If you're serious about high-quality sound recording, it might be time to upgrade recording voice memos on your phone. Wheater you need to record class lectures, interviews or maybe even a podcast, you're going to need a high-quality voice recorder.
We got you covered with these reviews of the best voice recorders on the market.
Winner Of One of The Best Voice Recorders Of 2021 - Olympus VN-7200
This device was just voted the best voice recorder of 2021 by Music Authority, this recorder has 1,151 hours of recording time when in LP or low mode. If you're looking for higher sound quality you can also swap this to SP (standard) or HQ (high quality). Whatever you choose, you have up to 2GB of built-in storage.
Another great feature is it has a voice activation feature when you want to immediately start recording. This is key for on the fly interviews. Gone are the days of awkwardly setting up your recorder when you use the Olympus VN-7200.
This device will start recording when it hears a sound and will stop when the sound completes, so you don't have to fuss with any buttons. The user-friendly toggle wheel on this piece also allows you to skip through your recordings so you can easily find the one you want you to use.
When you need to play back your recording, you have the option to listen to your audio at either 25 percent slower or 50 percent faster. This makes transcribing your recording that much easier, so you can really listen to the parts you need, in speed by what you don't need. There's also an index mark feature so you can mark certain parts of the recording that you want to go back to.
This recorder is also small and lightweight weighing about 4.2 ounces, so you can easily keep it in your pocket or toss it in your bag without feeling weighed down.
And the best part? The price won't weigh you down either, these cost about $30 a pop on Amazon.
Best Overall - Zoom H2n
The Zoom H2n is the best overall because it looks sleek and is one of the only recorders that have five built-in microphones and you can choose from four different recording modes.
This makes the Zoom H2n perfect for any occasion. You can record anything from a live concert or rehearsal to a lecture or office conference.
All of your recordings go right on an SD card that has up to 32GB of storage. So you can record hundreds of hours of sound, and if that's not enough, you can also get another card.
This recorder also offers compression, a chromatic tuner and even low cut filtering that helps give you the best voice recording possible. It also has auto gain, auto record, pre-record, and a data recovery feature so you won't miss a second of your precious audio.
The Zoom H2n also is one of the only recorders out there capable of accurately recording 360 degrees "spatial audio." These are native files to Google's JUMP virtual reality platform that are also compatible with YouTube. All you need is a line-in jack and some external microphones to really upgrade the performance of this device.
This piece only weighs 130 grams and measures 1.68 by 2.66 by 4.5 inch, so you can easily carry it in your pocket. It's a little more expensive but a worthwhile investment, pricing out to about $160 on Amazon.
Best Overall Runner-Up - Sony's ICDUX560BLK
Sony's ICDUX560BLK digital voice recorder is a great device to capture lectures, meetings, and interviews. The ICDUX560BLK is also capable of recording in an MP3 format and has a highly sensitive microphone, so you know it will pick up everything.
This device comes with 4GB of internal memory which can hold up to 159 hours of recording at a time. It also organizes your files in more than 5,000 folders. This way you can easily find the file you need when you're ready for it.
Users really love the file management of this Sony, it's onboard system makes moving, erasing, dividing and locking file incredibly simple by using its smart menu system. It's also really easy to see the backlit displays, so you can quickly see the date, time and current recording mode. You also can easily hear the playback, by plugging into its built-in earphone mini-jack.
You also can expand the storage of this recorder via microSD up to 32GB of storage, which is eight times the recording space. And if you need more space, you can always transfer your files off your sony using its built-in USB port. Plug this recorder into your Windows or Mac and transfer your files with ease.
And the best part, it's super light and small, measuring 4 by 1.5by .325 inches and weighing only 1.7 ounces. It currently costs $67 on Amazon, with the option to buy a warranty for a couple of extra bucks.
Best Battery Life - Olympus WS-853
On average, recorders have a battery life of about 11 to 37 hours. Which seems reasonable, unless you have a packed full day of lectures and forgot to charge it the night before, then you could be working with a dead battery.
The Olympus WS-853 has your back. Each recorder has a remarkable 110 hours of battery life and 2,080 hours of recording time, so you can record as much as your heart desires without stressing that you're low on battery.
This device runs on two AAA alkaline batteries or two AAA Ni-MH rechargeable batteries that you easily juice up with a direct USB without a cable.
Not only is the battery life creat on the Olympus WS-853, the sound quality is also fantastic. It's True Stereo Mic has two directional microphones at 90 degrees, so it can precisely pick up voices.
If you're recording more than one person talking, the Voice Balancer mixes the audio for you by amplifying the softer voice and lowering the louder voice, so the playback is appealing. There's also a noise canceling feature that can reduce any unwanted background noise, to ensure you're getting the clearest sound possible.
This recorder also has an impressive memory of 8GB, which you can always add to with a microSD and get another 32GB. It's also pocket-sized and compact measuring 4.4 by 0.7 by 1.5 inches and costs $62 on Amazon.
Best for Music Recording - Tascam DR-05
If you're looking for a voice recorder for music playback, you're going to want to find one with an incredibly sensitive microphone. Which is exactly what you get with the Tascam DR-05.
This device has built-in Omni-direction microphones so you can get that natural ambient recording sound, mixed with a rich bass response, perfect for your music audience.
This recorder is the perfect match for any musician who spends most of the band practice trying to remember that one song or melody they came up with last week. The Tascam DR-05 also stands out from the best because it has a support for another external microphone and a 3.5mm stereo mic input. This way you can achieve even more audio pick-up when recording music.
This recorder takes two AA batteries which gives you about 17 1/2 hours of battery life if you're recording on the default audio setting. The only downside is this is the best for recording inside in a controlled space. If you take this outside you might be disappointed as the microphone's sensitivity means it can easily pick up the rush of wind.
This recorder is more on the bigger size weighing in at 10.6 ounces and measuring at 7.5 by 2.4 by 1.2 inches.
Best Slurpge - Sony ICD-SX2000
This recorder is perfect for any type of environment. It's a high-resolution voice recorder that captures crystal clear conversations without any distortions. It also comes with three-way adjustable microphones that can work in any environment from the office to a concert to outdoors.
Other incredible features include remote control access via Andriod or iOS that can start or stop recordings. Speaking of your smartphone, you also can use your phone to adjust levels and settings on this recorder.
The Sony ICD-SX200 comes with 16GB of storage which means you can record about 636 hours of MP3 audio. If you add a MicroSD than you can increase that storage even more. Also transferring files is super easy, all you have to do is plug and play directly into your computer.
This device weighs 9.6 ounces and costs $219 on Amazon.
Sony ICD-PX312
This recorder is great and has 2GB of built-in flash memory and a memory card slot so you can add even more storage. The built-in memory gives you 530 hours of recording time. The battery can last for 72 hours of recording time.
This device is compatible with both PC and Macs, so it's easy to transfer your audio files to your computer to save, share, or edit your recordings. Users find the Sony ICD-PX312 to be the perfect interview recorder but also have had success using it to record live music, lectures of notes.
This device comes with a large display and big buttons that make controlling this device to be relatively easy. It records in MP3 format for high-quality recordings. It also allows you to set recording modes, so if you're recording music, notes, or lectures, the device will automatically go to the mode best for your recording.
There's also a microphone and headphone jack you can easily plug into. It's relatively small measuring 0.8 by 1.5 by 4.5 inches and weighing about 2.56 ounces and costs $150 on Amazon.
Best Design - Eleckey E7
This device measures 3.6 x .5 x .8 inches in size and only weighs 1.8 ounces. This compact design lets it easily and neatly fit into any pocket. It also has two built-in, ultrasensitive microphones that both have noise reduction.
This device is great for capturing high-quality recordings with minimal effort, and not only does it look good, it also has 8 GB of internal memory for about 250 hours of voice recording.
The Eleckey also is super easy to set up, and can be placed on a desktop or stand and will automatically start recording as soon as the sound is detected. To help save battery life, the E7 will automatically turn off after three minutes of inactivity.
You can also use the E7 as an MP3 player or flash drive to store files that can easily be moved between computers with a USB cable. And the price is right, as it will only set you back $27.
Best Microphone - Zoom H1
If you're looking for a recorder with a great microphone, a portable size, and user-friendly design, then look no further than the Zoom H1. This device is basically the size of a candy bar, with an X/Y microphone arrangement that can record a wide area of sound without capturing any background noise you don't want.
It's powered by only one AA battery an gives you 10 hours of life before you need to recharge it. There's 2GB of storage, but you can add a card if you need more. Or simply transfer your files to your computer with the USB plug for more space.
There's even a tripod mount on the back, so you can mount it on to your tripod for handsfree recording, so your hands don't get in the way of the sound. You also can get a windscreen to help prevent outside unwanted noise from distracting your recording.
Basically, this device has the best microphone out of all the recorders we reviewed, the only downside is the limited battery and storage, so have extra batteries and cards on hand.
It weighs 2.4 ounces and measures 5.4 by 1 by 6.4 inches and costs $120 on Amazon, where it's also named best seller.
Get Your Voice Recorder Today
Now that you know about all the best voice recorders out there, get yours today! When buying yours, think about what's important to you and go from there. Are you using this to record music, interviews or lectures?
Do you have the money to splurge and get the highest quality, or do you just want to get the most bang for your buck? Is battery life and storage space important to you? Once you answer these questions, you can find the recorder that meets all your needs.
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