I've been seeing a lot of AI-based transcription and captioning solutions on Pro AV trade show floors recently, so when viaim offered me the chance to review its new RecDot wireless earbuds with built-in AI recording and transcription, I couldn't say no.
Of course, RecDot is not designed for live programming or events. It's a personal recording and transcription service that can be used to document client calls or team videoconferences. RecDot can even double as your own personal dictation device.
The system consists of two earbuds and a charging case. Accessories include an illustrated instruction book, short USB-C charging cable, and four sizes of earbud tips to make sure you get the right fit.
You'll need to install the viaim app on your cell phone and then pair your phone to your RecDot via Bluetooth. Once setup is complete, start a call or a videoconference on your phone, then press the sensor (a small striped area that's easy to miss until you know what you're aiming for) on either earbud to start recording. In case you need to record in a small group setting, you can also record via the charging case by pressing the red button that's front and center.
Press the sensor or red dot again and the recording stops. Once your recording is complete, you can download the audio from your earbuds to your phone, listen to the conversation, and even transcribe it in multiple languages.
By the way, the system alerts everyone else on the call that you've started recording, which is a nice touch and probably a smart legal move when you use it in certain states.
What can I say? It works! The transcription stumbles over some proper names, as you'd expect, but overall it was very accurate and pretty quick. Bonus: Tell the app how many speakers there are on the call and it'll create a transcription that differentiates between them.
The basic transcription plan is free and allows for 600 minutes per month. That's 10 hours of calls. Need more time? You can upgrade to either the Pro or Ultra plan, which require a monthly or annual fee.
There's a lot you can do with viaim app. Beyond personalizing the earbud settings, you can edit your transcripts. And let's not forget the AI, which can summarize meetings and create to-do lists. You can literally choose your AI large language model (LLM) and chatbot model. (OpenAI's GPT-4.1 is the default for both.) Plus, you can export audio and/or text files.
I only have two real issues with RecDot, but they might be substantial for you. First is build quality. These earbuds certainly look nice—they are available in black or silver—but they are very plasticky. Even the charging case feels less sturdy compared to others I own from JBL, Poly, and even budget-friendly TOZO.
The other issue is the sound. From a phone call standpoint, I was told I sounded clear but not crisp using the built-in mics. Also, the actual recordings lacked fidelity from my side (think AM radio), though other participants sounded better. I can live with that; after all, I'm recording notes for personal use, not a podcast for mass distribution.
But even with the available sound settings, it took some work to get the headphones to produce high-quality audio. At first, when I played The Police's "Message in a Bottle," it sounded like the band was in, well, a bottle. However, I was able to improve the output significantly when I shut off my iPhone's EQ, but that creates a new problem when I want to use other headphones. Again, I'm not buying these to play music, but I sure wouldn't mind some microphone and playback refinements.
RecDot is priced at $224 on the viaim website. Keep your audio expectations in check—these will probably not be your favorite earbuds for music. The star of the show here is AI. If you attend way too many remote meetings, RecDot can help you stay organized with recordings, transcripts, summaries, and more. You can even translate meetings for international activities. There's plenty of customization available, too. If your phone feels more like your office than your actual office, RecDot could be the way to help you keep track of what's been said and what's next on your to-do list.
