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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 Edirol R-09HR Manufacturer's Specs List Price: $450.00 Wingfield Audio Price: $399.00 
Korg MR-1Good** 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 
M-Audio MicroTrack IIGood** 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: 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 
Marantz PMD661Excellent**** 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
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: $399.00 
Sony PCM-D1Outstanding ***** 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 
Sony PCM-D50Excellent **** 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
Tascam DR-1Good** 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 
Tascam DR-07Good 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
Tascam DR-100Good** 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
Yamaha Pocketrak 2GFair 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
Zoom H2Good 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 
Zoom H4nVery 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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