorough try.)

[ykbks]

above all the comparison i like UltimateVR. Best solution for me.

[vladn02]

nice guide id say, i dont dictaphone anything though lol

[Menneisyys]

above all the comparison i like UltimateVR. Best solution for me.

Don't you have problems with the major delay problem at starting recording? It renders it almost useless on my N95.

[ykbks]

no, no problem like this, just #0 and the recording starts within seconds.

[Menneisyys]

no, no problem like this, just #0 and the recording starts within seconds.

Yes, it does - but I prefer auto-recording and it to be started right away so that everything is recorded.

[netborn]

Caller ID works for me. This is an excellent app.

Only alternative is Killer Mobile Total Recall, but if you want recording without beep and a plus, then Alon is for you.

[Cojones]

What's the highest bitrate you can record with? 96kbps?

[vladn02]

What's the highest bitrate you can record with? 96kbps?

128

[Cojones]

What's the highest bitrate you can record with? 96kbps?

128

That's weird... on my N82 it's 96kbps 48kHz for MP3.

But have you noticed the record gain on the nokia N82 doesn't function properly. It doesn't matter how low I put the gain, the loudnes stays the same. On the E61i I can record high level sounds with no distortion, but on the N82 it seems the microphone already has some auto-gain control so it overrides the gain setting and it ends up with a lot of distortion.

Anyone else have this problem??