Portable Recorder Reviews & Ratings
These portable recorder reviews don't cover every quirk and spec of each handheld recorder. (More about this here).
Instead, we focus on sound quality and usability -- the 2 issues most important to musicians.
Edirol R-09HR
Very Good****
PROS: Easy to use. Bright, clear screen. Wireless remote. Pocket-sized. Uses AA batteries.
CONS: Battery door and wireless remote easy to lose.
User: Wants a small, easy-to-use, general purpose recorder that accepts AA batteries.
Extended Edirol R-09HR Review
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List Price: $450.00
Wingfield Audio Price: $399.00
Korg MR-1
Good Plus***1/2
PROS: Intuitive interface. 20GB hard drive. Handsome build and "hand feel".
CONS: Comes with a mic intended for ENG, not capturing music. Unit must be returned to manufacturer when built-in battery no longer takes a charge.
User: Podcaster, journalist or a music enthusiast with a better mic and adapter cable. Wants DFF/SACD format.
Extended Korg MR-1 Review
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Korg MR-1 Manufacturer's Specs
List Price: $899.99
Wingfield Audio Price: $399.00
M-Audio MicroTrack II
Good Plus***1/2
PROS: Small size. Good sound. 48V phantom power. S/PDIF, 1/4" TRS and line level RCA stereo I/O.
CONS: Unit must be returned to manufacturer when built-in battery no longer takes a charge. No easy way to mount on mic stand or tripod.
User: Wants S/PDIF and other connectivity. Doesn't mind charging battery or plugging in the recorder.
Extended M-Audio MicroTrack II Review
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M-Audio's MicroTrack II Web Page
List Price: $499.95
WingfieldAudio.com Price: $299.00
Marantz PMD620
Very Good Plus****1/2
PROS: Very nice sound. Very intuitive interface. Extremely bright and clear screen. Solid build. Speaker monitor. Pocket-sized. Uses AA batteries.
CONS: File splitting available only while recording.
User: Wants a small, well-built, easy-to-use recorder that sounds good and accepts AA batteries.
Extended Marantz PMD620 Review
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Marantz PMD620 Datasheet
List Price: $499.00
WingfieldAudio.com Price: $399.00
Olympus LS-10
Very Good ****
PROS: Good sound. Sleek, stylish build. Stereo speaker monitor. Long battery life. Built-in 2GB flash drive. Records to wav, mp3 and wma.
CONS: Some screen fonts are very small
User: Wants a small, sylish recorder that sounds good and accepts AA batteries.
Extended Olympus LS-10 Review
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Olympus LS-10 Specifications
List Price: $499.00
WingfieldAudio.com Price: $399.00
Sony PCM-D50
Very Good Plus ****1/2
PROS: Excellent build quality. Very good sound. Very long battery life. Intuitive interface.
CONS: Very few included accessories. No carrying case or pouch. No XLR, TRS (1/4") or RCA connections.
User: Wants to get close to the look, feel and sound of the PCM-D1 for less than $500.
Extended Sony PCM-D50 Review
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Sony PCM-D50 Brochure
List Price: $599.95
WingfieldAudio.com Price: $499.00
Sony PCM-D1
Excellent *****
PROS: Outstanding build quality. Clean and articulate sound. Large screen. Very intuitive interface.
CONS: Expensive. No XLR, TRS (1/4") or RCA connections.
User: Professional or prosumer who must have the best.
Extended Sony PCM-D1 Review
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Sony PCM-D1 Brochure
List Price: $1999.95
WingfieldAudio.com Price: $1769.00
Tascam DR-1
Very Good ****
PROS: Nice sound. Clear screen and interface. Fun effects. Affordable.
CONS:Proprietary battery. AC adapter optional.
User: Musician on a budget.
Extended Tascam DR-1 Review
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Tascam DR-1 Info Page
List Price: $399.00
WingfieldAudio.com Price: $299.00
Yamaha Pocketrak 2G
Good ***
PROS: Very small. Extremely portable. Will go anywhere.
CONS: Very small. Screen is hard to read. Only 1 uncompressed recording format.
User: The casual recordist.
Extended Yamaha Pocketrak 2G Review
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Yamaha Pocketrak 2G Info Page
List Price: $450.00
Average Retail Price: $349.00
Zoom H2
Very Good ****
PROS: Great price. Small size. Intuitive interface. Lots of great accessories included.
CONS: Tiny screen.
User: Enthusiast on a tight budget.
Extended Zoom H2 Review
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Zoom H2 product page
List Price: $334.99
Wingfield Audio Price: $199.00
Zoom H4
Good ***
PROS: XLR inputs. Economical 3-in-1 Device: portable stereo recorder, 4-track recorder, and usb audio interface.
CONS: Tiny screen. Non-intuitive interface.
User: Gadget-lover on a budget.
Extended Zoom H4 Review
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Zoom H4 product page
List Price: $499.00
Wingfield Audio Price: $299.00
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