Best Digital Voice Recorders (Reviewed June 2020)

Best Digital Voice Recorders (Reviewed June 2020) Best Digital Voice Recorders Buyers Guide Reviews 2020 best digital voice recorders review - image source: tascamRecording audio is becoming more and more popular in everyday life. Nobody wants to listen back on a recorded music concert or an interview only to find that the voices are muffled or there is background noise ruining the audio. That is why we put together a list of the best digital voice recorders on the market today.Finding a good digital recorder can be a challenge in itself. There are a lot of different digital voice recorders being sold. This means, it can be tricky to find one you want.We have done the research for you. If you are in the market for the best digital voice recorders, then this is the read for you.Best Digital Voice Recorders of 2020If you need a digital voice recorder for your professional life, there are numerous quality options available from the leading audio and tech brands. Anyone seeking a new voice recorder will find all they need to know in our teams reviews of the best digital voice recorders of 2 020, featuring products from Tascam, Zoom, EVISTR, Olympus, Philips and Sony.ColColColZoom ZH1 H1 Handy Portable Digital Recorder Check Price Zoom H6 Six-Track Portable Recorder Check Price EVISTR Voice Recorder 8GB Check Price Tascam DR05 Stereo Portable Digital Recorder Check Price Zoom H4N PRO Digital Multitrack Recorder Check Price Olympus DS-3500 Professional Dictation Digital Recorder Check Price Philips DPM6000 Digital Pocket Memo Voice Recorder Check Price Olympus VN-8100PC Digital Voice Recorder 142600 Check Price Sony ICD-UX533BLK Digital Voice Recorder Check Price Olympus Digital Voice Recorder WS-852 (Silver) Check Price 1.  Best Digital Voice Recorders Review Zoom ZH1 H1 Handy Portable Digital Recorder Image Source:  AmazonThe best selling portable studio recorder on Amazon, the Zoom ZH1 H1 has a compact design, easily fitting into your pocket. Boasting X/Y technology allowing crystal clear crisp audio to be captured. As a result of the micro SD slots, users can easily transfer audio files between devices. Transferring data to your computer is also easy and convenient. Just connect your digital recorder to your computer using the USB port.Zoom ZH1 H1 - PROSZoom ZH1 H1 - CONS•Recordings can easily be transferred on micro SD cards•Battery life is disappointing at just 10 hours•Provides clear audio, even in loud areasAmazon Customer Reviews:  1241 Average Customer Review Rating:  4.3 out of 5 Stars Check Price 2.  Best Digital Voice Recorders Review Zoom H6 Six-Track Portable Recorder Image Source:  AmazonZoom built the H6 to meet any recording situation. Live concerts, music and interviews will be recorded in great 24-bit/96kHz audio resolution. Thanks to the 20 hour battery life, you will never miss an important recording again. Included with this recorder are 2 microphone capsules. The MSH-6 capsule contains two direction-facing microphones that work together to help capture the audio from all angles. Unsurprisingly this recorde r captures amazing quality audio.Zoom H6 Six-Track - PROSZoom H6 Six-Track - CONS•Great battery life, up to 20 hours•Can be used with lots of great microphone capsules, all are sold separately except 2•Can easily connect to a microphone capsule•Quite priceyAmazon Customer Reviews:  248 Average Customer Review Rating:  4.6 out of 5 Stars Check Price 3.  Best Digital Voice Recorders Review EVISTR Voice Recorder 8GB Image Source:  AmazonThis digital recorder from EVISTR contains 8GB of built in memory allowing for 500 hours of recordings. Recordings can be played straight from the recorder thanks to the built-in MP3 player. The smart technology used allows recording to only take place when audio is heard. This prevents space being used up by empty audio files. Unfortunately this recorder does not accept any means of additional storage.EVISTR Voice Recorder 8GB - PROSEVISTR Voice Recorder 8GB - CONS•Allows playback of the recorded audio directly from the recorder•No micro S D card slots•6 recording types will ensure the best quality audio possible Amazon Customer Reviews:  155 Average Customer Review Rating:  3.7 out of 5 Stars Check Price 4.  Best Digital Voice Recorders Review Tascam DR05 Stereo Portable Digital Recorder Image Source:  AmazonThis budget-friendly option from Tascam is a great choice for all audio lovers. The DR05 has a headphone jack port. This allows you to connect external speakers to the recorder for increased playback volume. Storage capacity can be increased by using bigger capacity SD cards. There is a 4GB SD card included which will be enough more than enough space for the average user.Tascam DR05 - PROSTascam DR05 - CONS•Includes a 2 GB micro SD card•Can be confusing for beginners to use •Uses 2 sets of microphones for great audio pickup •Hard to understand instructionsAmazon Customer Reviews:  1085 Average Customer Review Rating:  4.2 out of 5 Stars Check Price 5.  Best Digital Voice Recorders Review Zoom H4N PRO Digital Multitrack Recorder Image Source:  AmazonAnother entry from Zoom, the H4N PRO uses a X/Y stereo to provide high quality audio even at very low noises. These low noise audio recordings make this a great option for recording animals or nature. The recorder can be turned on and off remotely which can come in handy for a lot of situations. Supporting expandable storage and also having an above average battery life, the H4N PRO, is a good one.Zoom H4N PRO - PROSZoom H4N PRO - CONS•Allows up to 32 GB of storage capacity using micro SD/SDHC cards•Out of the box, there is no micro SD card included•Audio captured at resolutions up to 24-bit, 96 kHz•One of the pricier options on the listAmazon Customer Reviews:  2 Average Customer Review Rating:  3.5 out of 5 Stars Check Price 6.  Best Digital Voice Recorders Review Olympus DS-3500 Professional Dictation Digital Recorder Image Source:  AmazonThis easy to use digital recorder from Olympus gives the user great functionality at the click of a button. The buttons on the recorder allow users to append, partially erase and overwrite audio quickly and easily. The DS-3500 has a built-in microphone thats been tuned and optimised for great quality speech input. 2GB of storage capacity is included, professional users may want to upgrade the storage.Olympus DS-3500 - PROSOlympus DS-3500 - CONS•Included micro SD card allows for use of the recorder out of the box•Battery could be better considering the price•Can set alarms and remindersAmazon Customer Reviews:  3 Average Customer Review Rating:  2.9 out of 5 Stars Check Price 7.  Best Digital Voice Recorders Review Philips DPM6000 Digital Pocket Memo Voice Recorder Image Source:  AmazonThe Philips DPM6000 is a high quality digital recorder that will easily fit into your pocket. The lightweight and compact recorder also has power-saving functionality to allow extended periods of use without charging. Our favorite feature is the file priorities, which allows you to prioritize certain files for first-in-the-queue processing.Philips DPM6000 - PROSPhilips DPM6000 - CONS•Built in microphone ensures crystal clear audio•Adapter to record on cell phones sold separately•Stainless steel finish gives a premium feel Amazon Customer Reviews:  7 Average Customer Review Rating:  3.8 out of 5 Stars Check Price 8.  Best Digital Voice Recorders Review Olympus VN-8100PC Digital Voice Recorder 142600 Image Source:  AmazonThe Olympus VN-8100PC digital voice recorder definitely takes top spot for battery life, which lasts an amazing 51 hours on 2 AAA batteries. Storage is great also, holding up to 843 hours of audio on the built-in 2GB of memory. The recorder will automatically adjust on the fly to capture nothing less than amazing sound quality in any situation.Olympus VN-8100PC - PROSOlympus VN-8100PC - CONS•Amazing battery life, up to 51 hours•Batteries included are not rechargeable•Out of the box storage of 843 hoursAmazon Customer Reviews:   529 Average Customer Review Rating:  4.2 out of 5 Stars Check Price 9.  Best Digital Voice Recorders Review Sony ICD-UX533BLK Digital Voice Recorder Image Source:  AmazonA great digital recorder, Sony built the ICD-UX533BLK with a very sensitive S-Microphone system. This will help drown out any background noise and increase the range of recording. There are settings available for a variety of different situations such as music, interviews and many more, providing maximum optimization for each. This recorder also works as an MP3 player for your favorite songs.Sony ICD-UX533BLK - PROSSony ICD-UX533BLK - CONS•The digital recorder can also play music files•Users may find the volume a little on the low side during audio playback•Compatible with SD cards and has 4 GB of built in storage•If the recorder is connected to your computer charging, you cannot record audioAmazon Customer Reviews:  401 Average Customer Review Rating:  4.3 out of 5 Stars Check Price 10.  Best Digital Voice Recorders Review Olympus Digital Voice Recorder WS-852 (Silver) Image Source:  AmazonThe Olympus Digital Voice Recorder WS-852 is very easy to use for beginners. You can set the recorder to auto mode which sets the microphone sensitivity automatically to suit a variety of situations. The built-in stand adds not only convenience but reduces noise that can be created from the recorder lying flat. Boasting 100 hours of battery life and over 1000 hours of storage, the WS-852 is easily one of the best digital voice recorders.Olympus WS-852 - PROSOlympus WS-852 - CONS•Automatic adjustment of microphone sensitivity is a great feature to have•Playback quality is nothing to boast about•The digital recorder has a very convenient built in stand•Works great with Dragon Voice Recognition Software but, this software is sold separatelyAmazon Customer Reviews:  251 Average Customer Review Rating:  4.1 out of 5 Stars Check Price Best Digital Voice Recorders FAQsTo help you make a bit more sense of the range of digital voice recorders we have listed above, we have attempted to answer some of the most frequently asked questions by shoppers in this space. By applying the information gained below to product reviews, youll be able to find the right recorder to suit your needs in no time at all.Why get a digital voice recorder?If taking notes at lectures and working off written notes bores you, digital voice recorders are excellent for recording what your professor is saying, so you can focus on the lesson at hand while the voice recorder catches every moment for later revision.Are digital voice recorders expensive?Prices of digital voice recorders actually vary significantly, with some recorders on the market for about $50, while others easily market in the multiple hundreds of dollars. The reason for this is that there are many lower quality recorders on the market that can be yours at a very affordable price, if youre willing to sacrifice quite a bit of sound quality. That being said, while the sound quality might not be the best for the lower end recorders, its worth asking yourself exactly how you intend on using your voice recorder. If it is simply for memos and taking notes you may not need an expensive voice recorder.How do digital voice recorders work?Digital voice recorders are able to pick up on sound waves in the air through a microphone, converting the sound to analog electric signals. These signals are then pushed through an ADC (analog-to-digital) converter, and is then passed along as a digital signal using linear pulse code modulation. Points of the sound wave are then assigned a numerical value, where they can then be seen on a graph. Interestingly, when playing back audio the reverse happens, where a digital signal becomes an analog electric signal, which is pushed along a wire that vibrates the speaker, causing the air to vibrate.What does audio fidelity mean?Audio fidelity refers to the sound quality of a digital recording. Two aspects of audio fidelity we would like to talk about are sampling rate, and bit depth.The sampling rate  is how many times sound is recorded within a second. Imagine a sound that lasts exactly one second, and think about slicing that second up into smaller periods of time, moments of sound that can be captured, contributing towards a better sampling rate.Then we have the bit depth, which is basically just the quality of the sound that is recorded. This dictates the amplitude of the recorded sound wave, so the higher the bit depth the better for a more dynamic audio experience.Mono Vs. StereoYouve probably heard of these terms before, however we thought wed run through them briefly for anyone out there who is unacquainted with them. Mono and stereo refer to how sound is recorded. Mono recordings have only one track, and are typically the product of only microphone. Conversely, Stereo recordings are made with two microphones, which offer much more sound depth. There is no question th at stereo recordings sound closer to reality than their mono counterparts. However, this does make them more expensive.Image Source:  TASCAM Best Digital Voice Recorders (Reviewed June 2020) Best Digital Voice Recorders Buyers Guide Reviews 2020 best digital voice recorders review - image source: tascamRecording audio is becoming more and more popular in everyday life. Nobody wants to listen back on a recorded music concert or an interview only to find that the voices are muffled or there is background noise ruining the audio. That is why we put together a list of the best digital voice recorders on the market today.Finding a good digital recorder can be a challenge in itself. There are a lot of different digital voice recorders being sold. This means, it can be tricky to find one you want.We have done the research for you. If you are in the market for the best digital voice recorders, then this is the read for you.Best Digital Voice Recorders of 2020If you need a digital voice recorder for your professional life, there are numerous quality options available from the leading audio and tech brands. Anyone seeking a new voice recorder will find all they need to know in our teams reviews of the best digital voice recorders of 2 020, featuring products from Tascam, Zoom, EVISTR, Olympus, Philips and Sony.ColColColZoom ZH1 H1 Handy Portable Digital Recorder Check Price Zoom H6 Six-Track Portable Recorder Check Price EVISTR Voice Recorder 8GB Check Price Tascam DR05 Stereo Portable Digital Recorder Check Price Zoom H4N PRO Digital Multitrack Recorder Check Price Olympus DS-3500 Professional Dictation Digital Recorder Check Price Philips DPM6000 Digital Pocket Memo Voice Recorder Check Price Olympus VN-8100PC Digital Voice Recorder 142600 Check Price Sony ICD-UX533BLK Digital Voice Recorder Check Price Olympus Digital Voice Recorder WS-852 (Silver) Check Price 1.  Best Digital Voice Recorders Review Zoom ZH1 H1 Handy Portable Digital Recorder Image Source:  AmazonThe best selling portable studio recorder on Amazon, the Zoom ZH1 H1 has a compact design, easily fitting into your pocket. Boasting X/Y technology allowing crystal clear crisp audio to be captured. As a result of the micro SD slots, users can easily transfer audio files between devices. Transferring data to your computer is also easy and convenient. Just connect your digital recorder to your computer using the USB port.Zoom ZH1 H1 - PROSZoom ZH1 H1 - CONS•Recordings can easily be transferred on micro SD cards•Battery life is disappointing at just 10 hours•Provides clear audio, even in loud areasAmazon Customer Reviews:  1241 Average Customer Review Rating:  4.3 out of 5 Stars Check Price 2.  Best Digital Voice Recorders Review Zoom H6 Six-Track Portable Recorder Image Source:  AmazonZoom built the H6 to meet any recording situation. Live concerts, music and interviews will be recorded in great 24-bit/96kHz audio resolution. Thanks to the 20 hour battery life, you will never miss an important recording again. Included with this recorder are 2 microphone capsules. The MSH-6 capsule contains two direction-facing microphones that work together to help capture the audio from all angles. Unsurprisingly this recorde r captures amazing quality audio.Zoom H6 Six-Track - PROSZoom H6 Six-Track - CONS•Great battery life, up to 20 hours•Can be used with lots of great microphone capsules, all are sold separately except 2•Can easily connect to a microphone capsule•Quite priceyAmazon Customer Reviews:  248 Average Customer Review Rating:  4.6 out of 5 Stars Check Price 3.  Best Digital Voice Recorders Review EVISTR Voice Recorder 8GB Image Source:  AmazonThis digital recorder from EVISTR contains 8GB of built in memory allowing for 500 hours of recordings. Recordings can be played straight from the recorder thanks to the built-in MP3 player. The smart technology used allows recording to only take place when audio is heard. This prevents space being used up by empty audio files. Unfortunately this recorder does not accept any means of additional storage.EVISTR Voice Recorder 8GB - PROSEVISTR Voice Recorder 8GB - CONS•Allows playback of the recorded audio directly from the recorder•No micro S D card slots•6 recording types will ensure the best quality audio possible Amazon Customer Reviews:  155 Average Customer Review Rating:  3.7 out of 5 Stars Check Price 4.  Best Digital Voice Recorders Review Tascam DR05 Stereo Portable Digital Recorder Image Source:  AmazonThis budget-friendly option from Tascam is a great choice for all audio lovers. The DR05 has a headphone jack port. This allows you to connect external speakers to the recorder for increased playback volume. Storage capacity can be increased by using bigger capacity SD cards. There is a 4GB SD card included which will be enough more than enough space for the average user.Tascam DR05 - PROSTascam DR05 - CONS•Includes a 2 GB micro SD card•Can be confusing for beginners to use •Uses 2 sets of microphones for great audio pickup •Hard to understand instructionsAmazon Customer Reviews:  1085 Average Customer Review Rating:  4.2 out of 5 Stars Check Price 5.  Best Digital Voice Recorders Review Zoom H4N PRO Digital Multitrack Recorder Image Source:  AmazonAnother entry from Zoom, the H4N PRO uses a X/Y stereo to provide high quality audio even at very low noises. These low noise audio recordings make this a great option for recording animals or nature. The recorder can be turned on and off remotely which can come in handy for a lot of situations. Supporting expandable storage and also having an above average battery life, the H4N PRO, is a good one.Zoom H4N PRO - PROSZoom H4N PRO - CONS•Allows up to 32 GB of storage capacity using micro SD/SDHC cards•Out of the box, there is no micro SD card included•Audio captured at resolutions up to 24-bit, 96 kHz•One of the pricier options on the listAmazon Customer Reviews:  2 Average Customer Review Rating:  3.5 out of 5 Stars Check Price 6.  Best Digital Voice Recorders Review Olympus DS-3500 Professional Dictation Digital Recorder Image Source:  AmazonThis easy to use digital recorder from Olympus gives the user great functionality at the click of a button. The buttons on the recorder allow users to append, partially erase and overwrite audio quickly and easily. The DS-3500 has a built-in microphone thats been tuned and optimised for great quality speech input. 2GB of storage capacity is included, professional users may want to upgrade the storage.Olympus DS-3500 - PROSOlympus DS-3500 - CONS•Included micro SD card allows for use of the recorder out of the box•Battery could be better considering the price•Can set alarms and remindersAmazon Customer Reviews:  3 Average Customer Review Rating:  2.9 out of 5 Stars Check Price 7.  Best Digital Voice Recorders Review Philips DPM6000 Digital Pocket Memo Voice Recorder Image Source:  AmazonThe Philips DPM6000 is a high quality digital recorder that will easily fit into your pocket. The lightweight and compact recorder also has power-saving functionality to allow extended periods of use without charging. Our favorite feature is the file priorities, which allows you to prioritize certain files for first-in-the-queue processing.Philips DPM6000 - PROSPhilips DPM6000 - CONS•Built in microphone ensures crystal clear audio•Adapter to record on cell phones sold separately•Stainless steel finish gives a premium feel Amazon Customer Reviews:  7 Average Customer Review Rating:  3.8 out of 5 Stars Check Price 8.  Best Digital Voice Recorders Review Olympus VN-8100PC Digital Voice Recorder 142600 Image Source:  AmazonThe Olympus VN-8100PC digital voice recorder definitely takes top spot for battery life, which lasts an amazing 51 hours on 2 AAA batteries. Storage is great also, holding up to 843 hours of audio on the built-in 2GB of memory. The recorder will automatically adjust on the fly to capture nothing less than amazing sound quality in any situation.Olympus VN-8100PC - PROSOlympus VN-8100PC - CONS•Amazing battery life, up to 51 hours•Batteries included are not rechargeable•Out of the box storage of 843 hoursAmazon Customer Reviews:   529 Average Customer Review Rating:  4.2 out of 5 Stars Check Price 9.  Best Digital Voice Recorders Review Sony ICD-UX533BLK Digital Voice Recorder Image Source:  AmazonA great digital recorder, Sony built the ICD-UX533BLK with a very sensitive S-Microphone system. This will help drown out any background noise and increase the range of recording. There are settings available for a variety of different situations such as music, interviews and many more, providing maximum optimization for each. This recorder also works as an MP3 player for your favorite songs.Sony ICD-UX533BLK - PROSSony ICD-UX533BLK - CONS•The digital recorder can also play music files•Users may find the volume a little on the low side during audio playback•Compatible with SD cards and has 4 GB of built in storage•If the recorder is connected to your computer charging, you cannot record audioAmazon Customer Reviews:  401 Average Customer Review Rating:  4.3 out of 5 Stars Check Price 10.  Best Digital Voice Recorders Review Olympus Digital Voice Recorder WS-852 (Silver) Image Source:  AmazonThe Olympus Digital Voice Recorder WS-852 is very easy to use for beginners. You can set the recorder to auto mode which sets the microphone sensitivity automatically to suit a variety of situations. The built-in stand adds not only convenience but reduces noise that can be created from the recorder lying flat. Boasting 100 hours of battery life and over 1000 hours of storage, the WS-852 is easily one of the best digital voice recorders.Olympus WS-852 - PROSOlympus WS-852 - CONS•Automatic adjustment of microphone sensitivity is a great feature to have•Playback quality is nothing to boast about•The digital recorder has a very convenient built in stand•Works great with Dragon Voice Recognition Software but, this software is sold separatelyAmazon Customer Reviews:  251 Average Customer Review Rating:  4.1 out of 5 Stars Check Price Best Digital Voice Recorders FAQsTo help you make a bit more sense of the range of digital voice recorders we have listed above, we have attempted to answer some of the most frequently asked questions by shoppers in this space. By applying the information gained below to product reviews, youll be able to find the right recorder to suit your needs in no time at all.Why get a digital voice recorder?If taking notes at lectures and working off written notes bores you, digital voice recorders are excellent for recording what your professor is saying, so you can focus on the lesson at hand while the voice recorder catches every moment for later revision.Are digital voice recorders expensive?Prices of digital voice recorders actually vary significantly, with some recorders on the market for about $50, while others easily market in the multiple hundreds of dollars. The reason for this is that there are many lower quality recorders on the market that can be yours at a very affordable price, if youre willing to sacrifice quite a bit of sound quality. That being said, while the sound quality might not be the best for the lower end recorders, its worth asking yourself exactly how you intend on using your voice recorder. If it is simply for memos and taking notes you may not need an expensive voice recorder.How do digital voice recorders work?Digital voice recorders are able to pick up on sound waves in the air through a microphone, converting the sound to analog electric signals. These signals are then pushed through an ADC (analog-to-digital) converter, and is then passed along as a digital signal using linear pulse code modulation. Points of the sound wave are then assigned a numerical value, where they can then be seen on a graph. Interestingly, when playing back audio the reverse happens, where a digital signal becomes an analog electric signal, which is pushed along a wire that vibrates the speaker, causing the air to vibrate.What does audio fidelity mean?Audio fidelity refers to the sound quality of a digital recording. Two aspects of audio fidelity we would like to talk about are sampling rate, and bit depth.The sampling rate  is how many times sound is recorded within a second. Imagine a sound that lasts exactly one second, and think about slicing that second up into smaller periods of time, moments of sound that can be captured, contributing towards a better sampling rate.Then we have the bit depth, which is basically just the quality of the sound that is recorded. This dictates the amplitude of the recorded sound wave, so the higher the bit depth the better for a more dynamic audio experience.Mono Vs. StereoYouve probably heard of these terms before, however we thought wed run through them briefly for anyone out there who is unacquainted with them. Mono and stereo refer to how sound is recorded. Mono recordings have only one track, and are typically the product of only microphone. Conversely, Stereo recordings are made with two microphones, which offer much more sound depth. There is no question th at stereo recordings sound closer to reality than their mono counterparts. However, this does make them more expensive.Image Source:  TASCAM