Panasonic RQ-L51 Cassette Recorder

This small recorder-player of standard cassettes will NOT fill a huge room with ear-shaking sound....unless you add speakers. However, it is definitely more than adequate for the purposes for which it was obvbiously intended....to get GREAT VALUE, more than adequate sound, (unless you want to fill the aforesaid huge room with audiophile-quality sound), be easy to carry, and have a host of features not usually found in cassette recorders of this size or price!To begin with, of course, it has TWO SPEEDS! Now....most people use standard-size cassettes for the value they give, (I know I do)....and 120 minutes (two hours) for a cassette IS a great value. But--suppose one could (magically?) increase the number of hours on a 120 minute cassette to 360 minutes....a full SIX HOURS? Thats JUST what this nifty little machine does....as it has a "1/3", (or 3x) speed built right in. True, when using the slower speed, one should definitely use the higher-priced "deluxe" standard bias-tapes....but what of it? They cost very little more than "normal" standard-bias tapes....so one always saves money in the long run!Also, (thank goodness!), this small wonder from Panasonic also has a TAPE COUNTER! It's AMAZING how many cassette recirders today don't include one. A tape counter can save a lot of "hunting and searching", and save on batteries and tape heads....as, without one, one must use either guess work, or rely on using, (and re-using), the fast-forward, rewind, cue and review functions of a cassette recorder. The small(?) inclusion of a tape counter is truly a godsend!The "Pause" function of this recorder is placed on the FRONT of the recorder....not on the side, as every other cassette recorder I have seen has. It is activated by pushing up a lever, (on the big circle in the front of the machine.) This not only activates the "Pause" function, but also reveals a small, RED piece beneath. This not only shows vividly that the "Pause" function is activated, but also can serve as an additional "Place Marker", when the machine is "at rest", (not being used)to remind the user that he or she has not started at "000", and must go back to it, if the user doesn't want to record over what has already been recorded.To explain this futher: I am a composer. I hum my themes into this tape-recorder, (using deluxe, normal-bias tapes), at the "3x" speed, leaving about 5 seconds of time between each melody. Sometimes I want to listen to what I have created so far. So, I put the "rewind" function on, and go back. Sometimes I go back too much, and don't listen to all the melodies thus reviewed. So.....to make sure I don't erase what I've got, (but haven't yet listened to), I turn the tape recorder off, press up the "Pause" control, and go off to do other things. Should I have a melody in my mind that I then want to record, the RED "Pause Control" reminds me to "fast forward" to where I have empty tape, so I don't erase previous melodies! In the meantime, the tape counter, (set at 000), can be used as an additional place-marker, for a special melody or recorded message.The "1x" control, (for regular, 7/8 ips (inch per second) comes in handy for an EXTRA fast rewind or fast forward, even when using the "3x" position for record. This not only saves time...but battery life as well. (Of course, you have to REMEMBER to turn the control back to "3x", if you want to RECORD in that position!!!!!!)The "battery level" control is shown in three red l.e.d.s just below the cassette "window". As each one fades, (they do so from right to left), one can see how much battery life is left. They do NOT "flicker", as the recording is being made....a slight minus, in my opinion. But as this recorder does have automatic level, one can be pretty assured of a good recording. (If in doubt, use the earphone jack to monitor recording.)I am NOT a fan of voice-activation, so I have not tried it until writing this review. Usually, (on other recorders), I have found that the VAS has an annoying habit of starting with sound, then stopping, then starting again....and if you want to have ANY pause in the re-play of a VAS recording, it is impossible. In this recorder, the VAS will stop the recording until sound is played....and then won't stop at all! I don't know which VAS is a worse system....all I know is that VAS is not to my recording taste. And....with 3x speed...the need for it, in my opinion, is either eliminated or at least greatly reduced.This "top of the line" model comes with two rechargable NiCAD (nickle-cadminum) batteries, and a battery recharger. Following the enclosed instructions, you can get many uses out of these batteries. (But keep a spare NiCAD set handy, to use when the enclosed ones wear out. A word about using ANY NiCAD batteries...they are best recharged when they are ALMOST out of power. They can over-charge very quickly. This is why I usually prefer to use regular, alkaline batteries....kept fresh in the refrigerator's veggie bin, to lengthen their lives!)All in all, this is a nifty little recorder! You save money, get a tape counter, and a recharging unit! In this age of inflation, it's one of the few bright spots there are! : )

This got only a 3 because the voice activation is broken on the used one I bought from the amazon seller. I recommend buying a new one since not all sellers know enough or willing to verify all the functions operate correctly. I purchased my original Panasonic RQ-L51 at Radio Shack for about $60 about 2004. It lasted 14 years. Used it some in college to record class instruction--it was fine but have to sit up front 2 rows for best recording. Mainly used it to record special programs from podcasts on my computer. These recordings were excellent. It was plenty loud enough for my night time listening.

When I opened the box I was very impressed. It looked neat and operable. This feeling soon changed when I loaded a 15/16 tape. It played slow and the max volume control position did not provide enough volume, had to hold it up by my ear. I then put in a normal speed tape and found the same thing. The tape played slow distorting the music. I would not recommend this unit for anything. It may be good for record and playback. That way the slow speed may be compinsated for. But then you could not play the tape with quality on another tape deck.

This is a great cassette recorder. I bought this about 2 months ago in order to audio-tape the responses of my interviewees. The recording as well as the volume was outstanding. This small cassette recorder has features that you could not find in big size cassette recorders. Some of the features I find very useful during the interview periods were Voice Activated System, Tape Counter, Recording Speed (3x), Battery Level Indicator, and Rechargeable Battery. I have been highly impressed by this mini-size cassette recorder, and I recommend it for anyone who is in the market for one.

I recently tried out one of the Panasonic RQ-L31 models, which looks exactly like the RQ-L51. It recorded clearly, voice, birds, and music; but was lacking in volume output. The two position mic(built-in) can be set to normal or high sensative position. These units do not have sufficient audio volume. You can turn the volume control all the way up, and it will only be as loud as 70% level of a $20.00 cassette recorder. The battery light indicator is a neat feature, but the lights dim when the volume is turned up. The speaker can't reproduce music very well, and lacks volume output. Also, listening through ear phones lacks volume output. The cassette door is awkward to load the tape and close. I don't recommend this recorder model RQ-L51 or RQ-L31 model at all. Buy a $20.00, voice-activated recorder, and it will do what you want, with decent volume. Panasonic is a disappointment. The RQ-L31 and RQ-L51 models look sharp, but feel cheap, and operate only fair. Better choices out there than these models.

It didn't record.

Excellent! The sound is good.

Well worth the price for me and I bought two! Also appreciated that batteries and headphones were included!