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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.


Picture of Edirol R09HR
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
Edirol R-09HR Manufacturer's Specs
List Price: $450.00
Wingfield Audio Price: $399.00

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Picture of Korg MR-1 Korg MR-1
Good**

PROS: 20GB hard drive for storage. 1-bit recording format. Easy to use. Handsome build quality.
CONS: Included mic is intended for ENG, but not 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 who wants 1-bit format.
Extended Korg MR-1 Review
Listen to Sound Samples
Korg MR-1 Manufacturer's Specs
List Price: $899.99
Wingfield Audio Price: $399.00

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Picture of M-Audio MicroTrack II M-Audio MicroTrack II
Good**

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

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Picture of Marantz PMD620 Marantz PMD620
Very Good Plus***1/2
PROS:
Nice sound. Easy to use. 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

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Picture of Marantz PMD661 Marantz PMD661
Excellent****
PROS:
Nice sound. Very easy to use. Large, bright and clear screen. Solid build. Speaker monitor. Good internal mics. XLR inputs and phantom power.
CONS: Too big for a pocket. Costs more than comparable recorders by Zoom and Tascam.
User: Wants an excellent, well-built, very easy-to-use recorder with XLR inputs and phantom power.
Extended Marantz PMD661 Review
Listen to Sound Samples
Marantz PMD661 Datasheet
List Price: $799.00
WingfieldAudio.com Price: $599.00

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Picture of Olympus LS-10 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
Listen to Sound Samples
Olympus LS-10 Specifications
List Price: $499.00
WingfieldAudio.com Price: $399.00

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Picture of Sony PCM-D1 Sony PCM-D1
Outstanding *****
PROS:
Outstanding build and sound quality. Easy to use. Large screen. Analog and digital monitoring.
CONS: Not cheap. No XLR, TRS (1/4") or RCA connections. Must buy adapter for phantom power.
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: $1849.95

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Picture of Sony PCM-D50 Sony PCM-D50
Excellent ****
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

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Picture of Tascam DR-1 Tascam DR-1
Good**
PROS:
Reatively easy to use. Fun effects and features.
CONS: Proprietary battery. AC adapter optional.
User: Musician on a budget.
Extended Tascam DR-1 Review
Listen to Sound Samples
Tascam's DR-1 Info Page
List Price: $399.00
WingfieldAudio.com Price: $299.00

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Picture of Tascam DR-07 Tascam DR-07
Good Plus**1/2
PROS:
Very easy to use. Very good battery life. Compact.
CONS: AC adapter optional.
User: Musician on a budget.
Extended Tascam DR-07 Review
Listen to Sound Samples
Tascam's DR-07 Info Page
List Price: $279.00
WingfieldAudio.com Price: $199.00

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Picture of Tascam DR-100 Tascam DR-100
Good**
PROS:
Easy to use. XLR inputs with phantom power. Runs on AA or included lithium ion battery.
CONS: Weak alkaline battery life. AC adapter optional.
User: Musician on a budget.
Extended Tascam DR-100 Review
Listen to Sound Samples
Tascam's DR-100 Info Page
List Price: $599.99
WingfieldAudio.com Price: $429.00

Shop Tascam at Wingfield Audio



Picture of Yamaha Pocketrak 2G Yamaha Pocketrak 2G
Fair Plus*1/2
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
Yamaha's Pocketrak 2G Info Page
List Price: $450.00
Average Retail Price: $199.99



Picture of Zoom H2 Zoom H2
Good Plus**1/2

PROS: Great price. Small size. Intuitive interface. Lots of great accessories included.
CONS: Tiny screen.
User: Musician/Enthusiast on a tight budget.
Extended Zoom H2 Review
Listen to Sound Samples
Zoom's H2 product page
List Price: $334.99
Wingfield Audio Price: $179.00

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Picture of Zoom H4 Zoom H4n
Very Good ***

PROS: Combo XLR/Hi-Z inputs and phantom power. 4 internal mics. Extremely versatile: records in stereo, 4-track and surround sound modes; USB audio interface; metronome; tuner; effects and more.
CONS: Not many. Microphone build quality is a little weak.
User: Musician/Songwriter on a budget.
Extended Zoom H4n Review
Listen to Sound Samples
Zoom's H4n product page
List Price: $609.99
Wingfield Audio Price: $349.00

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