# Comparing the victor stream to the booksense?

Category: accessible Devices

## Post 1 by Skyla (move over school!) on Wednesday, 16-Sep-2009 1:13:39

Does anyone have experience with both of these? I'm trying to decide which one to get, but honestly don't know how they compare. What makes one better than the other? worse? thanks in advance.

## Post 2 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Wednesday, 16-Sep-2009 5:38:55

There is a chart on the g. w. micro website, or at least there was awhile ago that compared these two plus the Plextalk Pocket. For me, the real selling point of the Booksense is the FM radio in the higher priced version. Someone told me that the controls are smaller and more sensitive than the Stream.
Lou

## Post 3 by Skyla (move over school!) on Wednesday, 16-Sep-2009 11:12:27

I've also heard that the booksense is still quite buggy? and, would you be able to find a link for that comparison chart, by any chance?
Thanks again.

## Post 4 by wildebrew (We promised the world we'd tame it, what were we hoping for?) on Wednesday, 16-Sep-2009 12:56:21

The differences are mostly minor I think.
The ones I remember of the top of my head are:
Booksense supports mp3 format recording, rather than VS Stream that uses its own format that has to be converted afterwards. Booksense supports more formats right now, such as .docx files, but I am pretty sure VR Stream will address that in the next firmware upgrade. Booksense is slightly smaller than the Stream. The XT model has FM Radio and bluetooth (neither of which appeals to me personally).
I've heard some bug reports but have been very happy with my Booksense, but I also know people who are very happy with the VR, the prices are not too dissimilar, both take SD cards and you can get a 32gb sd card these days for between $50 and $75 on sale from e.g. www.buy.com
So I think you'll be good with either model really, I think the Booksense is great but I have never owned any other "spcialized" audio player so can't really compare it against its competitors.
If you google Top Tech Tidbits and then go through them the list is posted somewhere in the July or August weekly posts.
Cheers
-B

## Post 5 by Feathered Serpent (I can't call it a day til I enter the zone BBS) on Wednesday, 16-Sep-2009 21:57:01

top tech tidbits can be found at.
http://www.flying-blind.com/
hph.

## Post 6 by Polka dots and Moonbeams (I've now got the bronze prolific poster award! now going for the silver award!) on Thursday, 17-Sep-2009 14:55:39

I can only give feedback on the booksense. I'm thrilled with mine!
The radio is what sold me on the xt model. For me, I had not found a clock radio, that speaks the frequency and allows you to set 6 presets. The 4 gigs of memory is nice as well. I have not played around with the bluetoothh.
Keep in mind, the lower price is only around until the end of September. I have heard of a dealer out there offering the xt model for only $399, free shipping and no tax! That is a brilliant deal! I paid $495 for my xt model, that was with tax.
Good luck on your decision. I'm sure you'll be happy with either brand.
PS. I also like the flexability of the booksense. I can use my sd card, transfer my music or books over via my laptop, then slip the card back into my booksense.
Not sure if anyone offered up the comparison chart from gwmicro.
http://www.gwmicro.com/BookSense/Comparison_Chart/

## Post 7 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Friday, 18-Sep-2009 8:16:40

I've never tried the Book Sense and I've only been a Stream user for about seven or eight months. But the Stream met all of my needs and so I wasn't too curious about the BS. And the Stream's own audio recording format is easy enough to convert to something more suitable, so that wasn't a problem for me either. And since I don't read text files with it the lack of support for some formats wasn't an issue for me.

## Post 8 by Skyla (move over school!) on Friday, 18-Sep-2009 18:24:52

Thanks everyone!
For people who use the booksense--are you satisfied with the reading voices that it has? are they similar to those found on kurzweil?

## Post 9 by monkeypusher69 (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Saturday, 19-Sep-2009 10:51:21

how is the recording quality on these devices when using it to record ? Has anyone tried to record music with any of these, like a bands rehersal or ppl just jamming? I know sometimes recording music with these things can be a different animal over just speaking.

## Post 10 by Polka dots and Moonbeams (I've now got the bronze prolific poster award! now going for the silver award!) on Saturday, 19-Sep-2009 13:01:53

It is Neo Speech Kate or Paul, who will do the reading of text files and such. For me, it has taken some getting use to. I'm a eloquence read user all the way. With that said, they are high quality, nicely sounding voices. I think I prefer Paul. Lol, I did hold it up to the tv once to record a theme song, that worked out well. I have also recorded the radio, that worked out nicely also.I haven't played around with the recorded side of things, a whole lot though. Wouldn't it be difficult to get quality sound, recording live band, with such a small device? Hmmm...

## Post 11 by monkeypusher69 (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Monday, 21-Sep-2009 13:27:21

not really as seeing as how we aren't recording to tape half the battle of quality recordings is eliminated. And the olympus and other accessible hand held recorders does a great job of this .. its just about the quality of the built in microphones really thats the other side of the story.

## Post 12 by wildebrew (We promised the world we'd tame it, what were we hoping for?) on Monday, 21-Sep-2009 14:32:41

Speaking of which, does anyone have a recommendation for a good mic to use with Booksense or VR Stream for lecture and/or music. It'd be a bit inconvenient to carry a Rhodeor an SM 57 around really, so wondering if smaller tv or interview style mics would be better. I'm hoping to use this to lay down a few demo tracks with my acoustic, haven't tested ityet but assume I'd need an external mic to do it justice.
Thanks
-B

## Post 13 by Telemachus (Death: the destroyer of worlds.) on Tuesday, 22-Sep-2009 3:12:21

Erm. My reply didn't post, apparently.
The only mics I'll ever use, unless I need something more professionalish, are the in-ear binaural microphones available from the Sound Professionals (http://www.soundprofessionals.com). They slip into your ears, and record in stereo. Where you hear things, they hear things, and you'll hear on recording playback. However, I've heard the stream doesn't record in stereo. Plus, at least with the Olympus DS50, they tend to clip a lot. However, that's probably just because they're amazingly sensative and the DS50 doesn't let you adjust audio recording settings as finely as I'd like.
On a completely unrelated note, and feel free to PM me about this if anyone has experience, has anyone tried using the Braille Plus as a recording device? I'm half tempted to get one, only for recording, because I like the idea that you can adjust levels on the fly and it vibrates at you when mics are clipping.

## Post 14 by monkeypusher69 (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Tuesday, 22-Sep-2009 21:05:43

interesting and whats the sound quality like on those.. Also to the other poster who asked about stereo mics i know alot of the small ones intended for use with mini disc and dat recorders were really good. I know someone who used one for this i'll try to ask them which one they used. but try it with the buit in mics and see how it comes out. I know some of the olympus and yamaha andzoom ones are fine with the built in ones.

## Post 15 by Skyla (move over school!) on Saturday, 26-Sep-2009 3:10:19

the booksense has a clock radio? does this mean it has an external speaker? (because most people don't sleep with headphones LOL). Also, will it tell you the radio channel you're listening to?

## Post 16 by Polka dots and Moonbeams (I've now got the bronze prolific poster award! now going for the silver award!) on Saturday, 26-Sep-2009 18:51:13

Wel, I consider it a clock radio.
It has the radio, that tells you the station as you scan through the channels, 6 presets, and it has a talking clock. You have to have a headset plugged in to act as an antenna, but if you hit the 9-key, the radio will come out via the external speaker.

## Post 17 by CrystalSapphire (Uzuri uongo ndani) on Thursday, 15-Oct-2009 11:05:48

i've seen both and there both good. i use the stream myself