This is the first time I have posted although I have often turned to these forums over the years for solid advice about DNS & transcription.

I daily dictate and transcribe into Dragon 15.3 for business and fiction/non-fiction. We are talking about 4 to 8K words a day (about two hours of record time). I also use Google Docs dictation a lot for shorter items.

I work mainly outdoors in various sound environments and get results so acceptable with a FlexyMike plug-in microphone that I no longer bother with Dragon's editing function after transcription. I just edit the raw converted text. It is much faster.

Anyway, I am considering an upgrade to either the Olympus 9500 or 9000. I have no need for the WiFi function in the 9500 but I would like to know if the quality of the DSS recordings from both machines is equal.

I also wonder whether it is possible to connect either the 9500 or 9000 with a data cable OTG)  to an Android phone so I can send stuff into the Cloud? (Even with Covid-19 restrictions I still have to travel frequently internationally with the U.N. and Cloud storage makes distribution a lot easier.)

And one more point if I may. I can find a better price on either machine here in Canada because of currency/duties/shipping etc which means that I cannot benefit from your hands on approach to customers. Is it possible to buy the guides that you have prepared for setting up these recorders?

Thank you so much

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Our 1st recommendation would be to install the DPI 15.61 download w/Installation/User Guide (including details on fixing 3 dozen sandtraps) and details on setting up the Dragon AutoTranscribe Folder Agent for your recorder.

You might consider checking out the KnowBrainer Digital Recorder Face-Off which will verify your Olympus DS-9500 & DS-9000 digital recorder choices.

Olympus now uses DSS Professional (otherwise known as DS2) algorithms on both recorders which produce identical results. The only DS-9000 difference is no Wi-Fi connection or a charger cradle, which can be added.

Olympus recorders cannot be directly connected to any cell phone but you can automatically upload your recordings, to the cloud, through your computer. However, the DS-9500 can also automatically Wi-Fi transmit recordings to the cloud. All you have to do is be in range of a router that you have permission to use. The DS-9500 is the only recorder with this feature. The included memory holds a lot of information because DS2 algorithms utilize a lossless 12 to 1 compression ratio. Of course if that's not enough, you can add an SD card but you probably won't need it.

We would also like to add that while the FlexiMike is good for mobile dictation, the Olympus built-in microphone is highly specialized for your recorder. We only recommend using an external microphone for hands-free use. The DS-9500/9000 built-in dual microphones are highly specialized and can achieve slightly better accuracy than any external microphone. Make certain to ask your reseller how that works. If they can't answer that question, they're not qualified.


Canadian shipping charges are around $25 and there are no custom/duties fees. You might want to also factor in the ODMS (Olympus Dictation Module) expense. When you play 20 questions on the Olympus website they will give you a download with a two-year lease. You have to pay after that. We give you a direct link to the download without the lease requirement which should make our price more attractive.

Our Olympus manual is only available to our customers but all that you really need is the AutoTranscribe Folder Agent portion in our Dragon manual that pictorially details the process. Considering your use, you may find the ODMS utility unnecessary. We work about the same way as you do and only utilize Dragon's AutoTranscribe Folder Agent. This information is included in the previously mentioned 15.61 digital download. Whoever you purchase your Olympus recorder from make certain they also market Dragon because you cannot obtain any assistance from Olympus directly. You should avoid jack of all trades reseller or Amazon. Olympus professional recorders are MAP priced so if you find a lower price, it's black marketed with no support or the two-year guarantee.

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