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Portable Recorder Reviews & RatingsThese 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 Listen to Sound Samples Listen to More Sound Samples List Price: $450.00 Wingfield Audio Price: $399.00 
Korg MR-1Good 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 Listen to Sound Samples Korg MR-1 Manufacturer's Specs List Price: $899.99 Wingfield Audio Price: $659.00 
M-Audio MicroTrack IIGood 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 Listen to Sound Samples M-Audio's MicroTrack II Web Page List Price: $499.95 WingfieldAudio.com Price: $299.00 
Marantz PMD620Very 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 Listen to Sound Samples Marantz PMD620 Datasheet List Price: $499.00 WingfieldAudio.com Price: $399.00 
Olympus LS-10Very 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 Listen to Sound Samples Olympus LS-10 Specifications List Price: $499.00 WingfieldAudio.com Price: $339.95 
Sony PCM-D50Very 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 Listen to Sound Samples Sony PCM-D50 Brochure List Price: $599.95 WingfieldAudio.com Price: $499.00 
Sony PCM-D1Excellent ***** 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 Listen to Sound Samples Sony PCM-D1 Brochure List Price: $1999.95 WingfieldAudio.com Price: $1699.95
Tascam DR-1Very 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 Listen to Sound Samples Tascam DR-1 Info Page List Price: $399.00 WingfieldAudio.com Price: $299.00 
Yamaha Pocketrak 2GGood *** 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 Listen to Sound Samples Yamaha Pocketrak 2G Info Page List Price: $450.00 Average Retail Price: $349.00 
Zoom H2Very 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 Listen to Sound Samples Zoom H2 product page List Price: $334.99 Wingfield Audio Price: $199.00 
Zoom H4Good *** 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 Listen to Sound Samples Zoom H4 product page List Price: $499.00 Wingfield Audio Price: $299.00
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